This Week on the Hill
The House and Senate are both in session this week.
The House convenes on Tuesday and will consider six bills. For Wednesday and the balance of the week, the House will consider three bills including H.R. 4, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018. Several committees scheduled hearings this week: the Appropriations Committee will hold several hearings on fiscal year 2019 budget requests; and the Ways and Means Committee will hold a hearing Wednesday on employer perspectives on the jobs gap and a hearing Thursday on innovation in health care
The Senate convenes at 3 p.m. today to resume considering the nomination of Stuart Kyle Duncan to be U.S. circuit judge for the 5th Circuit. Several committees have scheduled hearings this week: the Foreign Relations Committee will vote on the nomination of Mike Pompeo to be Secretary of State tonight; the Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee will hold a hearing Tuesday on the state of rural America; and the Finance Committee will hold a hearing Tuesday on early impressions of the new tax law.
House to Vote on FAA Reauthorization This Week
After recently introducing a bill to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the House is expected to vote on the measure on the floor sometime this week. The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (H.R. 4) is a five-year reauthorization of FAA programs and also includes the bipartisan Disaster Recovery Reform Act, which will help communities better prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against disasters. The FAA reauthorization bill includes provisions that prohibit the use of cell phones for voice communications during commercial flights, provides stable funding for the Airport Improvement Program (which issues grants to public use airports for planning and development purposes), continues grant funding for three additional years to 250 of the smallest General Aviation airports, directs the Transportation Department to study the appropriate roles of federal, state and local governments in the regulation of low-altitude drone operations, and includes a subtitle addressing airport noise and environmental issues. The disaster title of the bill includes provisions that would authorize states to use federal disaster assistance to directly administer temporary and permanent housing assistance for disaster victims and provides other broad reforms to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
House Committee Advances Farm Bill on Party Line Vote
On Wednesday the House Agriculture Committee voted along party lines to advance a 2018 farm bill (H.R. 2). Democrats are opposed to proposed changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in the bill, including a mandatory work requirement and eliminating broad-based categorical eligibility. Other provisions in the bill include: incorporating the Conservation Stewardship Program into the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP); creating a competitive grant program for rural broadband; and providing the Secretary of Agriculture the authority to help communities combat opioid addiction by prioritizing assistance to direct medical services where they are most urgently needed. During the committee markup, members approved 20 amendments that address issues such as seeking to block states from requiring out-of-state agricultural goods to meet their own production and manufacturing laws to be sold in their jurisdiction and requiring that the minimum broadband speed standard for USDA programs be the same as FCC guidelines. The committee chair said in a statement that the bill could be scheduled for a floor vote by early or mid-May. Full details, including bill text and fact sheets, can be found here.
HHS Releases $485 Million in Opioid Response Grants
On Wednesday the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released the second year of funding to all states and four territories to combat the nation’s opioid crisis, a total of $485 million. The Opioid State Targeted Response grants were created by the 21st Century Cures Act and are administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration within HHS. According to HHS, grantees have used first year funding to implement effective medication-assisted treatment, promote the use of naloxone and key prevention strategies, and build sustainable systems of recovery support services across the country. A breakdown of grant awards is included in the announcement.
Senate Repeals Auto Lending Guidance Using Administrative Procedure
The Senate voted 51-47 on Wednesday to pass a joint resolution (S.J. Res. 57) that would repeal a 2013 Consumer Financial Protection Bureau guidance that was used to fine auto lenders for discriminatory practices. The vote was taken using the Congressional Review Act, a 1996 law that allows Congress to overturn new agency rules within 60 legislative days of publication. Although this guidance was issued in 2013, the Senate relied on a ruling from the Government Accountability Office in December 2017 that found the guidance could be treated as a rule under the review act. Congress repealed 15 regulations issued by the Obama administration through the CRA in 2017. It is unknown if a lawsuit will be filed challenging the use of the CRA in this instance or if the Senate would use a similar maneuver to repeal other guidance documents issued by the previous administration.
FTA Reminds States on Rail Safety Oversight Programs Ahead of Deadline
The Federal Transit Administration (FTA) issued a reminder to states last week that one year remains until the April 15, 2019 deadline to obtain FTA certification of their State Safety Oversight Programs to provide more effective oversight of rail transit systems in their jurisdictions. According to the reminder, FTA is prohibited by law from awarding new federal transit funds to any transit provider in a state that fails to meet the deadline, until certification is achieved. This includes all FTA formula and competitive grant programs, such as the Capital Investment Grant program. By law, the deadline cannot be waived or extended. There are 30 states with rail transit systems which need FTA certification by the 2019 deadline; currently, eight states have received certification. A current certification status table can be found here. According to FTA, states should not assume that applications submitted after September 30, 2018 will be certified by the deadline. Additional information on the oversight program certification status can be found here.
Interior Secretary Signs Order on Recreation on Public Lands
Last week Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke signed two secretarial orders to increase recreational opportunities and access on public lands. Secretarial Order 3366 directs certain Interior bureaus to create and deliver plans within 90 days that focus on developing or expanding recreational opportunities on public lands and waterways, while also directing bureau heads to designate one full-time employee charged to oversee recreational opportunities. Secretarial Order 3365 establishes the position of Senior National Advisor to the Secretary for Recreation to ensure deliberate and active coordination of recreational policy in the department. These orders follow action by the Secretary on selecting members of the new “Made in America” Outdoor Recreation Advisory Committee, whose primary charge is advising the Secretary on public-private partnerships across all public lands, with the goal of expanding access to and improving the infrastructure on public lands and waters.
FEMA Announces First Integration Team
On Tuesday the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced the launch of its integration teams, with North Carolina becoming the first state to have FEMA staff assigned to its emergency management agency. According to the press release, the FEMA Integration Team will provide technical and training assistance on FEMA’s programs and continuous on-site support to the state. For the remainder of the current fiscal year, FEMA will embed staff in up to 10 states. Then, Phase 2 will expand teams to include up to 34 partners across all 10 regions and Phase 3 will reach full operating capacity with teams embedded in all partner offices throughout the country. Additional information on the integration teams can be found here.
Recently Released Reports
The State Pension Funding Gap: 2016
The Pew Charitable Trusts
Proposals for Insurance Options That Don't Comply with ACA Rules: Trade-Offs in Cost and Regulation
Kaiser Family Foundation
The State of Preschool 2017
National Institute for Early Education Research
Information on Recovery Housing Prevalence, Selected States' Oversight, and Funding
U.S. Government Accountability Office
Sex Offender Registration and Notification in the U.S. - Current Case Law and Issues
Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice
Economic News
Unemployment Rates Stable in 45 States in March
New data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that most state unemployment rates saw little change in March; 45 states and the District of Columbia had stable unemployment rates, 4 states had lower rates and 1 state had a higher rate. Compared to one year earlier, 33 states and the District had little or no change, while 17 states had unemployment rate decreases. The national jobless rate was unchanged from February at 4.1 percent but was 0.4 percentage point lower than in March 2017. Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 2 states in March and was essentially unchanged in 48 states and the District of Columbia. Over the year, 24 states added nonfarm payroll jobs and 26 states and the District were essentially unchanged.
Federal Reserve “Beige Book” Highlights Modest Economic Growth
Information collected as part of the newest edition of the Federal Reserve’s “Beige Book” from the 12 Federal Reserve Districts shows that economic activity continued to expand at a modest to moderate pace in March and early April. Outlooks remained positive, but contacts in various sectors including manufacturing, agriculture, and transportation expressed concern about the newly imposed and/or proposed tariffs. Consumer spending rose in most regions, with gains noted for nonauto retail sales and tourism, but mixed results for vehicle sales. Manufacturing activity grew moderately, and demand for nonfinancial services was mostly solid. Residential construction and real estate activity expanded further, although low home inventories continued to constrain sales in several Districts. Widespread employment growth continued, with most Districts characterizing growth as modest to moderate. Labor markets across the country remained tight, restraining job gains in some regions.