United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2023
Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 This bill repeals provisions that reduce Social Security benefits for individuals who receive other benefits, such as a pension from a state or local government. The bill eliminates the government pension offset , which in various instances reduces Social Security benefits for spouses, widows, and widowers who also receive government pensions of their own. The bill also eliminates the windfall elimination provision , which in some instances reduces Social Security benefits for individuals who also receive a pension or disability benefit from an employer that did not withhold Social Security taxes. These changes are effective for benefits payable after December 2023.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2023
Forest Information Reform Act or the FIR Act This bill specifies that neither the Department of Agriculture nor the Department of the Interior may be required to reinitiate consultation on a land management plan when a species is listed as threatened or endangered, critical habitat is designated, or new information concerning a listed species or critical habitat becomes available.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2023
Proven Forest Management Act of 2022 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA), when conducting a forest management activity on National Forest System land, to coordinate with impacted parties to increase efficiency and maximize the compatibility of management practices across such land. USDA shall conduct such an activity on National Forest System land in a manner that attains multiple ecosystem benefits, including reducing forest fuels and maintaining biological diversity. However, a forest management activity shall not be conducted if the costs associated with attaining such benefits are excessive. Additionally, the USDA shall (1) establish any post-program ground condition criteria for a ground disturbance caused by a forest management activity required by the applicable forest plan, and (2) provide for monitoring to ascertain the attainment of relevant post-program conditions. The bill categorically excludes certain forest management activities for reducing forest fuels from certain environmental impact requirements. USDA or the Department of the Interior, as appropriate, in conjunction with land adjustment programs, may enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with a qualified entity to provide for fuel reduction, erosion control, reforestation, Stream Environment Zone restoration, and similar management activities on federal lands and nonfederal lands within such programs.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2023
No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2023 This bill modifies provisions relating to federal funding for, and health insurance coverage of, abortions. Specifically, the bill prohibits the use of federal funds for abortions or for health coverage that includes abortions. Such restrictions extend to the use of funds in the budget of the District of Columbia. Additionally, abortions may not be provided in a federal health care facility or by a federal employee. Historically, language has been included in annual appropriations bills for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that prohibits the use of federal funds for abortions—such language is commonly referred to as the Hyde Amendment. Similar language is also frequently included in appropriations bills for other federal agencies and the District of Columbia. The bill makes these restrictions permanent and extends the restrictions to all federal funds (rather than specific agencies). The bill's restrictions regarding the use of federal funds do not apply in cases of rape, incest, or where a physical disorder, injury, or illness endangers a woman's life unless an abortion is performed. The Hyde Amendment provides the same exceptions. The bill also prohibits qualified health plans from including coverage for abortions. Currently, qualified health plans may cover abortion, but the portion of the premium attributable to abortion coverage is not eligible for subsidies.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2023
Hearing Protection Act This bill removes silencers from the definition of firearms for purposes of the National Firearms Act. It also treats persons acquiring or possessing a firearm silencer as meeting any registration and licensing requirements of such Act. The Department of Justice must destroy certain records relating to the registration, transfer, or making of a silencer. The bill also revises the definitions of firearm silencer and firearm muffler under the federal criminal code and includes such items in the 10% excise tax category.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2023
Permitting for Mining Needs Act of 2023 This bill expedites the review of mining projects on federal lands and limits judicial review of mining projects. For example, the bill expands the federal permitting and review processes under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for critical minerals. Under the act, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service, to the maximum extent practicable, must complete the federal permitting and review processes related to critical mineral mines on federal lands with maximum efficiency and effectiveness. This bill expands this process to include all minerals as defined by the bill, not only critical minerals. The bill also establishes deadlines for completing the review of mining projects under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. In addition, the bill also expands the meaning of covered projects under the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act to include (1) certain mineral production projects, and (2) certain actions taken by the Department of Defense. Such projects qualify for expedited environmental review. It also establishes requirements to expedite the review or authorization of certain mineral projects, such as (1) mineral exploration activities with a surface disturbance of no more than five acres of public lands, (2) ancillary mining activities, and (3) uranium projects. Finally, the bill limits judicial review of a permit, license, or approval issued by a lead agency for a mining project by requiring the filing of claims within a certain time period.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2023
Action Versus No Action Act This bill limits the scope of certain environmental assessments or impact statements related to forest management activities on National Forest System lands or public lands suitable for timber production to a consideration only of the effects of the forest management activity and the alternative of no action. Specifically, the bill applies to assessments or impact statements prepared by the Department of Agriculture (USDA), with respect to National Forest System lands, or the Department of the Interior, with respect to public lands, for forest management activities that meet at least one of the criteria specified. In the case of the alternative of no action, USDA or Interior shall consider whether to evaluate the effect of no action on, among other things, forest health, wildfire potential, insect and disease potential, and timber production; and the implications of a resulting decline in forest health, loss of habitat diversity, wildfire, or insect or disease infestation on potential losses of life and property, domestic water supply in the project area, and wildlife habitat loss.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2023
Water Supply Permitting Coordination Act This bill makes the Bureau of Reclamation the lead agency for the purpose of coordinating all permitting and related activities required to construct certain new surface-water storage projects. Specifically, Reclamation must identify, notify, and coordinate all Federal agencies that may have jurisdiction over a review, analysis, opinion, statement, permit, license, approval, or decision for a qualifying project. A state where a project is being considered may also choose to participate as a cooperating agency. Reclamation's coordination responsibilities include (1) preparing a unified environmental review document, and (2) maintaining a consolidated administrative record and project data records. Additionally, Reclamation is authorized to accept and expend funds contributed by a nonfederal public entity to expedite the evaluation of a permit for such a project.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2023
Protecting American Energy Production Act This bill prohibits the President from declaring a moratorium on the use of hydraulic fracturing unless Congress authorizes the moratorium. The bill also expresses the sense of Congress that states should maintain primacy for the regulation of hydraulic fracturing for oil and natural gas production on state and private lands. 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 formation.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2023
Border Safety and Security Act of 2023 This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to suspend the entry of any non-U.S. nationals ( aliens under federal law) without valid entry documents during any period when DHS cannot detain such an individual or return the individual to a foreign country contiguous to the United States. A state may sue DHS to enforce this requirement. (Under current law, non-U.S. nationals who arrive at the border without entry documents are generally subject to expedited removal. However, if such an individual is found to have a credible fear of persecution, they are typically subject to detention while their asylum claim is being considered.) The bill also authorizes DHS to suspend the entry of non-U.S. nationals without entry documents at the border if DHS determines that such a suspension is necessary to achieve operational control over such a border.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2023
Stopping Home Office Work's Unproductive Problems Act of 2023 or the SHOW UP Act of 2023 This bill requires each executive agency to reinstate the telework policies that were in place on December 31, 2019. Agencies may not implement expanded telework policies unless the Office of Personnel Management certifies that such policies, among other requirements, will have a positive effect on the agency's mission and operational costs.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2023
Strategic Production Response Act This bill limits the drawdown of petroleum in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve until the Department of Energy develops a plan to increase the percentage of federal lands leased for oil and gas production.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2023
Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act This bill establishes requirements for the degree of care a health care practitioner must provide in the case of a child born alive following an abortion or attempted abortion. Specifically, a health care practitioner who is present must (1) exercise the same degree of care as would reasonably be provided to any other child born alive at the same gestational age, and (2) ensure the child is immediately admitted to a hospital. Additionally, a health care practitioner or other employee who has knowledge of a failure to comply with the degree-of-care requirements must immediately report such failure to law enforcement. A health care practitioner who fails to provide the required degree of care, or a health care practitioner or other employee who fails to report such failure, is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, up to five years in prison, or both. An individual who intentionally kills or attempts to kill a child born alive is subject to prosecution for murder. The bill bars the criminal prosecution of a mother of a child born alive under this bill and allows her to bring a civil action against a health care practitioner or other employee for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2023
Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act This bill rescinds certain unobligated amounts made available to the Internal Revenue Service by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 for its enforcement activities and for funding certain Department of the Treasury tax agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2023
Protecting America's Strategic Petroleum Reserve from China Act This bill prohibits the sale and export of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to China. Specifically, the bill prohibits the Department of Energy (DOE) from selling petroleum products (e.g., crude oil) from the SPR to any entity that is under the ownership, control, or influence of the Chinese Communist Party. Further, DOE must require as a condition of any sale of crude oil from the SPR that the oil not be exported to China.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2023
This concurrent resolution condemns recent attacks on pro-life facilities, groups, and churches and calls on the current presidential administration to use appropriate law enforcement authorities to support their safety.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2023
Adoption Information Act This bill requires federally funded family planning programs to provide each person who inquires about their services with specified information about adoption centers in their state. The Department of Health and Human Services must provide the programs with pamphlets containing the required information.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2023
No Frivolous Application for Short-Barreled Shotguns Act or the NFA SBS Act This bill removes certain short-barreled shotguns from the definition of firearms for purposes of the National Firearms Act. It also eliminates the prohibition on the sale or transportation of such shotguns in interstate commerce and treats persons who acquire or possess a short-barreled shotgun as meeting the registration or licensing requirements for such shotguns where such requirements are determined by reference to the National Firearms Act. The bill preempts state or local laws that impose a tax or recordkeeping requirements on short-barreled shotguns. The Department of Justice must destroy records relating to the registration of shotguns described by this bill within one year after the enactment of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2023
Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act This bill establishes a federal statutory framework to regulate the carry or possession of concealed firearms across state lines. Specifically, an individual who is eligible to carry a concealed firearm in one state may carry or possess a concealed handgun (other than a machine gun or destructive device) in another state that allows its residents to carry concealed firearms. It sets forth requirements for the lawful concealed carry across state lines. The bill preempts most state and local laws related to concealed carry and establishes a private right of action for a person adversely affected by interference with a concealed-carry right established by this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2023
Firearm Industry Non-Discrimination Act or the FIND Act This bill prohibits the federal government from entering into contracts with an entity that discriminates against firearm trade associations or businesses that deal in firearms, ammunition, or related products. Specifically, the bill requires a federal agency to include in each contract for the procurement of goods or services awarded by the agency a clause requiring the prime contractor to certify that it (1) has no policy, practice, guidance, or directive that discriminates against a firearm entity or firearm trade association; and (2) will not adopt a policy, practice, guidance, or directive that discriminates against a firearm entity or firearm trade association during the term of the contract. The bill establishes (1) a similar requirement with respect to subcontracts, and (2) penalties for violations. The bill makes such prohibition inapplicable to a contract for the procurement of goods or services that is a sole-source contract.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2023
Prosecutors Need to Prosecute Act This bill requires certain state and local prosecutors to report data on criminal referrals and outcomes of cases involving murder or non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, arson, or any offense involving the illegal use or possession of a firearm. The reporting requirement applies to state and local prosecutors in a jurisdiction with 380,000 or more persons that receives funding under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program. The report must contain data on cases referred for prosecution, cases declined for prosecution, cases resulting in a plea agreement with the defendant, cases initiated against defendants with previous arrests or convictions, and defendants charged who were released or eligible for bail.
United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2022
Simplifying Grants Act of 2022 This bill sets forth procedures for simplifying the grant process for nonurbanized areas, for both existing and new grant programs. Each agency must make publicly available a checklist for covered local governments with respect to each grant program of the agency for which such governments are otherwise eligible that includes each requirement for every step of the grant process. The Office of Management and Budget must report to Congress (1) within 270 days of this bill's enactment, evaluating the extent to which agencies have simplified the requirements and made the checklist available; and (2) each April 1st, evaluating the amount of technical assistance provided and the amount of funds awarded.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2022
Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act of 2022 This bill bars the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture from prohibiting or regulating the use of lead ammunition or tackle on federal land or water that is under the jurisdiction of such departments and made available for hunting or fishing. The bill makes exceptions for specified existing regulations and where the applicable department determines that a decline in wildlife population at the specific unit of federal land or water is primarily caused by the use of lead in ammunition or tackle, based on the field data from such unit, and the state approves the regulations.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2022
Unrecognized Southeast Alaska Native Communities Recognition and Compensation Act This bill allows five Alaska Native communities in Southeast Alaska to form urban corporations and receive land entitlements. Specifically, the bill allows the Alaska Native residents of each of the Alaska Native villages of Haines, Ketchikan, Petersburg, Tenakee, and Wrangell, Alaska, to organize as Alaska Native urban corporations and to receive certain settlement land. The bill directs the Department of the Interior to convey specified land to each urban corporation. Further, Interior must convey the subsurface estate for that land to the regional corporation for Southeast Alaska. Interior must also convey to each urban corporation any U.S. interest in all roads, trails, log transfer facilities, leases, and appurtenances on or related to the land conveyed to the urban corporation. The bill also allows each urban corporation to establish a settlement trust to (1) promote the health, education, and welfare of the trust beneficiaries; and (2) preserve the Alaska Native heritage and culture of their communities.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2022
Endangered Species Transparency and Reasonableness Act of 2022 This bill revises requirements concerning determinations on whether a species is a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) and caps attorney's fees to prevailing parties in ESA citizen suits. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) must publish online, subject to privacy or administrative limitations, the best scientific and commercial data available that are the basis for each determination. The bill states that the term best scientific and commercial data available includes all data submitted by a state, tribal, or county government. Thus, the USFWS and NMFS would no longer consider whether data from those sources are the best scientific and commercial data available. Instead, the data would be automatically deemed the best scientific and commercial data available regardless of the quality of the data. Before making a determination on whether a species is an endangered or threatened species, the USFWS and NMFS must provide affected states with all of the data that is the basis of the determination. The Department of the Interior must also publish and maintain an online searchable database that discloses federal expenditures related to litigation under the ESA.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2022
Protect Farmers from the SEC Act This bill prohibits the Securities and Exchange Commission from requiring the disclosure of greenhouse gas emissions related to agricultural products.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2022
Diverting IRS Resources to the Exigent Crisis Through Funds for Border Security Act or the DIRECT Funds for Border Security Act This bill rescinds unobligated amounts for Internal Revenue Service enforcement activities enacted by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and redirects such amounts to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection for the hiring of new agents and officers for the security of the southern border of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2022
Securing America's Mineral Supply Chains Act of 2022 This bill addresses various matters related to mineral resources and ensuring adequate supply chains for them, with a particular focus on minerals that are critical to the U.S. economy and national security and critical energy resources. For example, the bill modifies various requirements related to permitting and other aspects of mining on federal land, including specific modifications related to critical energy resources; restricts mineral withdrawals on federal land and prohibits moratoria on or reversals of certain mineral leases, claims, or permits without congressional approval; establishes programs and requires activities to advance technologies for critical mineral production, carbon mineralization, and recovery of critical minerals from mine waste; provides support for workforce development related to mining; permits the inclusion of certain fuel minerals (e.g., uranium) on a list of minerals that are critical to the U.S. economy and national security; and requires efforts to diversify supply chains and promote domestic sources for critical energy resources.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2022
This resolution supports the designation of National Hunting and Fishing Day. The resolution also supports the responsible management of wildlife and natural resources entrusted to the public. Finally, the resolution encourages state-driven hunting and fishing education and safety programs around the country.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2022
Asylum Accountability Act This bill permanently bars a non-U.S. national ( alien under federal law) from receiving certain immigration-related relief if that individual is ordered removed from the United States after failing to appear at a removal proceeding, unless that failure to appear is due to exceptional circumstances. (Currently, this bar from relief is for 10 years.) Under this bill, such an individual shall be permanently barred from receiving discretionary relief under specified immigration provisions, such as (1) cancellation of removal and adjustment to lawful permanent resident status, (2) being allowed to voluntarily depart from the United States, or (3) being allowed to change from one nonimmigrant classification to another.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2022
Permitting for Mining Needs Act of 2022 This bill expedites the review of mining projects on federal lands and limits judicial review of mining projects.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2022
Protect the UNBORN (Undo the Negligent Biden Orders Right Now) Act or the Protect the UNBORN Act This bill prohibits federal implementation of and funding for specified executive orders that address access to reproductive health care services, including services related to pregnancy or the termination of a pregnancy.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2022
Protecting Pain-Capable Unborn Children from Late-Term Abortions Act This bill establishes a new criminal offense for performing or attempting to perform an abortion if the probable gestational age of the fetus is 15 weeks or more. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both. The bill provides exceptions for an abortion (1) that is necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or (2) when the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. A physician who performs or attempts to perform an abortion under an exception must comply with specified requirements. A woman who undergoes a prohibited abortion may not be prosecuted for violating or conspiring to violate the provisions of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2022
No IDs for Illegals Act This bill prohibits using federal funds to establish or otherwise support the Secure Docket Card Program of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2022
Lake Winnibigoshish Land Exchange Act of 2022 This bill requires the exchange of certain federal lands in the Chippewa National Forest in Minnesota. The bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA), if Big Winnie Land and Timber, LLC, (BWLT) offers to convey identified nonfederal land to the United States, to (1) accept the offer and convey to BWLT all right, title, and interest of the United States in and to the federal land; and (2) accept from BWLT all right, title, and interest of BWLT in and to the nonfederal land. The exchange shall be for equal value or the values shall be equalized by a cash payment, subject to an exception. The land acquired by USDA shall be added to and managed as part of Chippewa National Forest.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2022
American Confidence in Elections Act or the ACE Act This bill addresses election administration and security, campaign finance, and other related provisions. Among other provisions, the bill reduces certain election assistance payments for states and local jurisdictions that allow noncitizens to vote in state and local elections, establishes certain requirements related to election and political mail, prohibits foreign nationals from making contributions or donations in connection with state or local ballot initiatives or referenda, repeals certain limits on coordinated party expenditures and aggregate contributions by individuals, terminates the Presidential Election Campaign Fund and requires remaining funds to be transferred to the 10-Year Pediatric Research Initiative Fund, and prohibits the use of federal funds to establish a Disinformation Governance Board.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2022
This resolution directs the Department of Agriculture to transmit to the House of Representatives, not later than 14 days after the date of the adoption of this resolution, copies of any document, memorandum, correspondence, and other communication or any portion of any such communication, that refers or relates to the mineral withdrawal within the Superior National Forest in Minnesota and the composition of the Duluth Complex.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2022
This resolution directs the Department of the Interior to transmit to the House of Representatives, not later than 14 days after the date of the adoption of this resolution, copies of any document, memorandum, correspondence, and other communication or any portion of any such communication, that refers or relates to the mineral withdrawal within the Superior National Forest in Minnesota (including the analysis of Twin Metal's mining operation plan) and the composition of the Duluth Complex.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2022
This joint resolution nullifies the final rule issued by the Council on Environmental Quality titled National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Regulations Revisions and published on April 20, 2022. The rule restores regulatory provisions issued under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) that were in effect before being modified in 2020 by the Update to the Regulations Implementing the Procedural Provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act rule.
United States · United States Congress · 7 July 2022
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 · 1 July 2022
Tax Emergency Adjustment for Mileage Volunteers Act or the TEAM Volunteers Act This bill increases the rate of the tax deduction for the charitable use of a passenger automobile to equal the standard business rate (i.e., 58.5 cents per mile in the first half of 2022, then 62.5 cents per mile for the rest of that year) for taxable years beginning after 2021 and before 2024. It then provides for a permanent 24 cents per mile rate, adjusted annually for inflation, for taxable years beginning after 2023.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 2022
Small Business Payment for Performance Act of 20 22 This bill allows a small business that is awarded a construction contract by a federal agency to request an equitable adjustment if the agency's contracting officer directs a change in the contract's performance without the agreement of the small business. The agency must provide the small business with an interim partial payment to cover additional costs resulting from such a change, and the small business must pay a first tier subcontractor or supplier the portion of the partial payment that is attributable to additional costs incurred due to the change.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2022
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 236 Concord Exchange North in South Saint Paul, Minnesota, as the "Officer Leo Pavlak Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2022
Supporting Opportunities to Build Everyday Responsibility Act of 2022 or the SOBER Act of 2022 This bill directs the Department of Justice to establish a grant program to provide funding for 24-7 sobriety programs. It also directs the National Institute of Justice to evaluate the policies and procedures used by grant recipients to reduce crime, recidivism, and incarceration attributed to use of alcohol or controlled substances.
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
Mining Schools Act of 2022 This bill establishes a grant program for mining schools to recruit and educate mining engineers and other qualified professionals.
![Official portrait of Rep. Stauber, Pete [R-MN-8]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/s001212_200.jpg)