1998 Upcoming Legislation

Upcoming Legislation

This update provides a summary of major legislation that may be considered in the Second Session of the 105th Congress. Among the major bills expected to be considered by the House in 1998 are he following:

Higher Education Reauthorization ( H.R. 6) The House is expected to consider H.R. 6, which reauthorizes Higher Education Act programs, including federal student financial aid programs. The Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Post secondary Education, Training, and Life-long Learning has completed hearings on the matter. LULAC is actively supporting recommendations made by Rep. Ruben Hinojosa.
"Fast-Track" Negotiating Authority. The House may consider legislation to renew authority for the president to seek congressional approval of trade agreements on an expedited basis. So-called "fast-track" authority permits expedited congressional consideration of legislation to implement trade accords, and bars amendments to any such implementing legislation. Efforts to renew fast track failed at the end of last session when a vote was never held on H.R. 2616, Reciprocal Trade Agreement Authorities Act, which would have granted the President fast track authority for up to eight years. It is expected that efforts to revive such authority will be more narrowly tailored and will, once again, be slowed by a dispute over whether to include labor and environmental standards in trade negotiations.
Electricity Deregulation (H.R. 655). The House may consider legislation to deregulate the electric power industry. The measure before the Commerce Committee would require retail competition in the electricity market by December 2000, and would permit consumers to by electricity from any provider offering it for sale. The bill also would direct states to devise and implement local standards for a competitive electric utility industry, with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission doing so if the states failed to by the 2000 deadline. It also repeals the Public Utility Holding Company Act, which requires federal oversight of utility holding companies that operate across state lines, and institutes a national renewable energy -credit trading system to encourage the use of renewable energy sources. The Commerce Subcommittee on Energy and Power had held hearings on the issue. The Senate has reported out of committee a related bill (S.621) which would only repeal the Public Utility Holding Company Act.
Tax Cuts. The House may consider legislation to further reduce taxes. Speaker Gingrich and other GOP leaders have stated that any budget surplus achieved should be used to lessen the tax burden. With continued economic growth, the Congressional Budget Office has suggested that the budget may be balanced several years ahead of 2002, as planned in the balanced budget agreement reached between Congress and the White House last spring. It is unclear, however, what legislation would make it to the Floor if the robust economy brings a budget surplus because, while some favor tax cuts, others want the money saved in a "rainy day fund", and still others want the money to be used for infrastructure and transportation projects.
IRS/Tax Code Overhaul. The House may consider legislation to further overhaul management at the Internal Revenue Service, or to scrap the current tax code entirely. Bipartisan support is growing to simplify the tax code. Ways and Means Committee Chairman Archer (R-Texas) has been quoted many times on his desire "to tear the tax code out by its roots." Minority Leader Gephardt has also spoken of the need to simplify tax returns so that the document could fit on a post card. In October, Rep. (R-Okla.) and Speaker Gingrich (R-Ga.) led a press conference declaring their intention to replace the tax code entirely by 2001.
Highway & Transit Programs / ISTEA (H.R. 2400). The House will consider legislation to re authorize funding for federal highway, mass transit, highway safety, and other surface transportation programs authorized under the 1991 Inter modal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA). The original authorization for those programs expired September 30, and was temporarily extended through early 1998 just prior to Congress adjourning for the year. In September, the Transportation Committee completed markup of legislation (H.R. 2400) that would provide a total of $218 Billion over six years for highway and transit programs. However, over the five-year period through FY 2002, that bill would provide $27 Billion more than was assumed for those programs under the budget agreement.
Transportation Committee Chairman Bud Shuster hopes to increase the amounts allocated for transportation in the next budget resolution, using part of the recently projected budget surplus.
Union Dues for Political Purposes (H.R. 1625). The House may consider H.R. 1625, which requires unions to obtain the prior written permission of union members before they spend any funds on matters not directly related to collective bargaining (such as political campaigns), and requires unions to file detailed reports on how union dues are used. The measure has been reported by the Education and the Workforce Committee.
Tobacco Settlement. The House may consider legislation to implement the settlement between state attorneys general and the tobacco industry announced last June. Under this settlement, the participating tobacco companies would pay a total of $368.5 Billion to states, lawsuit plaintiffs, and public health campaigns over a 25-year period. The settlement also includes provisions that would affect the authority of the Food and Drug Administration, as well as restrict the ability of litigants to seek punitive damages against tobacco companies.