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Look Ahead: Committee Announces Hearing and Vote Schedule for the Week of July 28
[July 26, 2014]

Look Ahead: Committee Announces Hearing and Vote Schedule for the Week of July 28


(Targeted News Service Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) WASHINGTON, July 25 -- The House Energy and Commerce Committee issued the following news release: The House Energy and Commerce Committee today announced its hearing and vote schedule for the week of July 28. The committee will consider several health and telecommunications bills, question the FERC Commissioners about threats to the nation's electric grid, and review a forthcoming GAO report on the Obamacare exchanges.



On Monday, the Subcommittee on Health will consider two bills that aim to protect rural access to health care and recognize the value of clinical data registries, including their role in physician payment reform. Subcommittee members will consider H.R. 4067, regarding outpatient therapeutic services in critical access and small rural hospitals, which was introduced by Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS).

The subcommittee will also consider a committee draft of legislation introduced by Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX), would require the HHS Secretary to publish specific recommendations for the development of clinical data registries. A Majority Memorandum and copies of the legislation are available here (http://energycommerce.house.gov/markup/markup-hr-4067-and-hr).


NOTE: These two bills will be considered at the full committee later in the week.

Also on Monday, the Subcommittee on Health will hold a hearing on two legislative proposals to protect Americans from the president's broken health care law. Subcommittee members will review H.R. 4406 and H.R. 5175, bills introduced by Rep. Leonard Lance (R-NJ), to amend the president's health care law to protect taxpayer dollars and stop unlawful payments to insurance companies under the risk corridor program. Members will also discuss H.R. 3522, the Employee Health Care Protection Act, introduced by Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-LA). This bill would allow health insurance available in 2013 on the group market to continue to be offered, providing the opportunity for American workers to keep the plans they currently have and like. The Majority Memorandum and witness testimony will be available here (http://energycommerce.house.gov/hearing/protecting-americans-illegal-bailouts-and-plan-cancellations-under-president%E2%80%99s-health-care) as they are posted.

On Tuesday the Subcommittee on Energy and Power will hold a hearing with all five Commissioners from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Members will have the opportunity to question the FERC Commissioners about how new federal environmental regulations would affect the nation's electric grid and energy prices, as well as other emerging threats to our power supply. The Majority Memorandum, witness list, and witness testimony will be available here (http://energycommerce.house.gov/hearing/ferc-perspectives-questions-concerning-epa%27s-proposed-clean-power-plan-and-other-grid).

Also on Tuesday, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade will hold a hearing to explore breakthrough nanotechnology opportunities. The hearing will review the current state of nanotechnology and the direction it is headed so members can gain a better understanding of the policy changes that may be necessary to keep up with advancements. The Majority Memorandum, witness list, and witness testimony will be available here (http://energycommerce.house.gov/hearing/nanotechnology-understanding-how-small-solutions-drive-big-innovation).

Also on Tuesday, the Energy and Commerce Committee will convene for opening statements for a full committee markup. The committee will reconvene to complete consideration on Wednesday. The committee will consider both bills being marked up by the Health Subcommittee on Monday. The committee will also consider the following bills: * H.R. 3522, the Employee Heath Care Protection Act, legislation introduced by Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-LA).

* H.R. 4701, the Vector-Borne Disease Research Accountability and Transparency Act, introduced by Rep. Chris Gibson (R-NY). The bill would establish a working group to review all federal activities at the Department of Health and Human Services related to Lyme and tick-borne diseases. The working group would prepare a report that summarizes research activities and current advances in science and treatment. Informed by the report of the working group, a strategic plan would be developed to identify the best strategies to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Lyme and tick-borne diseases.

* H.R. 3670, the Anti-Spoofing Act of 2013, authored by Reps. Grace Meng (D-NY), Joe Barton (R-TX), and Leonard Lance (R-NJ). H.R. 3670 would protect consumers against fraudulent actors and deceitful text messages by updating the Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009, which prohibits entities from transmitting misleading or inaccurate caller ID information. H.R. 3670 would extend that prohibition to encompass text messaging and certain VoIP services.

* H.R. 5161, E-LABEL Act, authored by Communications and Technology Subcommittee Vice Chairman Bob Latta (R-OH), full committee Vice Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT), and subcommittee Ranking Member Anna Eshoo (D-CA). The E-LABEL Act would reduce the regulatory burden faced by electronics manufacturers. This legislation would remove the requirement that electronic devices contain a physical label to detail information required by the FCC and give manufacturers the option of providing labeling information on the screen of the device.

* H.R. 1575, the Kelsey Smith Act, authored by Reps. Kevin Yoder (R-KS), Mike Pompeo (R-KS), Lynn Jenkins (R-KS), and Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO). The Kelsey Smith Act would require telecommunications carriers to share call location data with law enforcement when it is necessary to respond to an emergency call or in an emergency situation where a person's life may be in danger. The law also provides liability protection for companies that provide the data to law enforcement.

A Majority Memorandum and copies of the legislation are available here (http://energycommerce.house.gov/markup/markup-hr-4067-hr-hr-3522-hr-4701-hr-3670-hr-5161-hr-1575).

On Thursday, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will hold a hearing to review the status of the health care law's continued implementation and a much-anticipated GAO report on HealthCare.gov. The GAO is expected to release a new report next Thursday outlining the issues that plagued HealthCare.gov last fall and the cost of addressing those failures and building the still-incomplete backend. Andy Slavitt, the Principal Deputy Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and William T. Woods, the Director of Acquisition and Sourcing Management for the Government Accountability Office, will testify. The Majority Memorandum and witness testimony will be available here (http://energycommerce.house.gov/hearing/ppaca-implementation-updates-cms-and-gao). Witness testimony posted at the same link as it becomes available.

Hearing and Vote Details: Monday, July 28, 2014 3 PM 2123 Rayburn HOB Subcommittee on Health Markup of H.R. 4067 and H.R. ___, a bill to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide for recommendation for the development and use of clinical data registries for the improvement of patient care.

4 PM 2123 Rayburn HOB Subcommittee on Health Hearing on "Protecting American from Illegal Bailouts and Plan Cancellations Under the President's Health Care Law" Tuesday, July 29, 2014 10 AM 2123 Rayburn HOB Subcommittee on Energy and Power Hearing on "FERC Perspectives: Questions Concerning EPA's Proposed Clean Power Plan and other Grid Reliability Challenges" 10:15 AM 2322 Rayburn HOB Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade Hearing on "Nanotechnology: Understanding How Small Solutions Drive Big Innovation" 4 PM 2123 Rayburn HOB Energy and Commerce Committee Full Committee Markup of H.R. 4067 and H.R. ___, a bill to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide for recommendation for the development and use of clinical data registries for the improvement of patient care, H.R. 3522, H.R. 4701, H.R. 3670, H.R. 5161, and H.R. 1575 (opening statements only) Wednesday, July 30, 2014 10 AM 2123 Rayburn HOB Reconvene Full Committee Markup of H.R. 4067 and H.R. ___, a bill to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide for recommendation for the development and use of clinical data registries for the improvement of patient care, H.R. 3522, H.R. 4701, H.R. 3670, H.R. 5161, and H.R. 1575 Thursday, July 31, 2014 9 AM 2123 Rayburn HOB Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Hearing on "PPACA Implementation: Updates from CMS and GAO" TNS 30FurigayJof-140726-4810399 30FurigayJof (c) 2014 Targeted News Service

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