The Bellevue Compass

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As we close in on the end of the year, it’s a mad dash to get a slew of legislation past the finish line, all of it initially delayed by the record-breaking shutdown. Here are a few of the things on the horizon, and what we’re watching for this week as the year comes to an end. 

What’s Going on in Congress

The House is expected to vote this week on the SCORE Act (Student Compensation and Opportunity through Rights and Endorsements), marking the first major college sports legislation to reach the floor since the Supreme Court opened the door for student-athletes to be compensated for their name, image, and likeness back in 2021. 

Since the ruling, there’s been a little bit of chaos—endorsement deals and booster-run collectives have transformed amateur and collegiate sports. The NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association), tied up in years ' worth of billion-dollar lawsuits, has been lobbying for further regulation since. The House bill aims to address the NCAA’s biggest requests: protection from further lawsuits, a national standard that supersedes state law, and language clarifying that students are not employees. 

Three House Republicans voted “no” on a procedural vote on Tuesday, claiming that they hadn’t been given enough opportunity to amend the bill at hand. Even if it passes the House, the bill’s fate in the Senate remains uncertain due to a lack of Democratic support. Critics argue that barring students from being considered employees—reclassifying them as employees creates murky waters for what constitutes a student athlete, whose main goal is, the NCAA argues, to get a degree—limits an athlete’s labor rights. We’ll have to see where it goes. 

Discharge Petitions—Again

Last week, we spoke about discharge petitions—a procedural tool that allows members to force a vote on legislation when the Speaker refuses to bring it up—and this week, the House is back with more. On Tuesday, Representative Anna Paulina Luna launched a bid to force a vote on legislation that would ban members from trading stocks, making good on a previous threat. 

The petition aims to force a vote on the Restore Trust in Congress Act, a bipartisan bill that would require members to divest their holdings or put them in a blind trust. If the discharge petition gets its necessary 218 signatures, it will force consideration regardless of leadership objections. As of Tuesday afternoon, only Luna and Representative Tim Bruchett had signed on, though others are signaling that they’ll follow. 

Healthcare, Healthcare, Healthcare

All plans, no consensus. The fight over expiring Affordable Care Act subsidies is heating up as the mid-December deadline looms. Frankly, it’s a mess. Multiple factions have competing ideas, but thus far, no concrete plan has emerged. 

Here’s where things stand: (Thanks to Politico for breaking this down in a concise and understandable way, which we’re paraphrasing here.)

The Senate Democrats Proposal: Democrats reportedly discussed Tuesday what they’ll be offering up next week. They prefer a straightforward extension of the expiring ACA funds. 

The Senate GOP Alternative: Expect a “side-by-side” vote with a GOP-led direct alternative to whatever the Democratic proposal will be. It’s unclear, as of right now, what’s included or when it will be introduced. 

The House GOP Framework: House leaders have apparently tasked three committees with assembling an omnibus of bills that they hope to put on the floor before the chamber departs on December 18. 

The House Centrists’ Plan: Last week, we mentioned that Brian Fitzpatrick has a plan—he’s reportedly brought it to the White House. 

The Senate Bipartisan Talks: In the words of Politico, “if a passable product is ever going to emerge, it’s probably coming out of this effort dating back to before the government shutdown involving the likes of Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).” Apparently, they’re looking to find a compromise on a subsidy extension. 

The Trump Plan: Still TBD. There was some serious backlash from Republicans that caused the plan to never be revealed. The president continues to push his aides to develop a plan, insisting at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday that “something’s going to happen”, but there’s nothing certain. Although there was some confusion that Trump was in favor of a two-year subsidy extension, it was a rumor. He’s admitted, though, that while he’d “rather not extend them at all, some kind of an extension may be necessary to get something else done.”

The sticking point of it all? Abortion language. Senate Majority Leader John Thune highlighted an escalating fight over adding language to any bill extending the subsidies to ensure federal money is not spent on abortion care. 

The Pennsylvania Impact

We won’t rehash all of the political context we covered last week. What there is to know is this: with the December 18th deadline looming and multiple competing proposals on the table, PA families are left in limbo. The outcome of the negotiations will directly impact household budgets and healthcare accessibility across the Commonwealth.  

As for the SCORE Act—it will have significant implication for Pennsylvania’s major athletic programs. Penn State, Pitt, and Temple University have all opted into the House settlement, which allows schools to directly compensate athletes up to around $20-22 million in the 2025-26 academic year. The Big Ten Conference, which includes Penn State, is projected to equally distribute $80-100 million per year to each member. 

If the SCORE Act passes as-is, it would preempt Pennsylvania’s existing NIL law, which has been in place since 2021. More significantly, the employee classification issue is the subject of current litigation in Pennsylvania—the Johnson v. NCAA case at the federal trial court level. The SCORE Act's provision explicitly stating that athletes cannot be considered employees would effectively shut down that case and others like it, removing a legal avenue Pennsylvania athletes are currently pursuing. 

🔥 What We’re Watching

Did You Know? Pennsylvania produces more mushrooms than any other state in the US. The state produces 68% of the nation’s 946 million pounds of mushrooms. Most of it comes from Kennett Square, PA, which grows more than 50% of all the mushrooms consumed in the US! 

Till next time,