After a long and brutally divisive election period, Congress now returns to Capitol Hill for the final weeks of the 118th Congress, often referred to as a “lame duck” session.

After two historically unproductive years, the to-do list remains long. However, the approach of December 20, the deadline for passing legislation to continue funding the government, also provides an opportunity to address other areas. There are three proposals in particular that the New England Council believes are essential to economic prosperity and quality of life in the region, and remain our top legislative priorities for the remainder of 2024.

First, expand the flexibilities of telehealth. Congress recognized the critical role of telehealth in health care delivery by expanding coverage during and after the COVID-19 public health emergency. More recently, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 extended several Medicare telehealth flexibilities through December 31, 2024. Among these was a provision allowing patients to use telehealth regardless of their location. These short-term extensions have been important in expanding access and ensuring continuity of care.

We know that telehealth has been particularly beneficial in ensuring access to much-needed behavioral health services and has enabled patients in rural and underserved areas to receive quality health care services. Without action from Congress, these flexibilities will expire at the end of the year. Fortunately, the House Energy and Commerce Committee has proposed bipartisan legislation that will extend these flexibilities for two more years. The New England Council supports this extension and encourages Congress to consider making these flexibilities permanent.

Second, the affordable connectivity program. Created by the bipartisan infrastructure law passed at the end of 2021, the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) seeks to ensure that all Americans have access to high-speed Internet, which has become essential to economic success in the 21st century. Administered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the ACP provided a $30 monthly subsidy to eligible households to use high-speed Internet. It also offered a one-time benefit of $100 towards the purchase of a tablet, laptop or other device that facilitates Internet access.

Since its launch in December 2021, ACP has helped more than 23 million U.S. households access affordable broadband, including more than 98,000 here in Maine and more than 800,000 across the New England region . Unfortunately, funding for the program ran out in April 2024. Bipartisan legislation was introduced to inject an additional $7 billion into the program, and we hope this provision will be included in any end-of-year spending package to that we do not lose ground. in the effort to ensure digital equity for all Americans.

Third, expand electronic delivery. A third major priority of the lame duck session is the passage of legislation that would make electronic delivery – or “e-delivery” – of financial statements and disclosures the default delivery method to investors. Bipartisan legislation passed the House earlier this year as part of a broader package of capital markets measures, but it remained pending in the Senate. Not only is electronic delivery more environmentally friendly, as it reduces paper consumption and waste, but it is also a much more secure and efficient method of transmitting sensitive financial information to investors, particularly in a context of numerous reports of postage delays and theft.

Perhaps more importantly, electronic delivery is preferred by consumers. A July 2022 survey conducted by the Securities Information and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA) found that 79% of retail investors already participate in electronic delivery programs and 85% of them are comfortable with electronic delivery being the default solution. Congress should consider its constituents and include this practical update in any year-end package.

These three proposals represent common-sense solutions and, perhaps more importantly, they all have strong bipartisan support. At the New England Council, we will continue to urge our leaders in Washington to consider these proposals as key deadlines to quickly advance legislation. We believe that the inclusion of these three proposals in any end-of-year legislative package will have a tremendous positive impact on New Englanders, as well as the economic well-being of our region.

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