United States · United States Congress · 2 September 2022
Expanding the Voluntary Opportunities for Translations in Elections Act or the Expanding the VOTE Act This bill expands access to voting materials for individuals with limited proficiency in the English language, including by establishing incentive grants for states and political subdivisions to provide translated voting materials. Additionally, the bill directs the Government Accountability Office to study the impact of (1) reducing the threshold requirement under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and (2) expanding the definition of language minorities to include native speakers of additional languages.
United States · United States Congress · 19 August 2022
Governing Unaccredited Representatives Defrauding VA Benefits Act or the GUARD VA Benefits Act This bill imposes criminal penalties and/or fines on individuals for directly or indirectly 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 or imprisonment.
United States · United States Congress · 9 August 2022
Afghan Adjustment Act This bill expands eligibility for special immigrant visas to certain Afghan nationals (and accompanying spouse and children) and addresses related issues. The Department of Homeland Security may provide such visas to Afghan nationals who provided qualifying service as a member of the Afghan Air Force or other specified entities and meet eligibility requirements, such as passing a background check. Currently, special immigrant visas for Afghan nationals are generally only available to those who were employed by or on behalf of the U.S. government in Afghanistan. Such visas shall also be available to an Afghan national who is a qualifying relative of a veteran or member of the U.S. Armed Forces. The bill also modifies procedures for providing lawful permanent resident status to certain classes of Afghan nationals, such as by (1) providing a streamlined process with specified vetting requirements for certain individuals, including those who provided support to the U.S. government in Afghanistan; and (2) preserving the eligibility of certain battered spouses whose eligibility for such status stemmed from a marriage that has terminated. Furthermore, the Department of State (1) must respond to inquiries from Members of Congress about specific applications from Afghan nationals seeking special immigrant or refugee status; and (2) establish an office in Afghanistan to perform certain tasks, such as issuing visas, if no U.S. embassies are operational in Afghanistan. The President must establish a task force to develop and implement a strategy to assist Afghan nationals who qualify for admission to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2022
Healthy Meals, Healthy Kids Act This bill reauthorizes and expands (1) child nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and other institutional food service programs; and (2) the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2022
College Operational Reporting of Emergencies Involving Teens and Young Adults Safety Act of 2022 or the COREY Safety Act of 2022 This bill expands reporting requirements included in the annual security report provided to current and prospective students and employees of each institution of higher education (IHE). Specifically, the bill requires each IHE to include in its report information about the number of incidents that result in serious physical harm or death involving (1) transportation on foot or via bikes, scooters, skateboards, longboards, or motor vehicles; (2) ground level and high height slips and falls; (3) alcohol or drug overdoses; and (4) choking or drowning. Further, the IHE must also include in the report a statement containing the name, address, and distance from campus of the closest Level I trauma center. Additionally, the bill changes the name of the report from annual security report to annual campus safety report .
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2022
Right to Contraception Act This bill sets out statutory protections for an individual's right to access and a health care provider's right to provide contraception and related information. Contraception refers to an action taken to prevent pregnancy, including the use of contraceptives (i.e., a device or medication used to prevent pregnancy), fertility-awareness based methods, and sterilization procedures. Generally, the bill prohibits measures that single out and impede access to contraception and related information. However, a party may defend against a claim that a measure violates the bill's prohibitions by demonstrating, through clear and convincing evidence, that the measure significantly advances access to contraception and cannot be achieved through less restrictive means. The Department of Justice, individuals, or health care providers may bring a lawsuit to enforce this bill, and states are not immune from suits for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2022
Senator Johnny Isakson VA Regional Office Act of 2022 This bill designates the Department of Veterans Affairs Atlanta Regional Office in Georgia as the Senator Johnny Isakson Department of Veterans Affairs Atlanta Regional Office or the Isakson VA Atlanta Regional Office.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2022
Ensuring Access to Abortion Act of 2022 This bill prohibits anyone acting under state law from interfering with a person's ability to access out-of-state abortion services. ( Abortion services includes the use of any drugs that are approved to terminate pregnancies and any health care services related to an abortion, whether or not provided at the same time or on the same day.) Specifically, the bill prohibits any person acting under state law from preventing, restricting, impeding, or retaliating against health care providers who provide legal abortion services to out-of-state residents, any person or entity who helps health care providers to provide such services, any person who travels to another state to obtain such services, any person or entity who helps another person travel to another state to obtain such services, or the movement in interstate commerce of drugs that are approved to terminate pregnancies. The Department of Justice may enforce this bill through civil actions; the bill also establishes a private right of action for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 2022
Emergency Advance Refill Notification Act of 2022 This bill requires private health insurance plans that cover prescription drugs to notify plan holders about the plan's policy concerning advance drug refills in response to a national or public health emergency. Specifically, the plan must notify plan holders in emergency areas whether the plan is waiving time limits on authorized prescription refills and, if so, the process for obtaining an early refill. Plans must issue such notification within five days of an emergency being declared. Concerning the public health emergency declared in response to COVID-19, a plan must provide initial notification of its waiver policy not later than five days after this bill is enacted.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2022
This resolution commends U.S. Capitol Police Officer Caroline Edwards for protecting Members of Congress, staff, and others during the events of January 6, 2021.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2022
This resolution celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Federal Pell Grant program and expresses support for the designation of National Federal Pell Grant Day.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2022
This resolution supports the designation of National CASA/GAL Volunteers Day to commend the work of court-appointed special advocate (CASA) and guardian ad litem (GAL) volunteers.
United States · United States Congress · 31 May 2022
Protecting Our Kids Act This bill makes various changes to federal firearms laws, including to establish new criminal offenses and to expand the types of weapons and devices that are subject to regulation. Among the changes, the bill generally prohibits the sale or transfer of certain semiautomatic firearms to individuals who are under 21 years of age; establishes new federal criminal offenses for gun trafficking and related conduct; establishes a federal statutory framework to regulate ghost guns (i.e., guns without serial numbers); establishes a framework to regulate the storage of firearms on residential premises at the federal, state, and tribal levels; subjects bump stocks to regulation under federal firearms laws; and generally prohibits the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, and possession of large capacity ammunition feeding devices.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 2022
Benton MacKaye National Scenic Trail Act This bill designates the Benton MacKaye Trail as the Benton MacKaye National Scenic Trail and adds the trail to the National Trails System. This trail extends approximately 287 miles across Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 2022
Affordability is Access Act This bill establishes several requirements relating to health insurance coverage of, and access to, over-the-counter contraceptives. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, and the Department of the Treasury to specify that private health insurance plans must cover over-the-counter contraceptives that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), even without a prescription. Under current law, private health insurance plans (with some exceptions) must cover FDA-approved prescription contraceptives, without cost-sharing requirements. The bill also prohibits retailers from interfering with an individual's access to oral contraceptives that are meant for routine, daily use and are FDA-approved for use without a prescription.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2022
This resolution calls on the Russian government to immediately release Brittney Griner. The resolution urges the United States, in all interactions with the Russian government, to raise the case of Brittney Griner and to press for her release. The resolution further urges the Russian government to provide consular access to Brittney Griner while she remains in detention and to respect her human rights. Finally, the resolution expresses support to the family of Brittney Griner and a commitment to bringing her home.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2022
Health Care Providers Safety Act of 2022 This bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to health care providers for security services and other expenses related to physical security and cybersecurity.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2022
Access to Baby Formula Act of 2022 This bill authorizes the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to take certain actions to address emergencies, disasters, and supply chain disruptions (particularly the shortage of infant formula in the United States) affecting participants of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The bill directs USDA to require each infant formula cost containment contract to include remedies in the event of an infant formula recall, including how an infant formula manufacturer would protect against disruption to WIC participants in the state. USDA must, within 30 days, ensure there is a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Health and Human Services that includes procedures for coordination and information sharing regarding any supply chain disruption, including a supplemental food recall. The bill also authorizes USDA to waive or modify any WIC qualified administrative requirement during emergencies, disasters, and supply chain disruptions. Specifically, USDA may waive or modify such a requirement for one or more state agencies if (1) the requirement cannot be met by state agencies during the emergency, disaster, or disruption; and (2) the modification or waiver is necessary to provide assistance to WIC participants and does not substantially weaken the nutritional quality of supplemental foods. For example, USDA may waive the maximum monthly allowance for infant formula. The bill establishes notification requirements for USDA and state agencies related to supply chain disruptions.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2022
This concurrent resolution expresses opposition to the application of criminal laws to pregnancy outcomes and affirms that people deserve access to high-quality health care without fear of reprisal or punishment.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2022
Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2022 This bill provides for the establishment of a code of conduct for Supreme Court Justices, judges of the courts of appeals, judges of the district courts, and judges of the Court of International Trade.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2022
Respect, Advancement, and Increasing Support for Educators Act of 2022 or the RAISE Act of 2022 This bill allows eligible educators (i.e., any elementary or secondary teacher and any early childhood educator) a refundable tax credit of $1,000 plus an additional amount (based upon a specified student poverty ratio) for eligible educators employed at a qualifying school (i.e., a public elementary or secondary school that is eligible for certain federal assistance or is funded by the Bureau of Indian Education), or an early childhood education program for children receiving certain federal assistance. The bill also increases the amount of the tax deduction for the expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers and expands such credit to include early childhood educators. The bill provides additional funding to local educational agencies that maintain or increase the salaries of their teachers.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2022
This resolution thanks the teachers of the United States and promotes the teaching profession by encouraging students, parents, school administrators, and public officials to recognize National Teacher Appreciation Week.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2022
WIC Healthy Beginnings Act of 202 2 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to maintain a publicly available, searchable database that contains solicitations for infant formula bids under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Under current law, state agencies must control infant formula costs in the WIC program through competitive bidding for infant formula rebate contracts. The bill requires state WIC agencies to provide USDA with open solicitations for these competitive bids to populate the database.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2022
Strengthen and Tackle Opportunities to Prevent Violence Act of 2022 or the STOP Violence Act of 2022 This bill allows funds under the Antiterrorism and Emergency Assistance Program to be used for efforts to prepare against mass violence and protect public assembly facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2022
Help for Healing Communities Act This bill establishes a program through which the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration may award grants to support mental and behavioral health services for survivors of active shooter events and incidents of targeted violence. Eligible grant recipients include state, tribal, territorial, and local governments and nonprofits located in or serving a community that experienced an active shooter event or incident of targeted violence in the preceding fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2022
Safe Workplaces Act This bill requires the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to promulgate an occupational safety and health standard on reducing the threat of workplace violence, including firearm violence. Additionally, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health must study and make recommendations about ways to reduce workplace violence. OSHA must consider those recommendations when promulgating the workplace safety and health standard.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2022
Student Loan Borrower Relief Act This bill revises income-driven repayment plans for federal student loans, including by reducing from 25 years to 15 years the maximum repayment period under these plans. Additionally, the bill makes changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, including by cancelling a portion of a borrower's student loans after every 12 months of eligible public service employment.
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2022
This resolution recognizes that Black women are experiencing high, disproportionate rates of maternal mortality and morbidity in the United States and that Black Maternal Health Week is an opportunity to deepen the national conversation about Black maternal health.
United States · United States Congress · 6 April 2022
This resolution expresses support for legislation to provide child care assistance to all working families that need it; make childcare affordable and available to meet various job schedules; guarantee that all families eligible for childcare will receive it; improve the quality of childcare; expand access to Head Start and preschool services; and provide sufficient federal, state, and local investment to ensure resources for both high-quality jobs and affordable childcare.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2022
Jumpstart Our Legal Immigration System Act or the Jumpstart Act This bill makes unused employment-based and family-based immigrant visas from FY1992 through FY2021 available in subsequent fiscal years. It also makes diversity immigrant visas available to individuals who were selected for such a visa between FY2017-FY2021 but were unable to receive the visa due to certain (1) executive actions, or (2) limitations related to COVID-19. The bill also establishes supplemental fees for certain immigration-related applications.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2022
Training, Retention, And Investment Now for a Better America Act or the TRAIN Act This bill provides statutory authority for the Department of Labor's Strengthening Community Colleges Training Grants program, which awards competitive grants for community colleges to provide education or career training for jobs in high-demand industries.
United States · United States Congress · 4 April 2022
YouthBuild for the Future Act This bill reauthorizes through FY2028 and revises the YouthBuild program, including by (1) extending from 12 to 24 months the permissible period during which program participants may receive supportive services after completing training, and (2) allowing grantees to count YouthBuild funds toward the matching requirement for National and Community Service grant programs.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2022
Protecting America's Retirement Security Act This bill makes various changes with respect to the administration of employer-sponsored retirement plans, including establishing additional spousal consent requirements for distributions under such plans and requiring the periodic automatic reenrollment of nonparticipating employees in automatic contribution arrangements that take effect after December 31, 2024. The bill also requires the Department of Education, in consultation with relevant agencies, to establish a personal finance education portal that includes information about savings, investing, borrowing, and managing student loan repayment.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2022
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2022 This bill reauthorizes through FY2028 and expands programs under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). The bill also revises workforce investment, vocational rehabilitation, employment, training, and literacy programs for eligible individuals. For example, the bill increases workforce representation on state and local workforce investment boards from 20% to 30%; reworks one-stop center infrastructure funding by requiring costs to be covered by state allocations of WIOA funds; establishes subsidized youth employment programs that include work-readiness training and mentoring; eliminates a requirement that the Department of Labor ensure that individuals participating in WIOA activities comply with Selective Service laws; modifies the allotment of youth workforce investment funds to states; expands the Job Corps program, including by serving individuals in outlying areas and relaxing age requirements; establishes grants to expand training programs through industry or sector partnerships; expands grants for integrated English literacy and civics education to outlying areas; and expands Wagner-Peyser employment services to the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa. The bill also provides statutory authority for Labor to award competitive grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements to improve employment and training outcomes and reduce recidivism of justice-involved youth; and competitive grants for states to create workforce longitudinal administrative databases.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2022
Chattahoochee River Act This bill requires the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to provide design and construction assistance for water-related resource protection and restoration projects that affect the Chattahoochee River Basin. The basin is located in Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. Specifically, the bill requires USACE to provide assistance to state and local agencies and tribal entities for projects that include (1) sediment and erosion control, (2) ecosystem restoration, (3) protection of essential public works, and (4) the beneficial uses of dredged material. Further, the bill requires USACE, stakeholders, and state and local agencies to develop a comprehensive Chattahoochee River Basin restoration plan. The plan must give priority to eligible projects that will also improve the quality or quantity of the water or that use natural hydrological features and systems.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2022
This resolution expresses support for the designation of Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. It also honors and recognizes the contributions of veterans who served in Vietnam.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2022
Human Trafficking Prevention Act of 2022 This bill requires the Department of Transportation to seek to provide for the posting of contact information of the national human trafficking hotline in the restrooms of each U.S. aircraft, airport, over-the-road bus, bus station, passenger train, and passenger railroad station.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2022
This resolution expresses that the House of Representatives declares its gratitude on behalf of the people of the United States to the journalists and news staff who continue to put themselves in harm's way to report on the humanitarian crisis and ongoing war on the ground in Ukraine following Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine; and honors the contributions of journalists and news staff reporting from the war in Ukraine as essential in the ongoing struggle for the rights of a free press and free speech internationally, pivotal in pushing back against false propaganda by tyrants, and crucial to informing Americans and the world of the horrors being wrought against the Ukrainian people.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2022
Supporting Children's Mental Health Care Access Act of 2022 This bill reauthorizes through FY2027 two grant programs that support pediatric mental and behavioral health services and interventions. First, it reauthorizes and makes changes to a grant program for states, localities, and Indian tribes for statewide or regional telehealth access programs to promote the integration of behavioral health in pediatric primary care. Specific changes include allowing a nonprofit organization to receive the grant if the state (1) does not apply for the grant, and (2) supports the nonprofit's receipt of it. Additionally, recipients may use grant funds to support schools and emergency departments. Second, the bill reauthorizes a grant program for human services agencies and nonprofits to develop and maintain infant and early childhood mental health promotion, intervention, and treatment programs.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2022
Honoring Harriet Tubman Act This bill requires the Joint Committee on the Library to obtain a statue of Harriet Tubman and place the statue in a suitable permanent location in National Statuary Hall.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2022
School Hunger Elimination Act of 2022 This bill revises requirements under the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program of the Department of Agriculture, including by expanding mandatory direct certification of low-income children for free or reduced-price meals.
United States · United States Congress · 7 March 2022
Public Safety Officer Support Act of 2022 This bill extends death and disability benefits under the Public Safety Officers' Benefits Program (PSOB) to certain public safety officers and survivors of public safety officers who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder or acute stress disorder following a stressful situation while on duty. The PSOB program provides death, disability, and education benefits to public safety officers and survivors of public safety officers who are killed or injured in the line of duty.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2022
Job Protection Act This bill reduces from 12 months to 90 days the employment period required for employees (including federal employees) to become eligible for family and medical leave. Additionally, the bill makes the family and medical leave requirements applicable to all employers (currently, the requirements apply to employers with 50 or more employees).
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2022
Latonya Reeves Freedom Act of 2022 This bill prohibits government entities and insurance providers from denying community-based services to individuals with disabilities that require long-term service or support that would enable such individuals to live in the community and lead an independent life. Specifically, these entities may not discriminate against such individuals in the provision of community-based services by such actions as imposing prohibited eligibility criteria, cost caps, or waiting lists or failing to provide a specific community-based service. Additionally, community-based services must be offered to individuals with such disabilities prior to institutionalization. Institutionalized individuals must be notified regularly of community-based alternatives. The bill requires the Department of Justice to issue regulations requiring government entities and insurance providers to offer community-based long-term services to individuals with such disabilities who would otherwise qualify for institutional placement. Government entities must ensure sufficient availability of affordable, accessible, and integrated housing that is not a disability-specific residential setting or a setting where services are tied to tenancy. Regulations shall also (1) require government entities and insurance providers to perform self-evaluation on current services, policies, and practices and concerning compliance with requirements of this bill; and (2) require government entities to submit a transition plan. The bill provides funds for FY2022 for the Department of Health and Human Services to provide technical assistance with respect to transition plans. The bill allows civil actions by individuals subjected to, or about to be subjected to, a violation of its requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2022
Election Worker and Polling Place Protection Act This bill addresses certain protections for election workers and polling places. In particular, the bill prohibits, with enhanced penalties for certain types of threats and harms (1) intimidation of poll watchers, election officials, and election agents, vendors, and contractors involving violence or threats of harm; and (2) physical damage to or threats to physically damage a polling place, tabulation center, or other election infrastructure.