United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2024
This bill requires the Joint Committee on the Library to enter into an agreement to obtain a statue of Benjamin Franklin. The committee shall place the statue in a permanent public location in the U.S. Capitol.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2024
Incorporating National Support for Unprecedented Risks and Emergencies Act or the INSURE Act The Department of the Treasury must establish a catastrophic property loss reinsurance program that provides reinsurance to qualifying insurance companies. (Reinsurance protects insurers from large losses.) To qualify for reinsurance coverage, insurers must offer an all-perils insurance policy for residential or commercial property and offer incentives to policyholders for activities that reduce losses. The bill provides for a phase-in of the program over several years to cover different catastrophes and perils, including floods, hurricanes, and wildfire. When flood coverage is phased in, the National Flood Insurance Program may no longer issue new policies. The bill establishes the threshold for payouts, guidelines for premium rates, and a Federal Catastrophe Reinsurance Fund for the purpose of investing the premiums paid by insurers and for the issuance of notes and bonds. Treasury must establish a grant program to incentivize investments in loss-reduction activities and to encourage states to require insurers to offer an all-perils property insurance policy. Treasury must report on the feasibility of (1) funding the relocation of homes and businesses that have become uninsurable, and (2) including earthquakes as a peril in all-peril policies. Earthquakes must be added to the program as a covered peril at the earliest of eight years after the date of enactment or the date on which the report is submitted. Treasury must also establish a pilot program for multiyear all-perils property insurance.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2024
Affordable Connectivity Program Extension Act of 2024 This bill extends and provides FY2024 funding for the Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides a monthly benefit that allows eligible low-income households to receive discounted internet service. The program also provides a one-time discount that may be used to purchase a connected device, such as a computer.
United States · United States Congress · 22 December 2023
Medical Nutrition Equity Act of 2023 This bill expands coverage under Medicare, Medicaid, other specified federal health care programs, and private health insurance to include foods, vitamins, and individual amino acids that are medically necessary for the management of certain digestive and metabolic disorders and conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2023
Roberto Clemente Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue coins in recognition of the life of Roberto Clemente, baseball player and human rights activist. All sales of coins issued under this bill must include a surcharge to be paid to the Roberto Clemente Foundation.
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2023
Public Health Nursing Act This bill establishes a grant program within the Department of Health and Human Services to support a public health nursing workforce in state, territorial, and local public health departments.
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2023
This bill directs the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) to establish a grant program to provide farmworkers, meat processing workers, and grocery workers stabilization payments in the case of a natural disaster or other disaster. Specifically, AMS must provide funding to membership organizations or labor unions representing farmworkers, meat processing workers, and grocery workers for the payments.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2023
Eviction Prevention Act of 2023 This bill authorizes the Department of Justice to provide grants to state and local governments to make legal counsel available to eligible tenants undergoing eviction proceedings. An eligible tenant is an individual whose income is less than 125% of the federal poverty level. The bill also requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development to establish a national database of evictions. The Government Accountability Office must report on the national status of legal representation of tenants in eviction proceedings, including the effects of access to representation on case outcomes.
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2023
Hunger Clearinghouse Enhancement Act of 2023 This bill provides funding through FY2031 to the Department of Agriculture for maintaining a clearinghouse that provides information to assist low-income individuals and communities in obtaining nutrition assistance and related resources. The bill specifies that the clearinghouse must provide information on the utilization of trained volunteers.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2023
Preserving Seniors' Access to Physicians Act of 2023 This bill increases payments under the Medicare physician fee schedule for 2024. Specifically, the bill increases payments for 2024 by 4.62% (current law provides for a 1.25% increase).
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2023
LGBTQI Business Equal Credit Enforcement and Investment Act This bill requires financial institutions to report certain credit application data to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for the purposes of enforcing fair lending laws. Specifically, financial institutions must report this data regarding lesbian-, gay-, bisexual-, transgender-, queer-, or intersex-owned businesses. Currently, this data is reported regarding women-owned, minority-owned, and small businesses.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2023
Technical Corrections to the Northwestern New Mexico Rural Water Projects Act, Taos Pueblo Indian Water Rights Settlement Act, and Aamodt Litigation Settlement Act This bill authorizes deposits representing unpaid interest into the Navajo Nation Water Resources Development Trust Fund, the Taos Pueblo Water Development Fund, and the Aamodt Settlement Pueblos’ Fund. These funds were established in 2009 and 2010 under certain water rights settlement agreements that did not allow accrual of interest.
United States · United States Congress · 4 December 2023
This resolution condemns all forms of antisemitism and calls for increased funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program and other efforts to strengthen protections and enhance the safety of the American Jewish community.
United States · United States Congress · 29 November 2023
Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences Act or EXPLORE Act This bill sets forth policies for the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture related to recreation on certain public lands. Issues addressed include itemized budget information for outdoor recreation across departments; long-distance bike trails; recreational climbing activities; target shooting ranges; overnight campsites in Arkansas; filming and still photography; motorized and nonmotorized access; invasive species; gateway communities; real-time information for the public on visitor levels; broadband and cellular service; public-private partnerships; access for persons with disabilities to trails and recreation opportunities; recreational and job opportunities for military members and veterans; youth access to recreational lands; issuance of special recreation permits; a digital version of the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass; extension of seasonal recreation opportunities; and volunteers on public recreational lands.
United States · United States Congress · 13 November 2023
Farmers First Act of 2023 This bill extends through FY2028 and revises the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network (FRSAN). This Department of Agriculture program provides competitive grants to states, Indian tribes, and qualified nonprofit organizations to provide stress assistance programs (i.e., professional agricultural behavioral health counseling, helplines, and resources) to individuals engaged in farming, ranching, and agriculture-related occupations. The bill specifies that the grant funding for farm telephone helplines and websites may also be used for crisis lines. Further, FRSAN grant recipients may establish referral relationships with providers, including Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics, health centers, rural health clinics, and critical access hospitals.
United States · United States Congress · 8 November 2023
Keep Physicians Serving Patients Act of 2023 This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to use specified data regarding physician wages and office rent when determining certain geographic adjustment factors for the payment of physician services under Medicare. With respect to such payment, the bill also makes permanent certain minimum adjustments to the work geographic index and extends to all localities certain minimum adjustments to the practice expense index.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2023
Smart Border Protection Act This bill authorizes additional appropriations for U.S Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the General Services Administration (GSA) for operations and infrastructure at ports of entry. Specifically, the bill authorizes additional appropriations for (1) hiring personnel for CBP operations at ports of entry; and (2) procuring, deploying, installing, maintaining, and operating screening technology at CBP ports of entry. The bill also authorizes additional appropriations to GSA for port of entry infrastructure, including building infrastructure improvements, vehicle inspection lane expansion or improvements, pedestrian pathway and lane expansion or improvements, and modernization within ports of entry.
United States · United States Congress · 7 November 2023
Humane Accountability Act This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to jointly report to Congress and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) about assaults, deaths, complaints, and related instances involving immigration detainees. GAO must subsequently issue recommendations to address the reported instances. The joint report must include information from detention centers related to detainee deaths while in custody; assault or abuse of a detainee while in custody by an officer, staff, or other detainee that requires medical attention; sexual assault of detainees while in custody and investigative findings from each such assault; complaints submitted by detainees or their families regarding abuse, sexual assault, staff neglect or retaliation, lack of proper resources or amenities, lack of access to legal counsel, or death; and the centers' actions to address and remedy such complaints from detainees or their families. The report must provide information regarding detention centers operated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Office of Refugee Resettlement. The bill requires GAO to provide Congress with a list of recommendations to address the information in the report within 90 days following GAO's receipt of such report.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2023
Adding Coccidioidomycosis to the FDA Priority Review Voucher Program Act of 2023 This bill expands the priority-review voucher program for tropical diseases to include coccidioidomycosis (also known as Valley fever). A voucher entitles the holder to have a future new drug or biological product application acted upon by the Food and Drug Administration within six months.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2023
Farmers Feeding America Act of 2023 This bill reauthorizes The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP), increases funding for the program, and provides additional delivery options for geographically isolated states (i.e., Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam). TEFAP is a federal program that helps supplement the diets of people with low income by providing them with emergency food assistance at no cost. Through TEFAP, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) purchases a variety of commodities and makes those food products (e.g., canned, frozen, dried, and fresh fruits and vegetables, eggs, meat, dairy, and whole-grain and enriched grain products) available to state distributing agencies. The bill increases funding for purchasing commodities under the program. Further, the bill directs USDA to coordinate with geographically isolated states to (1) establish alternative delivery options for allocated commodities, and (2) allow for the states to order commodities through the USDA Department of Defense Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program. USDA may also provide geographically isolated states the ability to directly purchase domestically grown food in lieu of receiving a portion of the commodities. Under this option, USDA may distribute as cash to the state up to 20% of the cash value of the commodities that are allocated to the state under TEFAP. Further, USDA may consider additional factors beyond lowest price in determining winning bids for contracts for fresh produce packages (including product variety and transportation distance).
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2023
Advancing Tribal Parity on Public Land Act This bill addresses tribal interests in the disposal and management of public land. Specifically, the bill prohibits the federal government from disposing of public land or National Forest System land unless the Department of the Interior or the Department of Agriculture (USDA) determines, through consultation with any interested Indian tribe, that such disposal would not impact the rights and interests of any interested tribe and would not impair access to a reservation. Interested Indian tribe means an Indian tribe with (1) historic, precontact, cultural, or religious connection to a cultural site located on the tract of public land; (2) a former reservation located on the tract of public land; or (3) treaty rights or other reserved rights associated with the tract of public land. Interior and USDA must, prior to conducting a sale of a tract of public land, notify all tribes of the availability of land for sale. Further, Interior and USDA must sell the tract of land to an interested Indian tribe that submits a bid at fair market value. Land acquired by an interested tribe shall be taken into trust by Interior for the benefit of the tribe. Additionally, the bill revises various public land provisions, including to add the interests of tribes to the list of considerations for land exchanges. The bill also requires each public land advisory board to include at least one representative of an interested Indian tribe.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2023
Tribal Cultural Areas Protection Act This bill provides for the preservation of tribal cultural sites on public land by establishing the Tribal Cultural Areas System. Within three years of this bill's enactment, the Department of the Interior or the Department of Agriculture (USDA), as applicable, must establish criteria for recommending tribal cultural sites for designation as tribal cultural areas for inclusion in the system, using specified factors; solicit recommendations from tribes, state historic preservation officers, and tribal historic preservation officers; review designations in local land management plans to identify tribal cultural sites that meet established criteria; consider any other relevant information; consider and evaluate tribal cultural sites for designation as a tribal cultural area for inclusion in the system; and make recommendations to Congress. The bill gives Congress the sole authority to (1) designate a tribal cultural site located on public land as a tribal cultural area for inclusion in the system, and (2) remove a tribal cultural area from the system. Congress must consider the recommendations of Interior and USDA when determining whether to make such a designation. For each congressionally designated tribal cultural area, Interior or USDA must (1) establish a tribal commission to provide guidance and recommendations on the development of a management plan for the tribal cultural area, and (2) develop a comprehensive management plan. The bill allows for self-determination contracts with tribes or tribal organizations to perform administrative or management functions within a tribal cultural area.
United States · United States Congress · 1 November 2023
This resolution recognizes the annual celebration of de los Muertos in the United States and around the world and recognizes the cultural contributions that Mexicans and Mexican Americans have made to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2023
Providing Realistic Opportunity To Equal and Comparable Treatment for Rare Act or the PROTECT Rare Act This bill provides for coverage under the Medicare prescription drug benefit, Medicaid, and private health insurance of certain drugs that are used to treat rare diseases or conditions (i.e., diseases or conditions that affect 200,000 or fewer individuals). Such drugs must be supported by peer-reviewed research or medical experts and must not have been reviewed unfavorably in specified compendia or used in a way that conflicts with approved labels.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2023
This resolution honors the memories of the victims who were killed in the antisemitic attack at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on October 27, 2018. The resolution also condemns rising antisemitism.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2023
Empowering Striking Workers Act of 2023 This bill allows workers engaged in a labor dispute to receive unemployment compensation. It also exempts such workers from the requirement that they be available to work and are actively seeking work.
United States · United States Congress · 24 October 2023
Safe Schools Improvement Act This bill requires states to direct their local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish policies that prevent and prohibit bullying and harassment of elementary and secondary school students. In particular, these policies must prohibit bullying and harassment based on race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), sex characteristics (including intersex traits), disability, or religion. Further, LEAs must provide (1) students, parents, and educational professionals with annual notice of the conduct prohibited in their disciplinary policies; (2) students and parents with grievance procedures that target such conduct; and (3) the public with annual data on the incidence and frequency of that conduct at the school and LEA level. The Department of Education must conduct and report on an independent biennial evaluation of programs and policies to combat bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools. The National Center for Education Statistics must collect state data to determine the incidence and frequency of the conduct prohibited by LEA disciplinary policies.