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August 8, 2016 - Washington Report

By Leah Wavrunek posted 08-12-2016 02:36 PM

  

This Week on the Hill

The House and Senate are in recess until September 6.

 

Senators Send Letter to Education Secretary on ESSA Implementation

Last week Senators Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Patty Murray (D-WA), the chair and ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, sent a letter to the Secretary of Education requesting changes to the department’s proposed accountability rule. The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), passed in December 2015 to replace No Child Left Behind, requires states to develop accountability plans. The department released a proposed regulation on the plans in May, establishing the upcoming 2016-17 school year as the transition year for states to finalize their accountability systems to measure school performance, with the 2017-18 school year being the first year to use data to identify the bottom 5 percent of schools and intervene. In the letter to the Secretary, the senators request a delay until the 2018-19 school year for that identification and intervention period, to allow for a more effective implementation of the law. Additional information on the department’s efforts to implement ESSA can be found here.   

 

CDC Releases Additional Zika Funds

On Tuesday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released an additional $16.4 million to 40 states and territories in response to the Zika virus. The new funds are intended to establish, enhance, and maintain information-gathering systems to rapidly detect microcephaly and other adverse outcomes caused by Zika virus infection. The $16.4 million is part of the $589 million reprogrammed by the administration in April to respond to Zika. According to the CDC, the funds were provided to states and territories based on their risk of Zika virus transmission, population need, and availability of funds. From the $589 million, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was allocated $374 million for the domestic Zika fight, and to date HHS has spent more than $201 million of that amount; the department indicated on Wednesday all funds will be exhausted by September 30 or earlier. Additional information from CDC on the Zika virus can be found here.

 

ACF Releases Letter to Child Welfare Agencies Regarding Students in Foster Care

The Administration for Children and Families (ACF) recently issued a letter for child welfare leaders regarding provisions instituting new protections for students in foster care that were included in the Every Student Succeeds Act, signed into law in December. The new foster care provisions of Title I, Part A of the law, which take effect December 10, 2016, emphasize the importance of collaboration and shared decision-making between child welfare and educational agencies. Key provisions include requiring local education agencies and child welfare agencies to designate a point of contact and requiring state education agencies to detail the steps they will take to ensure collaboration with state child welfare agencies. On June 23, the Departments of Health and Human Services and Education released joint guidance ensuring educational stability for students in foster care. An Information Memorandum is expected this summer to highlight child welfare agencies’ roles in ensuring that stability.

 

GAO Releases Report on DATA Act Implementation

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) recently published a report on implementation plans developed by federal agencies for the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act of 2014 (DATA Act). The DATA Act requires federal agencies to begin reporting spending data by May 2017, using new data standards established by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Treasury Department (Treasury). In May 2015, OMB directed federal agencies to submit DATA Act implementation plans by September 2015. The GAO report found that OMB and Treasury have not designed and implemented controls or fully documented processes related to the review and use of agency implementation plans, and OMB had not determined which agencies are required to report spending data under the DATA Act and submit implementation plans.

 

FCC Votes to Increase Rates on Inmate Phone Calls

On Thursday the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted 3-2 to adopt an order increasing the rate caps for inmate phone calls. The FCC previously took action on inmate phone charges in 2013 and 2015; the rate caps enacted in 2015 were blocked by a court stay pending appeal. This order increases the rate caps set in 2015, as the FCC works to balance covering the costs of jails and prisons with inmate and family affordability. The order sets rates for state and federal prisons, and jails depending on size; rates for collect calls are slightly higher in the first year and will be phased down to the caps after a two-year transition period. Individual commissioner statements on the vote can be found here.

 

CMS Releases Approaches for Strengthening Home Care Workforce

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released an informational bulletin highlighting steps available to states, providers, and others to strengthen the home care workforce. According to the release, these steps are helping to remedy a longstanding imbalance between institutional and home and community-based care. Some of the highlights include establishing a workforce identity, analyzing wage rates, and understanding qualifications and training needs of the workforce. CMS notes that a stable workforce is required to continue the move from institutional to home and community-based care.  

 

Recently Released Reports

2013-15 Climate Resilience Pilot Program: Outcomes, Lessons Learned, and Recommendations, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation

Aligning Energy Efficiency and Demand Response to Lower Peak Electricity Demand, Reduce Costs and Address Reliability Concerns, National Governors Association

National Survey of Prison Health Care: Selected Findings, Bureau of Justice Statistics

Medicare: Part B Premiums, Congressional Research Service

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: Information on Approval Process for State Innovation Waivers, U.S. Government Accountability Office

 

Economic News

Economy Adds 255,000 Jobs in July

New data released last week by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 255,000 in July and the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.9 percent; June jobs numbers were adjusted from the initial estimate of 287,000 to 292,000. The data also shows that in July there were 7.8 million unemployed persons, essentially unchanged from June. The number of long-term unemployed (jobless for 27 weeks or more) was unchanged at 2.0 million, accounting for 26.6 percent of the total unemployed. The labor force participation rate increased by 0.1 percentage point to 62.8 percent. In July, job gains occurred in leisure and hospitality (45,000), health care (43,000), professional and business services (70,000) and financial services (18,000). Mining jobs continued to decrease in July, down 6,000, while employment saw little change for construction, wholesale trade, retail trade, and manufacturing. The average hourly earnings for all employees increased by 8 cents to $25.69 in July, following an increase of 2 cents in June. Over the year average hourly earnings have risen by 2.6 percent.