United States · United States Congress · 25 August 2023
Youth Voting Rights Act This bill expands voting access for youth. Specifically, the bill establishes a private right of action to enforce the Twenty-Sixth Amendment, which prohibits denying or abridging the right to vote based on age. Further, the bill authorizes the Department of Justice to enforce the Twenty-Sixth Amendment against age-based restrictions for voting by mail. Additionally, the bill directs each state to designate as voter registration agencies all offices within public institutions of higher education (IHEs) that provide assistance to students, implement a preregistration process to allow minors who are 16 years or older to register to vote in federal elections that take place when or after the preregistered individual turns age 18, and ensure the availability of polling places on campuses of IHEs (with the availability of waivers). The bill prohibits durational residency requirements for voting in all federal elections. Currently, this prohibition applies only to voting for the offices of President and Vice President. States and local jurisdictions with voter identification requirements must treat IHE-issued student identification cards as voter identification. The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) must make grants to states to increase the involvement of individuals under age 18 in public election activities. The Government Accountability Office must report to Congress on trends related to voter registration, absentee voting, and provisional voting. The EAC must also collect and make publicly available certain data from states.
United States · United States Congress · 25 August 2023
Sustaining Our Democracy Act This bill establishes and provides funds through FY2033 for the State Election Assistance and Innovation Trust Fund for purposes of promoting election activities. Specifically, the bill establishes the Democracy Advancement and Innovation Program, through which the Office of Democracy Advancement and Innovation (also established by this bill) shall make allocations to states for carrying out democracy promotion activities. These activities include improving the administration of federal elections, recruiting and training nonpartisan election officials and poll workers, and increasing voting access. The bill requires each state, in order to receive allocated funds, to (1) submit a plan for approval that describes how the state will distribute resources and carry out democracy promotion activities, and (2) establish uniform and nondiscriminatory state-based administrative complaint procedures. The bill prohibits states from using funds for certain activities, including any activity that diminishes the ability of any eligible voter to participate in the electoral process.
United States · United States Congress · 25 August 2023
This bill increases from 20% to 25% the value of the total assets represented by securities of one or more taxable Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) subsidiaries (thus restoring the REIT subsidiary asset test).
United States · United States Congress · 25 August 2023
Unhoused Voter Opportunity Through Elections Act or the Unhoused VOTE Act This bill expands voter registration and voting access for unhoused individuals. The bill specifies that no state or political subdivision may deny or abridge the right of any U.S. citizen to vote because the citizen resides at or in a nontraditional abode. Additionally, the bill requires jurisdictions that allow for ballot drop boxes to ensure that these drop boxes are available for in-person use and are accessible and clearly labeled. If a state requires individuals to show proof of residence in order to vote in a federal election, then the state must accept the individual’s written attestation of residence. A state may not prohibit an individual who is residing in a homeless shelter from using the shelter as the individual’s residence for purposes of voting in a federal election. The bill requires chief state election officials to conduct outreach to unhoused individuals. The bill directs the Election Assistance Commission to (1) develop best practices for election officials regarding voter registration and voting access for unhoused individuals, and (2) make grants to eligible states and local governments for programs and activities to support access to voting for unhoused individuals. The bill also revises the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, including by (1) treating emergency shelters as voter registration agencies, and (2) allowing an unhoused individual to use an unsheltered street location as the individual's place of residence for purposes of a voter registration application.
United States · United States Congress · 25 August 2023
Expanding the Voluntary Opportunities for Translations in Elections Act or the Expanding the VOTE Act This bill expands access to voting materials for individuals with limited proficiency in the English language. Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (VRA) requires covered states and political subdivisions to provide voting materials and other language assistance to persons who are American Indian, Asian American, Alaskan Natives, or of Spanish heritage and whose ability to speak or understand English limits electoral participation. A state or political subdivision that is subject to Section 203 is prohibited from providing English-only voting materials in an election. Among other requirements, this bill (1) requires the Department of Justice to issue a notice of prohibition, including the trigger threshold at which the prohibition applies, to certain states and political subdivisions; and (2) requires covered states and political subdivisions to provide written translations of all voting materials, with the consent of any applicable tribal government, to election workers. Additionally, the bill requires the Election Assistance Commission to make incentive grants for states and political subdivisions to provide translated voting materials. The bill also directs the Government Accountability Office to study and report on the impact of (1) reducing the threshold requirement under Section 203 of the VRA, and (2) expanding the definition of language minorities to include native speakers of additional languages.
United States · United States Congress · 18 August 2023
Small Business Investor Tax Parity Act of 2023 This bill allows a tax deduction for qualified business development company interest dividends on the same basis as qualified real estate investment trust (REIT) dividends.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 2023
This resolution recognizes the importance of Chicano Heritage Month and asserts that Mexican Americans enhance the diversity and strength of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 2023
Funding Early Childhood is the Right IDEA Act This bill authorizes through FY2028 specified provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for early childhood education. Specifically, the bill authorizes Part B, Section 619 (grants to states for preschool programs serving children with disabilities ages three to five) and Part C (grants to aid states in implementing early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families).
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2023
Kidney Patient Access to Technologically Innovative and Essential Nephrology Treatments Act of 2023 or the Kidney PATIENT Act of 2023 This bill delays a change to the payment methodology under Medicare for oral drugs that are used to treat end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Under current regulations, beginning January 1, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will incorporate payments for oral-only ESRD drugs into the ESRD prospective payment system rather than issuing separate payments to ESRD facilities. The bill delays implementation of this policy until January 1, 2033, or until an approved intravenous drug is available, whichever is earlier.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2023
Unhoused Persons Bill of Rights This resolution urges the United States to protect the civil and human rights of unhoused individuals, to establish regulations and enforcement tools to protect unhoused individuals from violations of civil and human rights, and to establish blanket legal protections for third parties providing goods or services to unhoused individuals. The resolution also urges the United States to establish a process to award appropriate damages, attorney's fees, and costs to a prevailing plaintiff in an action alleging a violation of the human and civil rights of unhoused individuals. Relatedly, the resolution urges the United States to allow the court in such an action to consider housing status and apply leniency in compiling records, receipts, and documentation from those plaintiffs. The resolution also expresses the intention of the House of Representatives to address the unhoused crisis in the United States by providing funding and imposing requirements on the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Health and Human Services.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Enhancement for Haitian Prosperity Act of 2023 or the HOPE for Haitian Prosperity Act of 2023 This bill extends trade preferences for certain U.S. imports of textile and apparel products from Haiti. Specifically, the bill extends through FY2035 the special duty-free rules for Haiti. It also extends through December 19, 2035, the duty-free treatment provided for certain apparel products assembled in and imported from Haiti. Furthermore, the bill also expands the definition of core labor standards to include a safe and healthy work environment. (Generally, in order to qualify for preferential treatment, the goods must come from a producer that complies with specified core labor standards. Currently, these core labor standards pertain to freedom of association, recognizing collective bargaining rights, eliminating forced labor, abolishing child labor, and eliminating employment discrimination.) Any interested party may file a request to have individual producers reviewed for compliance with the core labor standards and with Haitian labor standards and laws. The bill also requires the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to provide technical assistance to Haitian government agencies, employers, labor unions, and others to increase and diversify exports to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
Better Collaboration, Accountability, and Regulatory Enforcement for Animals Act of 2023 or the Better CARE for Animals Act of 2023 This bill modifies enforcement provisions under the Animal Welfare Act, including by allowing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to bring civil actions against violators of the act for appropriate relief, such as removing animals, revoking violators' licenses, or issuing civil penalties. DOJ must use the penalties to pay for the temporary care for animals pending the disposition of civil or criminal proceedings that allege violations of the act with respect to such animals.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
Recognizing Gun Violence as a Public Health Emergency Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services, in coordination with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to report on the effects of gun violence on public health and the status of any actions taken to address these effects. The report must include specified elements, including the impact of gun violence on communities, the effectiveness of certain intervention programs and policies, and data on the types of firearms involved in incidents of gun violence.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
Tax Fairness for Workers Act This bill allows an above-the-line tax deduction for union dues and expenses. (An above-the-line deduction is subtracted from gross income and is available whether or not a taxpayer itemizes other deductions.) The bill also reinstates the miscellaneous itemized tax deduction for unreimbursed expenses attributable to the performance of services as an employee (Under current law, all miscellaneous itemized deductions are suspended through 2025).
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
Rebuild America's Schools Act of 2023 This bill provides support for long-term improvements to public elementary and secondary school facilities. First, the bill sets forth allocations to states and establishes a need-based grant program for local educational agencies (LEAs) to improve school facilities. Further, the bill specifies allowable uses of grant funds, including carrying out major repairs, improving indoor air quality, and making facilities accessible to disabled individuals. Additionally, the bill requires LEAs that receive funds for new construction, modernization, or renovation projects to comply with hazard-resistance building codes and performance criteria under the WaterSense program of the Environmental Protection Agency. Further, the bill requires such LEAs to adopt certain green practices (environmental standards) and requires the use of iron, steel, and manufactured products that are made in the United States (Buy America). The bill restores school infrastructure tax credit bonds. The bill also sets forth reporting requirements, including annual reports on grant program projects and a report by the Government Accountability Office that requires a study of the geographic distribution of projects, the impact of selected projects on student and staff health and safety, and the accessibility of projects to high-poverty schools. The bill also establishes the Office of School Infrastructure and Sustainability within the Department of Education. Next, the bill extends through FY2028 the Impact Aid Construction program. Finally, the bill establishes a grant program to assist LEAs with repairing or replacing concrete foundations affected by pyrrhotite (an iron sulfide material linked to crumbling foundations).
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
This resolution condemns Iran for the 1988 massacre of political prisoners. It also urges the Biden Administration and U.S. allies to publicly condemn the massacre and to pressure Iran to provide information to the families of the victims.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
This concurrent resolution opposes actions that undermine Israel's future as a Jewish, democratic state. The resolution expresses that democracy is at the core of the special relationship between the United States and Israel, and that Congress stands with all Israelis seeking to defend liberal democracy, judicial review, and independent political institutions.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
Promotion and Expansion of Private Employee Ownership Act of 2023 This bill accelerates to the enactment date of this bill the deferral of tax (currently, after December 31, 2027) on sales of employer stock to employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) sponsored by S corporations. It also eliminates the limitation on the amount that may be deferred. The Department of the Treasury must establish the S Corporation Employee Ownership Assistance Office to foster increased employee ownership of S corporations. The office must provide education and outreach about the benefits of employee ownership of S corporations and technical assistance to assist S corporations in sponsoring ESOPs. The bill directs the Department of Labor to appoint an Advocate for Employee Ownership.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
Break the Cycle of Violence Act This bill establishes federal grant programs and related entities to support violence intervention initiatives. Specifically, the bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants for coordinated community violence intervention initiatives in communities disproportionately impacted by homicides and community violence. HHS must also establish several related entities, including an Office of Community Violence Intervention to administer programs and activities related to violence intervention; the Community Violence Intervention Advisory Committee to advise and assist the office and HHS; and the National Community Violence Response Center to provide training and technical assistance, coordinate research, and develop data collection policies. Additionally, the bill directs the Department of Labor to award grants for job training and workforce programs in communities disproportionately affected by gun violence to connect youth ages 16 to 24 to in-demand occupations.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2023
Promotion and Expansion of Private Employee Ownership Act of 2023 This bill accelerates to the enactment date of this bill the deferral of tax (currently, after December 31, 2027) on sales of employer stock to employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) sponsored by S corporations. It also eliminates the limitation on the amount that may be deferred. The Department of the Treasury must establish the S Corporation Employee Ownership Assistance Office to foster increased employee ownership of S corporations. The office must provide education and outreach about the benefits of employee ownership of S corporations and technical assistance to assist S corporations in sponsoring ESOPs. The bill directs the Department of Labor to appoint an Advocate for Employee Ownership.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2023
Improving Training for School Food Service Workers Act This bill adds requirements regarding the availability of training that the Department of Agriculture provides under current law for local food service personnel in schools. The training must be scheduled primarily during regular, paid working hours; offered in-person whenever appropriate; and incorporate hands-on training techniques. If the training is scheduled outside of working hours, food service personnel must be informed about the necessity of scheduling the program and compensated for attending the program. Personnel may not be penalized for failing to attend a program outside of working hours.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2023
Pathways to Health Careers Act This bill provides funding for, reauthorizes through FY2028, and makes a variety of changes to certain grants administered by the Department of Health and Human Services that provide education and training to low-income individuals for health care occupations, including by establishing a new competitive grant for projects designed to train low-income individuals in allied health professions.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2023
Bridging the SNAP Gap Act of 2023 This bill expands certain income exclusions and the excess medical expense deduction under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Specifically, the bill excludes income from children in elementary or secondary schools who are age 21 or younger from income calculations for purposes of determining SNAP eligibility (currently, the exclusion is limited to children who are age 17 or younger). In addition, the bill expands the excess medical expense deduction to include all individuals, rather than only individuals age 60 or older or individuals with disabilities. (The excess medical expense deduction allows for the deduction of certain out-of-pocket medical expenses that exceed $35 per month from income calculations under SNAP.) The bill also specifies that the amount of the deduction must be equal to the premium rate for Medicare medical services, although states may choose to set higher amounts.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2023
Food for Thought Act of 2023 This bill allows the Department of Education to award grants for eligible institutions of higher education to provide free meals to low-income students through on-campus meal programs.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2023
Freedom to Vote Act This bill addresses voter registration and voting access, election integrity and security, redistricting, and campaign finance. Specifically, the bill expands voter registration (e.g., automatic and same-day registration) and voting access (e.g., vote-by-mail and early voting). It also limits removing voters from voter rolls. Next, the bill establishes Election Day as a federal holiday. The bill declares that the right of a U.S. citizen to vote in any election for federal office shall not be denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense unless, at the time of the election, such individual is serving a felony sentence. The bill establishes certain federal criminal offenses related to voting. In particular, the bill establishes a new criminal offense for conduct (or attempted conduct) to corruptly hinder, interfere with, or prevent another person from registering to vote or helping someone register to vote. Additionally, the bill sets forth provisions related to election security, including by requiring states to conduct post-election audits for federal elections. The bill outlines criteria for congressional redistricting and generally prohibits mid-decade redistricting. The bill addresses campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals, requiring additional disclosure of campaign-related fundraising and spending, requiring additional disclaimers regarding certain political advertising, and establishing an alternative campaign funding system for certain federal offices.
United States · United States Congress · 17 July 2023
This resolution recognizes the important role that local nutrition programs supported through the Older Americans Act of 1965 play in addressing senior hunger, malnutrition, and isolation.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2023
Integrating Social Workers Across Health Care Settings Act This bill expands the scope of services that may be performed by clinical social workers under Medicare. Specifically, the bill allows clinical social workers to furnish any services that they are authorized to furnish under state law, rather than only services that relate to diagnosing or treating mental illnesses.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2023
Federal Mechanical Insulation Act The bill directs federal agencies to identify energy saving and water saving measures, such as the installation of mechanical insulation property, in certain annual energy and water evaluations of federal buildings. Thus, the bill allows the installation of mechanical insulation property (e.g., thermal insulation) to be considered an energy or water efficiency measure that may be used in federal buildings under the National Energy Conservation Policy Act.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2023
This joint resolution expresses the sense of Congress that the Equal Rights Amendment, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, was ratified by more than three-fourths of the states and is therefore a valid constitutional amendment, effective January 27, 2020 (the date of Virginia's ratification). The Equal Rights Amendment was originally proposed to the states in 1972. The original proposal included a deadline for ratification of March 22, 1979; Congress subsequently extended the deadline to June 30, 1982. Although the requisite 38 states have ratified the amendment, three of these states did so after the deadlines, and five states subsequently rescinded their ratifications. The status of the amendment has been the subject of litigation.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2023
Healthy Moms and Babies Act This bill establishes programs and requirements to support maternal health services under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). For example, the bill allows state Medicaid programs to cover services that are provided by maternity health homes (designated providers or health teams that provide pregnancy and postpartum coordinated care services). It also establishes a demonstration program to expand telehealth services for pregnant and postpartum women under Medicaid. The bill also establishes an advisory group on birthing practices for health care professionals, requires a study on Medicaid coverage of doula services, and establishes other requirements relating to the maternal health care workforce. It also requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to develop guidance on ways to address social determinants of health for pregnant and postpartum women and to reduce maternal mortality for Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2023
This concurrent resolution calls for U.S. leadership in addressing the climate crisis that is disproportionately affecting the health, economic opportunity, and fundamental rights of children. It also recognizes the need for a climate recovery plan that puts the United States on a trajectory consistent with reducing global atmospheric carbon dioxide to below 350 parts per million by the year 2100.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2023
Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley and Roberts Temple National Historic Site Act This bill establishes the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley and Roberts Temple National Historic Site in Illinois as a unit of the National Park System. The site must not be established until the Department of the Interior enters an agreement with the Roberts Temple providing for public access to, and interpretation, operation, and maintenance of, a site that is sufficient to constitute a manageable park unit. The purpose of the site is to preserve, protect, and interpret (1) the Great Migration, (2) the memorial service and funeral of Emmett Till, (3) the story of the courage and activism of Mamie Till-Mobley that was demonstrated as she transformed the murder of her son into a symbol of racial injustice, and (4) the civil rights movement. Interior may enter into agreements, as appropriate, with public and private entities to provide and facilitate interpretive and educational services, administrative support, and technical assistance relating to the site, within or outside the boundaries of the site. The National Park Service must prepare a general management plan for the site.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2023
Social Security 2100 Act This bill modifies the Social Security system, particularly with respect to benefit calculations, fund administration, and beneficiary resources. For example, the bill temporarily increases the primary insurance amount for Social Security benefits for all individuals (from 90% of a certain portion of average indexed monthly earnings to 93%). It also modifies benefit calculations for certain individuals, including by temporarily (1) increasing benefits for widows or widowers in two-income households; and (2) allowing children of a deceased, disabled, or retired worker to remain eligible for benefits through age 25 if they are full-time students. Additionally, the bill temporarily eliminates (1) the government pension offset , which reduces Social Security benefits for spouses, widows, and widowers who also receive government pensions of their own; and (2) the windfall elimination provision , which reduces Social Security benefits for individuals who also receive a pension or disability benefit from an employer that did not withhold Social Security taxes. The bill also modifies the financing and administration of the Social Security trust funds. For example, the bill (1) subjects income over $400,000 to Social Security payroll taxes, and (2) combines the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund into a single Social Security Trust Fund. Finally, the bill establishes requirements relating to Social Security services and resources, including by prohibiting the closure of field offices unless certain conditions are met (e.g., public hearings).
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2023
Stephanie Tubbs Jones Uterine Fibroid Research and Education Act of 2023 This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to expand research on, and take other actions to address, uterine fibroids. These are muscular tumors that grow in the wall of the uterus and may cause pain, heavy menstrual bleeding, and reproductive issues. In coordination with the National Institutes of Health and appropriate federal agencies, HHS must undertake research activities on uterine fibroids. In addition, HHS must establish a database of services furnished to individuals diagnosed with uterine fibroids under Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program and must develop a report on federal and state expenditures for such services. Additionally, HHS must disseminate information on uterine fibroids to the public and to health care providers, including information on the elevated risk for minority women and available treatments.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2023
This resolution expresses support for the designation of Journeyman Lineworkers Recognition Day. (A journeyman lineworker is a person who builds and maintains electrical power systems.)
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2023
Resilience Investment, Support, and Expansion from Trauma Act of 2023 or the RISE from Trauma Act of 2023 This bill reauthorizes, establishes, and extends programs to support youth and families who have experienced, or may experience, trauma. The bill reauthorizes through FY2028 the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, school-based grants to increase access to trauma-support and mental health services, public health data collection about adverse childhood experiences, and a task force on trauma-informed care. It also establishes grants for multi-sector demonstration projects to mitigate trauma and toxic stress; improving outcomes for hospital patients who experience drug overdoses, suicide attempts, or violent injury; and clinical training in infant and early childhood mental health. Additionally, the bill authorizes (1) federal agencies to use specified discretionary funds for pilot projects to address traumatic exposures among children, and (2) Department of Justice (DOJ) grants to prevent trauma in children by reducing their exposure to violence and trauma. Further, the Department of Health and Human Services must provide resources for training frontline service providers and certain community members about trauma, toxic stress, and resilience. In addition, DOJ must establish a national center to disseminate resources to law enforcement agencies to improve interactions with youth and families who are exposed to violence and trauma. The bill also incorporates trauma-informed practices in programs for health care professional education, health care access, and educators.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2023
This resolution remembers the horrific Independence Day Parade mass shooting that occurred in Highland Park, Illinois, on July 4, 2022. The resolution also honors the memory and the lives of the seven innocent victims who were murdered.
![Official portrait of Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/116_rp_il_7_davis_danny_200.jpg)