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Weekly Legislative Update: March 9-13, 2020

Congressional Schedule: March 9-13, 2020

Mark-Ups:

Employment– On Tuesday, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology will consider several bills, including H.R. 3957, the Expanding Broadcast Ownership Opportunities Act; H.R. 5567, the MEDIA for Diversity Act; and H.R. 5564, the Enhancing Broadcaster DIVERSITY Data Act.

On Wednesday, the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee will consider several bills, including S.3303, the Promoting Service in Transportation Act, which would, among other provisions, promote diversity in transportation careers.

Health– On Wednesday, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health will mark up several bills, including H.R. 5279, the Cosmetic Safety Enhancement Act; H.R. 2271, the Scarlett’s Sunshine on Sudden Unexpected Death Act; and H.R. 4801, the Healthy Start Reauthorization Act.

International– On Tuesday, the House Agriculture Committee will mark up H. Res. 189, a resolution recognizing the importance of U.S. leadership in global maternal and child nutrition programs, and H. Res. 742, a resolution recognizing the continued success for the Food for Peace Act.

Miscellaneous– On Wednesday, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee will mark up several bills, including H.R. 4794, a bill to designate the “Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini Post Office.”

Also on Wednesday, the House Natural Resources Committee will mark up several bills, including H.R. 5068, the Women Who Worked on the Home Front World War II Memorial Act.

Small Business/Entrepreneurship– On Wednesday, the House Small Business Committee will consider several bills, including a bill to reauthorize the State Trade Expansion Program of the Small Business Administration (as-yet-unnumbered).

Veterans– On Thursday, the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee will consider the reauthorization of the Women Veterans Task Force, as well as H.R. 2224, the Homeless Veterans with Children Rauthorization Act; H.R. 3798, the Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act; and H.R. 6036, the VA Family Leave Act.

Violence Against Women– On Wednesday, the House Judiciary Committee will consider several bills, including H.R. 2733, the Savannas Act; H.R. 2438, the Not Invisible Act; and H.R. 6100, the Strengthening the Opposition to Female Genital Mutilation Act or the STOP FGM Act.

Hearings:

Child Protection– On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing, “The EARN IT Act: Holding the Tech Industry Accountable in the Fight Against Online Child Sexual Exploitation.”

Employment– On Wednesday, the House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Workforce Protection will hold a hearing, “The Healthy Families Act (H.R. 1784): Examining a Plan to Secure Paid Sick Leave for U.S. Workers.”

Family Support– On Wednesday, the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Worker and Family Support will hold a hearing, “Combating Child Poverty in America.”

Military– On Tuesday, the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel will hold a hearing, “Domestic Violence in the Military Services – What is Being Done to Reduce the Scourge of these Abhorrent Crimes?”

Veterans– On Tuesday, the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity will hold a hearing on several bills, including H.R. 2224, the Homeless Veterans with Children Reintegration Act.


Bills Introduced: March 2-6, 2020

Abortion

H.R. 6042—Rep. Steve King (R-IA)/Judiciary (3/2/20)—A bill to provide that human life shall be deemed to exist from conception.

H.R. 6077—Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO)/Energy and Commerce (3/4/20)—A bill to ensure that women seeking an abortion are notified, before giving informed consent to receive an abortion, of the medical risks associated with the abortion procedure and the major developmental characteristics of the unborn child.

S. 3388—Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA)/Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (3/4/20)—A bill to ensure that women seeking an abortion are informed of the medical risks associated with the abortion procedure and the major developmental characteristics of the unborn child, before giving their informed consent to receive an abortion.

Child Care

H.R. 6047—Rep. Cynthia Axne (D-IA)/Ways and Means (3/2/20)—Improving Child Care for Working Families Act of 2020.

H.R. 6069—Rep. Chris Pappas (D-NH)/Education and Labor (3/3/20)—A bill to establish a competitive program to make grants to states to provide child care to individuals receiving services at American Job Centers.

Child Protection

S. 3398—Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC/Judiciary (3/5/20)—A bill to establish a National Commission on Online Child Sexual Exploitation Prevention, and for other purposes.

S. 3411—Sen. Edward Markey (D-MA)/Commerce, Science, and Transportation (3/5/20)—A bill to keep children safe and protect their interests on the internet, and for other purposes.

Employment

S. 3367—Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)/Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs (3/2/20)—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 make disclosures to shareholders with respect to gender, racial, and ethnic diversity, and for other purposes.

S. 3415—Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)/Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (3/5/20)—A bill to allow Americans to earn paid sick time so that they can address their own health needs and the health needs of their families.

S. Res. 534—Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-NV)/Judicary (3/5/20)—A resolution to designate March 2 through March 8, 2020, as “Women of the Aviation Workforce Week.”

Family Planning/Reproductive Health

S. 3404—Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC)/Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (3/5/20)—A bill to provide for the regulation of in vitro clinical tests, and for other purposes.

H.R. 6102—Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO)/Energy and Commerce (3/5/20)—A bill to provide for the regulation of in vitro clinical tests, and for other purposes.

Health

H. Res. 883—Rep. Joseph Morelle (D-NY)/Oversight and Reform (3/3/20)—A resolution to express support for designation of March 3, 2020, as “National Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Day.”

H.R. 6068—Gwen  Moore (D-WI)/Energy and Commerce (3/3/20)—A bill to direct the secretary of Health and Human Services to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a study on the health outcomes of the use of e-cigarettes during pregnancy, and for other purposes.

International

S. Res. 531—Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)/Foreign Relations (3/5/20)—A resolution honoring Las Damas de Blanco, a women-led nonviolent movement in support of freedom and human rights in Cuba, and calling for the release of all political prisoners in Cuba.

H.R. 6117—Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX)/Foreign Affairs (3/5/20)—A bill to promote the empowerment, development, and prosperity of women globally, and for other purposes.

H.R. 6118—Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY)/Foreign Affairs (3/5/20)—A bill to ensure access to menstrual hygiene products for Peace Corps volunteers, and for other purposes.

S. Res. 533—Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)/Foreign Relations (3/5/20)—A resolution to support the goals of International Women’s Day.

Military

H.R. 6125—Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA)/Armed Services; Veterans’ Affairs (3/5/20)—A bill to direct the secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs to coordinate support for survivors of sexual trauma. 

Miscellaneous

H. Res. 881—Rep. Mike Thompson (D-CA)/Oversight and Reform (3/2/20)—A resolution to support the goals and ideals of National Women’s History Month.

Small Business/Entrepreneurship

S. 3406—Sen. Tammy Duckworth (3/5/20)/Small Business and Entrepreneurship (3/5/20)—A bill to reauthorize the Interagency Committee on Women’s Business Enterprise, and for other purposes.

Violence Against Women

H.R. 6100—Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX)/Judiciary (3/5/20)—A bill to clarify the criminalization of female genital mutilation, and for other purposes.