WASHINGTON, DC - The House Energy and Commerce Committee today announced its hearing and markup schedule for the week of March 24, 2014. The committee will consider draft legislation to reauthorize the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act, review H.R. 6, a bill to expedite exports of U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) to our allies, and discuss the shortage of dedicated psychiatric beds available to treat patients suffering from serious mental illnesses.
On Monday, March 24, the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology will begin a markup to consider draft legislation to reauthorize the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act. The subcommittee will convene for opening statements only on Monday evening and will reconvene on Tuesday, March 25 to complete consideration of the legislation. An electronic copy of the draft bill and background memo can be found on the Energy and Commerce Committee’s website here. Amendments and votes will be available at the same link as they are posted.
On Tuesday, March 25, the Subcommittee on Energy and Power will review H.R. 6, the Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act. In response to Russia’s recent aggression and DOE’s slow export approval process, Rep. Cory Gardner (R-CO) introduced H.R. 6 to expedite LNG exports to our allies. The legislation would grant immediate approval of complete export applications currently filed with the Department of Energy and modify the process moving forward to ensure exports to our allies are not subject to unnecessary delays. The Majority Memorandum, a witness list, and witness testimony can be found here.
On Wednesday, March 26, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations will examine the diminished capacity for inpatient treatment of psychiatric patients in hospitals. In the fifty years since the passage of the Community Mental Health Centers Act, the number of dedicated psychiatric beds available at hospitals for psychiatric patients has decreased from 559,000 to 43,000, putting patients with serious mental illnesses at risk. This has contributed to a phenomenon known as “psychiatric boarding," meaning patients are left to wait in hospital emergency departments until space becomes available for inpatient psychiatric care. This increases wait times in emergency rooms, sends ambulances to different hospitals, consumes significant hospital resources, and negatively impacts access for all patients requiring emergency care.as they are posted.
Hearing and Vote Details:
Monday, March 24, 2014
5:30 p.m.
2123 Rayburn HOB
Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
Markup on H.R. ___, to extend expiring provisions relating to the retransmission of signals of television broadcast stations, and for other purposes (Opening statements only)
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
10:30 a.m.
2123 Rayburn HOB
Subcommittee on Communications and Technology
Reconvene Markup
1:30 p.m.
2123 Rayburn HOB
Subcommittee on Energy and Power
Hearing on H.R. 6, the “Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act"
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
10:00 a.m.
2123 Rayburn HOB
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
Hearing on “Where Have All the Patients Gone? Examining the Psychiatric Bed Shortage"
