House
Passes Internet Tax Moratorium
The House passed a seven-year extension of the Internet Tax Freedom Act. The
bill now heads to the president for his signature.
Senate Passes Amtrak Bill
The Senate passed the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act (S. 294).
The bill reauthorizes Amtrak for six years and authorizes $11.4 billion in
funding, including $1.4 billion for a new state grant program under
which the secretary of Transportation can authorize grants to states or
groups of states to assist in financing the capital costs of facilities and
equipment for intercity passenger rail transportation.
Conference
on Labor-HHS Spending Bill Set
House and Senate conferees are scheduled to discuss FY 2008
appropriations for the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and
Education (Labor-HHS). Leaders have not yet decided whether to consider the
bill on its own or combine it with other appropriations measures. The president
has threatened to veto the bill because it exceeds his budget request.
FY 2008 Justice Grant Availability Announced
The Department of Justice is seeking applicants for grants under its
Residential Substance Abuse Treatment (RSAT) for State Prisoners Program.
States and territories are eligible for this formula grant program, which
assists state and local governments in developing and implementing residential
substance abuse treatment programs in correctional and detention
facilities. To download the RSAT announcement, go to www.ojp.usdoj.gov/BJA/grant/08RSATsol.pdf.
For technical assistance and information, contact Michael Austin at
202-305-7441 or michael.austin3@usdoj.gov.
House to Consider Internet Tax Moratorium
The House is scheduled to take up H.R. 3678, the "Internet Tax Freedom Act
Amendments Act of 2007," today. Last Thursday, the Senate amended the bill
to extend the moratorium for seven years. The Senate bill also modifies
definitions and moves the starting date for the prohibition of state and local
taxation of backbone telecommunications services. The House is expected to pass
the bill and send it to the president. The current moratorium expires
Thursday, November 1.
Senate
Adopts Internet Tax Moratorium
Yesterday, the Senate agreed to a seven-year extension of the Internet access
tax moratorium. The bill is similar to the four-year House measure that passed
last week.
House Passes New SCHIP Bill
Yesterday, the House approved a modified version of
legislation to reauthorize the State Children's Health Insurance Program
(SCHIP). H.R. 3963 resembles the previous bill vetoed by the president.
Changes address income eligibility, citizenship and
substituting private for public coverage. The Senate is expected to
consider the bill next week. A Statement of Administration Policy states
that the president would veto H.R. 3963.
Senate Committee Approves Farm Bill
Yesterday, the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry passed
its version of the Food and Energy Security Act. Agriculture Committee
Chairman Harkin expects the bill to be on the
Senate floor next week.
FY 2008 LIHEAP Funds Announced
The Department of Health and Human Services has announced the availability of
FY 2008 first quarter funds for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program
(LIHEAP) under the current continuing resolution (CR). Upon completion of FY
2008 LIHEAP plans, all states will receive allocations based on their full
first quarter requests for FY 2008, not to exceed 75%. The allocations
are based on the FY 2007 LIHEAP block grant funding level of $1.98
billion. A chart showing state allocations under the CR is
attached.
House Vote
on SCHIP Scheduled
House leaders have scheduled a vote today on a
modified version of the SCHIP reauthorization that the president vetoed earlier
this month (H.R. 3963). The bill has been modified to address concerns around
income eligibility levels, immigrants and the time-line to phase out SCHIP
coverage for childless adults.
House Committee Approves TAA Reauthorization
Yesterday, the
Senate
Passes Labor-HHS-Education Spending Bill
The Senate has approved its FY 2008 Labor-Health and Human
Services-Education (Labor-HHS) appropriations bill, H.R. 3043. The
legislation includes a 5% increase in discretionary spending over FY
2007. It is $9.6 billion more than the president's budget
request but $1.9 billion less than the House-passed version, which
was approved in July.
House and Senate leaders hope to send a compromise bill to President Bush in
early November.
House Extends Higher Education Act for Six Months
On Tuesday, the House agreed to a six-month extension of the Higher Education
Act (H.R. 3927). This is the third extension of the act this year. The program
is now set to expire April 30, 2008. The Senate passed a reauthorization
bill in July, but the House has not done so.
House
Passes Internet Tax Moratorium
Yesterday, the House passed H.R. 3678, the Internet Tax Freedom Amendments Act
of 2007. The bill would extend the Internet access tax moratorium for four
years, update the definition of Internet access and retain current grandfather
protections.
Senate Passes Justice Appropriations Bill
The Senate passed its FY 2008 Commerce-Justice-Science appropriations bill,
H.R. 3093. The measure provides about $1.5 billion more than FY 2007 and $2.1
billion more than the president's request for the Department of Justice.
State and local law enforcement programs would receive $660 million for Justice
Assistance Grants (60% for the Edward Byrne State block grant program and 40%
for the Local Law Enforcement Block Grant program); $660 million for COPS; $340
million for juvenile justice ($80 million for juvenile justice state formula
grants); $375 million for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program; $40
million for drug courts and $400 million for Violence Against Women Act
programs ($185.5 million for STOP grants). The president has threatened to veto
the bill.
Another House Committee Approves Mental Health Parity Bill
The House Energy and Commerce Committee approved the
Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act (H.R. 1424). The
bill already has been approved by both the House Education and Labor Committee
and the
Medicare
Part D Clawback Multipliers Announced
On Friday October 15, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services sent a
notice to each state concerning its individual calendar year 2008 clawback multiplier. Each state's multiplier will be
reduced 0.23% from its October-December 2007 rate to reflect updated 2003-2006
National Health Expenditures data and the 2006-2007 growth.
The House
Stays Busy
Affordable Housing. Yesterday, the House voted to establish
an affordable housing trust fund to finance construction, renovation and
maintenance of 1.5 million affordable housing units over 10 years. H.R.
2895 authorizes creation of the trust fund and complements previous
passage of two bills that would finance it. It would authorize up to $1
billion per year, with states receiving 40% and localities 60%. No
companion bill has been introduced in the Senate.
Internet Access Tax Moratorium. Yesterday, the
House Judiciary Committee approved a four-year extension of the Internet Tax
Freedom Act that prohibits state and local governments from taxing Internet
access. The bill extends the moratorium through November 1, 2011.
Mental Health Parity. The House Energy and
Commerce Subcommittee on Health yesterday approved H.R. 1424, the Paul
Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act. For more information on the
legislation, see FFIS Issue Brief 07-47.
Yesterday,
House Passes Regional Economic Development Bill
The House has passed a regional economic development bill that would
authorize $1.25 billion over five years to fund commissions that serve regions
experiencing high poverty and unemployment. H.R. 3246 would authorize five
regional authorities to create economic development strategies, modeled after
the Appalachian Regional Commission. They include the Delta Regional
Commission, Northern Great Plains Regional Commission, Southeast Crescent
Regional Commission, Southwest Border Regional Commission and Northern Border
Regional Commission. The Senate has no companion bill and the president has said
he would veto H.R. 3246 because of its Davis-Bacon wage requirement
and its overlap with existing programs.
WIA Legislation Introduced
House Education and Labor Ranking Member Howard McKeon has
introduced the Workforce Investment Improvement Act (H.R. 3747). The
legislation builds upon H.R 27, approved in the 109th Congress. The bill
contains several changes to the Workforce Investment Act
(WIA): consolidating adult, dislocated worker and Wagner-Peyser funding streams; combining core and intensive services;
modifying state and local boards; allowing faith-based providers to
participate in the job-training system; allowing state boards to oversee local
board operations; providing flexibility to spend youth funds; and changing
performance accountability.
President
Vetoes SCHIP
Yesterday, President Bush vetoed H.R. 976, a bill to reauthorize the
State Children's Health Insurance Program. A House vote to override the veto is
scheduled for October 18.
Senate Appropriations Update:
Defense. Yesterday, the Senate passed the FY 2008 appropriations bill
for the Department of Defense (H.R. 3222). It includes an amendment
providing $3 billion in emergency spending for more border security, including
agents, barriers, ground-based radar and cameras, as well as 700 miles of
fencing along the U.S.-Mexican border. The Senate measure now heads to
conference with the House.
Senate
Passes FY 2008 Defense Authorization
The Senate has passed H.R. 1585, the $648.3 billion FY 2008 defense
authorization bill.
Yesterday,