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Weekly Legislative Update: September 18, 2023

Congressional Schedule: September 18-22, 2023 

Floor Action:  

The House and Senate are in session.   

Appropriations- Today, the Senate is scheduled to continue its consideration of H.R 4366, the “minibus” spending package that includes the FY2024 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies spending bill; Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies spending bill; and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies spending bill. 

On Tuesday, the House is expected to consider H.R. 4365, the FY2024 Defense spending bill. 

Mark-Ups: 

Reproductive Health- On Thursday, the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee will consider a number of bills, including S.1573, to reauthorize the Prematurity Research Expansion and Education for Mothers who deliver Infants Early Act, and S.2415, to reauthorize federal support of states in their work to sustain the health of mothers during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period, to eliminate disparities in maternal health outcomes for pregnancy-related deaths, and to identify solutions to improve health care quality and health outcomes for mothers. 

Hearings: 

Child Care- On Wednesday, the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Policy will hold a hearing to examine child care since the pandemic, focusing on macroeconomic impacts of public policy measures. 


Bills Introduced: September 11-15, 2023

Child Care 

S. 2777—Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)/Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (09/13/2023)—A bill to increase child care options to support working families and child care providers.

H.R. 5433—Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA)/Appropriations (09/13/2023)—A bill to increase child care options to support working families and child care providers. 

Family Support 

H.R. 5406—Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN)/Energy and Commerce (09/12/2023)—A bill to provide support for the creation of an easy-to-navigate website that provides information about within-zip code resources, such as alternatives to abortion and family support services, for women and families with unexpected pregnancies.   

Human Trafficking 

H.R. 5415—Rep. Christopher Smith (R-NJ)/Judiciary; Appropriations (09/12/2023)—A bill to require the federal government to report on any efforts to locate, establish contact with, conduct wellness checks on, and investigate any suspicion of human trafficking related to approximately 85,000 unaccompanied alien children who crossed the U.S. southern border, were released from Federal custody, and with whom subsequent contact has been lost. 

H.R. 5501—Del. James Moylan (R-GU)/Judiciary (09/14/2023)—A bill to raise the mandatory minimum of years of imprisonment for engaging in the trafficking of any persons under the age of 18.  

Miscellaneous 

H.R. 5476—Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA)/Oversight and Accountability (09/14/2023)—A bill to designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1077 River Road, Suite 1, in Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania, as the “Susan C. Barnhart Post Office”.  

Reproductive Health 

H. Res. 678—Rep. David Scott (D-GA)/Energy and Commerce (09/12/2023)—A resolution recognizing the seriousness of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and expressing support for the designation of the month of September 2023 as “PCOS Awareness Month”.

H. Res. 686—Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA)/Energy and Commerce (09/14/2023)—A resolution supporting the designation of September 19, 2023, as “National Stillbirth Prevention Day”, recognizing tens of thousands of American families that have endured a stillbirth, and seizing the opportunity to keep other families from experiencing the same tragedy.

Veterans 

S. 2801—Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)/Veterans’ Affairs (09/14/2023)—A bill to improve the reproductive assistance, such as fertility treatments and family-building services, provided by the Departments of Defense and Veteran Affairs to certain members of the Armed Forces, veterans, their spouses or partners, and for other purposes. 

H.R 5492—Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA)/Veterans’ Affairs; Armed Services (09/14/2023)—A bill to improve the reproductive assistance, such as fertility treatments and family-building services, provided by the Departments of Defense and Veteran Affairs to certain members of the Armed Forces, veterans, their spouses or partners, and for other purposes.