This Week on the Hill
The House and Senate are both in recess this week, returning May 7.
House Passes FAA Reauthorization and Disaster Bill
On Friday the House voted 393-13 to advance H.R. 4, the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018, a five-year bill to reauthorize the programs of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The bill also incorporates the Disaster Recovery Reform Act, which will help communities better prepare for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate against disasters of all kinds. Additional information on the FAA bill can be found here and the disaster bill can be found here. Several amendments were adopted on the floor, including an amendment that creates a new $1 billion grant program for smaller, non-metropolitan airports and an amendment that codifies the Department of Transportation’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration Pilot Program. The administration released a Statement of Administration Policy which applauds the bipartisan efforts to advance a long-term FAA reauthorization while raising concerns over provisions that run counter to the administration’s efforts to reduce regulatory burdens. The legislation now moves to the Senate.
House and Senate Committees Markup Dozens of Opioid Bills
Committees in the House and Senate advanced bills last week to help combat the opioid crisis. The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health advanced 56 bills on Wednesday, with 35 passing by voice vote, 13 passed en bloc, and 9 passed by roll call vote. Democrats voiced concerns over the speed of the bill markup, the number of bills, and the scope of several of the bills, many of which were in draft discussion form. The bills address topics including alternative payment methods, use of telehealth, CHIP mental health parity, prescription drug monitoring programs, and the institutions for mental disease (IMD) exclusion. The bills may now be considered by the full committee. On Tuesday the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee advanced a bill by a vote of 23-0. The Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 (S. 2680) includes over 40 different proposals from 38 different senators of both parties. After input from other committees with jurisdiction, the bill may receive a floor vote this summer.
First FY2019 Appropriations Bill Approved by House Subcommittees
Last week the first two fiscal year 2019 appropriations bills were approved in their House subcommittees. The $3.8 billion Legislative Branch spending measure was approved on Thursday; the bill provides an increase of $132 million over the fiscal 2018 enacted level and provides increases to House operations, Capitol Police and the Library of Congress. The Military Construction-Veterans Affairs spending measure, also approved on Thursday, provides $96.9 billion in discretionary spending for fiscal 2019, an increase of $4.2 billion over the fiscal 2018 enacted level. Within this total, the Department of Veterans Affairs receives an increase of 4.8 percent over the current year. The bills now advance to the full Appropriations Committee for consideration.
HUD Secretary Proposes Changes to Low Income Housing Policies
On Wednesday U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Ben Carson unveiled a package intended to revamp public housing policies. According to the press release, HUD helps 4.7 million families to access affordable, quality housing and pay their rents, more than half of which are currently headed by senior citizens or persons living with a disability. Citing complex rules currently used to properly calculate a household’s rent contribution and the large amounts of personal information required to do so, HUD is proposing a simplified structure of “core rents” with less frequent verification, along with a menu of “choice rents” for non-elderly/non-disabled households. Under the proposal, rent for tenants in subsidized housing could be increased to 35 percent of gross income (up from 30 percent of adjusted income) and the cap on rent for the lowest-income families would be increased from $50 a month to $150 a month; public housing authorities would also be able to impose work requirements. It is unknown if Congress will consider the proposed changes this session.
NGA Submits Testimony on FEMA Grants, Individual Assistance Program Guidance Released
Last week the National Governors Association submitted written testimony to the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant programs. The testimony highlights the importance of state and federal partnerships, concerns over continued cuts to federal grant programs for states, considerations and priorities for grant reform and improvements, and concern over the impact to National Guard units during large scale, protracted disasters. Additionally, last week FEMA released its draft Individual Assistance Program and Policy Guidance for public comment. The IAPPG is intended to provide a comprehensive policy resource for state, local, territorial, and tribal governments, non-governmental partners, and other entities who assist disaster survivors with post-disaster recovery. Comments on the draft guidance can be submitted through June 7.
CMS Releases 2016 Medicaid Managed Care Enrollment Data
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released 2016 enrollment data for Medicaid managed care. The Medicaid Managed Care Enrollment Report profiles enrollment statistics on managed care programs on a plan-specific level and include enrollees receiving comprehensive benefits and limited benefits, in point-of-time counts. The report also provides national-level summary tables relating to trends, breakout of managed care entities, managed care enrollment by state, regional breakouts, and states with comprehensive health care reform demonstrations. Additionally, state profiles and state enrollment data can be found here.
FY2018 LIHEAP Funds Released
Last week the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families (ACF) announced the release of over $609 million in the second and final round of fiscal year 2018 funding available for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The funds were appropriated under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 (P.L. 115-141), which was signed into law by the President on March 23. The legislation provides for a total funding amount of $3.64 billion for the year; as of this release, the agency has allocated all the funding available to grantees for fiscal 2018, with the exception of a small reallotment of fiscal 2017 funding available for use this year. A table of awards to states and territories can be found here and awards to tribal grantees can be found here.
Administration Issues Annual Comparison of State Unemployment Insurance Laws
The U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (ETA) recently released its annual Comparison of State Unemployment Insurance Laws for 2018. Each year ETA publishes a new edition to reflect recent changes to state laws and areas of interest. The publication provides in-depth information on key aspects of state unemployment insurance programs such as coverage, financing, monetary entitlement, extensions and special programs, nonmonetary eligibility, overpayments and appeals. The 2018 edition can be found here and previous editions can be found here.
EPA Announces $54.3 Million in Brownfields Grants
On Wednesday the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the selection of 144 communities for brownfields Assessment, Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup grants. The 221 grants total $54.3 million and are intended to provide communities with funding to assess, clean up, and redevelop underutilized properties. The Brownfields Program targets communities that are economically disadvantaged and provides funding and assistance to transform blighted sites into assets that can generate jobs and spur economic growth. In addition, communities can use brownfields funding to leverage water infrastructure loans, including the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, and Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act program. A list of the applicants selected for funding can be found here.
Recently Released Reports
50-State Comparison: School Leader Certification and Preparation Programs
Education Commission of the States
The Opioid Epidemic and Medicaid's Role in Facilitating Access to Treatment
Kaiser Family Foundation
CMS Innovation Center: Model Implementation and Center Performance
U.S. Government Accountability Office
Pay for Success in Health Care: Challenges and Opportunities
Urban Institute
Economic News
GDP Increased 2.3 Percent in the First Quarter of 2018
Last week the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Economic Analysis released data on the gross domestic product (GDP) for the first quarter of 2018 (advance estimate), showing an increase at an annual rate of 2.3 percent. In the fourth quarter, real GDP increased 2.9 percent. Real gross domestic product is the value of goods and services produced by the nation’s economy less the value of the goods and services used up in production, adjusted for price changes. The increase in real GDP in the first quarter reflected positive contributions from nonresidential fixed investment (up 6.1 percent), personal consumption expenditures (1.1 percent), exports (4.8 percent), federal government spending (1.7 percent), and state and local government spending (0.8 percent). The deceleration in real GDP growth in the first quarter reflected decelerations in personal consumption expenditures, residential fixed investment, exports, and state and local government spending. The “second” estimate for the first quarter, based on more complete data, will be released on May 30.