Legislative Watch
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Facilitator: Doreen Cato - contact: info@coastalunitywa.org
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This group will report state and national legislative issues to the group. This group will form most of the calls to action for the large group.
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The following is a summary of the current legislation the Huddle Group is tracking - a report will be given at our next large group meeting:
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Federal bill, HR 1322 is Women's Health Protection Act of 2017 (Ask Derek Kilmer to vote YES)
To protect a woman's right and ability to determine whether and when to bear a child or end a pregnancy by limiting restrictions on the provision of abortion services.
Sponsor: Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-27]
Introduced 03/02/2017 Co-sponsors: Committees: House - Energy and Commerce Latest Action: 03/02/2017
Federal bill, H.R. 7 No taxpayer funding for abortion and abortion insurance Full Disclosure Act. (Ask Derek Kilmer to vote NO)
This seems like a very dangerous bill. The observers give it a 20% chance of becoming law. It had an opposing bill (HR 771) that would prohibit bills like HR 7, but HR 771 died.
Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4] (Introduced 01/13/2017) Cosponsors:
Committees: House - Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, Judiciary | Senate - Finance. Latest Action: 01/31/2017 Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. It Passed the House.
Federal bill H.R.1408 is the American Health Care Act (Ask Derek Kilmer to vote NO)To repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the health care-related provisions in the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 and to amend title 5, United States Code, to offer Federal employee health benefits plans to individuals who are not Federal employees, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep. Issa, Darrell E. [R-CA-49] (Introduced 3/07/2017) Cosponsors: (0)Committees: House - Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, Oversight and Government Reform, Education and the Workforce, Natural Resources, Judiciary, Appropriations, House Administration, RulesLatest Action: 03/07/2017 Referred to House Rules According to Timothy Jost, on March 6, 2017, the House Republican leadership introduced Affordable Care Act repeal and replacement budget reconciliation bills in the Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce committees. The bills, collectively titled the American Health Care Act, are the committees’ responses to the instructions they received in the Budget Resolution passed by both houses of Congress in mid-January to prepare budget reconciliation legislation to repeal the ACA.
The committees began markup of the bills on March 8, 2017. will also on that day consider a resolution offered by a group of Democratic House members that would request President Trump to direct Health and Human Service Secretary Price to transmit to the House documents relating to the administration’s plans to repeal and replace the ACA. Please refer to this link sent by Alex for more specific information:
http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2017/03/07/examining-the-house-republican-aca-repeal-and-replace-legislation/amp/
Federal bill H. R. 1275 is World's Greatest Healthcare Plan Act of 2017 (Ask Derek Kilmer to vote NO)
Sponsor: Rep. Sessions, Pete [R-TX-32] (Introduced 03/01/2017) Co-sponsors: Committees: House - Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, Education and the Workforce Latest Action: 03/01/2017 Referred to House Education and the Workforce
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the requirements for individuals to maintain minimum essential coverage and for large employers to offer affordable coverage to full time employees.
Health insurance is no longer required to cover preventive care at no cost or include the essential health benefits. Individuals enrolling in health insurance who have not maintained continuous coverage over the previous 12 months are charged an extra 20% on premiums for each consecutive year without coverage, unless the individual is subject to similar state incentives to maintain coverage.
States may enroll uninsured residents in high deductible health plans. Individuals must be permitted to opt-out of this coverage. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must develop a risk adjustment mechanism for health insurance in the individual market.
For residents of a state to qualify for premium subsidies or the health insurance tax credit in this bill, the state must permit health insurance with an annual limit on benefits to be sold on its exchange.
The bill establishes an advanceable, refundable health insurance tax credit for taxpayers enrolled in coverage that does not cover abortion except in certain circumstances.
States may: (1) apply to HHS to use unclaimed health insurance tax credits for indigent health care; and (2) enroll Medicaid-eligible individuals in health insurance that qualifies for the tax credit instead of in Medicaid, at the individual's option. The tax on excess health benefits (commonly called the Cadillac tax) is repealed.
The bill establishes Roth HSAs (health savings accounts) for paying certain medical expenses and health insurance premiums. The tax deduction for medical expenses is eliminated. This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) and title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, including to turn federal Medicaid payments into block grant.
State bill S B 5760 is Reproductive Health Care (Recommend 24th & 19th Legislators vote YES)
Sponsors: Ranker, Cleveland, Wellman, Frockt, Darneille, Keiser, Kuderer, Hasegawa, Mullet, Walsh, McCoy, Takko, Billig, Liias, Hobbs, Hunt, Carlyle, Rolfes, Pedersen, Conway
It declares that "it is an unfair practice for any employer who provides health insurance to its employees as part of an employee's benefit package to not include contraceptive coverage as part of the benefit package, to fail to comply with federal rules adopted under the affordable care act relating to the provision of contraceptive coverage or to discriminate against any employee based on that employer's use of any reproductive health care service, drug, or device."
Sponsor's
As of March 14 it is still in committee.:
State bill HB 1447 Addressing Equal Pay. (Recommend 24th & 19th district legislators to vote YES)
Sponsors: Kraft, Muri, Stambaugh, Griffey, Stokesbary, Manweller, Van Werven, Graves, McDonald, Hayes Addresses wage discrimination due to an employee's gender. Requires an employer to allow an employee to inquire about, discuss, or disclose, the compensation of the employee or another employee, or to aid or encourage another employee to exercise his or her rights. As of March 14, this bill is still in committee.
State bill HB 1135 - 2017-18 Limiting oil spill contingency planning requirements to those railroads that haul oils used as fuel. (Recommend 24th & 19th district legislators to say NO)
Exempts the railroad transport of food grade vegetable oil from the contingency plan requirements for railroads transporting oil in bulk. Sponsors: Dye, Blake, Manweller, McBride, Schmick, Shea, Jenkin, Fey, McCaslin, Short, Haler, Nealey, Farrell, Muri, Ormsby, Tarleton, Young, Buys
Companion Bill: SB 5137
State Timeline (FYI information)
March 29:Last day to read in committee reports (pass bills out of committee and read them into the record on the floor) from opposite house, except House fiscal committees and Senate Ways & Means and Transportation committees.
April 4 :Last day to read in opposite house committee reports (pass bills out of committee and read them into the record on the floor) from House fiscal committees and Senate Ways & Means and Transportation committees.
April 12: Last day to consider (pass) opposite house bills (5 p.m.) (except initiatives and alternatives to initiatives, budgets and matters necessary to implement budgets, differences between the houses, and matters incident to the interim and closing of the session).
April 12: After the 94th day, only initiatives, alternatives to initiatives, budgets and matters necessary to implement budgets, matters that affect state revenue, messages pertaining to amendments, differences between the houses, and matters incident to the interim and closing of the session may be considered.
April 23: Last day allowed for regular session under state constitution.
This bill has the status Passed House
The emails to the federal legislators go through their webpages, they are:
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www.Kilmer.house.gov and then go to the email page.
www.cantwell.senate.gov www.murray.senate.gov
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