United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2023
International Human Rights Defense Act of 2023 This bill establishes in the Department of State a permanent Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTQI+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex) Peoples who shall serve as the principal State Department advisor regarding human rights for LGBTQI+ people and represent the United States in diplomatic matters relevant to the human rights of LGBTQI+ people. The special envoy shall periodically provide Congress with a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to criminalization, discrimination, and violence against LGBTQI+ people. The State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development may provide assistance to prevent and respond to such activities against LGBTQI+ people. The bill also requires that specified annual country reports on human rights practices include information on criminalization, discrimination, and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2023
This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Billie Jean King in recognition of her courageous and groundbreaking leadership in advancing equal rights for women in athletics, education, and society.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2023
Global Health, Empowerment and Rights Act This bill establishes that a foreign nongovernmental organization shall not be disqualified from receiving certain U.S. international development assistance solely because the organization provides medical services using non-U.S. government funds if the medical services do not violate the laws of the country in which they are being provided. Such foreign organizations shall not be subject to requirements relating to their use of non-U.S. funds for advocacy or lobbying activities, other than those that apply to U.S. nongovernmental organizations.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2023
LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint coins in commemoration of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, California. All surcharges received by Treasury from the sale of the coins shall be promptly paid by Treasury to the United States Olympic and Paralympic Properties for the objects and purposes related to the hosting of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games and to aid in the execution of its legacy programs, including the promotion of youth sports in the United States. Treasury is encouraged to develop and execute a marketing and educational program to promote and sell the coins.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2023
Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act of 2023 This bill increases the rehabilitation tax credit and modifies certain requirements for the credit. The bill increases the rate of the credit for qualified rehabilitation expenditures in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2020, and before January 1, 2028, after which the rate reverts to 20%. The bill increases the rate of the credit to 30% for certain small projects whose qualified rehabilitation expenditures do not exceed $2.5 million. The bill also expands the types of buildings eligible for rehabilitation by decreasing the rehabilitation threshold from 100% to 50% of project expenses. It also eliminates the basis adjustment requirement for the credit and modifies rules relating to tax-exempt use property eligible for the credit.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2023
Carnivals are Real Entertainment Act This bill makes certain workers with a traveling carnival or circus eligible for P visas (nonimmigrant visas for athletes, artists, and entertainers). Such visas shall be available for workers who perform functions that are integral and essential to the carnival or circus, such as transporting and assembling relevant structures and equipment. Such visas shall only be available for a position if (1) there are not sufficient U.S. workers available, and (2) employing a non-U.S. national ( alien under federal law) will not affect the wages and working conditions of similarly employed U.S. workers.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2023
Supporting Our First Responders Act This bill establishes a competitive grant program to support medical transport and emergency medical services (EMS). The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must award the grants to EMS organizations (including for-profit organizations) or state, tribal, territorial, or local governments. Grant-funded activities include (1) providing salaries and stipends for EMS workers; (2) purchasing vehicles, personal protective equipment, and other resources; and (3) establishing community paramedicine or mobile integrated health care initiatives. HHS must also report to Congress about health insurance reimbursement for medical transport and EMS and the feasibility of establishing a federal EMS office.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2023
This resolution mourns the deaths of worshipers killed during shootings at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, on March 15, 2019. It also condemns the transnational threat of white supremacist ideology, deplores attacks on people of all faiths in their places of worship, and affirms the rights of religious minorities worldwide to practice their religions in peace.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2023
This concurrent resolution expresses the sense of Congress that tax-exempt fraternal benefit societies provide critical benefits to the people and communities of the United States and their work should continue to be promoted.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2023
Honoring Our Fallen Heroes Act of 2023 This bill extends death and disability benefits under the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program (PSOB) to certain public safety officers who suffer from exposure-related cancer while on duty and their survivors. The PSOB program provides death, disability, and education benefits to public safety officers who are killed or injured in the line of duty and their survivors. The bill specifies that exposure-related cancer shall be presumed to constitute a personal injury in the line of duty if the public safety officer was exposed to or in contact with heat, radiation, or a carcinogen that is linked to an exposure-related cancer; the officer began serving as an officer not later than 5 years before the date of the diagnosis of an exposure-related cancer and the diagnosis occurred not later than 15 years after the last date of active service; and the exposure-related cancer directly and proximately resulted in the death or permanent and total disability of the officer. The Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) must periodically review the definition of exposure-related cance r. It directs the BJA to add additional cancers to the definition under certain circumstances (e.g., a petition process).
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2023
Office of Gun Violence Prevention Act of 2023 This bill establishes an Office of Gun Violence Prevention within the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Policy. Among its duties, the office must coordinate various gun violence prevention efforts that are administered by the Department of Justice, recommend policy options to promote evidence-based gun violence prevention strategies, and promote related data collection.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2023
Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act of 2023 This bill authorizes using certain foreign assistance funds to provide comprehensive reproductive health care services in developing countries, including abortion services, training, and equipment. The bill also removes a statutory prohibition on using such funds in developing countries to (1) pay for abortions performed as a method of family planning, or (2) motivate or coerce any person to practice abortions.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2023
Electric Bicycle Incentive Kickstart for the Environment Act or the E-BIKE Act This bill allows individual taxpayers a new tax credit for 30% of the cost of a qualified electric bicycle. The bill defines qualified electric bicycle to mean a bicycle or tricycle that does not cost more than $8,000 and that is equipped with fully operable pedals, a saddle or seat for the rider, and an electric motor of less than 750 watts designed to assist in propelling the bicycle or tricycle under certain conditions The bill requires the Internal Revenue Service to establish a program to make advance payments of the credit and to publicly report on the number of taxpayers claiming the credit and the aggregate dollar amount of the credit, beginning in 2023 and 2024.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2023
Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act This bill amends the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) to include additional bicyclist and pedestrian safety measures and increases the federal cost share for certain safety projects. Specifically, the bill allows HSIP to fund projects (1) for the connection of two or more segments of existing bicyclist or pedestrian infrastructure, or (2) that are based on a state's plan to improve the safety of vulnerable road users (e.g., bicyclists or pedestrians) in areas identified as high-risk. In addition, the bill allows an increased federal cost share of up to 100% for these projects. The bill also allows an increased federal cost share of up to 100% for certain transportation projects that include a Federal Highway Administration Proven Safety Countermeasure for bicyclists or pedestrians. These measures include bicycle lanes, walkways, and crosswalk visibility enhancements.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2023
Puppy Protection Act of 2023 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture to expand standards that govern the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of animals to include new requirements for commercial dog dealers. Specifically, the standards must require dog dealers to provide to dogs adequate housing, exercise, and veterinary care; appropriate and nutritious food; continuous access to potable water; and meaningful socialization with humans and compatible dogs for at least 30 minutes each day. The standards must also include requirements for breeders to use safe breeding practices and make all reasonable efforts to find humane placement for retired breeding dogs.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2023
New Deal for New Americans Act of 2023 This bill provides assistance to immigrants, including refugees, and addresses issues related to naturalization. The bill establishes the National Office of New Americans to (1) welcome and support immigrants, (2) promote and support immigrant integration, and (3) promote the pursuit of U.S. citizenship among immigrants. The bill also establishes grant programs for eligible entities that provide (1) legal services for immigrants, (2) English language education that focuses on integrating students into society, and (3) workforce development training that supports the economic integration of immigrants. The bill also reauthorizes the Citizenship and Integration Grant Program within U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). USCIS shall establish a nonprofit entity to spur innovation in expanding citizenship preparation programs and to support assistance for immigrants seeking lawful permanent resident status or citizenship. The bill also requires the Department of Homeland Security to (1) report to Congress before increasing fees for immigration adjudication and naturalization services above the levels of such fees on January 1, 2019, and (2) waive or reduce certain immigration-related fees for low-income individuals. The bill also (1) waives the English proficiency requirement for the naturalization of certain lawful permanent residents, (2) repeals the public charge ground for deportation, (3) requires states to provide for automatic voter registration to qualifying new citizens unless that individual declines, and (4) sets a floor of 125,000 to the maximum number of refugees who may be admitted into the United States each year.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2023
Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act of 2023 This bill expands Medicare coverage of chiropractic services to include all services provided by chiropractors, rather than only subluxation corrections through manual manipulation of the spine.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2023
Hello Girls Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2023 This bill provides for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal in honor of the female telephone operators of the Army Signal Corps, commonly known as the Hello Girls , in recognition of their military service, devotion to duty, and 60-year struggle for veterans' benefits and recognition as soldiers.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2023
Paycheck Fairness Act This bill addresses wage discrimination on the basis of sex, which is defined to include pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics. Specifically, it limits an employer's defense that a pay differential is based on a factor other than sex to only bona fide job-related factors in wage discrimination claims, enhances nonretaliation prohibitions, and makes it unlawful to require an employee to sign a contract or waiver prohibiting the employee from disclosing information about the employee's wages. The bill also increases civil penalties for violations of equal pay provisions. Additionally, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs must train EEOC employees and other affected parties on wage discrimination. The bill directs the Department of Labor to (1) establish and carry out a grant program to provide training in negotiation skills related to compensation and equitable working conditions, (2) conduct studies to eliminate pay disparities between men and women, and (3) make available information on wage discrimination to assist the public in understanding and addressing such discrimination. The bill establishes the National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace for an employer who has made a substantial effort to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. It also establishes the National Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force to address compliance, public education, and enforcement of equal pay laws. Finally, the bill requires the EEOC to issue regulations for collecting from employers compensation and other employment data according to the sex, race, and national origin of employees for use in enforcing laws prohibiting pay discrimination.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2023
Affordable Insulin Now Act This bill limits cost-sharing for insulin under private health insurance. Specifically, the bill caps cost-sharing under private health insurance for a month's supply of selected insulin products at $35 or 25% of a plan's negotiated price (after any price concessions), whichever is less, beginning in 2024.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2023
Federal Firearm Licensee Act This bill makes various changes to the federal statutory framework governing the sale or disposition of firearms by federally licensed dealers, importers, and manufacturers (i.e., federal firearms licensees, or FFLs). Specifically, the bill establishes new requirements, including for FFLs to secure their business premises and conduct physical checks of their business inventories. It also expands the recordkeeping and reporting requirements with which FFLs must comply; broadens the authority of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to administer federal firearms laws and investigate violations; and increases penalties on FFLs for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2023
This resolution recognizes the disparity between wages paid to men and women, and its impact on women, families, and the nation and reaffirms Congress' commitment to supporting equal pay and to narrowing the gender wage gap.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2023
End Oil and Gas Tax Subsidies Act of 2023 This bill limits or repeals certain fossil fuel oil and gas subsidies for oil companies. Specifically, it increases to seven years the amortization period for geological and geophysical expenditures; repeals the tax credits for producing oil and gas from marginal wells and for enhanced oil recovery; repeals the tax deduction for the intangible drilling and development costs of oil and gas wells; repeals percentage depletion; repeals the tax deduction for tertiary injectant expenses; repeals the passive loss exception for working interests in oil and gas property; denies the tax deduction for income attributable to domestic production activities for oil and gas activities; prohibits the use of the last-in, first-out (LIFO) accounting method by major integrated oil companies; limits the foreign tax credit for dual capacity taxpayers (i.e., taxpayers who are subject to a levy of a foreign country or U.S. possession and receive specific economic benefits from such country or possession); and expands the definition of crude oil for purposes of the excise tax on petroleum and petroleum products to include any oil derived from a bitumen or bituminous mixture (tar sands), and any oil derived from kerogen-bearing sources (oil shale).
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2023
Coastal Seaweed Farm Act of 2023 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to (1) establish the Indigenous Seaweed Farming Fund, (2) prepare a joint study of coastal seaweed farming, and (3) issue regulations addressing seaweed farming. The Indigenous Seaweed Farming Fund must provide grants to tribes, Native villages, tribal reservations, and specified Native people to support coastal seaweed farming, including for creating and maintaining coastal seaweed farms, purchasing equipment, and identifying and mitigating adverse impacts. The joint study must analyze best practices for coastal seaweed farming that maximize potential benefits and avoid adverse effects on the surrounding environment. Within one year of the publication of the joint study, USDA and NOAA must issue regulations that ensure that systems of coastal seaweed farming maximize potential benefits and avoid potential adverse effects on the marine ecosystem, wildlife, fisheries, and surrounding communities; establish evaluation metrics to measure the impact and benefits of coastal seaweed farming on the marine ecosystem and surrounding communities; and establish related monitoring and reporting requirements. The bill also requires the Food and Drug Administration to report to Congress on recommendations for improving the regulation of seaweed for human consumption. The recommendations must focus on standards and testing methods to identify, address, and prevent contamination by bacteria, heavy metals, and pathogens.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2023
This bill provides specified funds to the 1890 Scholarships Program for FY2025 and each succeeding year for student scholarships. The bill also permanently reauthorizes the 1890 Scholarships Program. This National Institute of Food and Agriculture program provides grants to 1890 Institutions (i.e., historically Black colleges and universities that belong to the U.S. land-grant university system) for students who intend to pursue a career in the food and agricultural sciences.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2023
Preparing Superfund for Climate Change Act of 2023 This bill requires the consideration of factors related to climate change when selecting remedial actions for the cleanup of Superfund sites (sites contaminated with hazardous substances). Specifically, the potential threat to human health and the environment associated with local natural disasters and extreme weather hazards, including those exacerbated by climate change, must be taken into account when selecting remedial actions. Under current law, some remedial actions result in hazardous substances remaining at the site, so there must be a review every five years to assure that human health and the environment are being protected. The bill requires such review to include an assessment of whether the selected remedial action remains protective after taking into account local natural disasters and extreme weather hazards, including those exacerbated by climate change.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2023
Striking and Locked Out Workers Healthcare Protection Act This bill prohibits an employer from terminating an employee's health insurance coverage during certain labor disputes. Specifically, the bill prohibits an employer from terminating or altering the employer-provided health insurance coverage of an employee during the period that the employer is taking action to lock out, suspend, or otherwise withhold employment from the employee in order to influence the position of such employee or the representative of such employee in collective bargaining prior to a strike. It also prohibits an employer from terminating or altering such coverage during the period that an employee is engaged in a lawful strike. The bill establishes civil penalties for each violation of the prohibitions under this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2023
Civics Learning Act of 2023 This bill expands the use of American History and Civics Education—National Activities grants to prioritize innovative civics learning and teaching. Specifically, the bill expands the allowable uses of these grants to include activities related to women's suffrage and the civil rights movement; before-, during-, and after-school activities and extracurricular activities; activities that include service learning and community service projects that are linked to school curriculum; activities that encourage and support student participation in school governance; and online and video game-based learning. Further, the Department of Education must ensure that specified percentages of grant funds are awarded on a diverse basis to eligible entities (e.g., institutions of higher education) that serve students and teachers at elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2023
This resolution calls for the federal government to establish a national biodiversity strategy, which must include a goal of conserving at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters to protect biodiversity and address climate change by 2030 and other goals necessary to reduce the threats to biodiversity.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2023
Major Richard Star Act This bill provides that combat-disabled uniformed services retirees with fewer than 20 years of creditable service may concurrently receive, without reduction, veterans' disability compensation and retired pay or combat-related special compensation.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2023
Cerebral Palsy Research Program Authorization Act of 2023 This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to carry out a research program that addresses diagnosis and treatment, public health surveillance, and other aspects of cerebral palsy (a group of disorders caused by abnormal brain development or brain damage that affects an individual's ability to move and maintain balance and posture).
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2023
LEO Fair Retirement Act of 2023 This bill makes a series of changes to certain retirement and premium pay calculations for federal law enforcement officers (LEOs). Specifically, the bill provides that for purposes of computing the annuity of an LEO under the Civil Service Retirement System and the Federal Employees Retirement System, any premium pay earned by such LEO in excess of limitations imposed on such pay shall be included in the LEO's average pay, contingent on the payment of a specified lump sum by the LEO to the Office of Personnel Management. The bill allows for a nonrefundable tax credit with respect to such lump-sum payments. The bill also makes postal inspectors, federal air marshals, and other specified personnel eligible for availability pay (i.e., premium pay paid to LEOs who are criminal investigators).
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2023
More Homes on the Market Act This bill increases the tax exclusion of gain from the sale of a principal residence and requires an annual inflation adjustment to such increased amount.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2023
Military Spouse Hiring Act This bill expands the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) to include the hiring of a qualified military spouse. (The WOTC permits employers who hire individuals who are members of a targeted group such as qualified veterans, ex-felons, or long-term unemployment recipients to claim a tax credit equal to a portion of the wages paid to those individuals.) A qualified military spouse is any individual who is certified by the designated local agency as being (as of the hiring date) a spouse of a member of the Armed Forces.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2023
Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act of 2023 This bill requires certain medical devices with a digital interface to meet nonvisual accessibility standards established by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Specifically, the FDA must establish regulations to require a Class II or Class III medical device with a digital interface to provide a blind or low-vision user access to the same services and information, and generally the same ease of use, as provided to a user who is not low-vision or blind. (The FDA classifies medical devices in three classes. Class I devices are low-risk, Class II devices are moderate-risk, and Class III devices are high-risk.) A Class II or Class III medical device that does not meet the nonvisual accessibility standards established under this bill may not be sold. However, the FDA may waive the bill's requirements for a device upon a showing that applying the standards would fundamentally alter the nature of the device or create an undue hardship for the manufacturer. The bill also does not apply to devices that are intended solely for use by a health care provider or in a setting outside the home.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2023
Food Deserts Act This bill establishes a grant program within the Department of Agriculture to reduce food deserts. Under the program, grants are provided to states for revolving funds that support the establishment and operation of grocery stores in underserved communities. Underserved communities are communities that have (1) limited access to affordable, healthy foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, in grocery retail stores or farmer-to-consumer direct markets; and (2) a high rate of hunger, a high rate of food insecurity, or a high poverty rate. The bill requires states to use such funds for loans that support grocery stores in underserved communities, including for opening a store (excluding new construction), or supporting an existing store. In order to qualify for loans, grocery stores must meet criteria enumerated in the bill. For example, grocery stores must (1) emphasize unprocessed, healthful foods; (2) provide staple foods and a variety of raw fruits and vegetables; and (3) charge affordable prices at or below market values. Further, states must prioritize loan applications from entities that meet criteria related to hiring workers from the underserved community, providing classes or educational information about a healthful diet, sourcing food from local urban farms and gardens, and demonstrating existing supply chain relationships in the grocery industry.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2023
This bill provides for the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to the Freedom Riders, in recognition of their contribution to civil rights by fighting for equality in interstate travel.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2023
Federal Employees Sustainable Investment Act This bill establishes a new fund—the Corporate Responsibility Stock Index Fund—as an investment option under the Thrift Savings Plan. The Corporate Responsibility Stock Index Fund must be invested in a stock portfolio designed to replicate the performance of a commonly recognized, passively managed index comprised of stocks that meet certain minimum criteria related to corporate responsibility.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2023
Original Black History Month Resolution of 2023 This resolution recognizes the importance of Black History Month and encourages its continued celebration to raise awareness of the accomplishments of Black Americans.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2023
The original legislation awarding a historic Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to Africans and their descendants enslaved within our country from August 20, 1619, to December 6, 1865 This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to the enslaved persons collectively in recognition of their service as the greatest contributors to the foundation of America's economic greatness.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2023
Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 20 23 This bill expands various labor protections related to employees' rights to organize and collectively bargain in the workplace. Among other things, it (1) revises the definitions of employee , supervisor , and employer to broaden the scope of individuals covered by the fair labor standards; (2) permits labor organizations to encourage participation of union members in strikes initiated by employees represented by a different labor organization (i.e., secondary strikes); and (3) prohibits employers from bringing claims against unions that conduct such secondary strikes. The bill also allows collective bargaining agreements to require all employees represented by the bargaining unit to contribute fees to the labor organization for the cost of such representation, notwithstanding a state law to the contrary; and expands unfair labor practices to include prohibitions against replacement of, or discrimination against, workers who participate in strikes. The bill makes it an unfair labor practice to require or coerce employees to attend employer meetings designed to discourage union membership and prohibits employers from entering into agreements with employees under which employees waive the right to pursue or a join collective or class-action litigation. The bill further prohibits employers from taking adverse actions against an employee, including employees with management responsibilities, in response to that employee participating in protected activities related to the enforcement of the prohibitions against unfair labor practices (i.e., whistleblower protections). Such protected activities include providing information about a potential violation to an enforcement agency, participating in an enforcement proceeding, initiating a proceeding concerning an alleged violation or assisting in such a proceeding, or refusing to participate in an activity the employee reasonably believes is a violation of labor laws. Finally, the bill addresses the procedures for union representation elections, provides employees with the ability to vote in such elections remotely by telephone or the internet, modifies the protections against unfair labor practices that result in serious economic harm, and establishes penalties and permits injunctive relief against entities that fail to comply with National Labor Relations Board orders.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2023
Resident Education Deferred Interest Act or the REDI Act This bill allows borrowers in medical or dental internships or residency programs to defer student loan payments until the completion of their programs.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2023
Dr. Norman C. Francis Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Dr. Norman Christopher Francis in recognition of his contributions to the United States through his lifelong dedication to education, justice, and public service.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2023
This resolution condemns Russia for committing acts of genocide against the Ukrainian people. It also calls on the United States, in cooperation with North Atlantic Treaty Organization and European Union allies, to undertake measures to support the Ukrainian government to prevent further acts of Russian genocide against the Ukrainian people.
United States · United States Congress · 21 February 2023
Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections Act of 2023 or the DISCLOSE Act of 2023 This bill addresses campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals, requiring additional disclosures of campaign expenditures, and requiring additional disclosures regarding certain political advertisements. Specifically, the bill expands existing foreign money prohibitions to include disbursements for paid web-based or digital communications and federal judicial nomination communications. It also prohibits foreign nationals from contributing to campaigns related to ballot initiatives and referenda. The Government Accountability Office must, for each four-year election cycle, study and report on the incidence of illicit foreign money in federal elections. Next, the bill makes it unlawful to establish or use a corporation, company, or other entity with the intent to conceal an election contribution or donation by a foreign national. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both. Covered organizations (e.g., corporations, labor organizations, and political organizations) must, within 24 hours, file reports with the Federal Election Commission to disclose campaign expenditures of more than $10,000 during an election cycle. The bill also requires organizations to provide additional disclosures regarding political advertisements, including the donors who contributed the most money to that organization in the last year.
United States · United States Congress · 21 February 2023
John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship Act of 2023 This bill establishes the John Lewis Civil Rights Fellowship Program within the J. William Fulbright Educational Exchange Program (commonly referred to as the Fulbright Program). The fellowship program shall honor the legacy of Representative John Lewis and advance U.S. foreign policy priorities by promoting studies, research, and international exchange in the subject of nonviolent civil rights movements around the world. The Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board shall annually select qualified individuals to serve as fellows in the fellowship program. The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs may determine the number of fellows for each year, with at least 25 fellows each year whenever feasible. Each fellow shall (1) work in an internship or research position with an approved organization in a country with an operational Fulbright U.S. Student Program, and (2) receive an award sufficient to cover the fellow's reasonable costs during the fellowship period and certain travel and lodging expenses related to the program.
United States · United States Congress · 21 February 2023
Governing Unaccredited Representatives Defrauding VA Benefits Act or the GUARD VA Benefits Act This bill imposes fines on individuals for soliciting, contracting for, charging, or receiving any unauthorized fee or compensation with respect to the preparation, presentation, or prosecution of any claim for Department of Veterans Affairs benefits. The attempted commission of such offenses is also punishable by fine.
![Official portrait of Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/116_rp_mo_5_cleaver_emanuel_200.jpg)