Summary

News

About

Jurisdiction

Rule 25, of the Standing Rules of the Senate, States the Committee’s Jurisdiction to be the following: Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, to which committee shall be referred all proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating to the following subjects:

1. Measures relating to education, labor, health, and public welfare.
2. Aging.
3. Agricultural colleges.
4. Arts and humanities.
5. Biomedical research and development.
6. Child labor.
7. Convict labor and the entry of goods made by convicts into interstate commerce.
8. Domestic activities of the American National Red Cross.
9. Equal employment opportunity.
10. Gallaudet University, Howard University, and Saint Elizabeth hospital.
11. Individuals with disabilities.
12. Labor standards and labor statistics.
13. Mediation and arbitration of labor disputes.
14. Occupational safety and health, including the welfare of miners.
15. Private pension plans.
16. Public health.
17. Railway labor and retirement.
18. Regulation of foreign laborers.
19. Student loans.
20. Wages and hours of labor

HELP Committee

• Health

  The HELP Committee jurisdiction encompasses most of the agencies, institutes, and programs of the Department of Health and Human Services, including the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Administration on Aging, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

• Education

  The evolving global economy and the need for a highly skilled workforce create new challenges for American workers. The HELP Committee is ensuring our country’s workforce is prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st Century through a lifetime of learning for our citizens.

• Labor

  The HELP Committee jurisdiction encompasses most federal labor and employment laws, including those that regulate wages and hours of employment, enforce mining and workplace health and safety, combat employment-based discrimination, and regulate union / management relations.

• Pensions

  The HELP Committee has primary jurisdiction over private retirement plans and the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation through the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and over railroad retirement.

Source: Committee website

Contact

Locations

Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
428 Senate Dirksen Office Building, Washington, DC 20510
Phone: 202-224-5375

Web Links

• Website
• Wikipedia
• Twitter
• Facebook

Legislation

Bills

Source: Committee website

Hearings

Source: Committee website

Subcommittees

Children and Families

Jurisdiction
The Subcommittee has jurisdiction over a wide range of issues including Head Start, child care and child support such as the Child Care & Development Block Grant, the Family Medical Leave Act, National Service, women and children’s healthcare, and other issues involving children, youth, and families.

Majority members:
Bob Casey, Jr., Pennsylvania, Chair
Chris Murphy, Connecticut
Tim Kaine, Virginia
Maggie Hassan, New Hampshire
Tina Smith, Minnesota
Bernie Sanders, Vermont (Ex Officio)

Minority members:
Tommy Tuberville, Alabama, Ranking Member
Rand Paul, Kentucky
Lisa Murkowski, Alaska
Markwayne Mullin, Oklahoma
Bill Cassidy, Louisiana (Ex Officio)

Employment and Workplace Safety

Jurisdiction

The Subcommittee has jurisdiction over a variety of employment issues including workforce education and training, worker health and safety, wage and hour laws, and workplace flexibility.

Majority members:
John Hickenlooper, Colorado, Chair
Bob Casey, Pennsylvania
Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin
Tim Kaine, Virginia
Ben Ray Luján, New Mexico
Ed Markey, Massachusetts
Bernie Sanders, Vermont (Ex Officio)

Minority members:
Mike Braun, Indiana, Ranking Member
Roger Marshall, Kansas
Mitt Romney, Utah
Tommy Tuberville, Alabama
Ted Budd, North Carolina
Bill Cassidy, Louisiana (Ex Officio)

Primary Health and Retirement Security

Jurisdiction

The Subcommittee has oversight over many aging issues including: The Older Americans Act – including home delivered and congregate meals programs for older adults, the Senior Community Services Employment Program, long-term services and supports, elder abuse, neglect, and scams affecting seniors, and the health of the aging population, including Alzheimer’s disease and family care-giving. The Subcommittee also has oversight over many Primary Health issues including Community Health Centers, access to vaccines, oral health, prescription drugs and the mental health of all Americans.

Majority members:
Ed Markey, Massachusetts, Chair
Tammy Baldwin, Wisconsin
Chris Murphy, Connecticut
Maggie Hassan, New Hampshire
Tina Smith, Minnesota
Ben Ray Luján, New Mexico
John Hickenlooper, Colorado
Bernie Sanders, Vermont (Ex Officio)

Minority members:
Roger Marshall, Kansas, Ranking Member
Rand Paul, Kentucky
Susan Collins, Maine
Lisa Murkowski, Alaska
Mike Braun, Indiana
Markwayne Mullin, Oklahoma
Ted Budd, North Carolina
Bill Cassidy, Louisiana