The Power of the Pen: New Bills Signed into Law

Statement by the Press Secretary on H.R. 208,
H.R. 639, H.R. 2262, S. 799, S. 1356, S. 2036

On Wednesday, November 25, 2015, the President signed into law:

H.R. 208, the “Recovery Improvements for Small Entities After Disaster Act of 2015,” which expands access to Small Business Administration (SBA) loans and programs to small businesses during major disasters; and improves performance, oversight, and administration of SBA's disaster loan program;

H.R. 639, the “Improving Regulatory Transparency for New Medical Therapies Act,” which amends the effective date of Food and Drug Administration approval of drugs recommended for scheduling under the Controlled Substances Act; establish time limits for the Department of Justice to make scheduling decisions; amend the covered date for extension of patent protection for drugs recommended for scheduling; revise the process for manufacturer registration of drugs for use in clinical trials; and provide for re-exportation of controlled substances across the European Economic Area;

H.R. 2262, the “U.S. Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act,” which amends current law concerning the U.S. commercial human spaceflight industry; extends authority for use of the International Space Station through September 30, 2024; and provides authority to facilitate commercial exploration for and commercial recovery of space resources;

S. 799, the “Protecting Our Infants Act of 2015,” which establishes activities at the Department of Health and Human Services to research and address prenatal and postpartum opioid-use disorder and neonatal abstinence syndrome; 

S. 1356, the “National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016,” which authorizes fiscal year (FY) 2016 appropriations principally for Department of Defense programs and military construction, and Department of Energy (DOE) national security programs; authorizes recruitment and retention bonuses, special payments, and other authorities relating to the U.S. Armed Forces; and provides authorities related to and makes other modifications to national security, foreign affairs, and other related programs; and

S. 2036, the “Equity in Government Compensation Act of 2015,” which suspends compensation packages approved for 2015 for the chief executive officers of the Federal National Mortgage Association, the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, and any of their affiliates, and reinstates the compensation and benefits previously in effect. 

Source: The White House, Office of the Press Secretary