United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2023
This bill requires the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to withdraw a proposed rule relating to conservation and landscape health and prohibits the BLM from finalizing, implementing, or enforcing the proposed rule or any substantially similar rule.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2023
AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act of 2023 This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to issue a rule that requires all new motor vehicles to have devices that can access AM broadcast stations installed as standard equipment. (AM broadcast stations are often used to deliver emergency alerts and news and entertainment programming; some newer vehicles do not include AM equipment.) Specifically, this bill applies to motor vehicles manufactured in the United States, imported into the United States, or shipped in interstate commerce after the rule's effective date. The DOT rule must require all such vehicles to have devices that can receive signals and play content transmitted by AM broadcast stations or digital audio AM broadcast stations installed as standard equipment. Prior to the effective date of the rule, manufacturers that do not include devices that can access AM broadcast stations as standard equipment must inform purchasers of this fact through clear and conspicuous labeling. DOT may assess civil penalties against any manufacturer that fails to comply with the mandate. The Department of Justice may also bring a civil action to enjoin a violation. Further, the Government Accountability Office must study and report on whether a reliable alternative communication system exists for delivering emergency alerts and consider the (1) cost to drivers and passengers of receiving communications through an alternative system, and (2) cost and time required to develop and implement an alternative.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2023
Protecting America's Agricultural Land from Foreign Harm Act of 2023 This bill prohibits persons associated with the governments of Iran, North Korea, China, or Russia from purchasing or leasing agricultural land in the United States. Specifically, the President must prohibit any person (individual or entity) owned by, controlled by, or subject to the jurisdiction or direction of these foreign governments from purchasing or leasing (1) public agricultural land that is owned by the United States and administered by a federal department or agency, or (2) private agricultural land that is located in the United States. A person that violates or attempts to violate this prohibition is subject to civil and criminal penalties. This prohibition does not require a person that owns or leases agricultural land as of the date of this bill's enactment to sell that land. Further, the President must prohibit a person associated with these foreign governments and who leases, or who has full or partial ownership of, agricultural land in the United States from participating in Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs. Exceptions are included to allow for participation in USDA programs related to food safety, the health and labor safety of individuals, or certain reporting and disclosure requirements. The restrictions established by the bill do not apply to U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents. The bill also amends the agriculture foreign investment disclosure reporting requirements to include reporting on security interests and leases. Finally, USDA must submit a report every two years on foreign ownership of agriculture land in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2023
Tribal Police Department Parity Act This bill treats tribal law enforcement agencies in the same manner as federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies for purposes of accessing firearms. The National Firearms Act (NFA) generally imposes a tax on the transfer of an NFA firearm; however, specified governmental entities (e.g., federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies) are exempt from this transfer tax. This bill extends this exemption to Indian tribes (and consequently, to tribal law enforcement agencies). The Gun Control Act (GCA) generally prohibits the interstate shipment of firearms to unlicensed persons, but exempts specified governmental entities from this prohibition. This bill makes Indian tribes (and consequently, tribal law enforcement agencies) eligible to receive firearms interstate. The GCA also prohibits the transfer or possession of machine guns manufactured after 1986, but exempts specified governmental entities from this prohibition. This bill makes Indian tribes (and consequently, tribal law enforcement agencies) eligible to transfer or possess these machine guns.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2023
Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2023 This bill revises provisions of the low-income housing tax credit and renames it as the affordable housing tax credit . The bill increases the per capita dollar amount of the credit and its minimum ceiling amount beginning in 2023 and extends the inflation adjustment for such amounts. The bill modifies tenant income eligibility requirements and the average income formula for determining such income. It also revises rules for student occupancy of rental units and tenant voucher payments, and prohibits any refusal to rent to victims of domestic abuse. The bill further modifies the credit to increase state allocations of the credit; repeal the qualified census tract population cap; prohibit consideration of local approval and local government contribution requirements for housing projects; increase the credit for certain projects designated to serve extremely low-income households; increase the credit for certain bond-financed projects designated by state agencies; eliminate the basis reduction for properties that receive certain energy-related tax benefits; and increase the population cap for difficult development areas (i.e., areas with high construction, land, and utility costs relative to area median gross income). The bill also includes Indian and rural areas as difficult development areas and modifies other requirements relating to casualty losses, tax-exempt bond financing, and foreclosures.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2023
Superior National Forest Restoration Act This bill rescinds Public Land Order No. 7917 for Withdrawal of Federal Lands; Cook, Lake, and Saint Louis Counties, MN , which bars mining operations on specified Forest Service lands in Minnesota. The bill directs the Forest Service to complete necessary environmental and regulatory review for all mine plans of operations within the Superior National Forest within 18 months of submission; and reissue each cancelled mineral lease, preference right lease, and prospecting permit relating to lands within that forest. A lease or permit reissued under this provision is not subject to judicial review.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2023
Gateway Community and Recreation Enhancement Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior and the Forest Service to carry out activities to enhance recreational opportunities for gateway communities and provides for the establishment of a digital National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass. Gateway community means a community that serves as an entry point or is adjacent to a recreation destination at which there is consistently high seasonal or year-round visitation. Specifically, Interior and the Forest Service must collaborate with relevant stakeholders to identify needs and economic impacts in gateway communities, including housing shortages, demands on existing municipal infrastructure, accommodation and management of sustainable visitation, and the expansion and diversification of visitor experiences by bolstering visitation at certain nearby underutilized locations or lesser-known recreation sites. The Rural Business-Cooperative Service shall provide to businesses in gateway communities assistance to establish, operate, or expand infrastructure to accommodate and manage sustainable visitation. Before taking action that will reduce access to a national park (excluding actions due to incident specific events that present a health and safety risk), the office of the superintendent of the affected park must conduct public meetings, consult local stakeholders, and provide an opportunity for public comments. Interior and the Forest Service must (1) establish a single visitation data reporting system to report accurate annual visitation data, and (2) carry out a Real-time Data Pilot Program.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2023
Homes for Every Local Protector, Educator, and Responder Act of 2023 or the HELPER Act of 2023 This bill establishes a program administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide mortgage assistance to law enforcement officers, elementary and secondary school teachers, firefighters, or other first responders. Specifically, these individuals may be eligible for a first-time mortgage on a primary family residence with no down payment. Instead, the mortgage is subject to a one-time, up-front mortgage insurance premium.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2023
This resolution expresses support for recognizing National Police Week. The resolution further recognizes law enforcement officers across the United States in the pursuit of preserving safe and secure communities; the need to ensure that such officers have the equipment, training, and resources necessary to protect their health and safety while they are protecting the public; and the law enforcement community for acts of sacrifice and heroism. The resolution expresses condolences and appreciation to the loved ones of each law enforcement officer who has made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2023
Increased TSP Access Act of 2023 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to modify the certification process for Technical Service Providers (TSPs) at the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) by establishing an approval process for nonfederal certifying entities and a streamlined certification process for TSPs that hold certain specialty certifications. (TSPs are third-party service providers, such as private businesses, Indian tribes, and nonprofit organizations, who work on behalf of customers to offer planning, design, and implementation services that meet NRCS criteria.) The bill specifies that USDA must ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, third-party providers with expertise in the technical aspects of conservation practice design, implementation, and evaluation are eligible to become approved TSPs. USDA must provide a streamlined certification process for TSPs who hold appropriate specialty certifications (e.g., certified crop advisors). In determining the eligibility of a nonfederal certifying entity, USDA must consider the ability, experience, expertise, and history of the entity. USDA must decide whether to approve an application submitted by a nonfederal certifying entity to certify TSPs not later than 40 business days after receiving an application. USDA must review a TSP's certification by a nonfederal certifying entity not later than 10 business days after receiving a notification from the nonfederal entity. If the certification is satisfactory, USDA must include the TSP on a USDA-maintained registry of certified TSPs. The bill also specifies that TSPs must be paid at rates equivalent to technical assistance provided by USDA. Further, USDA must provide accessible public information on TSPs, including information on funding, contributions, certification results, and utilization rates.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2023
Deregulating Restrictions on Interstate Vehicles and Eighteen-wheelers Act or the DRIVE Act This bill prohibits the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) from issuing any rule or regulation to require vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight of more than 26,000 pounds and are operating in interstate commerce to be equipped with a speed limiting device set to a maximum speed. The FMCSA issued an advance notice of supplemental proposed rulemaking on this subject on May 4, 2022.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2023
This resolution urges transatlantic unity on a robust deterrence policy to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The resolution also (1) encourages NATO allies to work with their partners in the Indo-Pacific to address shared global security challenges; and (2) commends the people of Taiwan for their commitment to democracy, civil liberties, and human rights.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2023
Secure the Border Act of 2023 This bill addresses issues regarding immigration and border security, including by imposing limits to asylum eligibility. For example, the bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to resume activities to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border; provides statutory authorization for Operation Stonegarden, which provides grants to law enforcement agencies for certain border security operations; prohibits DHS from processing the entry of non-U.S. nationals ( aliens under federal law) arriving between ports of entry; limits asylum eligibility to non-U.S. nationals who arrive in the United States at a port of entry; authorizes the removal of a non-U.S. national to a country other than that individual's country of nationality or last lawful habitual residence, whereas currently this type of removal may only be to a country that has an agreement with the United States for such removal; expands the types of crimes that may make an individual ineligible for asylum, such as a conviction for driving while intoxicated causing another person's serious bodily injury or death; authorizes DHS to suspend the introduction of certain non-U.S. nationals at an international border if DHS determines that the suspension is necessary to achieve operational control of that border; prohibits states from imposing licensing requirements on immigration detention facilities used to detain minors; authorizes immigration officers to permit an unaccompanied alien child to withdraw their application for admission into the United States even if the child is unable to make an independent decision to withdraw the application; imposes additional penalties for overstaying a visa; and requires DHS to create an electronic employment eligibility confirmation system modeled after the E-Verify system and requires all employers to use the system.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2023
Solidify Iran Sanctions Act of 2023 This bill eliminates a sunset clause in the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996, thereby making permanent the requirement for the President to impose sanctions on certain individuals or entities engaged in specified transactions related to Iran's energy sector or Iran's efforts to acquire or develop certain weapons (such as chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons).
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2023
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that (1) an all-of-the-above approach to energy is the most viable approach to energy independence, (2) energy security is an issue of national security, and (3) increased domestic energy production will result in lower energy prices.
United States · United States Congress · 28 April 2023
This resolution expresses U.S. support for Israel and its efforts to defend its right to existence. The resolution also declares that the United States and international community must prevent Iran from acquiring or building nuclear weapons.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2023
Hydrogen Permitting Simplification Act This bill exempts certain major federal actions, including actions that produce hydrogen from nuclear, solar, wind, or geothermal energy sources, from requirements under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2023
Tribal Gaming Regulatory Compliance Act This bill allows the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Alabama-Coushatta tribes to conduct gaming activities on their land in Texas if certain conditions are met. Currently, the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo and Alabama-Coushatta Indian Tribes of Texas Restoration Act prohibits the tribes from conducting gaming activities on their land if those activities are prohibited by Texas law. The bill repeals those provisions and instead applies the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA) to gaming activities on Indian lands of the tribes.
United States · United States Congress · 24 April 2023
Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the posthumous award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Roddie Edmonds in recognition of his achievements and heroic actions during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2023
Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-Risk Trafficking Act or the FIGHT Act This bill expands protections of animals provided under the Animal Welfare Act, including by prohibiting any (1) broadcasts from international, interstate, or intrastate sources of animal fighting ventures in the United States or U.S. territories; and (2) shipments or transport of certain mature roosters.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2023
Fair Access to Banking Act This bill places restrictions on certain banks, credit unions, and payment card networks if they refuse to do business with a person who complies with the law. Restrictions include prohibiting the use of electronic funds transfer systems and lending programs, termination of an institution's depository insurance, and specified civil penalties. Banks and other specified financial institutions are allowed to deny financial services to a person only if the denial is justified by a documented failure of that person to meet quantitative, impartial, risk-based standards established in advance by the institution. This justification may not be based upon reputational risks to the institution. Banks may also deny services to a person who engaged in rude or harassing conduct toward an employee of the bank. The bill establishes the right for a person to bring a civil action for a violation of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2023
Technology Grants to Strengthen Domestic Mining Education Act of 2023 or the Mining Schools Act of 2023 This bill requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a grant program to support domestic mining education. Under the program, DOE must award up to 10 grants each year to mining schools for recruiting and educating mining engineers and other qualified professionals to meet future energy and mineral needs. In addition, the bill repeals the Mining and Mineral Resources Research Institute Act of 1984.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2023
Restore Public Health Institution Trust Act of 2023 This bill requires the Government Accountability Office to report on public health messaging and other recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report must specifically address (1) the data used to make recommendations; (2) the effect of inconsistent messaging on the public's trust in the CDC, willingness to follow the CDC's COVID-19 guidance, and attitudes about immunizations both in general and for specific populations; and (3) the degree to which outside entities influenced CDC recommendations.
United States · United States Congress · 13 April 2023
Federal Firearms Licensee Protection Act of 2023 This bill modifies criminal penalties for an offense involving the theft of a firearm from a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer, or from their business premises. Specifically, the bill does the following: increases from 10 to 20 years the maximum prison term, and creates a 3- or 5-year mandatory minimum prison term for an offense that occurs during the commission of a burglary or robbery. An attempt to commit an offense is subject to the same penalties as a substantive offense.
United States · United States Congress · 3 April 2023
San Juan Southern Paiute Tribal Homelands Act of 2023 This bill approves, ratifies, and confirms a specified treaty entered into by the Navajo Nation and the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe, thus settling land claims and other disputes. (The San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe is a federally recognized tribe occupying lands within the Navajo Indian Reservation. In 2000, the tribes entered into a treaty to set aside lands for the exclusive use of the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe and to address other matters. This treaty requires ratification and approval by Congress.) The bill directs the Department of the Interior to approve, execute, and implement the treaty. Further, the bill delegates authority to Interior to approve amendments to the treaty without further action by Congress. Additionally, the bill proclaims approximately 5,400 acres of land within the Navajo Indian Reservation (described in the treaty as the San Juan Paiute Northern Area and the San Juan Paiute Southern Area) as the San Juan Southern Paiute Reservation. These lands shall be held in trust as a reservation for the exclusive benefit of the San Juan Southern Paiute Tribe. Interior must survey, mark, and fence lands to establish the boundaries of the reservation. The transfer of these lands shall also include the transfer of associated water rights, which shall be held in trust for the benefit of the tribe. The bill also outlines water rights associated with the San Juan Paiute Northern Area and the San Juan Paiute Southern Area.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2023
Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act This bill allows for Medicare coverage and payment for multi-cancer early detection screening tests that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration and that are used to screen for cancer across many cancer types, if the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services determines such coverage is appropriate.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2023
This joint resolution nullifies the final rule issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service titled Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Regulations for Listing Endangered and Threatened Species and Designating Critical Habitat and published on June 24, 2022. The 2022 rule rescinds an earlier rule which limited the ability of the service to designate an area a critical habitat . Areas designated as critical habitat are subject to certain statutory restrictions.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2023
This joint resolution nullifies the final rule issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service titled Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Endangered Species Status for Northern Long-Eared Bat and published on November 30, 2022. This rule reclassifies the northern long-eared bat ( Myotis septentrionalis ) from a threatened species to an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. The rule also removes the northern long-eared bat's species-specific rule, which applied only when the bat was listed as a threatened species.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2023
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 · 29 March 2023
Resident Physician Shortage Reduction Act of 2023 This bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for qualifying hospitals, including hospitals in rural areas and health professional shortage areas. Current law provides for an increase of up to 200 positions per fiscal year beginning in FY2023, with a total increase of 1,000 positions; each hospital may receive up to 25 additional positions. Current law also provides for an additional increase of up to 200 positions for FY2026, with at least 100 of these positions for psychiatry or related specialties; each hospital may receive up to 10 additional positions. The bill provides for an additional increase of 2,000 positions per fiscal year from FY2025-FY2031; during this period, each hospital may receive up to 75 additional positions in total under the bill and current law. Additionally, one-third of the positions that are made available under the bill must be allocated to hospitals that are already operating above applicable resident limits. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to report on strategies to increase the diversity of the health professional workforce, including with respect to representation from rural, low-income, and minority communities.
United States · United States Congress · 28 March 2023
Purple Heart Freedom to Work Act This bill increases the monthly income limit that is used to determine whether certain Purple Heart recipients are eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. Specifically, when making such determinations with respect to Purple Heart recipients who are entitled to SSDI benefits based on combat-related injuries, the Social Security Administration must use the limit that applies to individuals who are blind rather than the lower limit that applies to other SSDI recipients. In addition, the bill phases out SSDI benefits for these Purple Heart recipients, with benefits reduced by $1 for every $4 of earnings in excess of the limit.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2023
This bill extends a provision that removes numerical limits for visas for certain temporary nonagricultural workers working on Guam or the Northern Mariana Islands. Under this bill, the provision shall apply to qualifying H-2B visa holders who are admitted into Guam or the Northern Mariana Islands before December 31, 2029, whereas currently the provision applies to H-2B visa holders admitted before December 31, 2024. (The provision exempts qualifying H-2B visa holders from the annual numerical limit on such visas. Generally, this exemption applies to H-2B workers performing labor (1) related to construction or facility services associated with the military alignment occurring on Guam or the Northern Mariana Islands; or (2) as a health care worker at a facility that jointly serves Armed Forces members, dependents, and civilians on Guam or the Northern Mariana Islands.)
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2023
Let Experienced Pilots Fly Act of 2023 This bill raises the mandatory retirement age for pilots engaged in commercial aviation operations from 65 to 67 years of age, unless the operation takes place in (1) the territorial airspace of a foreign county where such operations are prohibited by the foreign country, or (2) international airspace where such operations are not in compliance with the Annexes to the Convention on International Civil Aviation. The Federal Aviation Administration must also submit a report to Congress on further increasing the age limitation for pilots engaged in commercial aviation operations.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2023
Tribal Firearm Access Act This bill allows members of federally recognized Indian tribes to use their valid identification documents issued by tribal governments to obtain a firearm from a federally licensed dealer.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2023
This joint resolution nullifies the rule issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives titled Factoring Criteria for Firearms With Attached "Stabilizing Braces" and published on January 31, 2023. The rule establishes criteria for determining whether a firearm equipped with an attached stabilizing brace that facilitates shoulder fire is a rifle subject to regulation (e.g., registration) under the National Firearms Act.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2023
Save Our Gas Stoves Act This bill places limits on energy conservation standards for kitchen ranges or ovens under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act. The Department of the Energy (DOE) may not prescribe or amend energy conservation standards for kitchen ranges or ovens if they would result in the unavailability of a product on account of the type of fuel the range or oven uses. In addition, DOE may not finalize, implement, or enforce the proposed rule titled Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Conventional Cooking Products issued on February 1, 2023, or any substantially similar rule. The proposed rule prescribes energy conservation standards for consumer conventional cooking tops, including electric cooking tops, gas cooking tops, electrical ovens, and gas ovens.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2023
Sergeant Steve Owen Defending Our Defenders Act This bill establishes federal criminal offenses involving the murder of federal, state, or local law enforcement officers. Violators are subject to life in prison or death. The bill sets forth aggravating factors (e.g., intent to ambush or prior history of promoting violence against a law enforcement officer) to be considered in determining whether to impose the death penalty.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2023
Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act of 2023 This bill expands Medicare coverage of chiropractic services to include all services provided by chiropractors, rather than only subluxation corrections through manual manipulation of the spine.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2023
Forest Protection and Wildland Firefighter Safety Act of 2023 This bill authorizes the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture to discharge a fire retardant, a chemical, or water for fire suppression, control, or prevention activities. No National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit shall be required for such activities or for similar activities conducted by the Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a state or political subdivision thereof, or a tribal government.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2023
Survivor Benefits Fairness Act This bill adjusts the effective date of a reduction or discontinuance of compensation, dependency and indemnity compensation, or pension payments by the Department of Veterans Affairs to the last day of the month during which a marriage, remarriage, or death of a payee occurs.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2023
America Works Act of 2023 This bill expands applicability of the work requirements for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients who are able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs). (SNAP recipients who are ABAWDs have work-related requirements in addition to the general SNAP work registration and employment and training requirements.) Specifically, this bill applies the work requirements for ABAWDs to adults who are not over 65 years old, whereas these requirements currently apply to adults who are not over 50 years old. Further, the ABAWD exemption for a parent or household member with responsibility for a dependent child is restricted to a dependent child under the age of seven. Currently, the child must be under the age of 18. The bill also amends an ABAWD waiver program that allows state exemptions based on an area having an unemployment rate of over 10% or an insufficient number of jobs. Specifically, the bill repeals the second basis for a state exemption, which applies to areas that have an insufficient number of jobs. Under current law, a state agency may exempt up to 12% of SNAP recipients from the ABAWD work requirements for each fiscal year; unused exemptions may be carried over and used in a subsequent fiscal year. Under the bill, unused exemptions may not be carried over.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2023
Hello Girls Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2023 This bill provides for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal in honor of the female telephone operators of the Army Signal Corps, commonly known as the Hello Girls , in recognition of their military service, devotion to duty, and 60-year struggle for veterans' benefits and recognition as soldiers.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2023
Lower Energy Costs Act This bill provides for the exploration, development, importation, and exportation of energy resources (e.g., oil, gas, and minerals). For example, it sets forth provisions to (1) expedite energy projects, (2) eliminate or reduce certain fees related to the development of federal energy resources, and (3) eliminate certain funds that provide incentives to decrease emissions of greenhouse gases. The bill expedites the development, importation, and exportation of energy resources, including by waiving environmental review requirements and other specified requirements under certain environmental laws, eliminating certain restrictions on the import and export of oil and natural gas, prohibiting the President from declaring a moratorium on the use of hydraulic fracturing (a type of process used to extract underground energy resources), directing the Department of the Interior to conduct sales for the leasing of oil and gas resources on federal lands and waters as specified by the bill, and limiting the authority of the President and executive agencies to restrict or delay the development of energy on federal land. In addition, the bill reduces royalties for oil and gas development on federal land and eliminates charges on methane emissions. It also eliminates a variety of funds, such as funds for energy efficiency improvements in buildings as well as the greenhouse gas reduction fund.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2023
Drug Cartel Terrorist Designation Act This bill directs the Department of State to designate four specified drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. (Among other things, such a designation allows the Department of the Treasury to require financial institutions to block transactions involving the organization.) The four specified cartels in the bill are the Gulf Cartel, the Cartel Del Noreste, the Cartel de Sinaloa, and the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion. The bill also requires the State Department to submit a detailed report on those four cartels and any other cartels it may identify. Based on this report, the State Department must designate as a foreign terrorist organization any such identified cartel (or faction thereof) that meets certain criteria for designation as a foreign terrorist organization. The bill specifies that it may not be construed to expand eligibility for asylum.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2023
Treating Tribes and Counties as Good Neighbors Act This bill revises the Good Neighbor Authority program to modify the treatment of revenue from timber sale contracts under good neighbor agreements with the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of the Interior. (The Good Neighbor Authority permits USDA and Interior to enter into cooperative agreements or contracts with states, counties, and Indian tribes to perform forest, rangeland, and watershed restoration services on federal land managed by the Forest Service or the Bureau of Land Management.) Specifically, the bill (1) requires Indian tribes and counties to retain revenue generated from timber sales under a good neighbor agreement; and (2) allows states, counties, and Indian tribes to use such revenue for authorized restoration projects on nonfederal lands under a good neighbor agreement. (Under current law, only a state is permitted to retain the revenues, and the revenues must be used for restoration projects on federal land.)