Trump signs three bills into law Wednesday

President Donald Trump signed two Senate bills and one House resolution into law Wednesday afternoon.

S. 178, the Elder Abuse Prevention and Prosecution Act, which establishes certain requirements for the Department of Justice with respect to investigating and prosecuting elder abuse crimes; and amends Federal criminal law to expand telemarketing fraud to include email marketing fraud. Specifically, the legislation promotes the investigation and prosecution of perpetrators who prey upon seniors, enhances data collection, and provides resources for robust elder abuse prevention programs.

S. 652, the “Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2017,” which reauthorizes and modifies two Department of Health and Human Services programs for early detection, diagnosis, and treatment regarding deaf and hard-of-hearing newborns, infants, and young children.

Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Tim Kaine (D-VA) introduced the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention (EHDI) Act of 2017 (S. 652) in the U.S. Senate while Representatives Brett Guthrie (R-KY) and Doris Matsui (D-CA) introduced the companion bill (H.R. 1539) in the U.S. House of Representatives. This legislation reauthorizes funding for important EHDI programs over the next five years. It also makes a number of key improvements to existing EHDI programs ensuring continued access to early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of hearing loss in newborns, infants, and young children. This legislation focuses on improving access to appropriate follow-up and intervention services when hearing loss is identified, and further clarifies the roles of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).

H.R. 1117, which requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency to submit a report to the Congress on plans to improve the administration of disaster assistance during the response to an emergency or disaster. The measures include:

• Providing consistent guidance to applicants for disaster aid
• Appropriate record maintenance to new teams during staff transitions
• Accurate assistance to ease the administrative burden for applicants and grantees
• Ensuring the maintenance of appropriate records throughout the emergency or disaster
• New technologies to aid the partnerships with state and local governments to educate,
  assist, and inform applicants on their applications and projects