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Weekly Legislative Update: June 17, 2019

Congressional Schedule: June 17-21, 2019

Floor Action:

Appropriations– On Tuesday, the House is scheduled to complete consideration of H.R. 2740, a minibus bill that contains the FY2020 Defense; Energy and Water; Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies; and State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs spending bills.

The House also is scheduled to begin consideration of H.R. 3055, a second minibus bill that contains the FY2020 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies; Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; Military Construction, Veterans’ Affairs, and Related Agencies; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies spending bills.

Military– This week the Senate is scheduled to consider S. 1790, the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act.

Mark-Ups:

Child Care– On Thursday, the House Ways and Means Committee will mark up several bills, including H.R. 3298, the Child Care Quality and Access Act.

Human Trafficking– On Thursday, the Senate Committee on the Judiciary is scheduled to mark up S. 1494, the Secure and Protect Act of 2019, a bill to amend the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008.

Miscellaneous– On Wednesday, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is scheduled to mark up several bills, including S. 1272, a bill to designate the facility in Central Falls, Rhode Island, as the “Elizabeth Buffum Chace Post Office.”

STEM– On Thursday, the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology is scheduled to mark up several bills, including H.R. 36, the Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act; H.R. 2528, the STEM Opportunities Act; and H.R. 3196, a bill to designate the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope as the “Vera Rubin Survey Telescope.”

Hearings:

Employment– On Thursday, the House Financial Services Committee will hold a hearing, “Diversity in the Boardroom: Examining Proposals to Increase the Diversity of America’s Boards.”

Also on Thursday, the House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress will hold a hearing, “Cultivating Diversity and Improving Retention Among Congressional Staff.”

Family Support– On Wednesday, the House Committee on the Budget will hold a hearing, “Poverty in America: Economic Realities of Struggling Families.”

On Thursday, the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations will hold a hearing, “The Potential Implications of Eliminating Broad-based Categorical Eligibility for SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] Households.”

Reproductive Health– On Wednesday, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold a hearing, “Protecting Title X and Safeguarding Quality Family Planning Care.”

Veterans– On Thursday, the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs will hold a hearing, “Ensuring Access to Disability Benefits for Veteran Survivors of Military Sexual Assault.”

Also on Thursday, the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee will hold a hearing on several bills, including H.R. 2942, a bill to carry out the Women’s Health Transition Training pilot program through FY2020.

Violence Against Women– On Wednesday, the Senate Indian Affairs Committee will consider several bills, including S. 227, Savanna’s Act; S. 288, the Justice for Native Survivors of Sexual Violence Act; and S. 982, the Not Invisible Act.


Bills Introduced: June 10-14, 2019

Employment

H.R. 3279—Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)/Financial Services (6/13/19)—A bill to require the Securities and Exchange Commission to establish a Diversity Advisory Group to study and make recommendations on strategies to increase gender, racial, and ethnic diversity among the members of the board of directors of issuers, to amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require issuers to make disclosures to shareholders with respect to gender, racial, and ethnic diversity, and for other purposes.

International

S. 1766—Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)/Foreign Relations (6/10/19)—A bill to implement policies to end preventable maternal, newborn, and child deaths globally.

S. 1777—Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA)/Foreign Relations (6/11/19)—A bill to amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to include in the Annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices a section on conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence, and to amend the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act to authorize the president to impose economic sanctions and a visa ban on the leader of an organization that commits sexual or gender-based violence.

S. 1781—Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)/Foreign Relations (6/11/19)—A bill to authorize appropriations for the Department of State for fiscal years 2020 through 2022 to provide assistance to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras through a bilateral compact to increase protection of women and children in their homes and communities and reduce female homicides, domestic violence, and sexual assault.

H.R. 3212—Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME)/Foreign Affairs, Judiciary (6/11/19)—A bill to amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to include in the Annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and section on conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence, and to amend the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act to authorize the president to impose economic sanctions and a visa band on the leader of an organization that commits sexual or gender-based violence.

Military

S. 1789—Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)/Armed Services (6/11/19)—A bill to reform procedures for determinations on disposition of charges and the convening of courts-martial for certain offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and for other purposes.

H.R. 3216—Rep. Lori Trahan (D-MA)/Armed Services (6/11/19)—A bill to enhance efforts to prevent sexual assault in the Armed Forces, and for other purposes.

H.R. 3174—Rep. Anthony Brown (D-MD)/Armed Services (6/10/19)—A bill to direct the secretary of Defense to include questions regarding supremacism, extremism, and racism in the workplace and equal opportunity, command climate, and workplace and gender relations surveys administered by the Office of People Analytics of the Department of Defense.

Miscellaneous

H.R. 3196—Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX)/Science, Space, and Technology (6/11/19)—A bill to designate the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope as the “Vera Rubin Survey Telescope.”

S. Res. 249—Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD)/Considered and agreed to (6/12/19)—A resolution commemorating the victory of the University of Maryland in the 2019 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship.

Reproductive Health

S. 1847—Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)/Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (6/13/19)—A bill to require group health plans and group or individual health insurance coverage to provide coverage for over-the-counter contraceptives.

H.R. 3296—Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA)/Energy and Commerce; Education and Labor; Ways and Means (6/14/19)—A bill to require group health plans and group or individual health insurance coverage to provide coverage for over-the-counter contraceptives.

Veterans

H.R. 3189—Rep. Susan Wild (D-PA)/Veterans’ Affairs (6/10/19)—A bill to direct the secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a partnership to provide legal services to women veterans, and for others purposes.

H.R. 3224—Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA)/Veterans’ Affairs (6/12/19)—A bill to provide for increased access to Department of Veterans Affairs medical care for women veterans.

H. Res. 438—Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ)/Oversight and Reform (6/12/19)—A resolution expressing support for the designation of June 12, 2019, as “Women Veterans Appreciation Day.”

Violence Against Women

S. 1853—Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM)/Indian Affairs (6/13/19)—A bill to require federal law enforcement agencies to report on cases of missing or murdered Indians, and for other purposes.

H.R. 3284—Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL)/Judiciary (6/13/19)—A bill to require the attorney general to study whether an individual’s history of domestic violence can be used to determine the likelihood of such individual committing a mass shooting.