United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2023
Purple Heart Freedom to Work Act This bill increases the monthly income limit that is used to determine whether certain Purple Heart recipients are eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. Specifically, when making such determinations with respect to Purple Heart recipients who are entitled to SSDI benefits based on combat-related injuries, the Social Security Administration must use the limit that applies to individuals who are blind rather than the lower limit that applies to other SSDI recipients. In addition, the bill phases out SSDI benefits for these Purple Heart recipients, with benefits reduced by $1 for every $4 of earnings in excess of the limit.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2023
Safeguarding Human Rights in Arms Exports Act of 2023 or the SAFEGUARD Act of 2023 This bill establishes specified measures to prevent the sale, export, or transfer of defense articles or defense services to foreign countries for use in violation of international humanitarian law or internationally recognized human rights. These measures include (1) prohibiting arms sales to countries committing genocide or war crimes, (2) requiring a consideration of human rights practices and democratization in any foreign country to which an arms sale is contemplated, and (3) providing for congressional oversight of arms exports to foreign countries wherein certain human rights violations have occurred.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2023
End Tuberculosis Now Act of 2023 This bill authorizes actions, including the provision of international assistance, to combat tuberculosis. The President may provide international assistance to prevent, treat, control, and eliminate tuberculosis. The President must also establish goals for U.S. efforts to detect, cure, and prevent all forms of tuberculosis globally by updating the National Action Plan for Combating Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis. The Government Accountability Office must periodically report to Congress on the impact of efforts to combat tuberculosis that are supported by U.S. bilateral assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2023
Transparency in Government Contracts Act This bill expands the Small Business Administration's (SBA) reporting requirements to include certain disaggregated demographic data about federal contracts (and subcontracts to the extent practicable) awarded to small businesses owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. The SBA also must include whether such a small business participates in the 8(a) business development program.
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
Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act of 2023 This bill requires the Department of State to provide an annual report to Congress on ties between criminal gangs and political and economic elites in Haiti. The bill also requires the President to impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions on certain individuals identified in the report if appropriate under specified U.S. laws. Among other things, the report must (1) identify prominent criminal gangs in Haiti, (2) list Haitian political and economic elites that have links to criminal gangs, (3) assess how collusion between Haitian political and economic elites and criminal gangs threatens the Haitian people and U.S. national interests, and (4) assess what actions the governments of the United States and Haiti could take to address those threats. The President may waive sanctions in certain circumstances.
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
This bill requires schools to substitute a nondairy beverage for fluid milk in the National School Lunch Program upon the request of a student or their parent or guardian. Under current law, schools participating in the program may provide a substitute at the request of a medical authority or the student's parent or guardian. The bill also removes current requirements that (1) the substitute request be based on an identified medical or other special dietary need that restricts the student's diet, and (2) the school food authority pay for any additional expenses resulting from providing the substitute that exceed the covered reimbursement amounts.
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
Mental Health in International Development and Humanitarian Settings Act or the MINDS Act This bill authorizes and requires certain actions by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to integrate mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) activities across U.S. development and humanitarian assistance programs. The bill authorizes USAID to designate an MHPSS coordinator. The coordinator's duties include (1) guiding, overseeing, and directing MHPSS programming and integration across U.S. development and humanitarian assistance programs; and (2) promoting best practices, coordination, and reporting in MHPSS across such programs. Focus populations for the coordinator include adult caretakers, children separated from a family unit, and displaced populations. In addition, the bill establishes a working group comprised of representatives from relevant USAID bureaus, the Department of State, and other federal agencies. The purpose of the working group is to ensure continuity and integration of MHPSS across U.S. development and humanitarian assistance programs. The provisions of the bill expire five years after enactment.
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
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
Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929 This bill expands eligibility for a program that authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to, at its discretion, provide lawful permanent resident status to certain long-term residents of the United States, including individuals who are unlawfully present. Currently, this program, sometimes referred to as the Registry program, is only available to eligible non-U.S. nationals ( aliens under federal law) who entered the United States before January 1, 1972. The bill removes this entry cutoff date and opens up the program to eligible individuals who have resided in the United States for at least seven years. Existing requirements (e.g., the individual must not be inadmissible or deportable due to certain grounds related to crime or terrorism) continue to apply.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2023
This resolution supports the goals of a feminist foreign policy (i.e., a foreign policy that requires analysis of and challenges to power structures and inequalities that are based on systems of discrimination). The resolution also supports the adoption of policies that promote gender equity and the participation of women and girls in public life.
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
Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act of 2023 This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security to provide employment authorization for eligible asylum applicants. Currently, such individuals are not entitled to employment authorization but may be granted such by the Department of Justice. Such employment authorization is valid until the date on which an applicant is issued a final denial of the application, including administrative and judicial review. The bill also shortens the waiting period for receiving employment authorization to 30 days from the filing of the asylum application.
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
Peace Corps Reauthorization Act of 2023 This bill requires or authorizes various policies for the Peace Corps program. For example, the bill increases the minimum rate for readjustment allowances paid to Peace Corps volunteers upon their return to the United States; requires the Peace Corps to establish processes to return volunteers to service after their service has been interrupted by a mandatory evacuation, and to strive to allow evacuated volunteers to return to the country in which they had formerly been assigned (except for Peace Corps missions in China); requires the Peace Corps to provide separating volunteers with information on postservice health care options; provides statutory authority to an executive order that provides returning volunteers with noncompetitive eligibility for federal employment purposes (i.e., eligibility to be noncompetitively appointed to a competitive federal position); requires the Peace Corps to implement a zero-tolerance policy regarding volunteer or trainee involvement with illegal drugs; requires the Peace Corps to take all reasonable measures to prevent and address reprisal or retaliation against a volunteer by any person with supervisory authority over the volunteer, such as a Peace Corps officer; and authorizes suspension without pay for employees engaged in serious misconduct that could impact the efficiency of the service and could lead to removal for cause.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2023
This resolution expresses support for the designation of National Leading Entertainment and Arts through Diversity Month. The resolution further supports the purposes and ideals of such month, which emphasizes the importance of increased representation across the entertainment industry; promotes efforts to increase allyship awareness campaigns within the industry; champions diversity, equity, and inclusion programs; and supports partnerships with organizations focused on increasing diversity by providing mentorship, granting scholarships, and committing to creating change.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2023
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4400 East Paisano Drive in El Paso, Texas, as the "Enedina Sanchez Cordero Post Office Building."
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
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 · 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
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.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2023
Everett Alvarez, Jr., Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2023 This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Everett Alvarez, Jr. in recognition of his service to the nation.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2023
Debbie Smith Act of 2023 This bill reauthorizes through FY2029 the Debbie Smith DNA Backlog Grant Program. The program provides grants to state and local governments to improve and expand the collection and analysis of DNA evidence, including evidence in sexual assault kits.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2023
Caring for Survivors Act of 2023 This bill increases the monthly rate of dependency and indemnity compensation payable to surviving spouses through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Dependency and indemnity compensation is a monthly payment made to eligible survivors (i.e., spouses, parents, or children) of (1) certain veterans who died as a result of a service-connected condition; (2) service members killed while on active military duty or active or inactive duty for training; or (3) veterans who did not die from a service-connected condition, but were totally disabled by a service-connected disability for a certain period of time. The bill also (1) reduces, from 10 years to 5 years, the period of time that certain veterans must have been rated totally disabled due to a service-connected disability in order for a survivor to qualify for benefits; and (2) specifies the amount that is payable to survivors of veterans who were rated totally disabled for a period of less than 10 years before their death.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2023
Shirley Chisholm Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the posthumous presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal in commemoration of Shirley Chisholm, in recognition of her activism, independence, and groundbreaking achievements in politics, including election as the first African American woman in Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2023
Stop Hate Crimes Act of 2023 This bill lowers the statutory burden of proof for showing intent with respect to a federal hate crime offense. Current law makes it unlawful to willfully cause bodily injury, or attempt to do so using a dangerous weapon, because of the actual or perceived protected characteristic (e.g., race) of a person. In 2014, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit held that the because of standard requires proof that a person's actual or perceived protected characteristic was the sole motivating factor in the offense. This bill replaces the because of standard with a new standard. Specifically, willfully causing bodily injury, or attempting to do so using a dangerous weapon, is a hate crime offense if a person's actual or perceived protected characteristic was a contributory motivating factor in the offense.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2023
Dustoff Crews of the Vietnam War Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to Dustoff crews (helicopter air ambulance crews) of the Vietnam War in recognition of their heroic military service.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2023
Saving the Civil Service Act This bill generally prohibits changes to the classification of positions in the competitive service and excepted service unless certain conditions are met. (Competitive service positions are subject to competitive examination; excepted service positions are not subject to competitive examination and are instead subject to the specific requirements applicable to the schedule in which they are placed, which depends on the nature of the position.) Specifically, the bill prohibits executive agency positions in the competitive service from being placed in the excepted service, unless such positions are placed in the excepted service as in effect on September 30, 2020. The bill also prohibits positions in the excepted service from being placed in any schedule other than the aforementioned schedules. Additionally, agencies may not (1) transfer occupied positions from the competitive or excepted service into Schedule C without the consent of the Office of Personnel Management, or (2) transfer employees in the excepted service to another schedule or transfer employees in the competitive service to the excepted service without employee consent. On October 21, 2020, former President Donald Trump issued an executive order that placed executive agency positions that are of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character, and that are not normally subject to change as a result of a presidential transition, under a new schedule in the excepted service (Schedule F) instead of the competitive service. The order also required any such positions in the excepted service to be reclassified to Schedule F. The order was subsequently revoked by President Joe Biden.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2023
Stop the Wait Act of 2023 This bill allows individuals with disabilities to begin receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits in the month they become eligible for the benefits. It also allows these individuals to immediately enroll in Medicare if they cannot afford minimum essential coverage. (Under current law, an individual must generally wait 5 months after the onset of disability to begin receiving SSDI benefits and an additional 24 months to become eligible for Medicare.)
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2023
Supreme Court Ethics Act This bill establishes a new statutory requirement for the Judicial Conference of the United States to issue a judicial code of conduct for judges and justices of U.S. courts, including Justices of the Supreme Court. Currently, the Judicial Conference issues a code of conduct for judges of U.S. courts (but not for Justices of the Supreme Court). To enforce the code of conduct for Justices of the Supreme Court, the bill requires the Supreme Court to appoint an ethics investigations counsel. The ethics investigations counsel must adopt rules to enforce the code of conduct, including a process to receive public complaints of potential violations; investigate complaints; and issue an annual public report describing the complaints and the steps taken to address the complaints. Finally, the bill requires a Justice of the Supreme Court to publicly disclose the reasons for disqualifying himself or herself in a proceeding or the reasons for denying a motion to disqualify himself or herself in a proceeding.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2023
Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2023 This bill makes various changes related to the ethical standards, financial disclosure requirements, and recusal requirements that apply to Supreme Court Justices. Among the changes, the bill requires the Supreme Court to adopt a code of conduct for Justices and establish procedures to receive and investigate complaints of judicial misconduct; adopt rules governing the disclosure of gifts, travel, and income received by the Justices and law clerks that are at least as rigorous as the House and Senate disclosure rules; and establish procedural rules requiring each party or amicus to disclose any gift, income, or reimbursement provided to Justices. Additionally, the bill expands the circumstances under which a Justice or judge must be disqualified; and requires the Supreme Court and the Judicial Conference to establish procedural rules for prohibiting the filing of or striking an amicus brief that would result in the disqualification of a Justice, judge, or magistrate judge.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2023
Strengthening Protections for Domestic Violence and Stalking Survivors Act of 2023 This bill extends federal firearms-related restrictions to individuals who are convicted of a misdemeanor crime of stalking. The term misdemeanor crime of stalking means an offense that is a misdemeanor under federal, state, tribal, or local law and has a course of harassment, intimidation, or surveillance that (1) causes emotional distress, or (2) places a person in reasonable fear of harm to themselves, an immediate family member, an individual who shares or has shared a residence, an intimate partner, or a pet. The term intimate partner includes an individual who is or was in a dating relationship with the person or any other individual similarly situated to a spouse. Additionally, the bill extends federal firearms-related restrictions to individuals who are subject to a court order restraining them from harassing, stalking, or threatening an individual who is in a current or former dating relationship with them or who is similarly situated to a spouse. Currently, federal firearms-related restrictions generally only apply to individuals who are subject to a court order restraining them from harassing, stalking, or threatening a co-parent of a child, a current or former spouse, or a current or former cohabitant.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2023
This resolution condemns the attack against Brazil's government institutions on January 8, 2023. The resolution opposes any attempt to overturn Brazil's 2022 election results and calls for the U.S. government to cooperate with requests for assistance from Brazilian authorities investigating the attack.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2023
Assault Weapons Ban of 2023 This bill makes it a crime to knowingly import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon (SAW) or large capacity ammunition feeding device (LCAFD). The prohibition does not apply to a firearm that is (1) manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action, except for certain shotguns; (2) permanently inoperable; (3) an antique; (4) only capable of firing rimfire ammunition; or (5) a rifle or shotgun specifically identified by make and model. The bill also exempts from the prohibition the following, with respect to a SAW or LCAFD: importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession related to certain law enforcement efforts, or authorized tests or experiments; importation, sale, transfer, or possession related to securing nuclear materials; and possession by a retired law enforcement officer. The bill permits continued possession, sale, or transfer of a grandfathered SAW, which must be securely stored. A licensed gun dealer must conduct a background check prior to the sale or transfer of a grandfathered SAW between private parties. The bill permits continued possession of, but prohibits sale or transfer of, a grandfathered LCAFD. Newly manufactured LCAFDs must display serial number identification. Newly manufactured SAWs and LCAFDs must display the date of manufacture. The bill also allows a state or local government to use Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds to compensate individuals who surrender a SAW or LCAFD under a buy-back program.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2023
This resolution demands that the Chinese government and the Communist Party of China (CPC) immediately release Mark Swidan. The resolution also condemns the Chinese government and the CPC for denying Swidan access to U.S. diplomats and independent and competent medical care. Swidan is a U.S. citizen who was convicted of drug-related charges in China and sentenced to death. A U.N. working group on arbitrary detention considers Swidan's detention arbitrary and in violation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2023
Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2023 This bill establishes new background check requirements for firearm transfers between private parties (i.e., unlicensed individuals). Specifically, it prohibits a firearm transfer between private parties unless a licensed gun dealer, manufacturer, or importer first takes possession of the firearm to conduct a background check. The prohibition does not apply to certain firearm transfers or exchanges, such as a gift between spouses in good faith.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2023
This resolution states that the United Nations Security Council should immediately impose an arms embargo against the military of Burma (Myanmar) and hold it accountable for its ongoing violations of human rights.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2023
Navigating to Success Act This bill includes certain activities such as diagnostic skills assessments and information on skills development programs within the career and training services required to be provided to adult and dislocated workers by local workforce training programs.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2023
READ Act Reauthorization Act of 2023 This bill reauthorizes a law that requires the implementation of a strategy to promote quality basic education in partner countries by (1) expanding access to basic education for all children, particularly marginalized children and vulnerable groups; and (2) improving the quality of basic education and learning outcomes.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2023
This joint resolution provides that the Equal Rights Amendment, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, was ratified by three-fourths of the states and is therefore a valid constitutional amendment, regardless of any time limit that was in the original proposal. The Equal Rights Amendment was originally proposed to the states in 1972. The original proposal included a deadline for ratification of March 22, 1979; Congress subsequently extended the deadline to June 30, 1982. Although the requisite 38 states have ratified the amendment, three of these states did so after the deadlines, and five states subsequently rescinded their ratifications. The status of the amendment has been the subject of litigation.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2023
Ethan's Law This bill establishes a framework to regulate the storage of firearms on residential premises at the federal, state, and tribal levels. At the federal level, the bill establishes statutory requirements for firearms on residential premises to be safely stored if a minor is likely to gain access without permission or if a resident is ineligible to possess a firearm. An individual who violates the requirements is subject to criminal penalties. A firearm stored in violation of the requirements is subject to seizure and forfeiture. At the state and tribal levels, the bill requires the Department of Justice to award grants to implement functionally identical requirements for the safe storage of firearms.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2023
Strengthening Youth Apprenticeships Act of 2023 This bill requires (1) the Department of Labor to enter into an agreement with the Department of Education to promote the integration and alignment of apprenticeship programs with secondary, postsecondary, and adult education; and (2) Labor to award grants to eligible entities (e.g., partnerships that include state or local educational agencies, community colleges, and community-based organizations) to create or expand youth apprenticeship programs.
![Official portrait of Rep. Castro, Joaquin [D-TX-20]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/69d7f5b07304cef7a0c977b1_200.jpg)