The focus of the week will be health care, as the Senate works toward an agreement on a bill that GOP leadership hopes can get a vote before July 4. Senate Democrats plan to make speeches and hold the Senate Floor until midnight on Tuesday to protest the closed process for crafting the bill.
The House will vote on several workforce development bills, including a renewal of the Perkins Act, which provides financial assistance for technical education.
The House will also take up a series of bills that impact families in the foster care system and bills concerning the Department of Homeland Security.
In the Senate: Health Care Bill
No language has yet been released for the Senate version of the health care bill, which will eventually be an amendment to the House-passed "American Health Care Act."
Timing is critical for the health bill this week because, unlike the House, the Senate cannot vote on a bill without a score from the Congressional Budget Office (under requirements for the bill to follow the "reconciliation" procedure). If the Senate indeed wants to vote on the bill by July 4, it will need to submit the proposal to CBO this week.
Senators from both sides have complained about the process for crafting the Senate bill (though with only a two-vote Republican margin of error, GOP senators have tremendous power to impact the process and content of the bill). Senate Democrats plan to hold the floor on Monday through midnight Tuesday
H.R. 1628 The American Health Care Act (Revised) – AHCA
Sponsor:
Rep. Diane Black [R, TN-6]
In the House: Health Care changes
Workforce Development
H.R. 2842: Accelerating Individuals into the Workforce Act
Sponsor:
Rep. Carlos Curbelo [R, FL-26]
The bill would make grants to states for demonstration projects that provide wage subsidies to enable low-income individuals to enter and retain employment.
H.R. 2353: Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act
Sponsor:
Rep. Glenn Thompson [R, PA-5]
The bill would amend the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 and reauthorize secondary and postsecondary career and technical education (CTE) programs through fiscal year 2023.
H.R. 1393: Mobile Workforce State Income Tax Simplification Act of 2017
Sponsor:
Rep. Mike Bishop [R, MI-8]
The bill would establish consistent criteria for states to determine state taxation and employer withholding for nonresidents who work in a state.
Foster Families
H.R. 2847: Improving Services for Older Youth in Foster Care Act
Sponsor:
Rep. John Faso [R, NY-19]
Maximizes the availability of support for older foster youth making the transition to adulthood by updating the Chafee Foster Care program
H.R. 2866: Reducing Barriers for Relative Foster Parents Act
Sponsor:
Rep. Lloyd Smucker [R, PA-16]
Reinforces flexibility in foster care licensing rules to place more children with relatives rather than with foster parents
H.R. 2742: Modernizing the Interstate Placement of Children in Foster Care Act
Sponsor:
Rep. Jackie Walorski [R, IN-2]
Reduces the time it takes to place foster children across state lines with a family member, foster parent, or adoptive parent by requiring states to implement the National Electronic Interstate Compact Enterprise (NEICE) system for exchanging information
H.R. 2834: Partnership Grants to Strengthen Families Affected by Parental Substance Abuse Act
Sponsor:
Rep. Danny Davis [D, IL-7]
Strengthens regional partnership grants to more effectively help communities address the impacts of substance abuse
H.R. 2857: Supporting Families in Substance Abuse Treatment Act, as amended
Sponsor:
Rep. Kristi Noem [R, SD-0]
Allows children to remain with a parent who is in a residential-based family substance abuse treatment facility
Department of Homeland Security
H.R. 2132: Traveler Redress Improvement Act of 2017
Sponsor:
Rep. John Katko [R, NY-24]
The bill would require the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to ensure that appropriate redress procedures are available to adjudicate inquiries by individuals who believe they have been wrongly identified as being a threat to aviation security.
Sponsor:
Rep. Pete Aguilar [D, CA-31]
The bill would require the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to ensure that appropriate redress procedures are available to adjudicate inquiries by individuals who believe they have been wrongly identified as being a threat to aviation security. The bill would specify requirements for that process and direct the agency to complete various reports and administrative requirements related to it.
Sponsor:
Rep. Clay Higgins [R, LA-3]
The bill would direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to standardize its policies on handling employee misconduct and discipline and to ensure the consistent application of those policies throughout its component agencies (such as the Coast Guard and the Secret Service).
Sponsor:
Rep. Bennie Thompson [D, MS-2]
The bill would direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop a plan to improve employee morale and enhance communications within the department. The bill also would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to investigate and assess the consistency and fairness of disciplinary actions imposed on DHS employees.
H.R. 1282: DHS Acquisition Review Board Act of 2017
Sponsor:
Rep. Thomas Garrett [R, VA-5]
The bill would direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish an Acquisition Review Board to review major acquisition programs and enhance accountability and uniformity in the review process for DHS acquisitions.
H.R. 2190: Streamlining DHS Overhead Act
Sponsor:
Rep. Pete Aguilar [D, CA-31]
The bill would direct the Under Secretary for Management of the Department of Homeland Security to make certain improvements in managing the Department's real property portfolio.
Miscellaneous
H.R. 1873: Electricity Reliability and Forest Protection Act
Sponsor:
Rep. Doug LaMalfa [R, CA-1]
The bill would allow electric utilities to submit to the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) long-term plans that would guide vegetation management and maintenance activities on or adjacent to rights-of-way containing electrical infrastructure on federal lands.
Sponsor:
Rep. Tom Rice [R, SC-7]
The bill changes the tax credit for the production of electricity from advanced nuclear power facilities, to: (1) establish requirements for the allocation of unutilized portions of the national megawatt capacity limitation, and (2) allow public entities to transfer the credit to project partners.
H.R. 1654: Water Supply Permitting Coordination Act
Sponsor:
Rep. Tom McClintock [R, CA-4]
The bill would direct the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) to act as the lead federal agency for coordinating with 17 western states for issuing permits to construct new water storage projects on land managed by the Department of the Interior or the Department of Agriculture. The bill also would impose deadlines for carrying out certain activities related to each project.
H.R. 2484: Women, Peace, and Security Act of 2017
Sponsor:
Rep. Kristi Noem [R, SD-0]
The bill would require the President to develop a strategy to promote the participation of women abroad in conflict prevention, management, resolution, and recovery.
Please keep in mind that highlighting a bill does not imply POPVOX endorsement in any way. As always, our goal is to offer one more way to help you stay informed about the complex U.S. legislative system.
