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HHS to Establish Consumer Information Office

The April 19th Federal Register announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will establish an Office of Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight to implement provisions of the health care reform law that deal with private health insurance. According to the notice, the new office will be under the HHS secretary and include separate offices to address oversight, insurance programs, consumer support and health insurance exchanges.

NIST Seeking Technology Innovation Proposals

The Technology Innovation Program (TIP) of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced last week that it is seeking proposals for high-risk, high-reward research projects in an area of critical national need: manufacturing. TIP expects to award a total of approximately $25 million in first-year funding for R&D projects that address “Manufacturing and Biomanufacturing: Materials Advances and Critical Processes.”

Federal Funding Notice

This Week on Capitol Hall, April 19-23

ON THE FLOOR

The House is not in session on Monday.  On Tuesday the House votes on a number of minor bills and resolutions.  Later in the week the House is expected to appoint conferees for an Iran sanctions bill and vote on a bill to provide full House voting right for the District of Columbia.

On Monday, the Senate is scheduled to hold procedural votes on several executive branch and judicial nominees.  Later in the week, the Senate may begin debate on a financial regulatory ouverhaul bill.

HEARINGS OF INTEREST

Tuesday — Senate Energy and Natural Resources hearing on carbon capture and sequestration.

Wednesday — House Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on fiscal 2011 funding for the Health and Human Services Department.

Thursday

  • Senate Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on fiscal 2011 funding for NASA.  
  • Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing on the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
  • Senate Commerce, Science, & Transportation Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard hearing on environmental and economic impacts of ocean acidification.
  • House Judiciary Committee hearing on HR 5043, Private Student Loan Bankruptcy Fairness Act of 2010.
  • House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support hearing on the role of education and training in the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program.

Source:  CQ Today

Senator Harkin Introduces Education Jobs Fund Bill, Senator Murray a Co-Sponsor

**Updated 4/16/10**

Yesteday Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and of the Senate appropriations panel that oversees education funding, introduced a bill that would provide $23 billion for an Education Jobs Fund. The Education Jobs Fund is modeled after the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) portion of the 2009 Recovery Act, equaling almost half the SFSF total and allocated in much the same manner. The new fund is intended to further restore K-12 and higher education state budget reductions in Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011 to prevent additional layoffs as SFSF funds dry up with no state funds to replace them (the so called ‘funding cliff’).  Harkin’s bill is very similar to the Education Jobs Fund contained in the ‘Jobs for Main street Act of 2010’ passed by a narrow margin in the House in December. It is not yet known how much support this bill may have in the Senate. As we await further information and analysis, please find initial thoughts on the bill as it may pertain to Washington State and the UW below.

Funding for Washington State
Initial calculations made by the Congressional Research Service indicate that $478.3 million would be granted to the Governor of the State of Washington to retain or create educational jobs.

  • 95% would be distributed to local educational agencies and public institutions of higher education.
  • 5% could be retained by the state for administrative costs and to support education related state jobs.

It is estimated that this legislation would create or save 1,058 higher education jobs and 5,467 K-12 jobs in the state of Washington.

Distribution of Funds
Funds received under this Act must be used to help restore state education funding for FY 2010 to FY 2009 levels (excluding capital funding, state research funding, or tuition and fee revenue), and to help restore FY 2011 state funding to FY 2010 levels (after the application of SFSF and Education Jobs Fund dollars). In the case of insufficient funds to reach these goals, the Governor shall distribute funds in proportion to the relative reduction in state funding for each sector (K-12 and Higher Education), plus or minus 10% at the Governor’s discretion. Any excess funds shall be awarded to local educational agencies based on their relative budget share.

Use of Funds
Funds provided by this bill must be used to retain or create education jobs, going toward compensation and benefits and other expenses required to retain existing employees or hire new employees, OR to provide on-the-job training activities for education related careers (as defined in section 101(31) of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998). The funds may not be used to restore or supplement a reserve or rainy day fund or to supplant state funds for such an end. Nor may funds be used to reduce or retire debt incurred by the State or to supplant state funds toward such an end.

Maintenance of Effort
To qualify for funds under this act, a state must assure the Secretary of Education that it will continue to meet the MOE requirements laid out in the SFSF provision of the Recovery Act (establishing FY 2006 K-12 and Higher Education state funding levels as a ‘floor’), OR provide each education sector a total state budget share in FY 2010 that is equal to FY 2006, and, for FY 2011, a budget share equal to FY 2009.

Outlook
Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education, expressed strong support for the Harkin bill during a hearing on April 14th. Additionally, Senator Majority Leader Harry Reid has agreed to bring the legislation to the floor. However, a timetable has not been revealed and it remains unclear whether or not the legislation will garner any Republican support. Senator Patty Murray is a co-sponsor of the Harkin bill.

Courtesy of Jessica Thompson

Senate HELP Committee Statement

Text of Legislation

Governors Push for Increased NIH Funding

Yesterday, the governors of 25 states — including Washington’s Christine Gregoire — wrote to the Chairmen and Ranking Members of the House and Senate Budget Committees to ask that the budget resolution in each chamber contain enough funding to allow the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to be funded at the Administration-requested level of $32.2 billion in FY11.  The amount represents an increase of 3.2 percent over the FY10 level.

Governors’ Letter on FY11 NIH Funding