Abortion
S. 2159—Sen. David Vitter (R-LA)/Finance (10/7/15)—A bill to allow for greater state flexibility with respect to excluding providers who are involved in abortions.
H.R. 3729—Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI)/Energy and Commerce (10/8/15)—A bill to prohibit certain research on human fetal tissue obtained pursuant to an abortion.
Health
H.R. 3691—Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM)/Energy and Commerce (10/6/15)—A bill to reauthorize the residential treatment programs for pregnant and postpartum women and to establish a pilot program to provide grants to state substance abuse agencies to promote innovative service delivery models for such women.
Senator Maria Cantwell, D-Wa. See Women’s Business Ownership (below)*
International
H.R. 3706—Rep. Dave Reichert (R-WA)/Foreign Affairs (10/7/15)—A bill to implement policies to end preventable maternal, newborn, and child deaths globally.
Military
S. 2137—Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO)/Armed Services (10/6/15)—A bill to provide a period for the relocation of spouses and dependents of certain members of the Armed Forces undergoing a permanent change of station in order to ease and facilitate the relocation of military families.
On October 8, the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing, Planned Parenthood Exposed: Examining Abortion Procedures and Medical Ethics at the Nation’s Largest Abortion Provider. This is the fourth hearing in a series of hearings focused on Planned Parenthood Federation of America (see The Source, 10/2/12, 9/18/15, and 9/11/15).
The following witnesses testified during the hearing:
- Anthony Levatino, obstetrics and gynecology;
- Susan Thayer, former manager, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland;
- Caroline Fredrickson, president, American Constitution Society; and
- Luana Stoltenberg.
Senate Addresses Women’s Business Ownership
This week, the Senate approved S. Res. 280, a resolution recognizing October as National Women’s Small Business Month, while the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee passed the Women’s Business Ownership Act (see below).
Women’s Business Ownership Act
Also on October 7, the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee approved, by voice vote, S. 2126. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA), would authorize Small Business Administration (SBA) grants to women’s business centers (WBCs) to remove traditional barriers to women-owned businesses, including barriers to access to capital and training.
Among other provisions, the legislation seeks to improve the transparency of the WBC’s financial processes, create public-private partnerships to support women entrepreneurs, and conduct outreach to, and education of, startup and existing small businesses.
The bill also would require the SBA administrator to consult with organizations representing WBCs for “advice, input, and recommendations for policy changes” with regard to training programs and the general operations and administration of the program.
Courtesy of Women’s Policy, Inc
*From Senator Maria Cantwell’s site
The Senate Small Business Committee passed US Senator Maria Cantwell’s (D-WA) Women’s Small Business Ownership Act of 2015. The bill was also co-sponsored by Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, Senators David Vitter (R-LA) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).
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