Bills Introduced – 6-18-20

Yesterday with the Senate in Washington and the House still meeting in pro forma session, there were 86 bills introduced. Of those there are three that may receive future coverage in this blog:

HR 7248 To authorize funds for Federal-aid highways, highway safety programs, and transit programs, and for other purposes. Rep. Graves, Sam [R-MO-6] 

HR 7264 To make supplemental appropriations for the Departments of Agriculture, the Interior, Homeland Security, Labor, and Commerce for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, and for other purposes. Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2]

HR 7265 To improve assistance provided by the Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership to small manufacturers in the defense industrial supply chain on matters relating to cybersecurity, and for other purposes. Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-20] 

HR 7248 appears to be a Republican alternative DOT authorization bill. This bodes ill for the ‘INVEST in America Act” that the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee completed marking up yesterday; Graves is the Ranking Member of that Committee. The House will have no problem passing the yet to be introduced Committee bill, but this Republican alternative would seem to indicate that the Committee language will have a hard time passing in the Senate.

I will be watching this bill (and the Committee version) for cybersecurity language for autonomous vehicles, chemical transportation safety issues, and LPG by rail languate.

HR 7264 would appear to be a bill providing additional COVID-19 related funding for the current fiscal year. I will be watching this bill in particular to see if it includes CFATS extension language (current authorization expires on July 23). I will also be watching for cybersecurity language.

Bills Introduced – 12-12-18

Yesterday, with both the House and Senate in session, there were 34 bills introduced. Two of the bills may receive further consideration in this blog:

HR 7264 Making further additional continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2019, and for other purposes. Rep. Lowey, Nita M. [D-NY-17]

HR 7283 To provide minimal cybersecurity operational standards for Internet-connected devices purchased by Federal agencies, and for other purposes. Rep. Kelly, Robin L. [D-IL-2] 

Lowey is the Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Committee so, while this is not the official spending bill language, it is politically significant. HR 7264 is a full year continuing resolution bill that would fund the remainder of the government at current levels until the end of FY 2019. There are a few other tack-ons, but nothing objectionable.

What is odd about HR 7264 is the timing. With a week still to go on the current CR, this is very early in the negotiating process for the final spending bill. Politically, it would be a fairly painless way out of the spending mess for the dying 115^th Congress, but it is unlikely to be acceptable to the President.

HR 7283 could be an interesting cybersecurity bill, but it is way too late in the session for this bill to receive any consideration. Keylly has been working on this bill for a while now, so I expect that we will see this reintroduced in January.