Appropriations– On September 26, the House approved, 361-61, the conference report for H.R. 6157, a minibus package containing the FY2019 Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies spending bills. The measure also contains a continuing resolution to extend through December 7 federal funding for several other departments and agencies, as well as an extension for the Violence Against Women Act (P.L. 113-4). The Senate passed the legislation on September 18 (see The Source, 9/21/18). The president is expected to sign the measure into law.
Child Protection– On September 28, the House approved, by voice vote, S. 2152, the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victims Assistance Act, as amended. The Senate passed its version of the bill on January 23 (see The Source, 1/26/18).
On September 27, the Senate approved S. 3354, the Missing Children’s Assistance Act. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the bill on September 13 (see The Source, 9/14/18). The House passed the bill by voice vote on September 28, clearing the measure for the president’s signature.
On September 27, the Senate passed, by unanimous consent, S. 3170, the Cyber Tipline Modernization Act. The Senate Judiciary Committee approved the measure on September 13 (see The Source, 9/14/18).
On September 25, the House approved, by voice vote, H.R. 6847, the Adam Walsh Reauthorization Act, which contains provisions to strengthen federal sex offense laws, and H. Con. Res. 72, a resolution expressing the sense of Congress regarding the protection of children in custody adjudications where family violence is alleged.
Crime– On September 26, the Senate approved, by unanimous consent, H.R. 4854, the Justice Served Act, clearing the bill for the president’s signature. The House passed the bill on May 15 (see The Source, 5/18/18). The bill provides additional resources to state and local governments to help eliminate the backlog in testing DNA evidence.
On September 28, the House passed, by voice vote, H.R. 6964, a bill to reauthorize the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. The bill contains provisions to address the needs of girls in the juvenile justice system.
Human Trafficking– On September 28, the House passed, by voice vote, S. 1311, the Abolish Human Trafficking Act, and S. 1312, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. The Senate approved the bills in September 2017 (see The Source, 9/15/17). The House vote clears the bills for the president’s signature.
On September 26, the House passed, 297-124, H.R. 6729, the Empowering Financial Institutions to Fight Human Trafficking Act. The House Financial Services Committee approved the bill on September 13 (see The Source, 9/14/18).
International– On September 28, the House passed, by voice vote, S. 2269, the Global Food Security Reauthorization Act. The Senate approved the bill on June 19 (see The Source, 6/22/18). The House vote clears the bill for the president’s signature.
Miscellaneous– On September 28, the House approved, by voice vote, H.R. 6870, a bill to rename the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act of 2012 in honor of the late Rep. Louise McIntosh Slaughter (D-NY).
STEM– On September 27, the Senate approved, by unanimous consent, H.R. 4254, the Women in Aerospace Education Act. The House passed the bill in December 2017 (see The Source, 12/21/17).
On September 25, the Senate approved, by unanimous consent, S. 3389, a bill to name a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) facility after NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson.
Also on September 25, the House passed, by voice vote, H.R. 6758, the Study of Underrepresented Classes Chasing Engineering and Science Success (SUCCESS) Act, as amended. The House Judiciary Committee passed the measure on September 13 (see The Source, 9/14/18).
Violence Against Women– On September 28, the House passed, by voice vote, H.R. 6014, a bill to reauthorize the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act.
Human Trafficking– On September 26, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee approved S. 1862, the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, as amended, and H.R. 2200, the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act, as amended. The House approved H.R. 2200 on July 12, 2017 (see The Source, 7/14/17).
International– On September 24, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee also approved, S. 3476, the PEPFAR (President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief) Reauthorization Act.
Health– On September 27, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing, “Better Data and Better Outcomes: Reducing Maternal Mortality in the United States.”
Human Trafficking– On September 26, the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security held a hearing, “Hidden in Plain Sight: Understanding Federal Efforts to Stop Human Trafficking.”
