Legislative Notices
S.914 – Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021
NOTEWORTHY Background: The federal government has provided financial support for water infrastructure projects over the years through a range of programs. The Drinking Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Act of 2021 builds upon legislation previously reported by the Committee on Environment and Public Works in 2020 under Republican leadership, which passed by a vote of 21-0. Floor Situation: The committee favorably reported S.914 by a unanimous vote on April 14. The majority leader filed... Continue Reading
March 1, 2021
H.R.1319 – American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
NOTEWORTHY Background: The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 is being considered under the budget reconciliation process. The fiscal year 2021 budget resolution, which passed the House by a vote of 219-209 and passed the Senate on a party-line vote of 51-50, with the vice president breaking a tie, included reconciliation instructions for 12 House committees and 11 Senate committees. The House committees reported legislation in February that was combined into the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.... Continue Reading
December 8, 2020
H.R.6395 – National Defense Authorization Act for FY2021, Conference Report
NOTEWORTHY Background: The Senate and House Armed Services Committees released the conference report for H.R.6395, the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 on Thursday, December 3. The Senate version of the bill, S.4049, passed on July 23 by a vote of 86-14. The Senate has passed the NDAA every year for the past 59 years. Floor Situation: The Senate is expected to consider the report this week. Executive Summary: The National Defense Authorization... Continue Reading
June 24, 2020
S.4049 – National Defense Authorization Act for FY21
NOTEWORTHY Background: The Senate Armed Services Committee has filed S.4049, the fiscal year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. The committee voted on June 11 to advance the bill to the Senate floor by a vote of 25-2. The Senate has passed the NDAA every year for the past 59 years. Floor Situation: The Senate is expected to begin debate on the NDAA as soon as the week of June 29. Executive Summary: The fiscal year 2021 NDAA authorizes $740.5 billion for defense spending within the... Continue Reading
June 19, 2020
S.3985 – Just and Unifying Solutions to Invigorate Communities Everywhere (JUSTICE) Act
NOTEWORTHY Background: Following the death of George Floyd while being arrested by Minneapolis police, there has been a widespread, even international, push to reexamine and reform police practices. In a recent poll, 69% of Americans said that Floyd’s death was a sign of broader problems in treatment of black Americans by police. President Trump issued an executive order on June 16 directing the attorney general to send discretionary grant funding only to state and local law enforcement... Continue Reading
June 5, 2020
S.3422 – Great American Outdoors Act
NOTEWORTHY Background: The National Park Service has a nearly $12 billion deferred maintenance backlog, including needed repair and maintenance on roads, trails, buildings, utility systems, etc. The maintenance backlog at the U.S. Forest Service is $5.2 billion; $1.3 billion at the Fish and Wildlife Service; $960 million at the Bureau of Land Management; and $634 million at the Bureau of Indian Education. Repair and maintenance at these public lands sites throughout the country is normally... Continue Reading
March 11, 2020
H.R. 6172 – USA Freedom Reauthorization Act
NOTEWORTHY Background: Four major authorities of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act will lapse on March 15 unless Congress reauthorizes them. These are generally referred to as the “business records” provision, the “call detail records” authority, the “roving wiretaps” provision, and the “lone wolf” targeting provision. If these authorities of FISA lapse, the United States intelligence surveillance programs would mostly revert to their... Continue Reading
March 2, 2020
S.2657, American Energy Innovation Act
NOTEWORTHY Background: The American Energy Innovation Act consists of more than 50 energy-related measures reported by the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee during the 116th Congress. Floor Situation: Majority Leader McConnell filed for cloture on February 27 on a motion to proceed to S.2657, the American Geothermal Innovation Leadership Act. This bill will be the vehicle for the AEIA. A vote to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed is scheduled for March 2, with debate and a... Continue Reading
February 11, 2020
H.J.Res.76 – Disapproval of Borrower Defense Rule
NOTEWORTHY Background: A process known as “borrower defense to repayment” lets students who have been defrauded by their college or university apply to the Department of Education for relief from their student loans. In September 2019, the department finalized a new rule for this process. It will apply to borrowers filing claims for loans taken out on or after July 1, 2020. On January 16, the House passed H.J.Res.76, a joint resolution under the Congressional Review Act that... Continue Reading
January 14, 2020
H.R.5430 – United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act
NOTEWORTHY Background: The United States, Mexico, and Canada renegotiated the North American Free Trade Agreement in 2017 and 2018. This was one of the Trump administration’s highest priorities. The result was the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. The three parties signed the protocol replacing NAFTA with USMCA on November 30, 2018. U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer negotiated extensively with working groups chosen by House Speaker Pelosi to modify the agreement to... Continue Reading
December 19, 2019
House Message on H.R. 1865 – The Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020
NOTEWORTHY Background: The federal government’s new fiscal year began October 1, but the House and Senate have not yet completed action on the 12 annual funding measures. The government is currently operating under a temporary continuing resolution that expires December 20. Without full-year appropriations or a temporary continuing resolution in place by the deadline, the government will shut down. Floor Situation: The House message to H.R.1865 passed the House on December 17 by a vote... Continue Reading
December 18, 2019
House Message on H.R. 1158 – The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020
TEWORTHY Background: The federal government’s new fiscal year began October 1, but the House and Senate have not yet completed action on the 12 annual funding measures. The government is currently operating under a temporary continuing resolution that expires December 20. Without full-year appropriations or a temporary continuing resolution in place by the deadline, the government will shut down. Floor Situation: The House message to H.R.1158 passed the House on December 17 by a... Continue Reading
December 12, 2019
S.1790 – National Defense Authorization Act for FY2020
NOTEWORTHY Background: The Senate passed S.1790, the fiscal year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act on June 27 by a vote of 86-8. The House passed its version of the NDAA, H.R.2500, on July 12 by a vote of 220 to 197. The House passed the NDAA conference report on December 11 by a vote of 377-48. Floor Situation: The Senate is expected to consider the conference report to the NDAA this work period. Executive Summary: The fiscal year 2020 NDAA conference report authorizes $735 billion for... Continue Reading
November 19, 2019
House Message on H.R.3055 – The Second Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020
NOTEWORTHY Background: The federal government’s new fiscal year began October 1, but the House and Senate have not yet completed action on the 12 annual funding measures. The government is currently operating under a temporary continuing resolution that expires November 21. Without full-year appropriations or a temporary continuing resolution in place by the deadline, the government will shut down. The House message to accompany H.R.3055 is another short-term continuing resolution that... Continue Reading
October 31, 2019
H.R.2740 – Minibus Appropriations: LHHS-Defense-E&W
NOTEWORTHY Background: The federal government is currently operating under the terms of a continuing resolution that expires November 21. To date, none of the 12 annual appropriations bills has been enacted into law. Unless the House and Senate can complete action on all 12 spending bills for 2020 before the deadline, another continuing resolution will be necessary. Floor Situation: On October 17, Leader McConnell filed cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R.2740. This vote will occur after... Continue Reading
October 23, 2019
S.J.Res, Disapproval of Salt Workaround Rules
NOTEWORTHY Background: In exchange for lower marginal tax rates, the 2017 tax cut reduced the value of the state and local tax deduction for households that itemize. Some high tax jurisdictions responded to this change with workarounds that inappropriately enable taxpayers to re-characterize the payment of state and local taxes as charitable contributions. In June, the IRS issued new regulations designed to curb this behavior and preserve the policy intended by law. Floor Situation: On October... Continue Reading
October 21, 2019
H.R.3055 – Minibus Appropriations: CJS-AG-Interior-THUD
NOTEWORTHY Background: The federal government is currently operating under the terms of a continuing resolution that expires November 21. To date, none of the 12 annual appropriations bills has been enacted into law. Unless the House and Senate can complete action on all 12 spending bills for 2020 before the deadline, another continuing resolution will be necessary. Floor Situation: On October 17, Leader McConnell filed cloture on the motion to proceed to H.R.3055. This vote is expected as... Continue Reading
September 23, 2019
H.R. 4378 – Continuing Appropriations Act, 2020, and Health Extenders Act of 2019
NOTEWORTHY Background: The federal government’s new fiscal year begins October 1, but the House and Senate have not yet completed action on the 12 annual funding measures. Without full-year appropriations or a temporary continuing resolution in place by the deadline, the government will shut down. H.R.4378 is a short-term continuing resolution that would provide stop-gap funding for all federal agencies through November 21 and extend the authorization of certain health programs that would... Continue Reading
July 25, 2019
H.R. 3877 – The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019
NOTEWORTHY Background: The Budget Control Act of 2011 established caps on discretionary spending, enforced by sequester, for the 10-year period 2012-2021. Those caps are further reduced every year by approximately $89 billion combined — a penalty imposed by the failure of a bicameral, bipartisan committee to find additional savings. Congress has acted multiple times to ease the spending reductions, but there is no agreement in place for 2020 or 2021. Without a legislative fix,... Continue Reading
July 15, 2019
Tax Treaties
NOTEWORTHY Background: During the Obama administration, Treasury officials negotiated three new bilateral income tax treaties and a series of amendments (or “protocols”) to four existing bilateral income tax treaties and one multilateral agreement. All seven bilateral treaties and protocols were previously passed by the Foreign Relations Committee during the 115th Congress, but the full Senate did not act. Ratification has been delayed over taxpayer privacy concerns.... Continue Reading
