Overnight Regulation: Groups push for criminal justice reform by year’s end

Welcome to Overnight Regulation, your daily rundown of news from Capitol Hill and beyond.

It’s Thursday evening here in Washington, where everyone’s buzzing about whether former “Daily Show” host Jon Stewart got booted out of the Capitol. http://bit.ly/1Q3DjH0 Here’s what else is happening:

THE BIG STORY

Advocates are making a final push for a vote on the Senate’s criminal justice reform bill in the few weeks before lawmakers break for the holidays.

The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights is working with the American Civil Liberties Union, NAACP and an interfaith criminal justice coalition organized by the United Methodist General Church of Board and Society to lobby both Democrats and Republicans to bring the Sentencing Reform and Corrections Act of 2015 to the Senate floor for a vote.

{mosads}Sakira Cook, the group’s policy counsel, said 55 people from 22 states met this week with senators who voted against the bill in committee to try and change their minds. Those lawmakers included Sens. David Perdue (R-Ga.), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and David Vitter (R-La.).

“We feel that if we put a human face to an issue we’re talking about across the country that hearts and minds start to turn in the direction of reform and transformative change,” Cook said.

The Leadership Conference also launched radio advertisements this week in three states — Missouri, Tennessee and Mississippi — that ask voters to call their senators and pressure them to support the legislation.

“The United States has more people locked up in prison than any nation on Earth, and too many of them are people of color,” the Tennessee ad says. “Congress is considering a law to deal with this problem and our senators, Bob Corker and Lamar Alexander, can make the difference.”

Cook said the Senate bill has enough bipartisan support to get to the floor for a vote, it’s just a matter of when.

“It’ll most likely get a vote early next year at this point,” she said.

TOMORROW’S REGS TODAY

The Obama administration will publish 124 new regulations, proposed rules, notices and other administrative actions in Friday’s edition of the Federal Register.

—The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will issue new protections for homeless people.

HUD is issuing a new definition for people who are “chronically homeless” to help determine who qualifies for the agency’s housing programs. 

To be considered chronically homeless, a person or their family must be homeless for at least one year, or in several occasions over the last three years, the agency said.

“‘Chronically homeless’ is defined … as an individual or family that is homeless and resides in a place not meant for human habitation, a safe haven, or in an emergency shelter,” HUD wrote.

The changes go into effect in 30 days. http://bit.ly/1OJIfxN

—The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will drop reporting requirements for federal agencies.

Federal agencies will no longer be required to submit reports about their human resources management programs, according to the OPM.

The changes go into effect in 30 days. http://bit.ly/1lcs7LE

—The Department of Defense (DOD) will codify a higher minimum wage for employees of federal contractors.

As a condition of contracting with the federal government, contractors must pay their employees no less than $10.10 an hour.

The policy is already in place under an interim rule, but the Defense Department, along with the General Services Administration and NASA, is moving forward with a final rule on minimum wage.

The rule goes into effect immediately. http://bit.ly/1XCWX18

NEWS RIGHT NOW

Business and health groups jockey to shape e-cigarette rule. http://bit.ly/1MYdzZ2

Lawmakers to White House: Expedite review of small-plane rules. http://bit.ly/1PBcXwj

Senate Dems to force votes on gun control. http://bit.ly/1jBvOZu

Net neutrality goes on trial. http://bit.ly/1lzd8ei

Black caucus pushes tech firms to diversity their lobbying offices. http://bit.ly/1QilliE

Former House staffer pleads guilty to receiving child porn. http://bit.ly/1XL05CQ

GOP former EPA heads back Obama in climate rule lawsuit. http://bit.ly/1O68nzX

BY THE NUMBERS

21: Number of meetings by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in November on a proposed e-cigarette rule.

Industry and health groups are flocking to the White House in hopes of winning last-minute changes to sweeping new regulations for electronic cigarettes and conventional cigars.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“E-cigarette companies say it will put them out of business, but this law is about protecting kids and public health. It’s not about protecting the ability of manufacturers to sell candy flavored e-cigs and cigars,” said Vince Willmore, vice president of communications for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, about the Food and Drug Administration’s proposed tobacco rules. http://bit.ly/1MYdzZ2

We’ll work to stay on top of these and other stories throughout the week, so check The Hill’s Regulation page (http://digital-staging.thehill.com/regulation) early and often for the latest. And send any comments, complaints or regulatory news tips our way, tdevaney@digital-staging.thehill.com or lwheeler@digital-staging.thehill.com. And follow us at @timdevaney and @wheelerlydia.

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