United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2023
Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act of 2023 This bill addresses harassment at institutions of higher education (IHEs). Specifically, the bill requires each IHE to include in its annual security report a statement of policy regarding harassment on the basis of a student's actual or perceived race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth, a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth, a sex stereotype, and sex characteristics, including intersex traits), disability, or religion. In addition, the Department of Education may award grants to IHEs to initiate, expand, or improve programs to (1) prevent the harassment of students; (2) provide counseling or redress services to students who have been harassed or accused of subjecting other students to harassment; or (3) educate and train students, faculty, or staff to prevent harassment or address harassment if it occurs.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2023
Parity for Tribal Educators Act This bill expands eligibility for enrollment in the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) and the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) to employees of tribally controlled schools. The bill requires the Bureau of Indian Affairs to pay the government contributions for FERS and TSP for these employees.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2023
Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act or the MORE Act This bill decriminalizes marijuana. Specifically, it removes marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act and eliminates criminal penalties for an individual who manufactures, distributes, or possesses marijuana. The bill also makes other changes, including the following: replaces statutory references to marijuana and marihuana with cannabis , requires the Bureau of Labor Statistics to regularly publish demographic data on cannabis business owners and employees, establishes a trust fund to support various programs and services for individuals and businesses in communities impacted by the war on drugs, imposes an excise tax on cannabis products produced in or imported into the United States and an occupational tax on cannabis production facilities and export warehouses, makes Small Business Administration loans and services available to entities that are cannabis-related legitimate businesses or service providers, prohibits the denial of federal public benefits to a person on the basis of certain cannabis-related conduct or convictions, prohibits the denial of benefits and protections under immigration laws on the basis of an event (e.g., conduct or conviction) relating to possession or use of cannabis that is no longer prohibited under the bill, establishes a process to expunge convictions and conduct sentencing review hearings related to federal cannabis offenses, and directs the Government Accountability Office to study the societal impact of cannabis legalization.
United States · United States Congress · 19 September 2023
John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2023 This bill establishes new criteria for determining which states and political subdivisions must obtain preclearance before changes to voting practices may take effect. Preclearance is the process of receiving preapproval from the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before making legal changes that would affect voting rights. A state and all of its political subdivisions shall be subject to preclearance of voting practice changes for a 10-year period if, during the previous 25 years: 15 or more voting rights violations occurred in the state; 10 or more violations occurred, at least 1 of which was committed by the state itself; or 3 or more violations occurred and the state administers the elections. A political subdivision as a separate unit shall also be subject to preclearance for a 10-year period if three or more voting rights violations occurred there during the previous 25 years. States and political subdivisions that meet certain thresholds regarding minority groups must preclear covered practices before implementation, such as redistricting. States and political subdivisions must notify the public of changes to voting practices. The bill authorizes DOJ to require states or political subdivisions to provide certain documents or answers to questions for enforcing voting rights. The bill outlines factors courts must consider when hearing challenges to voting practices, such as the extent of any history of official voting discrimination in the state or political subdivision.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2023
Help Our Kelp Act This bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a grant program to fund projects to conserve, restore, or manage kelp forest ecosystems. (A kelp forest is a dense grouping of large brown algae which also serves as a habitat for marine life.) Eligible projects include those that address the greatest relative regional declines in kelp forest ecosystems, focus on kelp forest seeding and connectivity, or integrate Indigenous knowledge and cultural practices into the restoration and monitoring of kelp forest ecosystems. The bill specifies that members of the fishing industry, institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, Indian tribes, state agencies, and local governments are eligible to receive grants. The bill prohibits a grant from exceeding 85% of the total project cost. However, NOAA may waive this restriction in limited circumstances.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2023
Humane Cosmetics Act of 2023 This bill generally prohibits animal testing in the evaluation of cosmetic products, and it prohibits the sale or transport of cosmetics developed using animal testing, subject to civil penalties. These prohibitions begin one year after enactment. The bill specifies exceptions to these prohibitions, including if such animal testing (1) is conducted outside the United States to comply with a foreign regulatory authority; (2) is pursuant to a specified finding that there are no nonanimal alternatives to test the safety of a potentially dangerous cosmetic product or ingredient; (3) is of a product or ingredient for a drug or device subject to regulation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); or (4) is required for a noncosmetic purpose pursuant to a state, federal, or foreign regulatory authority. Further, no animal-testing evidence may be used to establish the safety of a cosmetic product or ingredient that is regulated by the FDA after the effective date of this bill, subject to limited exceptions.
United States · United States Congress · 22 August 2023
Medicare Access to Rural Anesthesiology Act of 2023 This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide Medicare payment on a reasonable-cost basis for anesthesia services furnished by an anesthesiologist in a rural hospital. Specifically, the CMS shall provide payment for such services in the same manner as payment is provided under current law for services furnished in a rural hospital by a certified registered nurse anesthetist.
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 · 1 August 2023
Fishery Improvement to Streamline untimely regulatory Hurdles post Emergency Situation Act or the FISHES Act This bill establishes deadlines for the approval of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) requests for fishery resource disaster assistance funding. Specifically, the bill requires the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve or deny a spend plan (a type of funding request submitted to NOAA by a state, an Indian tribe, or other eligible requester with an affirmative fishery resource disaster determination) within 30 days of its receipt from NOAA. For any denial, OMB must return the plan to NOAA within 15 days of the denial with a description of the changes necessary for the spend plan to be approved. The bill provides that NOAA, in consultation with the requester, must make the necessary changes and resubmit the spend plan to OMB for approval. OMB must approve or deny a resubmitted spend plan within 15 days of its receipt. The bill also requires OMB to provide certain information regarding approved spend plans (e.g., the dates of the approval and each denial or resubmission) on its website.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2023
Healthy Poultry Assistance and Indemnification Act This bill expands the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) producer indemnity and compensation program to include compensation for all poultry growers and layers located in an APHIS-determined control area. Currently, APHIS provides indemnity and compensation to producers to remove animals classified as affected, suspect, or exposed to diseases of concern, including highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). An APHIS-determined control area consists of both an infected zone and a buffer zone. Under the bill, APHIS must compensate all owners of poultry growing or laying facilities for flocks of birds that the facility owner was prohibited from growing or laying due to the location of the facility within a control area. This may include facilities that are located in the buffer zones and have non-infected poultry. Further, the bill establishes a new compensation payment formula that requires payments to be based on the owner’s average income from the five most recent flocks. Under the bill, APHIS's compensation determination is final and not subject to judicial or administrative review (other than by the Secretary of Agriculture or a designee).
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2023
Original Slavery Remembrance Day Resolution This joint resolution designates a Slavery Remembrance Day annually and condemns slavery and its progenies.
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
Appalachian Communities Health Equity Act or the ACHE Act This bill prohibits the authorization or continuation of certain mountaintop removal coal mining pending the results of a study on the health effects of such mining. Specifically, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences must study and publish the health effects on surrounding communities of surface coal mining that involves explosives and that is conducted in the steep slopes of Kentucky, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Virginia. Federal and state agencies may not authorize or renew any such mining until and unless the study concludes that there are no health risks; entities that currently conduct such mining must monitor and report pollution levels associated with such mining until the study's publication. The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement must collect a one-time fee from each entity that currently or previously conducted such mining to cover the federal cost of implementing the bill's requirements.
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 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
Protect Innocent Victims Of Taxation After Fire Act This bill excludes from gross income, for income tax purposes, any amount received after 2019 and before 2026 by an individual taxpayer as a qualified wildfire relief payment. The bill defines such payment as compensation for expenses or losses incurred as a result of a federally declared forest or range fire disaster.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2023
Nonrestrictive Offshore Wind Act or the NOW Act This bill repeals certain requirements that the Department of the Interior must meet before issuing a lease for offshore wind development. Under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, Interior may not issue a lease unless (1) an offshore oil and gas lease sale has been held in the year prior to issuing the lease, and (2) Interior offers a specified minimum acreage for offshore lease sales in the previous year. The bill repeals those requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2023
Comprehensive Legislation for Expanding and Advancing Nonrestrictive Energy Act or the CLEAN Energy Act This bill repeals certain requirements that the Department of the Interior must meet before issuing an onshore wind or solar right-of-way for wind or solar energy development on federal land. Under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, Interior may not issue a right-of-way for such development unless (1) an onshore oil and gas lease sale has been held in the 120 days prior to issuing the right-of-way, and (2) Interior offers a specified minimum acreage for oil and gas lease sales in the previous year. The bill repeals those requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2023
Fair College Admissions for Students Act This bill prohibits an institution of higher education (IHE) that participates in federal student-aid programs from giving preferential treatment in the admissions process to applicants based on their relationships to donors or alumni of the IHE.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2023
Oligarch Act of 2023 This bill imposes a tax on the net value of all taxable assets of a taxpayer as of the last day of any calendar year (wealth tax). The amount of such tax is equal to certain percentages of the net value of all taxable assets of the taxpayers that exceed a specified threshold amount. The bill defines net value of all taxable assets as the excess of the value of all property of the taxpayer, real or personal, tangible or intangible, wherever situated, over any debts (including secured debts) owed by the taxpayer. The definition excludes property with a value of $50,000 or less, tangible personal property, certain property used in a trade or business, or collectibles. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) must report on the net value of assets subject to the wealth tax within one year after the enactment of this bill and must annually audit not less than 30% of taxpayers required to pay the tax. The IRS may extend payment of the tax for a reasonable period (not to exceed 5 years) for taxpayers with severe liquidity constraints or for whom immediate payment would impose an undue hardship. The bill provides for enhanced penalties for understatements of the value of property subject to the wealth tax.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2023
Scientific Integrity Act This bill revises provisions regarding the release of scientific research results by federal agencies. Each agency that funds, conducts, or oversees scientific research must (1) adopt and enforce a scientific integrity policy that includes certain requirements, such as restricting scientific conclusions from being based on political considerations; and (2) submit such policy to the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) for approval. Agencies must make their policies public, submit them to Congress, and periodically update them with OSTP's approval. The Government Accountability Office shall review implementation of the policies. Each agency shall (1) appoint a Scientific Integrity Officer, (2) establish a process for dispute resolution consistent with the scientific integrity policy, and (3) establish a specified training program for current and new employees.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2023
Polluter Portfolio Disclosure Act This bill requires certain insurance companies to annually disclose investments in, and insurance policies relating to, fossil fuel extraction. Specifically, insurance companies that annually collect premiums of at least $100 million must report this information to Congress, the Office of Financial Research, the Financial Stability Oversight Counsel, and the Federal Insurance Office. The Office of Financial Research, the Financial Stability Oversight Counsel, and the Federal Insurance Office must use this information to enhance monitoring of financial risks to consumers, individual insurance companies, and the financial system.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2023
Indian Programs Advance Appropriations Act of 2023 This bill authorizes advance appropriations for several covered appropriations accounts of (1) the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education within the Department of the Interior, and (2) the Indian Health Service within the Department of Health and Human Services. The advance appropriations provide new budget authority that first becomes available for the first fiscal year after the budget year. The covered accounts within the Bureau of Indian Affairs are (1) Operation of Indian Programs, (2) Contract Support Costs, (3) the Indian Guaranteed Loan Program, (4) Construction, and (5) Payments for Tribal Leases. The covered accounts within the Bureau of Indian Education are (1) Operation of Indian Education Programs, and (2) Education Construction. The covered accounts within the Indian Health Service are (1) Indian Health Services, (2) Contract Support Costs, (3) Payments for Tribal Leases, and (4) Indian Health Facilities. The bill also requires the President's budget and the supporting documents submitted to Congress to include detailed estimates related to the advance appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2023
Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act of 2023 This bill revises drinking water requirements concerning hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations. Specifically, the bill gives the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to protect groundwater sources (e.g., wells) from certain pollution risks posed by fracking operations. The bill also establishes requirements for disclosing the chemicals intended for use in fracking operations as well as the chemicals actually used in the operations. If the proprietary chemical formulas of chemicals used in fracking operations are necessary for treatment in medical emergencies, then the operations must disclose the formulas or the specific chemical identities of trade secret chemicals to the state, the EPA, or the treating physicians or nurses upon request, regardless of whether written statements of need or confidentiality agreements have been provided.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2023
Closing Loopholes for Oil and other Sources of Emissions Act or the CLOSE Act This bill amends the Clean Air Act to revise requirements for hazardous air pollutants. Specifically, the bill allows (1) emissions from oil or gas exploration or production wells and emissions from pipeline compressors or pump stations to be aggregated with emissions from other similar sources and regulated as a major source of toxic air pollutants, (2) emissions from those wells to be aggregated for purposes of emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants, and (3) emissions from oil or gas production wells to be regulated as an area source of toxic air pollutants. The Environmental Protection Agency must (1) issue a final rule adding hydrogen sulfide to the list of hazardous air pollutants; and (2) revise the list of air pollution sources within 365 days after issuing the rule to include categories and subcategories of major sources and area sources of hydrogen sulfide, including oil and gas wells.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2023
CLEANER Act of 2023 or the Closing Loopholes and Ending Arbitrary and Needless Evasion of Regulations Act of 2023 This bill eliminates the exemption of waste associated with the exploration, development, or production of crude oil, natural gas, or geothermal energy from regulations governing the disposal of hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Within a year of enactment, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must determine whether such waste meets the criteria for hazardous waste, promulgate regulations concerning the disposal of such waste if the EPA determines it is hazardous, and revise regulations applicable to solid waste management and disposal facilities (e.g., landfills) to address such waste that is nonhazardous.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2023
Safe Hydration is an American Right in Energy Development Act of 2023 This bill requires hydraulic fracturing operations to test for and report on underground sources of drinking water that are contaminated by such operations. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a process to extract underground resources such as oil or gas from a geologic formation by injecting water, a propping agent (e.g., sand), and chemical additives into a well under enough pressure to fracture the geological formation. Specifically, this bill revises requirements governing state underground injection control programs. In order to obtain primary enforcement responsibility for such programs, states must prohibit the underground injection of fluids or propping agents pursuant to hydraulic fracturing operations related to oil, gas, or geothermal production activities unless the hydraulic fracturing operations agree to test for and report on contamination of drinking water. Hydraulic fracturing operations are exempted from those testing and reporting requirements if there is no accessible underground source of drinking water within a radius of one mile of the site where the operations occur. The Environmental Protection Agency must establish and maintain a publicly accessible and searchable database of the testing results.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2023
Reproductive Health Patient Navigator Act of 2023 This bill provides funding for patient navigator grants to assist individuals in accessing abortion services. The Department of Health and Human Services must award the grants to state, tribal, or local governments; nonprofits; or community organizations that offer unbiased and medically accurate programs, services, or activities to connect individuals with abortion services. Grant-funded activities include, among others, coordinating the scheduling, financing, and other logistics of abortion services. Further, the bill prohibits individuals, entities, and states from preventing or otherwise disadvantaging an entity that is eligible to receive a grant from carrying out activities to assist individuals with accessing abortion services, including in any state in which those services are not lawful. Such activities include providing (or assisting in the provision of) abortion care and other reproductive health services that are either (1) lawful in the state where the services are provided, or (2) provided to an individual who does not reside in the state where the services are provided. The Department of Justice may bring civil actions for violations; the bill also provides for a private right of action.
![Official portrait of Rep. Huffman, Jared [D-CA-2]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/h001068_200.jpg)