Legislative Updates

From Jean Jones
DVR/DVS Legislative Information Representative

2009 ~ 2008 ~ 2007

October 01, 2008

Mental Health Parity

Tonight the U.S. Senate plans to take up the financial services rescue bill that failed Monday in the House. We understand that the Senate plans to add several things of interest to this legislation, notably the Mental Health Parity bill that has recently passed both houses. The Senate will also add a provision to raise the FDIC insured amount on personal bank accounts from $100,000 to $250,000, and will add in a good deal of the tax extender-Alternative Minimum Tax fix-disaster relief bill it passed just a few days ago. That tax extender bill was also the Senate vehicle for the mental health parity legislation. We are told that the method for combining all these provisions will be to take the House mental health parity bill and amend it to include all the other provisions, including the big financial rescue bill.

So C-SPAN watchers, tonight may provide interesting drama! It will take 60 votes in the Senate to pass this legislation, and debate is likely.

On another matter, both houses of Congress have approved a giant Continuing Resolution to fund government programs until next March. Most programs will be level funded, and this apparently includes VR.