The world's political record
Person
![Official portrait of Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/116_rp_il_9_schakowsky_janice_200.jpg)
United States · Official source
10,812 records where Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2023
Pigs in Gestation Stalls Act of 2023 or the PIGS Act of 2023 This bill expands the Animal Welfare Act to prohibit certain methods of confining breeding pigs that restrict their movement. In addition, it establishes a program that provides financial assistance to pig producers to assist them in complying with the prohibitions.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2023
Living Donor Protection Act of 2023 This bill prohibits certain insurance carriers from discriminating against, and provides other protections for, living organ donors. Specifically, carriers may not deny, cancel, or otherwise impose conditions on policies for life insurance, disability insurance, or long-term care insurance based on an individual's status as a living organ donor. The bill also expressly specifies that recovery from organ-donation surgery constitutes a serious health condition that entitles eligible employees to job-protected medical leave. In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services must update educational materials on living organ donation to include information about the benefits of living organ donation and about access to insurance for living organ donors.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2023
Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act This bill establishes an interagency Federal Work Group on Youth Residential Programs to support and implement best practices regarding the health and safety, care, treatment, and appropriate placement of youth in youth residential programs. The work group must develop recommendations about a national database to aggregate information about processes and outcomes for youth in such programs. The work group also must support the education and training of professional and paraprofessional personnel in fields that service such youth. Further, the Department of Health and Human Services must contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study and make recommendations about various aspects of federal and state oversight of youth residential programs.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2023
This resolution condemns the acts of gun violence that led to the loss of life in Louisville, Kentucky, at the Old National Bank building on April 10, 2023, and at Chickasaw Park on April 15, 2023.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2023
Election Mail Act This bill addresses the delivery and processing of election mail for federal elections, including by establishing certain standards for mail-in ballots. Specifically, the bill requires the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to ensure (to the maximum extent practicable) same-day processing of mail-in ballots, postmark each ballot, carry election mail (e.g., voter registration applications and mail-in ballots) as first-class mail that is free of postage, appoint an election mail coordinator at each area office and district office, and consult annually with Indian tribes regarding barriers to voting for eligible voters living on Indian lands. The bill prohibits the USPS, within 120 days of a federal election, from making any operational change that would restrict the prompt and reliable delivery of election mail. Each state and jurisdiction must provide with each mail-in ballot a return envelope with an intelligent mail barcode. This requirement does not apply to a state or jurisdiction that uses an alternative system that enables voters to track the ballot through the mail. The bill requires election officials to count mail-in ballots that are postmarked by election day and arrive within seven days after the election.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2023
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2023
Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal Act of 2023 or the FAIR Act of 2023 This bill prohibits a predispute arbitration agreement from being valid or enforceable if it requires arbitration of an employment, consumer, antitrust, or civil rights dispute.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2023
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2023
Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act of 2023 or the SAFE Banking Act of 2023 This bill provides protections for federally regulated financial institutions that serve state-sanctioned marijuana businesses. Currently, many financial institutions do not provide services to state-sanctioned marijuana businesses due to the federal classification of marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance. Under the bill, a federal banking regulator may not penalize a depository institution for providing banking services to a state-sanctioned marijuana business. For example, regulators may not terminate or limit the deposit or share insurance of a depository institution solely because the institution provides financial services to a state-sanctioned marijuana business. The bill also prohibits a federal banking regulator from requesting or ordering a depository institution to terminate a customer account unless (1) the regulator has determined that the depository institution is engaging in an unsafe or unsound practice or is violating a law or regulation, and (2) that determination is not based primarily on reputation risk. Additionally, proceeds from a transaction involving activities of a state-sanctioned marijuana business are no longer considered proceeds from unlawful activity. (Financial institutions that handle proceeds from unlawful activity are subject to anti-money laundering laws. Violators of these laws are subject to fines and imprisonment.) Furthermore, a financial institution, insurer, or federal agency may not be held liable or subject to asset forfeiture under federal law for providing a loan, mortgage, or other financial service to a state-sanctioned marijuana business.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2023
Anti-Racism in Public Health Act of 2023 This bill establishes within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) a National Center on Antiracism and Health and a law enforcement violence prevention program. In particular, the new center must carry out various activities to address racism and its impact on health and well-being. This includes declaring racism a public health crisis, collecting and analyzing data, and administering research and grant programs. Additionally, the bill specifically directs the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, in coordination with the Department of Justice and other relevant stakeholders, to implement the law enforcement violence prevention program by conducting research and supporting other activities pertaining to law enforcement violence and public health.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2023
Apprenticeship Hubs Across America Act of 2023 This bill requires the Department of Labor to implement a program to award grants to workforce intermediaries (certain national, regional, state, or local entities that facilitate the establishment of registered apprenticeship programs) to enable them to engage a variety of stakeholders to support, develop, and implement registered apprenticeship programs.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2023
This resolution affirms that it is U.S. policy to see Ukraine prevail against the Russian invasion and restored to its internationally recognized 1991 borders. The resolution also states that the peace brought by Ukraine's victory must be secured by integrating Ukraine into NATO and other Euroatlantic institutions.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2023
Performing Artist Tax Parity Act of 2023 This bill modifies the above-the-line tax deduction for the expenses of performing artists (including commissions paid to managers or agents) to provide for a phaseout of such deduction for taxpayers whose adjusted gross income exceeds $100,000 ($200,000 for joint return filers). The $100,000 phaseout threshold is adjusted for inflation annually for taxable years beginning after 2023.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2023
Raise the Age Act of 2023 This bill establishes new restrictions on the sale or transfer of certain semiautomatic firearms to individuals under 21 years of age. Specifically, this bill makes it unlawful for a licensed gun dealer, importer, manufacturer, or collector to sell or deliver a semiautomatic center-fire rifle or semiautomatic center-fire shotgun that has (or has the capacity to accept) an ammunition feeding device with a capacity of more than five rounds to an individual who the licensee knows or has reasonable cause to believe is under age 21. The prohibition does not apply if the individual under age 21 is a full-time law enforcement officer or active-duty member of the Armed Forces. The bill also requires the Federal Bureau of Investigation to report on the operation of its public access line, including a description of information sharing protocols and recommendations for improving such protocols.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2023
Child Labor Exploitation Accountability Act This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to ensure that any entity entering into a contract with USDA discloses violations of specific labor laws to the Department of Labor (Labor). It also restricts USDA contracts with entities that disclose certain violations. Specifically, beginning two years after the bill's enactment, any entity that enters into a contract with USDA must annually disclose to Labor whether any administrative merits determination, arbitral award or decision, or civil judgment has been issued against the entity (or a subcontractor of the entity) within the preceding three years for violations of specific laws, executive orders, and regulations (e.g., the National Labor Relations Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967). An entity that fails to disclose the required information is subject to criminal penalties. Labor must provide an entity an opportunity to report any steps taken to correct violations of, or improve compliance with, the labor laws. Labor may also negotiate corrective measures that the entity may take. Labor must annually submit to USDA a list of entities that (1) have serious, repeated, or pervasive labor law violations; or (2) have failed to complete any negotiated corrective measure. Further, USDA is prohibited from soliciting a contract from, and conducting meat and poultry inspections for, any entity on Labor's list for five years. USDA must report to Congress annually on the number of entities (1) on Labor's list, and (2) that have agreed to take corrective measures.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2023
Prison Libraries Act of 2023 This bill directs the Department of Justice to establish a grant program to provide library services for incarcerated individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2023
Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act of 2023 This bill exempts from worldwide or numerical limitations certain family-sponsored immigrant visas for the sons and daughters of Filipino World War II veterans who were naturalized under certain laws providing for naturalization for service during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2023
School Shooting Safety and Preparedness Act This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to publish an annual report on indicators of school crime and safety. The report must collect specified information, including the number of school shootings that have taken place nationwide and the number of those that were mass shootings; the number of people killed or injured in each school shooting; the age, gender, race, ethnicity, and nationality of each victim; the motivation of the shooter; how the shooting was stopped; the number and type of firearms and ammunition used in each shooting; and the response time of law enforcement. ED must direct the National Center for Education Statistics to collect and publish specified data on school shootings. The center must collect information on the existence or absence of specified measures at the time of the shooting, including physical and other types of security measures, a communication plan with local law enforcement, a response plan that includes coordination with local agencies, an active shooter response plan, and a trauma response plan.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2023
This resolution recognizes that libraries and library workers provide critical infrastructure for the United States and supports the prioritization of full funding of library services. It reaffirms (1) the fundamental right of people to access information, (2) the fundamental right of library workers to organize and collectively bargain at work, and (3) the civil rights of library workers to exercise their responsibilities to the public without threats or intimidation. The resolution also recognizes the right of library workers to speak out on matters of public concern.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2023
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2023
Ending Qualified Immunity Act This bill eliminates the defense of qualified immunity in certain civil actions for deprivation of rights. Qualified immunity is a judicially created doctrine that protects government officials from being held personally liable for constitutional violations. The bill provides that, under the statute allowing a civil action alleging deprivation of rights under color of state law, it shall not be a defense or immunity to any such action that (1) the defendant was acting in good faith or believed that his or her conduct was lawful at the time it was committed; (2) the rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution or federal laws were not clearly established at the time of their deprivation; or (3) the state of the law was such that the defendant could not reasonably have been expected to know whether his or her conduct was lawful.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2023
This resolution calls for the creation of a Green New Deal with the goals of achieving greenhouse gas and toxic emissions reductions needed to stay under 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming; establishing millions of high-wage union jobs and ensuring economic security for all; investing in infrastructure and industry; securing clean air and water, climate and community resiliency, healthy food, access to nature, and a sustainable environment for all; and promoting justice and equality. The resolution calls for accomplishment of these goals through a 10-year national mobilization effort. The resolution also enumerates the goals and projects of the mobilization effort, including building smart power grids (i.e., power grids that enable customers to reduce their power use during peak demand periods); upgrading all existing buildings and constructing new buildings to achieve maximum energy and water efficiency; removing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation and agricultural sectors; cleaning up existing hazardous waste and abandoned sites; ensuring businesspersons are free from unfair competition; and providing higher education, high-quality health care, and affordable, safe, and adequate housing to all.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2023
Armenian Genocide Education Act This bill requires the Library of Congress to maintain a public website and otherwise support educational initiatives to promote understanding about the Armenian Genocide (the killing of Armenians by the Ottoman Empire from 1915 to 1923).
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2023
AANAPISI Opportunity Act This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a scholarship grant program for covered Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions (AANAPISIs) to provide scholarships in agriculture-related fields. Covered institutions include community colleges, colleges, or universities that (1) have a student body consisting of at least 10% Asian American or Native American Pacific Islander students; and (2) offer associate, bachelors, or other accredited degree programs in agriculture-related fields. USDA may only award the grants to AANAPISIs that have established a competitive scholarship awards process for individuals who intend to pursue a career in agriculture, including in the agricultural disciplines of business, engineering, technology, food science, forestry, home economics, nutrition, soil conservation, non-medical biological sciences, and computer science. This bill also allows USDA to provide competitive grants for up to five years for integrated agricultural research, education, and extension projects at covered AANAPISIs to address U.S. agriculture priorities. The project grants include a 50% matching funds requirement that USDA may waive if certain requirements are met.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2023
Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Trafficking Act or the FIGHT Act This bill expands protections of animals provided under the Animal Welfare Act, including by prohibiting any (1) broadcasts from international, interstate, or intrastate sources of animal fighting ventures in the United States or U.S. territories; and (2) shipments or transport of certain mature roosters.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2023
Puerto Rico Status Act This bill provides for a plebiscite to be held on November 2, 2025, to resolve Puerto Rico's political status. Specifically, such plebiscite shall offer eligible voters a choice of independence, sovereignty in free association with the United States, or statehood. The Puerto Rico State Elections Commission shall invite national and international election observers to ensure transparency and confidence in the electoral process, and carry out a nonpartisan voter education campaign through traditional paid media and make available at all voting locations voter education materials related to the plebiscites. All voter educational materials and ballots used to carry out this bill shall be made available in English and Spanish. The bill sets forth transition and implementation provisions for each choice offered in the plebiscite.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2023
Nuclear Weapons Abolition and Conversion Act of 2023 This bill requires the U.S. government to redirect resources away from nuclear weapons if other countries take steps to eliminate such weapons. Specifically, after the President certifies that all countries possessing nuclear weapons have begun the verifiable and irreversible elimination of such weapons under the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, the U.S. government must redirect resources being used for nuclear weapons programs to (1) addressing the climate crisis, (2) addressing human and infrastructure needs, and (3) encouraging other countries to pursue similar goals.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2023
Railroad Employee Equity and Fairness Act or the REEF Act This bill permanently exempts payments made from the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Account from sequestration. Sequestration is a process of automatic, usually across-the-board spending reductions under which budgetary resources are permanently cancelled to enforce specific budget policy goals. Currently, this exemption ends 30 days after the termination of the COVID-19 national emergency period.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2023
Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act of 2023 This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish standards for facilities holding non-U.S. nationals ( aliens under federal law) in its custody, phases out using non-DHS facilities for such purposes, and addresses related issues. The standards must comply with the American Bar Association's Civil Immigration Detention Standards. The DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) must conduct periodic unannounced inspections of each facility and take various actions against noncompliant facilities, including imposing fines, cancelling contracts, and closing facilities. DHS must report to Congress any death of an individual in its custody within 24 hours and conduct an investigation within 30 days that identifies policy changes that could reduce the likelihood of such a death. DHS may not contract with third parties to operate detention facilities or alternatives to detention programs and must terminate existing contracts within three years of the bill's enactment. The bill establishes that OIG facility inspection reports and contracts for an outside entity to operate a detention facility are records available to the public under the Freedom of Information Act. DHS must maintain certain information relating to immigration-related detention, including the detained individual's location and whether the individual was separated from family. The bill provides for various requirements and procedures related to immigration-related detention, including (1) prohibiting DHS from detaining children, (2) imposing a presumption that a detained individual should be released, and (3) establishing that individuals in custody shall be subject to the least restrictive conditions. The bill also abolishes mandatory detention for asylum seekers.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2023
This resolution urges (1) the President to issue a proclamation recognizing Earth Day; and (2) governments and people to continue building upon the Paris Agreement and other efforts to ensure that future generations inherit a livable, sustainable, and ecologically rich planet.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2023
School Meals during School Closures Act This bill allows states or eligible service providers (e.g., school districts) to request a waiver of certain requirements to continue providing no-cost and reduced-cost meals to students during certain school closures. The Department of Agriculture may provide a waiver, with exceptions, to provide meals and meal supplements during a school closure due to a strike or other labor-management dispute; inclement weather, a natural disaster, a public health emergency, unsafe facilities, construction, or repairs; or other unanticipated events.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2023
Improving Care and Access to Nurses Act or the I CAN Act This bill allows other health care providers besides physicians (e.g., nurses) to provide certain services under Medicare and Medicaid. Among other changes, the bill (1) allows a nurse practitioner or physician assistant to fulfill documentation requirements for Medicare coverage of special shoes for diabetic individuals; (2) expedites the ability of physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists to supervise Medicare cardiac, intensive cardiac, and pulmonary rehabilitation programs; and (3) allows nurse practitioners to certify the need for inpatient hospital services under Medicare and Medicaid.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2023
Keep Our Promise to America's Children and Teachers Act or the Keep Our PACT Act This bill provides funding through FY2033 for grant programs operated by local educational agencies to provide supplementary educational and related services to low-achieving students and other students who attend elementary and secondary schools with relatively high concentrations of students from low-income families. Additionally, the bill permanently reauthorizes the grant program to assist states and outlying areas in providing special education and related services to children with disabilities.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2023
Do No Harm Act This bill prohibits the application of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA) to specified federal laws or the implementation of such laws. Currently, RFRA prohibits the government from substantially burdening a person's exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, except in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest when using the least restrictive means. Under the bill, RFRA is inapplicable to laws or the implementation of laws that protect against discrimination or require the promotion of equal opportunity (e.g., the Civil Rights Act of 1964); require employers to provide wages, other compensation, or benefits, including leave; protect collective activity in the workplace; protect against child labor, abuse, or exploitation; or provide for access to, information about, referrals for, provision of, or coverage for any health care item or service. The bill prevents RFRA from being used to deny (1) goods or services the government has agreed to provide to a beneficiary of or participant in a program or activity funded by a government contract, grant, agreement, or other award; or (2) a person's full and equal enjoyment of a government-provided good, service, benefit, facility, privilege, advantage, or accommodation. In order for a person to assert a RFRA claim or defense in a judicial proceeding, the government must be a party to the proceeding.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2023
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2023
Health Equity and Middle Eastern and North African Community Inclusion Act of 2023 or the Health Equity and MENA Community Inclusion Act of 2023 This bill includes Middle Easterners and North Africans (MENA) as a distinct population in the statutory definition of racial and ethnic minority group that applies to efforts to reduce health disparities by the Office of Minority Health of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The bill also requires HHS to conduct a study on health and related outcomes of MENA populations.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2023
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has the authority to review and approve drugs pursuant to its own expertise, and that recent court decisions blocking the FDA's approval of mifepristone (which is used in medication abortion) violate congressional intent with respect to the FDA's authority.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2023
Return to Prudent Banking Act of 2023 This bill generally separates the activities of commercial banks and investment banks. Specifically, the bill prohibits an insured depository institution from affiliating with any person or firm engaged principally in, among other things, issuing or selling stocks, bonds, notes, or other securities. Officers, directors and employees of securities firms are prohibited from simultaneously serving as an officer, director, or employee of a depository institution, except in specified circumstances. No entity issuing or selling stocks, bonds, or other securities may engage in the business of receiving deposits, which includes the establishment and maintenance of transaction accounts. The bill declares that Congress ratifies the interpretation by the Supreme Court in Investment Company Institute v. Camp (ICI) of specified statutory language regarding permissible activities of banks and securities firms. It further declares that the reasoning of the Court in that case shall continue to apply to the limitations placed upon security affiliations as enacted by this bill. No federal banking agency or federal court shall issue an interpretation regarding such security affiliations that is narrower than that of the Court in ICI.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2023
Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act This bill requires the Department of Labor to address workplace violence in health care, social service, and other sectors. Specifically, Labor must issue an interim occupational safety and health standard that requires certain employers to take actions to protect workers and other personnel from workplace violence. The standard applies to employers in the health care sector, in the social service sector, and in sectors that conduct activities similar to those in the health care and social service sectors. In addition, Labor must promulgate a final standard within a specified time line.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2023
Veterans Medical Marijuana Safe Harbor Act This bill authorizes activities related to medical marijuana use by veterans and provides for research on medical marijuana use by veterans. Specifically, the bill authorizes (1) a veteran to use, possess, or transport medical marijuana in accordance with applicable state or Native American tribal law; (2) a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) physician to discuss with a veteran the use of medical marijuana as a treatment if the physician is in a state or on tribal land that authorizes such treatment; or (3) a VA physician to recommend, complete forms for, or register veterans for participation in a medical marijuana treatment program in accordance with applicable state or tribal law. These authorizations expire after five years. The bill also requires the VA to report on (1) the use of medical marijuana by veterans to manage pain and to treat diseases and disorders (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder); and (2) the relationship between state-approved medical marijuana treatment programs, program access, and opioid use and misuse reduction.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2023
Fairness to Freedom Act of 2023 This bill establishes a right to legal representation in certain immigration proceedings (e.g., removal and immigration bond hearings) at the government's expense for individuals who cannot afford representation. The bill also establishes various entities to facilitate such legal representation. Currently, individuals in these immigration proceedings may be represented by counsel but not at government expense. The bill addresses various issues related to such legal representation, including (1) the scope of the representation, (2) criteria for determining whether the individual is financially unable to afford representation, and (3) requirements relating to allowing the individual to meet with their lawyer and receiving relevant documents. Immigration proceedings may not commence until counsel has been appointed. The bill also establishes the Office of Immigration Representation to ensure that qualified individuals who cannot afford legal representation receive the representation as required by this bill. The office's duties shall include establishing (1) administrative regions throughout the United States, and (2) a local immigration representation board for each region. The local boards must, subject to the office's approval, develop and implement plans for providing legal representation under this bill. To provide such legal representation, the local boards may (1) establish one or more immigrant public defender organizations, (2) contract with existing community defender organizations, and (3) establish a panel attorney system. The bill establishes minimum funding requirements for the office.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2023
For the 99.5 Percent Act This bill imposes increased tax rates on decedent estates, gifts, and generation-skipping transfers. Estates with a value of over $1 billion are taxed at a 65% tax rate. The basic exclusion amount is reduced to $3.5 million. The bill increases (1) to $3 million the reduction in valuations of farmland for estate tax purposes and adjusts such increased amount for inflation, and (2) to $2 million the maximum estate tax exclusion for contributions of conservation easements. It also increases to 60% the applicable percentage for such exclusion. The bill requires (1) consistent basis reporting for property acquired by gift and transfers in trust, and (2) executors of estates and donors of gifts required to file a gift tax return to disclose to the Department of the Treasury, and to recipients of any interest in an estate or a gift, information identifying the value of each interest received. The bill sets forth estate valuation rules for certain transfers of nonbusiness assets and limits estate tax discounts for certain individuals with minority interests in a business acquired from a decedent. The bill expands rules for valuing assets in grantor retained annuity trusts to require that (1) the right to receive fixed amounts from an annuity last for a term of not less than 10 years and not more than the life expectancy of the annuitant plus 10 years, and that such fixed amounts not decrease during the first 10 years of the annuity term, and (2) the remainder interest have a value when transferred that is not less than the the greater of 25% of the fair market value of the trust property or $500,000. The bill also sets forth rules for the application of transfer taxes to a grantor trust (a trust in which the grantor retains control over the trust assets and has the right to receive income from the trust). The bill eliminates the generation-skipping transfer tax exemption for transfers to certain persons. The bill modifies the tax exclusion for annual gifts to eliminate the present interest requirement for such exclusion and to impose a new, aggregate per donor limit equal to twice the annual exclusion amount in effect for the taxable year. It also provides for a gross up of taxable gifts in specified calendar years. The bill defines executor for purposes of the Internal Revenue Code.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2023
This resolution recognizes the importance of the Islamic faith and expresses deep respect for Muslims in the United States and worldwide in honor of Eid al-Fitr (the conclusion of Ramadan).
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2023
Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act of 20 2 3 This bill modifies, expands, and reauthorizes through FY2028 the Family Violence and Prevention Services program, which funds emergency shelters and supports related assistance for victims of domestic violence. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants and enter cooperative agreements with state and tribal domestic violence coalitions, and community-based organizations, to support prevention services. Depending on the type of organization, grant recipients must use funding to (1) provide technical assistance; (2) promote evidence-informed prevention strategies; (3) implement coordinated, community responses to reduce risk factors for family violence; and (4) develop prevention partnership strategies. Further, HHS must award specified grants to organizations that provide population-specific services in underserved communities and to community-based organizations that provide culturally specific domestic violence services to racial and ethnic minority groups. The bill also establishes a grants program for tribal domestic violence coalitions to support the provision of local, tribal, family domestic or dating violence services and requires HHS to award a grant for the administration of a hotline dedicated to serving Indians affected by domestic violence. In addition, the bill modifies certain program-wide definitions; changes the requirements for specified grant applications, eligibility criteria, and use of funds; and makes other technical revisions.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2023
Safe Step Act This bill requires a group health plan to establish an exception to medication step-therapy protocol in specified cases. A medication step-therapy protocol establishes a specific sequence in which prescription drugs are covered by a group health plan or a health insurance issuer. A request for such an exception to the protocol must be granted if (1) an otherwise required treatment has been ineffective, (2) such treatment is expected to be ineffective and delaying effective treatment would lead to irreversible consequences, (3) such treatment will cause or is likely to cause an adverse reaction to the individual, (4) such treatment is expected to prevent the individual from performing daily activities or occupational responsibilities, (5) the individual is stable based on the prescription drugs already selected, or (6) there are other circumstances as determined by the Employee Benefits Security Administration. The bill requires a group health plan to implement and make readily available a clear process for an individual to request an exception to the protocol, including required information and criteria for granting an exception. The bill further specifies timelines under which plans must respond to such requests.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2023
Freedom to Decide Act This concurrent resolution expresses the sense of Congress to (1) affirm that federal law authorizes the distribution of medication abortion, including by mail, as stated in a 2022 Department of Justice memorandum; and (2) condemn restrictions on the access and coverage of reproductive health care, including medication abortion.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2023
This bill expresses the sense of Congress that (1) medication abortion is appropriately approved and regulated under federal law, and (2) federal law preempts any in-person dispensing requirements or telehealth restrictions with respect to medication abortion under state law.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2023
School Meals Expansion Act This bill expands eligibility for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the school lunch program. It also increases the reimbursement rate for schools under the CEP. (The CEP allows eligible schools, groups of schools, and school districts the option to offer breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting household applications.) This bill lowers the threshold for a school to participate in the CEP to an identified student percentage (ISP) of at least 25%, from 40%. The ISP is the percentage of students who are eligible for free school meals without a household application, primarily those who are directly certified through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The bill also increases the reimbursement multiplier for school meals to 2.5 from the current 1.6, effectively increasing the reimbursement rate for the CEP participating schools. The reimbursement multiplier is used to calculate how many meals will be reimbursed at the free meal rate. A higher multiplier means more meals will be reimbursed at this higher rate.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2023
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment providing that the rights protected and extended by the Constitution are the rights of natural persons only. Artificial entities, such as corporations, shall have no rights under the Constitution and are subject to regulation. The amendment requires federal, state, and local governments to (1) regulate, limit, or prohibit election contributions and expenditures, including a candidate's own contributions and expenditures, to ensure equal access of citizens to the political process, regardless of economic status; and (2) require that any permissible contributions and expenditures be publicly disclosed. Additionally, the judiciary is prohibited from construing the spending of money to influence elections to be speech under the First Amendment.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2023
Nurse Staffing Standards for Patient Safety and Quality Care Act of 2023 This bill requires hospitals to implement and submit to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) a staffing plan that complies with specified minimum nurse-to-patient ratios by unit. Hospitals must post a notice regarding nurse-to-patient ratios in each unit and maintain records of actual ratios for each shift in each unit. The bill also requires hospitals to follow certain procedures regarding how ratios are determined, and other staff are prohibited from performing nurse functions unless specifically authorized within a state's scope of practice rules. HHS must adjust Medicare payments to hospitals to cover additional costs attributable to compliance with these ratios. Nurses may object to, or refuse to participate in, an assignment if it would violate minimum ratios or if they are not prepared by education or experience to fulfill the assignment without compromising the safety of a patient or jeopardizing their nurse's license. Hospitals may not (1) take adverse actions against a nurse based on the nurse's reasonable refusal to accept an assignment; or (2) discriminate against individuals for good faith complaints relating to the care, services, or conditions of the hospital or related facilities. HHS may impose civil monetary penalties on hospitals violating the ratio requirements and must publish the names of such hospitals. The bill provides stipends to the nurse workforce loan repayment and scholarship program and expands the nurse retention grant program to include nurse preceptorship and mentorship projects.