The House will turn its attention to the intelligence authorization bill next week and spend the coming weeks on a mix of conference reports for House bills that await Senate action, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said Wednesday.

In the six weeks to go before the August recess, the House is expected to take up conference reports for a major housing package, a higher education bill, tax-extender legislation and the Medicare physician payment fee bill. All of these bills have already passed the House and await Senate action.

Other bills on tap in the next month include consumer product safety legislation, the global AIDS bill, the National Highway Bridge Reconstruction and Inspection Act, Health Information Technology legislation and a Federal Drug Administration tobacco bill. House leaders will also be awaiting Senate action on a House-passed mental health bill.

Appropriations bills “are certainly possibilities,” said the Majority Leader, even though they have currently stalled amid GOP efforts to attach energy provisions to them.

Without pointing to specific energy legislation, Hoyer said Democrats are “certainly going to be looking at what further we can do to facilitate the exploration of more product.”

As for the prospects of a second stimulus package, the Majority Leader said Democrats are still weighing “a lot of options” but have made no final decisions on how to proceed. Discussions will continue this week and next week, he said.