United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2023
Fair College Admissions for Students Act This bill prohibits an institution of higher education (IHE) that participates in federal student-aid programs from giving preferential treatment in the admissions process to applicants based on their relationships to donors or alumni of the IHE.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2023
Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act This bill modifies the Conrad 30 Waiver program, which incentivizes qualified foreign physicians to serve in underserved communities. It also extends statutory authority for the program for three years from this bill's enactment. Aliens coming to the United States under a J-1 nonimmigrant visa to receive medical training typically must leave the country and reside for two years abroad before being eligible to apply for an immigrant visa or permanent residence. The Conrad program waives this requirement for individuals who meet certain qualifications, including serving for a number of years at a health care facility in an underserved area. The bill increases the number of waivers that a state may obtain each fiscal year from 30 to 35 if a certain number of waivers were used the previous year, and provides for further adjustments depending on demand. An alien physician may be employed at an academic medical center to meet the Conrad program's employment requirements if the alien's work is in the public interest, even if the medical center is not in an underserved area. Employment contracts for alien physicians under the Conrad program shall contain certain information, such as the maximum number of on-call hours per week the physician shall have to work. Certain alien physicians (along with the physician's spouse and children) shall be exempt from the direct annual numerical limits on immigration, including those physicians that have met certain requirements related to visas for physicians to serve in underserved areas.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2023
Strategic Lebanon Security Reporting Act This bill requires the Department of State to provide Congress with a report addressing security in Lebanon. Specifically, the report must include details regarding the extent of Iranian and Syrian influence in Lebanon, the capability of the Lebanese Armed Forces, Lebanese Armed Forces' actions to prevent the forced return of refugees to Syria, Hezbollah's influence on governmental and financial institutions in Lebanon, and implementation activities related to U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 and successor resolutions.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2023
This resolution recognizes the 50th anniversary of hip-hop and the contribution of hip-hop to American art and culture. Further, it encourages local governments to build partnerships with local hip-hop entities and other members of creative arts.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2023
Scientific Integrity Act This bill revises provisions regarding the release of scientific research results by federal agencies. Each agency that funds, conducts, or oversees scientific research must (1) adopt and enforce a scientific integrity policy that includes certain requirements, such as restricting scientific conclusions from being based on political considerations; and (2) submit such policy to the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) for approval. Agencies must make their policies public, submit them to Congress, and periodically update them with OSTP's approval. The Government Accountability Office shall review implementation of the policies. Each agency shall (1) appoint a Scientific Integrity Officer, (2) establish a process for dispute resolution consistent with the scientific integrity policy, and (3) establish a specified training program for current and new employees.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2023
Shareholder Political Transparency Act of 2023 This bill requires an issuer of securities to disclose information related to expenditures for political activities. Specifically, issuers must disclose quarterly any such expenditure, including by identifying any candidate the expenditure was made in relation to and any trade association or other tax-exempt organization that received dues or other payments that may be used for political activities. Annually, issuers must report on expenditures for political activities made in the previous year over $10,000 and information related to anticipated expenditures for the next year. The Government Accountability Office must report on the effectiveness of the Securities and Exchange Commission's oversight of these reporting and disclosure requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2023
Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2023 This bill expands Medicare coverage of intensive behavioral therapy for obesity. Specifically, the bill allows coverage for therapy that is provided by (1) a physician who is not a primary care physician; or (2) other health care providers (e.g., physician assistants and nurse practitioners) and approved counseling programs, if provided upon a referral from, and in coordination with, a physician or primary care practitioner. Currently, such therapy is covered only if provided by a primary care practitioner. The bill also allows coverage under Medicare's prescription drug benefit of drugs used for the treatment of obesity or for weight loss management for individuals who are overweight.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2023
Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act of 2023 This bill revises drinking water requirements concerning hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations. Specifically, the bill gives the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to protect groundwater sources (e.g., wells) from certain pollution risks posed by fracking operations. The bill also establishes requirements for disclosing the chemicals intended for use in fracking operations as well as the chemicals actually used in the operations. If the proprietary chemical formulas of chemicals used in fracking operations are necessary for treatment in medical emergencies, then the operations must disclose the formulas or the specific chemical identities of trade secret chemicals to the state, the EPA, or the treating physicians or nurses upon request, regardless of whether written statements of need or confidentiality agreements have been provided.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2023
Helping Tobacco Users Quit Act This bill provides for Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage of certain tobacco cessation services. Specifically, the bill provides for coverage, without cost-sharing, of diagnostic, therapy, and counseling services and pharmacotherapy, including prescription and nonprescription tobacco cessation agents, that are provided under medical supervision and in accordance with specified guidelines. It also applies a 90% Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (i.e., federal matching rate) for such items and services for five years.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2023
CLEANER Act of 2023 or the Closing Loopholes and Ending Arbitrary and Needless Evasion of Regulations Act of 2023 This bill eliminates the exemption of waste associated with the exploration, development, or production of crude oil, natural gas, or geothermal energy from regulations governing the disposal of hazardous waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Within a year of enactment, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must determine whether such waste meets the criteria for hazardous waste, promulgate regulations concerning the disposal of such waste if the EPA determines it is hazardous, and revise regulations applicable to solid waste management and disposal facilities (e.g., landfills) to address such waste that is nonhazardous.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2023
Safe Hydration is an American Right in Energy Development Act of 2023 This bill requires hydraulic fracturing operations to test for and report on underground sources of drinking water that are contaminated by such operations. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a process to extract underground resources such as oil or gas from a geologic formation by injecting water, a propping agent (e.g., sand), and chemical additives into a well under enough pressure to fracture the geological formation. Specifically, this bill revises requirements governing state underground injection control programs. In order to obtain primary enforcement responsibility for such programs, states must prohibit the underground injection of fluids or propping agents pursuant to hydraulic fracturing operations related to oil, gas, or geothermal production activities unless the hydraulic fracturing operations agree to test for and report on contamination of drinking water. Hydraulic fracturing operations are exempted from those testing and reporting requirements if there is no accessible underground source of drinking water within a radius of one mile of the site where the operations occur. The Environmental Protection Agency must establish and maintain a publicly accessible and searchable database of the testing results.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2023
Food for Thought Act of 2023 This bill allows the Department of Education to award grants for eligible institutions of higher education to provide free meals to low-income students through on-campus meal programs.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2023
Bring Animals Relief and Kibble Act of 2023 or the BARK Act of 2023 This bill provides civil and criminal liability protections for the donation of pet food and pet supplies under the Bill Emerson Good Samaritan Food Donation Act. (The act shields persons that donate and distribute food to nonprofit organizations from liability for injuries caused by those donated products, with exceptions.) Specifically, the bill limits liability for persons or gleaners arising from the nature, age, packaging, or condition of food or pet supplies that are donated in good faith by the person or gleaner to a nonprofit organization, state, or local government for direct distribution to pets, service animals, or emotional support animals. Gleaner means a person who harvests for free distribution to the needy, or for donation to a nonprofit organization, an agricultural crop that has been donated by the owner. Further, the bill limits liability for a nonprofit organization, state, or local government arising from donated items received from a person or gleaner in good faith for direct distribution to pets, service animals, or emotional support animals. The bill also specifies that the existing exception that permits a person, gleaner, or nonprofit organization to be held liable for acts or omissions that constitute gross negligence or intentional misconduct applies to the liability protections established by this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2023
Freedom to Vote Act This bill addresses voter registration and voting access, election integrity and security, redistricting, and campaign finance. Specifically, the bill expands voter registration (e.g., automatic and same-day registration) and voting access (e.g., vote-by-mail and early voting). It also limits removing voters from voter rolls. Next, the bill establishes Election Day as a federal holiday. The bill declares that the right of a U.S. citizen to vote in any election for federal office shall not be denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense unless, at the time of the election, such individual is serving a felony sentence. The bill establishes certain federal criminal offenses related to voting. In particular, the bill establishes a new criminal offense for conduct (or attempted conduct) to corruptly hinder, interfere with, or prevent another person from registering to vote or helping someone register to vote. Additionally, the bill sets forth provisions related to election security, including by requiring states to conduct post-election audits for federal elections. The bill outlines criteria for congressional redistricting and generally prohibits mid-decade redistricting. The bill addresses campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals, requiring additional disclosure of campaign-related fundraising and spending, requiring additional disclaimers regarding certain political advertising, and establishing an alternative campaign funding system for certain federal offices.
United States · United States Congress · 14 July 2023
This joint resolution expresses the sense of Congress that the Equal Rights Amendment, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, was ratified by more than three-fourths of the states and is therefore a valid constitutional amendment, effective January 27, 2020 (the date of Virginia's ratification). 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 · 13 July 2023
This concurrent resolution calls for U.S. leadership in addressing the climate crisis that is disproportionately affecting the health, economic opportunity, and fundamental rights of children. It also recognizes the need for a climate recovery plan that puts the United States on a trajectory consistent with reducing global atmospheric carbon dioxide to below 350 parts per million by the year 2100.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2023
Social Security 2100 Act This bill modifies the Social Security system, particularly with respect to benefit calculations, fund administration, and beneficiary resources. For example, the bill temporarily increases the primary insurance amount for Social Security benefits for all individuals (from 90% of a certain portion of average indexed monthly earnings to 93%). It also modifies benefit calculations for certain individuals, including by temporarily (1) increasing benefits for widows or widowers in two-income households; and (2) allowing children of a deceased, disabled, or retired worker to remain eligible for benefits through age 25 if they are full-time students. Additionally, the bill temporarily eliminates (1) the government pension offset , which reduces Social Security benefits for spouses, widows, and widowers who also receive government pensions of their own; and (2) the windfall elimination provision , which reduces Social Security benefits for individuals who also receive a pension or disability benefit from an employer that did not withhold Social Security taxes. The bill also modifies the financing and administration of the Social Security trust funds. For example, the bill (1) subjects income over $400,000 to Social Security payroll taxes, and (2) combines the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund into a single Social Security Trust Fund. Finally, the bill establishes requirements relating to Social Security services and resources, including by prohibiting the closure of field offices unless certain conditions are met (e.g., public hearings).
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2023
Stephanie Tubbs Jones Uterine Fibroid Research and Education Act of 2023 This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to expand research on, and take other actions to address, uterine fibroids. These are muscular tumors that grow in the wall of the uterus and may cause pain, heavy menstrual bleeding, and reproductive issues. In coordination with the National Institutes of Health and appropriate federal agencies, HHS must undertake research activities on uterine fibroids. In addition, HHS must establish a database of services furnished to individuals diagnosed with uterine fibroids under Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program and must develop a report on federal and state expenditures for such services. Additionally, HHS must disseminate information on uterine fibroids to the public and to health care providers, including information on the elevated risk for minority women and available treatments.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2023
This resolution expresses support for the designation of Journeyman Lineworkers Recognition Day. (A journeyman lineworker is a person who builds and maintains electrical power systems.)
United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2023
Period PROUD (Providing Resources for Our Underserved and Disadvantaged) Act of 2023 This bill provides additional funding through FY2028 for the Social Services Block Grant to support the provision of menstrual products (e.g., menstrual cups and underwear, sanitary napkins, and tampons) to low-income individuals. (This grant is a flexible funding stream used by states and territories to support a wide range of social services.) The bill also exempts the additional funds from sequestration. Sequestration is a process of automatic, across-the-board reductions under which budgetary resources are permanently cancelled to enforce specific budget policy goals.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2023
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, sex characteristics, or gender identity.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2023
This resolution expresses condemnation for criminalizing the provision of and access to reproductive health care services, including abortion, contraception, and gender-affirming care. It further expresses support for efforts to expand access to such services.
United States · United States Congress · 27 June 2023
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 a 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 · 27 June 2023
This resolution expresses that the House of Representatives (1) demonstrates solidarity with and support for members of the community of Islam in the United States and throughout the world, (2) recognizes the importance of the Islamic faith, and (3) wishes Muslim Americans and Muslims around the world who observe Eid al-Adha a prosperous holiday.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2023
Expanding Access to Family Planning Act This bill provides, subject to specified conditions, funding through FY2033 for federally funded family planning services and clinics. In particular, the funds must be used for (1) grants and contracts that support the provision of family planning services, and (2) clinic infrastructure (e.g., construction and renovation of clinics). Clinics that receive funding to provide family planning services must offer each patient with a positive pregnancy test the opportunity for nondirective counseling on (1) prenatal care and delivery; (2) infant care, foster care, and adoption; and (3) pregnancy termination. This counseling must include referrals if requested by a patient. Additionally, if a funding recipient makes subawards for the provision of family planning services, the recipient may not prohibit an entity from participating in a subaward program for reasons other than the entity's inability to provide family planning services.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2023
ATRRS Act This bill requires the Department of the Army to ensure that a member of the Army Reserve may access the Army Training Requirements and Resources System using a personal internet-enabled device. However, the Department of the Army may restrict access if it determines such a restriction is necessary to ensure the security and integrity of information systems and data of the United Sates.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2023
VA Loan Informed Disclosure Act of 2023 or the VALID Act of 2023 The bill requires a Federal Housing Administration mortgage notice to contain comparative rate and fee information about loans available under the Department of Veterans Affairs home loan program.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2023
Promoting Respect for Individuals' Dignity and Equality Act of 2023 or the PRIDE Act of 2023 This bill requires the equal treatment of same sex married couples for tax purposes. It permits such couples to amend their filing status to married filing jointly for tax returns outside of the statute of limitations and modifies tax rules relating to married couples to include same sex couples.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2023
LGBTQI+ and Women's History Education Act of 2023 This bill directs the National Museum of American History of the Smithsonian Institution (NMAH) to carry out activities to support LGBTQI+ (sexual and gender minority populations) history and women's history education programs. Specifically, the NMAH must, among other things, carry out the following activities: the development and national dissemination of accurate, relevant, and accessible national resources for classrooms to administer LGBTQI+ and women's history education in an inclusive and intersectional approach; the development, national dissemination, and implementation of principles of sound pedagogy for administering LGBTQI+ and women's history education; the development, operation, and expansion of a teacher fellowship program to cultivate and support leaders in LGBTQI+ and women's history education; and engagement with state and local education leaders to encourage the adoption of resources supported under this bill into curricula across diverse disciplines. In addition to the activities described in this bill, the museum must develop and maintain on its website content designated for educators, students, and families to improve their awareness and understanding of LGBTQI+ and women's history education.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2023
Abortion Justice Act of 2023 This bill establishes rights, requirements, and programs with the purpose of increasing access to abortion care. The bill specifies that all persons have a fundamental right to make decisions regarding abortions and miscarriages and prohibits federal, state, and local governments from denying, or otherwise penalizing an individual for exercising, that right. Aggrieved individuals may sue governments for violating these prohibitions. Additionally, the bill eliminates language that allows health care entities to decline to offer training related to, performance of, or referrals for abortion care, and generally requires that all federally funded health care providers offer patients all medically appropriate reproductive care, including abortion care. It also (1) requires public and private health insurance plans to cover abortion services, (2) prohibits immigration enforcement actions within 2,000 feet of any health care facility, and (3) establishes a grant program to increase access to abortion services.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2023
This resolution (1) commits to advancing policies that will end roadway fatalities by 2050, and (2) calls on Congress and the Department of Transportation to commit to working together to achieve zero roadway fatalities by the year 2050.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2023
Reproductive Health Travel Fund Act of 2023 This bill authorizes a grant program to provide assistance with travel-related expenses for those seeking an abortion. Specifically, the Department of Treasury may award grants to nonprofit or community-based organizations to provide assistance to those seeking abortions with round-trip travel, lodging, meals, and other travel-related expenses. Priority must be given to organizations that serve individuals who are in jurisdictions that have banned or severely restricted abortion access or who travel to another jurisdiction for an abortion, or organizations that have or plan to have programs in place that help individuals access abortion services. In order to qualify for a grant, organizations must assist individuals seeking abortions through unbiased and medically and factually accurate programs, services, or activities. Organizations may not discourage individuals from seeking abortions. Additionally, federal entities that implement the grant program may not participate in any state, tribal, or local antiabortion proceedings (e.g., prosecutions) in connection with grant services.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2023
Allergen Disclosure In Non-food Articles Act or the ADINA Act This bill requires the labels of drugs to identify ingredients that contain, or are derived from, major food allergens or gluten-containing grains.