Congress returns for the last month of the fiscal year with some key challenges before them and only a handful of days to act. In addition to immediate September needs, Congress will also have to deal with some additional must-pass legislation before the end of 2015. In this category, Congress must grapple with an expiring
One of the issues for the fall session is the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) or (since the last reauthorization in 2002) more commonly referred to as the No Child Left Behind Act. Both the Senate and House have passed very different versions. In negotiating their differences during a Conference Committee,
On Wednesday, August 5, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR), the Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee introduced the Family Stability and Kinship Care Act, S 1964 with 7 additional cosponsors for the Senate Finance Committee. The legislation had been circulated as a draft in the late spring and Wyden received feedback from more than 60
On Tuesday August 4, the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on foster care and alternative to foster care placements. The hearing included testimony from five panelists representing state, kinship care, youth and parent perspectives. Perhaps the most significant news made was when the Chairman, Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), indicated in opening remarks that they
The Senate Finance Committee has scheduled a hearing for Tuesday and Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) is expected to introduce his child welfare reform proposal later this week. The legislation, sponsored by Senator Wyden, Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, the Family Stability and Kinship Care Act, is the result of an earlier draft bill
The House departed last Wednesday, a few days early and a week before the Senate. As they left they sent the Senate a three-month extension of the transportation law as their only option on that issue. That issue, the appropriations for 2016, a debt ceiling increase and a few other must-pass items will all be
On Tuesday, July 28 Capitol Hill participants heard from a number of young people as they presented their ideas on how to reform child welfare. The event was a presentation by a dozen Capitol Hill interns who were sponsored by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute (CCAI). The interns work the summer months in various
The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) is due for reauthorization this year and it will be on the agenda for the fall session of this Congress. The Senate has announced that markup for the child nutrition reauthorization bill will take place September 17th. The CACFP is crucial to many child care programs which
The House is attempting to wrap-up this week with the Senate in session into the first week of August. Appropriation action has stalled out and that means Congress will have less than 15 days to act to prevent a government shutdown when they return after Labor Day. It is almost certain that a continuing resolution
On Thursday, July 23, the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a reauthorization of the Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention Act (JJDPA), S 1169. The bill was approved by voice vote with no objections to what has been a bipartisan effort. Its sponsorship is also bipartisan with Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) jointly introducing