H.R.1768 - Lower Costs for Everyday Americans Act (119th Congress)
Summary
H.R.1768, the Lower Costs for Everyday Americans Act, is a comprehensive bill addressing a wide array of issues, from recycling and environmental concerns to healthcare, commerce, and telecommunications. It aims to lower costs for Americans through various provisions, including measures related to recycling infrastructure, consumer product safety, healthcare access, and prescription drug pricing. The bill spans multiple divisions and titles, each targeting specific areas of the economy and public welfare.
The bill seeks to reauthorize and modify existing programs, establish new initiatives, and set new standards and requirements for various industries and government agencies. Key areas of focus include supply chain resilience, blockchain technology deployment, rural broadband protection, and pandemic preparedness. The bill also addresses consumer protection issues, such as hotel fees transparency and ticket pricing disclosures.
Overall, H.R.1768 represents a broad legislative effort to address diverse challenges facing American households and businesses, with an emphasis on affordability, safety, and innovation.
Expected Effects
If enacted, H.R.1768 would lead to changes in several sectors, including increased recycling efforts, enhanced consumer safety standards, and improved access to healthcare services. It would also likely spur economic activity in areas such as broadband deployment and semiconductor manufacturing.
Furthermore, the bill could result in lower prescription drug costs for some Americans and greater transparency in pricing across various industries. Governmental agencies would also see changes in their responsibilities and funding levels, particularly those involved in public health, commerce, and telecommunications.
Potential Benefits
- Lower Costs: Aims to reduce expenses for everyday Americans through measures like hotel fee transparency and prescription drug pricing reforms.
- Improved Healthcare Access: Expands access to Medicaid, Medicare, and telehealth services, particularly for underserved populations and those with disabilities.
- Enhanced Consumer Protection: Establishes consumer product safety standards and increases transparency in ticketing and smart device disclosures.
- Economic Growth: Promotes resilient supply chains, blockchain technology deployment, and semiconductor manufacturing, potentially creating jobs and fostering innovation.
- Environmental Sustainability: Supports recycling infrastructure and reduces diesel emissions, contributing to a cleaner environment.
Potential Disadvantages
- Increased Regulatory Burden: New requirements on businesses, such as those related to hotel fees and ticket pricing, could increase compliance costs.
- Potential for Unintended Consequences: Some provisions, like those affecting drug pricing, could have unforeseen effects on pharmaceutical innovation or access to certain medications.
- Limited Funding: Some titles, such as the one promoting resilient supply chains, authorize no additional funds, potentially limiting their effectiveness.
- Sunset Provisions: Certain provisions, like those related to resilient supply chains, have sunset clauses, creating uncertainty about their long-term impact.
- Implementation Challenges: The bill's broad scope and complexity could pose challenges for effective implementation by government agencies.
Constitutional Alignment
H.R.1768 invokes several areas of Congressional authority as outlined in the US Constitution. The bill's focus on interstate commerce aligns with the Commerce Clause (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3), granting Congress the power to regulate commerce among the states.
Provisions related to healthcare, such as those affecting Medicaid and Medicare, fall under Congress's power to provide for the general welfare (Preamble) and potentially the power to tax and spend for the general welfare (Article I, Section 8, Clause 1). The bill also touches on areas related to intellectual property through provisions affecting drug patents, which is authorized by Article I, Section 8, Clause 8.
Individual liberties are addressed through provisions related to data privacy and freedom from unwarranted surveillance, reflecting principles found in the Bill of Rights. The bill appears to be generally aligned with the Constitution, though specific provisions would need to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis to ensure they do not infringe upon individual rights or exceed the scope of Congressional authority.
Impact Assessment: Things You Care About ⓘ
This action has been evaluated across 19 key areas that matter to you. Scores range from 1 (highly disadvantageous) to 5 (highly beneficial).