Congress approved legislation that would fund the government through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, sending the measure to President Donald Trump for consideration. The bill includes an additional $15 billion in defense spending and $1.5 billion for border security. The Senate voted 79-18 and the House voted 309 to 118 to approve the measure.
For more information on the spending bill click here.
On Wednesday May 3, the House passed legislation that would allow private-sector employers to grant compensatory time (or “comp time”) instead of paying overtime to hourly workers. The House voted 227 to 197 mostly along party lines with no Democrats voting for the bill and six Republicans voting against it.
Currently, non-exempt employees must receive overtime pay at one-and-one-half times their regular rate of pay for each hour worked over 40 in a workweek. Under the bill, the employee can receive 1.5 hours of compensatory time for each overtime hour worked, provided both the employer and employee agree to the arrangement in writing.
For more information click here.
Yesterday, the House passed the American Health Care Act with a vote of 217 to 213 largely along party lines with no Democrats voting for the bill. The bill:
- Ends Medicaid expansion funding.
- Ends the “individual mandate” tax penalty against people without coverage.
- Changes Medicaid from an open-ended program to one that gives states fixed amounts of money per person.
- Replaces the ACA’s cost sharing subsidies based on income and premium costs with tax credits that increase with age.
- Repeals the Cadillac tax on high cost health plans, and taxes on insurers, prescription medications and medical devices.
- Allows 30 percent surcharge to re-enroll if insurance coverage has lapsed for more than 63 days in a year.
- State waivers would allow insurers to charge older customers higher premiums based on risk.
- States get $8 billion over five years to finance high-risk pools that cover those with pre-existing conditions.
- States get $130 billion over a decade to help people afford coverage.
- Continues provision for children to remain on their parents’ insurance plans until age 26.
For more information on the American Health Care Act click here.
The overtime bill and American Health Care Act still need to be passed by the Senate before heading to President Donald Trump for consideration.
