United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2022
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 · 27 July 2022
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, election as the first African American woman in Congress, and campaign to be the first African American to gain the nomination of a major political party for President of the United States. Following its award, the gold medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution where it shall be available for display and research.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2022
This resolution recommends that the Department of Health and Human Services declare a public health emergency to respond to the spread of monkeypox in countries, including the United States, where the disease is not endemic. (Monkeypox is a viral disease that is endemic to parts of Africa and causes symptoms similar to, but less severe than, smallpox.)
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2022
No Shame at School Act of 20 22 This bill establishes requirements for the treatment of a child who is participating in the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program and owes unpaid school meal fees. It also requires local educational agencies to certify certain children (e.g., homeless children) as categorically eligible for free lunches or breakfasts without an application.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2022
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 · 20 July 2022
Reproductive Health Travel Fund Act of 2022 This bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to pay for travel, childcare, and other expenses of an individual seeking access to abortion services. Eligible grant recipients must be nonprofit or community-based organizations that assist individuals seeking abortion services through programs that are unbiased and medically and factually accurate. The grants may not be used to pay for abortion procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2022
No Tax Breaks for Union Busting (NTBUB) Act This bill denies employers a tax deduction for any expenditures incurred for attempting to influence their employees with respect to labor organizations or labor organization activities, such as elections, labor disputes, and collective actions. The bill requires employers to report on their attempts to influence their employees with respect to labor organizations and their activities.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2022
Tipped Worker Protection Act This bill increases the minimum wage for tipped employees over a phase-in period and provides a process for employers to pool and distribute tips.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2022
Respect for Marriage Act This bill provides statutory authority for same-sex and interracial marriages. Specifically, the bill replaces provisions that define, for purposes of federal law, marriage as between a man and a woman and spouse as a person of the opposite sex with provisions that recognize any marriage that is valid under state law. (The Supreme Court held that the current provisions were unconstitutional in United States v. Windsor in 2013.) The bill also replaces provisions that do not require states to recognize same-sex marriages from other states with provisions that prohibit the denial of full faith and credit or any right or claim relating to out-of-state marriages on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin. (The Supreme Court held that state laws barring same-sex marriages were unconstitutional in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015; the Court held that state laws barring interracial marriages were unconstitutional in Loving v. Virginia in 1967.) The bill allows the Department of Justice to bring a civil action and establishes a private right of action for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2022
EPA Regulatory Authority Act of 2022 This bill provides that in identifying the best system of emission reduction for purposes of a standard performance under the Clean Air Act, the Environmental Protection Agency may include measures that apply beyond an individual stationary source or category of stationary sources. Additionally, the bill provides that each determination in the Clean Power Plan (i.e., the final rule titled Carbon Pollution Emission Guidelines for Existing Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units published in the Federal Register on October 23, 2015) with respect to a best system of emission reduction is deemed as authorized.
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
This concurrent resolution directs the Secretary of the Senate to make a correction in the enrollment of S. 3373 (Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 or the Honoring our PACT Act of 2022), to amend the long title of the bill.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2022
Tax Filing Simplification Act of 2022 This bill directs the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to establish a free on-line tax preparation and filing service and allows taxpayers to access third-party provided tax return information and information held by the IRS. The bill prohibits the IRS from entering into any agreement that restricts its legal right to provide tax return preparation services or to provide tax return filing services. The bill requires the IRS to establish and operate programs to (1) facilitate claims for the child care and the earned income tax credits, (2) provide software for the preparation and filing of individual income tax returns for taxable years beginning after 2022, (3) allow taxpayers to download third-party provided return information and IRS-held information to their tax returns, and (4) allow taxpayers to elect to have their tax returns prepared by the IRS. The bill also requires verification of taxpayer identity and requires the IRS to conduct an outreach campaign to provide the public with information about this bill's programs and software.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2022
This concurrent resolution recognizes Hershel Woodrow "Woody" Williams, the last surviving recipient of the Medal of Honor for acts performed during World War II. The concurrent resolution also permits Williams' remains to lie in honor in the rotunda of the Capitol on Thursday, July 14, 2022, in order to honor the Greatest Generation and the more than 16 million men and women who served in the U.S. Armed Forces from 1941 to 1945.
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 · 5 July 2022
This resolution condemns the Supreme Court's holding in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (that there is no constitutional right to abortion) and expresses a commitment to instituting judicial reform and supporting access to abortion and the communities affected by the Court's ruling. It also urges the executive branch to advance reproductive justice.
United States · United States Congress · 5 July 2022
This concurrent resolution recognizes the significance of the 70th anniversary of Miller v. Board of Education of District of Columbia , in which the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia held that the District had a duty to provide equal educational facilities within the District for Black deaf children as for White deaf children (in accordance with the Supreme Court's holding in Missouri ex rel. Gaines v. Canada that a state may not provide educational facilities within its boundary for one race and send the other outside the state to receive the same course of instruction).
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 2022
Backlog Justice Act of 2022 This bill requires certain actions to address the backlog of untested sexual assault kits. For example, the bill (1) directs the Bureau of Justice Assistance to establish a publicly accessible online database regarding untested kits, and (2) requires the Department of Justice to provide an increased amount of certain grant funding for states that have in place electronic evidence tracking systems for these kits.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2022
This resolution expresses support for implementing a Transgender Bill of Rights that guarantees certain rights for transgender and nonbinary people with respect to public services and accommodations, employment, housing, health care, and other specified areas.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2022
This resolution recognizes the significance of the 40th anniversary of Vincent Chin's death and mourns those of have lost their lives to anti-Asian hate. Vincent Chin was killed in a racially motivated assault.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2022
Ensuring the Best Schools for Veterans Act of 2022 This bill makes adjustments to the process by which the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) evaluates programs of education for violations of the 85/15 Rule. The rule generally prohibits the VA from approving the enrollment of a veteran in any course at an educational institution where more than 85% of the students are having all or part of their tuition or other charges paid by the institution or the VA. The bill adds an exception for tuition or charges paid under a payment plan at an educational institution with a history of offering payment plans that are completed within 180 days after the end of the applicable term, quarter, or semester. The bill also requires the VA to establish a process by which an educational institution may request a review of a determination that the institution has more than 85% of enrolled students that have all or part of their tuition or other charges paid by the institution or the VA. The bill adjusts the existing 35% exemption by exempting courses from the 85/15 Rule if the majority of courses at the institution are approved by the state approving agency, and the total number of veterans, reservists, or eligible beneficiaries who are enrolled at the institution equals 35% or less of the total student enrollment at the institution. Additionally, the 85/15 Rule does not apply with respect to the enrollment of a veteran in a program of education with fewer than 10 students who are having all or part of their tuition or other charges paid to or for them by the educational institution or the VA.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2022
Stop Anti-Abortion Disinformation Act or the SAD Act This bill prohibits advertisements that use deceptive or misleading statements related to the provision of abortion services. Abortion services include (1) surgical and non-surgical procedures to terminate a pregnancy, or (2) providing referrals for such procedures. The Federal Trade Commission must promulgate rules to implement the prohibition, and the bill provides for enforcement by the commission.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2022
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that (1) lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) rights are human rights and protected by the U.S. Constitution; (2) LGBTQIA+ Pride Month should be celebrated; and (3) all Americans should be treated equally regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2022
Save Our Sequoias Act This bill provides for the conservation of giant sequoia trees ( Sequoiadendron giganteum ) in California, including by providing statutory authority for the Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition; directing the coalition to submit a Giant Sequoia Health and Resiliency Assessment; declaring an emergency on certain public lands and allowing officials to carry out protection plans during the emergency to respond to the threat of wildfires, insects, and drought; directing the Department of the Interior to develop and implement a Giant Sequoia Reforestation and Rehabilitation Strategy; and establishing a variety of programs and funds to support the conservation of giant sequoias.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2022
Equal Access to Reproductive Care Act This bill includes assisted reproduction as a tax deductible medical expense. It defines assisted reproduction as any methods, treatments, procedures, and services for effectuating a pregnancy and bringing it to term, and treats it as medical care of the taxpayer, the taxpayer's spouse, or dependent to the extent that they intend to take legal custody or responsibility for any children born as a result of such assisted reproduction.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2022
Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act of 2022 This bill requires (1) the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to issue guidance to support coverage of prenatal and postpartum pelvic health services under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), (2) the Government Accountability Office to study gaps in Medicaid coverage of these and other services for postpartum women, and (3) the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to educate health professionals and postpartum women on pelvic health services.
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 · 16 June 2022
Stop Taxes Against Menstrual Products Act of 2022 or the STAMP Act of 2022 This bill makes it unlawful for a state or local government to impose a tax on the retail sale of a menstrual product.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2022
My Body, My Data Act of 2022 This bill establishes protections, subject to certain limits, for personal reproductive or sexual health information. This includes information relating to past, present, or future surgeries or procedures, such as the termination of a pregnancy. Specifically, commercial entities, including individuals, nonprofits, and common carriers, may not collect, retain, use, or disclose personal reproductive or sexual health information except (1) with the express written consent of the individual to whom such information relates, or (2) as is strictly necessary to provide a requested product or service. Commercial entities also must provide individuals with access to, and a reasonable mechanism to delete, any of their reproductive or sexual health information upon request. Further, commercial entities must maintain and publish a privacy policy describing their practices with respect to such information. The bill's provisions do not apply to entities that are subject to certain existing health-related privacy regulations, such as the privacy regulations issued under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. Additionally, the provisions do not apply to the disclosure of personal reproductive or sexual health information for the publication of newsworthy information of legitimate public concern. The bill provides for enforcement by the Federal Trade Commission and by private civil actions.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2022
Hmong Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to the Hmong people in recognition of their highly distinguished service in the Vietnam War and the fight against communism.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2022
Recycling and Composting Accountability Act This bill establishes data collection and reporting requirements concerning recycling and composting programs. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency must report on the capability of the United States to implement a national composting strategy for compostable materials in order to reduce contamination rates for recycling.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2022
Enhanced Pay for Election Workers Act This bill directs the Election Assistance Commission to establish a program to make payments to states to provide enhanced pay for election workers, including individuals serving as election officials or poll workers on a temporary or unpaid basis.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2022
Ruthie and Connie LGBTQ Elder Americans Act of 2022 This bill addresses matters related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals in certain federal programs serving older Americans, particularly by including an individual's LGBTQ status within the scope of the greatest social needs served by such programs.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2022
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 79125 Corporate Centre Drive in La Quinta, California, as the "Corporal Hunter Lopez Memorial Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2022
This resolution supports access to contraception and related reproductive health services, including by affirming the substantive due process rights that protect such access.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2022
This bill establishes reporting and other requirements related to disaster preparedness and response and hazard mitigation. The Governmental Accountability Office (GAO) must conduct a study and report on disaster spending and strategies for reducing the need for such spending. Specifically, the GAO must identify for the 5-year period ending on the date of this bill's enactment, the total amount of federal, state, and tribal funds spent in response to major disasters and emergencies; 10 proposed federal actions, including reinsurance, that, if implemented, would most effectively reduce the need for spending related to such major disasters or emergencies; the effect that using blockchain may have on delivering disaster assistance to state and Indian tribal governments; and whether insurance protection against wildfires will remain available and affordable to homeowners. The President must coordinate with each state to update state plans to incorporate strategies that decrease the time required to prepare for disasters, including the time to evacuate individuals. An entity that receives grants for hazard mitigation revolving loan funds must ensure that at least 10% of the total dollar amount of the loans it makes each fiscal year assist projects or activities that reduce risks for residential structures related to specified natural hazards.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2022
This resolution condemns in the strongest terms the great replacement theory, which it describes as a white supremacist conspiracy theory that has been used to falsely justify racially motivated, violent acts of terrorism domestically and internationally.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2022
Veteran Service Recognition Act of 2022 This bill addresses immigration-related issues pertaining to noncitizen (or non-U.S. national) military veterans, including by authorizing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide lawful permanent resident status to a veteran subject to removal. If a noncitizen veteran appears to be eligible for lawful permanent resident status under this bill, that veteran must receive a reasonable opportunity to apply for such status and may not be removed until there is a final administrative decision on the veteran's eligibility. For the purposes of providing such status under this bill, DHS may waive any applicable grounds of inadmissibility, except for certain crime- or security-related grounds. The bill also extends certain deadlines relating to obtaining citizenship after serving in the Armed Forces. DHS must create a system for identifying noncitizens who are or may be veterans. Before initiating removal proceedings against a noncitizen, DHS must attempt to determine whether the noncitizen is a veteran. DHS must ensure that veteran status is considered in immigration proceedings. The bill also requires U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and the Department of Defense to take certain actions to facilitate opportunities for military recruits and veterans to obtain U.S. citizenship, such as by training Judge Advocate General Corps members to act as liaisons between the Armed Forces and USCIS on servicemember citizenship applications. The bill also establishes the Military Family Immigration Advisory Committee to provide recommendations on cases involving the removal of a servicemember, veteran, or certain family members of such an individual.
United States · United States Congress · 3 June 2022
Military Access to Reproductive Care and Health for Military Servicemembers Act or the MARCH for Military Servicemembers Act This bill repeals the restriction on utilizing Department of Defense funds and facilities for performing abortions. The restriction only allows such funds and facilities to be used for abortions in cases of rape, incest, or where the mother's life is endangered.
United States · United States Congress · 31 May 2022
Stealthing Act of 2022 This bill establishes a civil action for the nonconsensual removal of a sexual protection barrier (e.g., a condom). A person may recover compensatory and punitive damages, injunctive and declaratory relief, and such other relief as a court may deem appropriate.
United States · United States Congress · 31 May 2022
Consent is Key Act This bill directs the Department of Justice to increase a state's allocation of funds under the Sexual Assault Services Program if the state has in effect a law that authorizes civil damages and equitable relief against a person who engages in the nonconsensual removal of a sexual protection barrier (e.g., a condom).
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 · 31 May 2022
This joint resolution directs the President to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities against the Houthis in Yemen within 30 days of the enactment of this joint resolution unless Congress authorizes a later withdrawal date, issues a declaration of war, or specifically authorizes the use of the Armed Forces. Prohibited activities include sharing intelligence or providing logistical support to enable offensive strikes by the coalition led by Saudi Arabia. This joint resolution shall not affect any military operations directed at Al Qaeda or associated forces.
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 · 27 May 2022
This resolution encourages the people of the United States to observe Menstrual Hygiene Day, and recognizes the need to raise awareness with respect to menstrual hygiene and to increase research on access to menstrual health management.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2022
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 396 South California Avenue in West Covina, California, as the "Esteban E. Torres Post Office Building."
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.