The Latest: A Weekly Federal Update (05/23/22)
Upcoming Events & Activities
May 23rd, 2021 - May 27th, 2022
All events in Eastern Standard Time
Monday, May 23rd
No events to report.
Tuesday, May 24th
11:00 AM - House Energy & Commerce Committee: Hearing titled, "Strengthening our Communications Networks: Legislation to Connect and Protect"
Wednesday, May 25th
10:00 AM - House Appropriations Committee (Subcommittee on Transportation and Housing & Urban Development): Hearing titled, "FY2023 Member Day"
10:00 AM - House Oversight & Reform Committee: Hearing titled, "Technology Modernization Fund: Rewriting our IT Legacy"
10:00 AM - Senate Appropriations Committee: Hearing titled, "A Review of the FY2023 President's Budget for the Department of Interior"
10:00 AM - Senate Environment & Public Works Committee: Hearing on the nomination of Joseph Goffman to be Assistant Administrator for Office of Air & Radiation, EPA
11:00 AM - House Appropriations Committee (Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development): Hearing titled, "FY2023 Member Day"
2:00 PM - FiscalNote: Webinar titled, "Federal Infrastructure Investments: Trends & Opportunities for Your Organization"
2:30 PM - Senate Indian Affairs Committee: Hearing on the nomination of Roselyn Tso to Director of the Indian Health Service, DHHS
3:00 PM - Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee: Legislative hearing on several water recycling and infrastructure bills
Thursday, May 26th
11:00 AM - House Budget Committee: Hearing titled, "The Congressional Budget Office's Budget and Economic Outlook"
2:30 PM - House Homeland Security Committee: Hearing titled, "The State of the Transportation Security Administration"
Friday, May 27th
No events to report.
Energy, Water & Environment
The latest from the House and Senate Committees on energy (infrastructure), WIFIA, wastewater management, environmental issues, interior, or environmental justice.
Legislation
H.R. 7861, To require the Administrator of the EPA to promulgate certain limitations with respect to pre-production plastic pellet pollution
Sponsor: Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-CA-47) referred to Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Date Introduced: May 20, 2022
H.R. 7848, To promote meeting domestic energy needs with domestic energy production
Sponsor: Rep. Blake Moore (R-UT-01) referred to Natural Resources Committee Date Introduced: May 19, 2022
H.R. 7847, To increase efficiency and conservation in public water systems
Sponsor: Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-CA-09) referred to Energy & Commerce Committee Date Introduced: May 19, 2022
News
CBS: Russia Halts Finland's Natural Gas Supplies
On May 20th, the Finnish state-owned energy company announced that Russia will cut off natural gas to Finland after the Nordic country refused Russian President Vladimir Putin's demand for natural gas imports to be paid in rubles. The cut off, coming the same week that Finland applied for NATO membership, is the latest escalation over European energy amid the war in Ukraine.
Politico: Biden to Renominate FERC Chair Glick
On May 20th, the White House announced that President Biden will renominate Richard Glick to lead FERC. His appointment has become more contentious in recent months after he led the charge to establish new policies that would have assessed how pipeline infrastructure contributes to climate change.
Politico: California's Ban on Offshore Drilling Fails
On May 19th, SB 953, a bill that would have banned offshore drilling state waters, failed to advance from a key committee, dealing a deathblow to the legislation spurred by last Autumn's Orange County oil spill that leaked 25,000 gallons of crude oil into the Pacific Ocean.
Transportation & Infrastructure
The latest from the House and Senate Committees on industrial and commercial mechanical insulation, cybersecurity, electric vehicle charging, supply chains, port authority, metropolitan transit, or airports.
Legislation
H.R. 7717, To require the Federal Aviation Administration to provide funding for noise mitigation
Sponsor: Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA-09) referred to Transportation & Infrastructure Committee
Date Introduced: May 19, 2022
News
MarketWatch: Toyota Will Soon Max Out Its Electric Vehicle Tax Credits
The U.S. government provides a tax incentive of up to $7,500 to help Americans purchase electric vehicles, but the full offer is only available on the first 200,000 such vehicles a company sells. After that, the credit sunsets gradually. For six months after that 200,000th sale, buyers can apply for half the credit. For six months after that, a quarter of it still applies. Then it’s gone. Toyota has recently introduced its first fully-electric vehicle, the 2023 bZ4X. It’s a compact SUV similar in size to the RAV4, with a range of up to 252 miles and a starting price of around $42,000 before the tax incentive.
Immigration & Detention
The latest from the House and Senate Committee on immigration, detention, homeland security, border security, asylum seekers, criminal justice reform, Intensive Supervision Appearance Program (ISAP), U.S. Marshal Service (USMS), alternatives to detention programming, reentry programming, or Bureau of Prisons.
Legislation
H.R. 7826, To authorize a grant to encourage recruitment of law enforcement officers
Sponsor: Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN-03) referred to Judiciary Committee
Date Introduced: May 19, 2022
H.R. 7821, To authorize the Director of U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement to provide stipends to certain vetted foreign members of Transnational Criminal Investigative Units
Sponsor: Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY-02) referred to Judiciary Committee
Date Introduced: May 18, 2022
H.R. 7756, To establish a Department of Homeland Security integrated border intelligence analytical cell and Joint Task Force to combat transnational criminal organizations exploiting migration surges
Sponsor: Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI-08) referred to Homeland Security Committee; Judiciary Committee
Date Introduced: May 12, 2022
H.R. 7725, To amend the Immigration & Nationality Act to limit the availability of asylum for aliens transiting through third countries
Sponsor: Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA-10) referred to Judiciary Committee
Date Introduced: May 11, 2022
News
Reuters: Migrants in Mexico Dismayed by Continuation of Title 42
On May 23rd, a federal judge in Louisiana blocked U.S. authorities from lifting the sweeping policy, known as Title 42, which since March 2020 has empowered U.S. agents to turn back quickly over a million migrants to Mexico and other countries. At the onset of the Covid pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention said it was needed to curb the spread of the coronavirus in crowded border facilities.
Public Health & Safety
The latest from House and Senate committees on health insurance, COVID-19 and testing, gun safety, Medicare & Medicaid, telehealth, Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), CDC, FDA, or rural hospitals.
Legislation
H.R. 7755, To establish a program to award grants to State, local, Tribal governments to purchase and distribute anti-blood loss supplies for use in a medical emergency
Sponsor: Rep. Tom O'Halleran (D-AZ-01) referred to Energy & Commerce Committee
Date Introduced: May 19, 2022
H.R. 7814, To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize grants to healthcare providers to enhance the physical and cybersecurity of their facilities
Sponsor: Rep. Veronica Escobar (D-TX-16) referred to Energy & Commerce Committee
Date Introduced: May 18, 2022
H.R. 7804 - Law Enforcement Officer Safety & Security Act, To allow qualified current or former law enforcement officers to purchase their service weapons
Sponsor: Rep. John Moolenaar (R-MI-04) referred to Judiciary Committee
Date Introduced: May 17, 2022
News
Politico: Pfizer & BioNTech Report 80% Efficacy of Their Covid-19 Vaccine for Kids
On May 23td, Pfizer and BioNTech announced that they plan to submit data to the Food & Drug Administration for three doses of their Covid-19 vaccine for children ages 6 months to 5 years old. The companies released top-line results showing that three pediatric doses of their Covid-19 vaccine generated a comparable immune response in children as two full doses did in young adults — the primary end goal the FDA set for pediatric vaccine manufacturers. About 19 million children in the U.S. are in this age group, none of whom are currently eligible to receive a Covid-19 vaccine. Three doses of the vaccine also appeared to reduce cases of symptomatic disease by 80.3 percent among the youngest kids. No children in the trial had any serious side effects, the press release said.
Finance & Federal Partnerships
The latest from House and Senate committees on taxation, retirement, small business, federal contracting, or monetary policy.
Legislation
H.R. 7831, To provide a deduction for certain charity care furnished by physicians
Sponsor: Rep. daniel Webster (R-FL-11) referred to Ways & Means Committee
Date Introduced: May 18, 2022
Updates from the Federal Register
DoE: Proposed Rule to Energy Conservation Program
The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (DoE) has released a proposed rule to amend standards for certain classes of CWH equipment for which DoE has tentatively determined there is clear and convincing evidence to support more-stringent standards. Additionally, DoE is proposing to codify standards for electric instantaneous CWH equipment from the Energy Policy & Conservation Act (EPCA) into the Code of Federal Regulations.
FERC: Notice to Oil Pipeline Regulations
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has published revisions to oil pipeline regulations pursuant to the Energy Policy Act of 1992 and a notice of annual change in the Producer Price Index for Finished Goods. The Commission's regulations include a methodology for oil pipelines to change their rates through use of an index system that establishes ceiling levels for such rates. The Commission bases the index system, found at 18 CFR 342.3, on the annual change in the Producer Price Index for Finished Goods (PPI-FG), minus point two one percent (PPI-FG −0.21%). The Commission determined in the January 2022 Order that PPI-FG −0.21% is the appropriate oil pricing index factor for pipelines to use for this period. The regulations provide that the Commission will publish annually an index figure reflecting the final change in the PPI-FG after the Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes the final PPI-FG in May of each calendar year. The annual average PPI-FG index figures were 202.9 for 2020 and 221.0 for 2021.
Special Reports
The latest reports, studies, and research issued from the Congressional Research Service (CRS), Government Accountability Office (GAO), Resources for the Future (RFF), and others.
CRS: May 17, 2022 - Offshore Energy Agency Appropriations, FY2022
CRS: May 17, 2022 - Overview of the SEC Climate Risk Disclosure Proposed Rule
GAO: May 20, 2022 - Federal Actions Needed to Address Methane Emissions from Oil and Gas Development
GAO: May 19, 2022 - Actions Needed to Improve Information on Federal Funds That Benefit Native Americans
RFF: May 19, 2022 - Will the SEC's Proposed Climate Disclosure Rule Come Up against Legal & Economic Challenges?
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