On April 30th, the House Committee on Small Business Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight, and Regulations will meet for a hearing titled, “Lost Opportunities? SBA’s Engagement with Historically Black Colleges and Universities.” The House Committee on Financial Services will host a hearing titled, “Ending Debt Traps in the Payday and Small Dollar Credit Industry.” The House Committee on Energy and Commerce will host a hearing titled, “Prescription Drug Coverage in the Medicare Program.” The Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs will host a hearing titled, “Guidance, Supervisory Expectations, and the Rule of Law: How do the Banking Agencies Regulate and Supervise Institutions?”

On May 1st, the Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship will host a hearing titled, “Reauthorization of the SBA’s Entrepreneurial Development Programs.” Kiesha Haughton of the Maryland Women’s Business Center, a member of the Association of Women’s Business Centers (AWBC), will testify in the 2ndwitness panel of the hearing. Additionally, the House Committee on Small Business will hold a markup of legislation to amend the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act. House Committee on Financial Services will host a hearing titled, “Good for the Bottom Line: A Review of the Business Case for Diversity and Inclusion.” The Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship will host a hearing titled, “Reauthorization of the SBA’s Entrepreneurial Development Programs.” On May 3rd, the Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship will host a hearing titled, “Investing in Idaho: Exploring Ways to Encourage Small Business Innovation and Start-Ups.”

The U.S. Small Business Administration and Visa will host a National Small Business Week Hackathon at the Inclusive Innovation Incubator in Washington, D.C. on May 3-5th of this week. In this workshop, participants will be asked to consider how small businesses can recover in the case of a natural disaster. Participants will theorize how to rebuild their revenue streams, finance short and long-term recovery, establish a sturdy supply chain, deal with power disruptions and keep their employees on the payroll in the aftermath of a major disaster. The U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2019 National Small Business Week begins on May 5th with awards ceremonies in Washington, D.C. View more details on the event here.

 

On Capitol Hill

Floor proceedings

 

House: In session

●     The House will convene to consider the bills listed for consideration under suspension of the Rules. (H.R. 1222H.R. 91H.R. 317)

 

Senate: Not in session

●     The Senate will convene and proceed to executive session to resume consideration of William Cooper, of Maryland, to be General Counsel of the Department of Energy.

 

Committee proceedings

House Committee on Small Business

●     April 30th, the Committee on Small Business Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight, and Regulations will meet for a hearingtitled, “Lost Opportunities? SBA’s Engagement with Historically Black Colleges and Universities.”

●     May 1st, the Committee on Small Business will hold a markup of legislation to amend the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act.

Senate Committee on Appropriations

●      No relevant hearings today

House Committee on Small Business

●      No relevant hearings today

House Committee on Financial Services

●      On April 30th, the committee will host a hearing titled, “Ending Debt Traps in the Payday and Small Dollar Credit Industry.”

●      On May 1st, the committee will host a hearing titled, “Good for the Bottom Line: A Review of the Business Case for Diversity and Inclusion.”

●      On May 15th, the committee will host a hearing titled, “Oversight of Prudential Regulators: Ensuring the Safety, Soundness and Accountability of Megabanks and Other Depository Institutions.”

●      On May 15th, the committee will host a hearing titled, “Promoting Economic Growth: A Review of Proposals to Strengthen the Rights and Protections for Workers.”

House Committee on Appropriations

●      No relevant hearings today

House Committee on Ways and Means

●      No relevant hearings today

House Committee on Energy and Commerce

●      On April 30th, the committee will host a hearing titled, “Prescription Drug Coverage in the Medicare Program.”

Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship

●      On May 1stthe  Committee will host a hearing titled, “Reauthorization of the SBA’s Entrepreneurial Development Programs.”

●      On May 3rdthe Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship will host a hearing titled, “Investing in Idaho: Exploring Ways to Encourage Small Business Innovation and Start-Ups.”

Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs

●      On April 30th, the committee will host a hearing titled, “Guidance, Supervisory Expectations, and the Rule of Law: How do the Banking Agencies Regulate and Supervise Institutions?”

Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions

●      No relevant hearings today

Senate Committee on Finance

●      No relevant hearings today

Bills of Interest

●     A bill of interest was introduced by Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) to administer vaccinations for hepatitis A, at no cost to the inoculated, in certain areas at risk of a hepatitis A outbreak (H.R.2361).

●     A bill was introduced by Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN) to amend the Small Business Act to clarify the intention of Congress that the Administrator of the Small Business Administration is subject to certain requirements with respect to establishing size standards for small business concerns, and for other purposes (H.R.2345).

●     A bill was introduced by Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN) to amend the Small Business Act to provide interim partial payment to small business contractors that request an equitable adjustment due to a change in the terms of a construction contract, and for other purposes (H.R.2344).

●     A bill was introduced by Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) to amend titles 10 and 41, United States Code, to provide a contracting preference for contractors that retain American jobs and purchase goods and services in the United States, and for other purposes (H.R.2342).

●     A bill was introduced by Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) to require an annual report on the cybersecurity of the Small Business Administration, and for other purposes (H.R.2331).

●      A bill was introduced by Rep. Troy Balderson (R-OH) to amend section 3903 of title 31, United States Code, to establish accelerated payments applicable to contracts with certain small business concerns, and for other purposes.

●      A bill was introduced by Rep. Janice Schakowsky (D-IL) to require reporting regarding certain drug price increases, and for other purposes (H.R.2296)

 

At the Agencies

Department of Labor

●     Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report

●     The U.S. Department of Labor announced Women’s Bureau Director Patricia G. Greene returned to the private sector effective April 26, 2019.

Treasury: 

●      No relevant activities today

SBA

·     SBA Georgia announced its 2019 National Small Business Week award winners.

·     The U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2019 National Small Business Week begins on May 5 and 6 with awards ceremonies in Washington, D.C. View more details on the event here.

●     The U.S. Small Business Administration and Visa will host a National Small Business Week Hackathon at the Inclusive Innovation Incubator in Washington, D.C. May 3-5.

●     The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) announced the addition of seven new clusters to the portfolio of communities it supports through the Regional Innovation Clusters initiative.

USTR:

●     The Office of the United States Trade Representative released its annual Special 301 Report on the adequacy and effectiveness of trading partners’ protection of intellectual property rights and the findings of its Notorious Markets List.

Commerce:

●     The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released the first quarter 2019 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) numbers.

Links You Can Use

For reviewing legislation and tracking appropriations: www.congress.gov

For reviewing proposed and pending regulation: www.federalregister.gov