United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2023
PREEMIE Reauthorization Act of 2023 This bill reauthorizes through FY2028 and otherwise modifies research and education programs for preventing premature births. In particular, the bill expands the scope of education programs for health care providers and the public to address the importance of screening for and treatment of chronic conditions as part of preconception and prenatal care. Additionally, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish an interagency working group to improve the coordination of programs and activities to prevent preterm birth, infant mortality, and related adverse effects. (Current law permits HHS to establish such a working group.) The bill also requires HHS to support a study carried out by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on matters related to premature births, such as the financial costs and factors that affect preterm birth rates.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2023
Carbon Removal and Emissions Storage Technologies Act of 2023 or the CREST Act of 2023 This bill expands the current research and development programs of the Department of Energy (DOE) for capturing and storing carbon dioxide to include methods that harness natural processes, such as the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and its storage in geological, biobased, or ocean reservoirs. In addition, the bill establishes a five-year pilot program under which DOE must purchase from certain facilities carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere or upper hydrosphere.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2023
Coastal Fellowships Act This bill establishes the Coastal Management Fellowship and the Digital Coast Fellowship programs to be administered by the Department of Commerce. The fellowships aim to provide on-the-job training and to encourage public service that supports U.S. coastal resource management. In addition, the Digital Coast Fellowship will support the Digital Coast program, which is a platform that integrates geospatial data, training, and other tools in order to address coastal management issues. The bill specifies that selected fellows must have completed a related graduate-level degree before the fellowship begins and have a demonstrated interest in a career in coastal or marine science, management, policy, or law. Commerce must award the fellowships in a manner that is geographically balanced. Each fellow may be selected for a term of up to two years, must receive an annual stipend of at least $47,000, and may be directly hired by a federal agency upon successful completion of a fellowship.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2023
Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2023 This bill extends increased dependency and indemnity compensation to the surviving spouse of a veteran who dies from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease) regardless of how long the veteran had such disease prior to death. Under current law, such compensation is paid for a service-connected disability that was rated totally disabling for a continuous period of at least eight years immediately preceding death.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2023
COPS on the Beat Grant Program Parity Act of 2023 This bill makes changes to the Community Oriented Policing Services grant program. Among the changes, the bill reduces the required matching contribution for certain rural communities during the first three years of a grant and eliminates the preference for agencies that exceed the matching requirements; allows grant funds to be used to increase wages of career law enforcement officers in states or localities that have a median household income of less than 70% of the national median household income and qualify for a reduced matching contribution; and provides statutory authority for the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services within the Department of Justice. Additionally, the bill requires the Government Accountability Office to report on whether law enforcement workforces are representative of the communities they serve, the percentage of law enforcement officers who live in the community they serve, the average pay of officers compared to the cost of living in the community they serve, and recommendations for improvements.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2023
Fighting Inhumane Gambling and High-risk Trafficking Act of 2023 or the FIGHT Act of 2023 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) transport of certain mature roosters.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2023
Reach Every Mother and Child Act of 2023 This bill requires or authorizes certain actions for the purpose of ending preventable child and maternal deaths by 2030. The bill requires the President to establish and implement a comprehensive five-year strategy focused on ending preventable child and maternal deaths by 2030. Requirements for the strategy include identifying priority countries in which the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will implement international maternal and child health and nutrition programs. The bill authorizes the President to provide assistance to implement this strategy. The bill also requires the President to designate a USAID employee to serve as the child and maternal survival coordinator. The duties of the coordinator shall include primary responsibility for the oversight and coordination of such international maternal and child health and nutrition program resources and activities as USAID determines to be appropriate.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2023
Presidential Conflicts of Interest Act of 2023 This bill addresses financial conflicts of interest of the President and Vice President and related ethics matters. Specifically, the President and Vice President, not later than 30 days after assuming office, must submit to Congress and the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) a disclosure of financial interests. Such disclosure must include the tax returns filed by or on behalf of the President and Vice President for the three most recent taxable years and each taxable year for which an audit is pending on the date the report is filed. The President, the Vice President, the spouse of either, and any minor child of either shall divest of any financial interest posing a potential conflict of interest. The OGE must submit to Congress, the President, and the Vice President an annual report regarding the financial interests of the President, the Vice President, the spouse of either, and any minor child of either. The Department of Justice, the attorney general's office of any state, or any person aggrieved by a violation of divestiture requirements may seek declaratory or injunctive relief if the OGE is unable to issue a report indicating whether the President or Vice President is in substantial compliance or if there is probable cause to believe that either has not complied. The bill sets forth provisions regarding (1) recusal of presidential appointees when the President is a party to a matter, (2) contracts by the President or Vice President, and (3) disclosure of tax returns of Presidents and candidates for President.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2023
Taiwan Tax Agreement Act of 2023 This bill authorizes the United States to enter into a tax agreement with Taiwan. Specifically, the President may, through the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), negotiate and enter into a tax agreement with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO). (The U.S.-Taiwan relationship is unofficial; TECRO is Taiwan's principal representative office in the United States, while the AIT, a private corporation, performs many of the same functions as U.S. embassies elsewhere.) The agreement must address issues including (1) the taxation of tax residents of Taiwan, the United States, or both; (2) relief from double taxation; and (3) protection against tax evasion or avoidance. The agreement must conform with the 2016 U.S. Model Income Tax Convention and other customary U.S. bilateral income tax convention terms. The bill requires the President to notify Congress 15 days before negotiations begin and provide periodic reports. The Department of the Treasury must brief Congress upon request and provide timely updates during the course of negotiations. The negotiated agreement may only take legal effect upon submission of the agreement to Congress and the approval of a concurrent resolution in a form prescribed by the bill. The agreement, once in force, must be afforded the same treatment as a treaty under U.S. law.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2023
Dentist and Optometric Care Access Act of 2023 or the DOC Access Act of 20 23 This bill prohibits private health insurance plans from setting rates for items and services, except for dental cleanings, provided by a doctor of optometry, of dental surgery, or of dental medicine for which the plan does not pay a substantial amount. Additionally, an agreement between a plan and such a doctor for limited scope dental or vision benefits may last longer than two years only with the prior acceptance of the doctor for each term extension. Plans also may not restrict such a doctor's choice of laboratories or suppliers. Such doctors may elect to waive the application of the payment amount and choice of laboratories provisions of this bill. The bill does not supersede state laws regarding health insurers and dental or vision benefit plans.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2023
Kids Online Safety Act This bill sets out requirements to protect minors from online harms. The requirements apply to covered platforms, which are applications or services (e.g., social networks) that connect to the internet and are likely to be used by minors. However, the bill exempts internet service providers, email services, educational institutions, and other specified entities from the requirements. Covered platforms must act in the best interest of minors using the applications or services, including by mitigating harms that may arise from that use (e.g., sexual exploitation and online bullying). Additionally, covered platforms must provide (1) minors (or their parents or guardians) with certain safeguards, such as settings that restrict access to minors' personal data; and (2) parents or guardians with tools to supervise minors' use of a platform, such as control of privacy and account settings. Covered platforms must also disclose specified information, including details regarding the use of personalized recommendation systems and targeted advertising; allow parents, guardians, minors, and schools to report certain harms; refrain from facilitating advertising of age-restricted products or services (e.g., tobacco and gambling) to minors; and annually report on foreseeable risks of harm to minors from using the platform. The bill provides for enforcement through the Federal Trade Commission and states. Further, the bill establishes a program to facilitate relevant independent research for noncommercial purposes and a council to advise on implementing the bill. It also requires guidance for market and product research focused on minors and an evaluation of options to verify a user's age.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2023
Research Advancing to Market Production for Innovators Act This bill provides commercialization services for federally funded small business research and development under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs. Specifically, the bill (1) expedites the application and award process for SBIR proposals and STTR solicitations, (2) requires determinations of commercialization potential for projects undertaken through SBIR and STTR awards, (3) provides continued flexibility of technical and business assistance for SBIR and STTR awardees, (4) instructs participating federal agencies to designate a technology commercialization official to help awardees commercialize, and (5) requires the Small Business Administration and the U.S. Patent Office to reach an interagency agreement to help SBIR and STTR awardees with intellectual property protection.
United States · United States Congress · 2 May 2023
This resolution honors the 75 th anniversary of the founding of modern Israel. It reaffirms the partnership between Israel and the United States and the U.S. commitment to the security of Israel. The resolution also supports peace between Israelis and Palestinians, the Abraham Accords, the Negev Forum, and all ongoing efforts to formalize and strengthen relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors.
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
Ending Forced Arbitration of Race Discrimination Act of 2023 This bill prohibits a predispute arbitration agreement from being valid or enforceable with respect to a case relating to a race discrimination dispute at the election of the person alleging the discrimination.
United States · United States Congress · 1 May 2023
Project Safe Neighborhoods Reauthorization Act of 2023 This bill reauthorizes through FY2028 the Project Safe Neighborhoods grant program within the Department of Justice. The bill also allows funds under the program to be used for hiring crime analysts to assist with violent crime reduction efforts; the cost of overtime for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and law enforcement assistants who assist with the program; purchasing, implementing, and using technology to assist with violent crime reduction efforts; and supporting multijurisdictional task forces.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2023
This resolution condemns Russia's wrongful detention of U.S. citizens and residents and demands their immediate release. The resolution also calls on the United States to designate Vladimir Kara-Murza as wrongfully detained under U.S. law; demands that Russian leadership be held accountable for their inhumane and unjust actions against their own citizens; and calls on the United States to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2023
Living Donor Protection Act of 2023 This bill prohibits certain insurance carriers from discriminating against, and provides other protections for, living organ donors. Specifically, carriers may not deny, cancel, or otherwise impose conditions on policies for life insurance, disability insurance, or long-term care insurance based on an individual's status as a living organ donor. The bill also expressly specifies that recovery from organ-donation surgery constitutes a serious health condition that entitles eligible employees to job-protected medical leave. In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services must update educational materials on living organ donation to include information about the benefits of living organ donation and about access to insurance for living organ donors.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2023
Help Ensure Lower Patient Copays Act or the HELP Copays Act This bill requires health insurance plans to apply certain payments made by, or on behalf of, a plan enrollee toward a plan's cost-sharing requirements. Specifically, plans must apply third-party payments, financial assistance, discounts, product vouchers, and other reductions in out-of-pocket expenses toward the requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2023
Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal Act This bill prohibits a predispute arbitration agreement from being valid or enforceable if it requires arbitration of an employment, consumer, antitrust, or civil rights dispute.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2023
This resolution condemns the murder of Eswatini human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko and expresses concern about reports of continued human rights violations in Eswatini. The resolution also calls on Eswatini (1) to fully investigate the murder, (2) to uphold human rights and freedoms, (3) to engage in a national dialogue regarding democratic reforms, and (4) to fully staff and empower Commission of Human Rights and Public Accountability (CHRPA) investigators. It also calls on the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights to conduct an independent investigation and encourages the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to maintain and to expand support for human rights in Eswatini.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2023
Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act of 2023 or the SAFE Banking Act of 2023 This bill provides protections for federally regulated financial institutions that serve state-sanctioned marijuana businesses. Currently, many financial institutions do not provide services to state-sanctioned marijuana businesses due to the federal classification of marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance. Under the bill, a federal banking regulator may not penalize a depository institution for providing banking services to a state-sanctioned marijuana business. For example, regulators may not terminate or limit the deposit or share insurance of a depository institution solely because the institution provides financial services to a state-sanctioned marijuana business. The bill also prohibits a federal banking regulator from requesting or ordering a depository institution to terminate a customer account unless (1) the regulator has determined that the depository institution is engaging in an unsafe or unsound practice or is violating a law or regulation, and (2) that determination is not based primarily on reputation risk. Additionally, proceeds from a transaction involving activities of a state-sanctioned marijuana business are no longer considered proceeds from unlawful activity. (Financial institutions that handle proceeds from unlawful activity are subject to anti-money laundering laws. Violators of these laws are subject to fines and imprisonment.) Furthermore, a financial institution, insurer, or federal agency may not be held liable or subject to asset forfeiture under federal law for providing a loan, mortgage, or other financial service to a state-sanctioned marijuana business.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2023
Election Worker Protection Act of 2023 This bill establishes certain protections for election workers. Specifically, the bill makes it a crime to intimidate, threaten, coerce, or harass an election worker with the intent to interfere with the official duties of, or retaliate against, the worker. The bill extends (1) the prohibition on certain types of intimidation in federal elections to also prohibit intimidation for processing ballots or tabulating, canvassing, or certifying votes; and (2) the prohibition on public disclosure of restricted personal information to also prohibit the disclosure of information about election officials, poll workers, or election volunteers in connection with a federal election. The bill also authorizes election officials to remove poll observers who are interfering with or attempting to disrupt the administration of an election. Additionally, the bill directs the Election Assistance Commission to award grants to states (or local governments under specified circumstances) for (1) recruiting and training individuals to serve as poll workers and election volunteers on dates of elections for public office, and (2) physical security services and social media threat monitoring for election workers. The bill directs the Department of Justice to (1) provide training to law enforcement and federal attorneys on addressing threats to election workers, and (2) establish a grant program to support programs to prevent the disclosure of personally identifiable information of election workers.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2023
Family Building FEHB Fairness Act This bill requires health insurance plans offered to federal employees under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program to include assisted reproductive treatment benefits. Covered treatments are those facilitating reproduction, such as insemination, in vitro fertilization, and preservation of embryos.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2023
Love Lives On Act of 2023 This bill extends entitlement for various benefit programs and services for surviving spouses of deceased members of the Armed Forces or veterans. First, the bill removes the expiration on a surviving spouses' entitlement to educational assistance through the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Fry Scholarship). The bill also provides that the remarriage of a surviving spouse must not bar the furnishing of dependency and indemnity compensation to such spouse. Next, the Department of Defense may not terminate the payment of an annuity for a surviving spouse under the Survivor Benefit Plan solely because the surviving spouse remarries. Additionally, the bill provides commissary store and MWR retail facility (e.g., exchange store) access to surviving spouses regardless of the martial status of the spouse. Such spouses must be entitled to use such stores and facilities to the same extent and on the same basis as surviving spouses who did not remarry. The bill expands the definition of a dependent under TRICARE to include a remarried widow or widower whose subsequent marriage has ended due to death, divorce, or annulment. Finally, the bill modifies the definition of a surviving spouse for purposes of veterans benefits to include same sex marriages.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2023
This resolution supports World Malaria Day, recognizes the importance of reducing malaria in sub-Saharan Africa and globally, and commends progress in doing so. The resolution welcomes public-private partnerships to develop more effective and affordable tools for malaria surveillance, diagnostics, treatment, and prevention, and supports continued U.S. leadership in working with countries to respond to this illness.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2023
Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvests Act of 2023 or the FISH Act of 2023 This bill establishes a blacklist and other mechanisms for addressing vessels involved in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The bill requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish the blacklist and issue regulations governing its administration. NOAA must add a vessel to the list if NOAA has a reasonable basis to believe that the vessel contributes to IUU fishing in certain ways, such as by (1) exceeding applicable catch limits; (2) engaging in fishing on the high seas involving the use of forced labor; or (3) providing nonemergency fueling, resupply, or other services to a vessel on the blacklist. Under the bill, a vessel on the blacklist is prohibited from accessing U.S. ports or making deliveries in U.S. waters. No U.S. vessel may service a vessel that is on the blacklist, except for emergency or enforcement purposes. A blacklisted vessel and its cargo, with some exceptions, shall be subject to seizure and forfeiture. Additionally, the bill requires the President to impose property- and visa-blocking sanctions on any foreign person (i.e., individual or entity) that is the beneficial owner of a vessel on the blacklist. The Coast Guard must increase its observation of vessels on the high seas suspected of IUU fishing and related practices. U.S. Customs and Border Protection must issue regulations regarding the verification of seafood imports to block imports of seafood harvested by foreign vessels using forced labor.
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2023
Safer Detention Act of 2023 This bill expands statutory authority for federal prisoners to be released before completing their sentences or to be placed in the community to serve the final portion of their sentences. First, the bill makes changes to the early release pilot program. The early release pilot program authorizes the Bureau of Prisons to release early and place on home confinement elderly offenders and terminally ill offenders who meet eligibility criteria. This bill expands eligibility to offenders serving time for an offense under the laws of the District of Columbia, expands eligibility to offenders who have served at least one-half (currently, two-thirds) of their prison term, reduces the amount of time an offender must serve by the good time credits earned by the offender, and creates a judicial review process for prisoners. Second, the bill expands eligibility for the compassionate release process to prisoners sentenced before November 1, 1987. The compassionate release process authorizes federal courts to reduce a prisoner's sentence and impose a term of probation or supervised released in certain circumstances.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2023
Recycling and Composting Accountability Act This bill establishes data collection and reporting requirements concerning composting and recycling programs. Specifically, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must issue several reports related to composting and recycling, including a report on the capability of the United States to implement a national composting strategy in order to reduce contamination rates for recycling. The EPA must also inventory certain facilities that recycle residential materials and describe the materials that the facilities can process; collect data related to curbside and drop-off recycling and composting programs in order to establish a comprehensive baseline of data for the U.S. recycling system; and develop and disseminate best practices that states, local governments, and Indian tribes may use to enhance recycling and composting. The EPA must also develop a metric for determining the proportion of recyclable materials in commercial and municipal waste streams that is being diverted from circular markets, which are markets that utilize industrial processes and economic activities to enable post-industrial and post-consumer materials used in those processes and activities to maintain their highest values for as long as possible. After developing the metric, the EPA must then study the proportion of recyclable materials in such waste streams that were diverted from those markets in the prior ten years. Finally, the Government Accountability Office must report on the recycling practices of federal agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2023
Peace Corps Reauthorization Act of 2023 This bill reauthorizes the Peace Corps program through FY2028 and requires or authorizes various policies for the Peace Corps program. For example, the bill increases the minimum rate for readjustment allowances paid to Peace Corps volunteers upon their return to the United States; requires the Peace Corps to establish processes to return volunteers to service after their service has been interrupted by a mandatory evacuation, and to strive to allow evacuated volunteers to return to the country in which they had formerly been assigned (except for Peace Corps missions in China); requires the Peace Corps to provide separating volunteers with information on postservice health care options; provides statutory authority to an executive order that provides returning volunteers with noncompetitive eligibility for federal employment purposes (i.e., eligibility to be noncompetitively appointed to a competitive federal position); requires the Peace Corps to implement a zero-tolerance policy regarding volunteer or trainee involvement with illegal drugs; requires the Peace Corps to take all reasonable measures to prevent and address reprisal or retaliation against a volunteer by any person with supervisory authority over the volunteer, such as a Peace Corps officer; and authorizes suspension without pay for employees engaged in serious misconduct that could impact the efficiency of the service and could lead to removal for cause.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2023
Do No Harm Act This bill prohibits the application of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA) to specified federal laws or the implementation of such laws. Currently, RFRA prohibits the government from substantially burdening a person's exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, except in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest when using the least restrictive means. Under the bill, RFRA is inapplicable to laws or the implementation of laws that protect against discrimination or require the promotion of equal opportunity (e.g., the Civil Rights Act of 1964); require employers to provide wages, other compensation, or benefits, including leave; protect collective activity in the workplace; protect against child labor, abuse, or exploitation; or provide for access to, information about, referrals for, provision of, or coverage for any health care item or service. The bill prevents RFRA from being used to deny (1) goods or services the government has agreed to provide to a beneficiary of or participant in a program or activity funded by a government contract, grant, agreement, or other award; or (2) a person's full and equal enjoyment of a government-provided good, service, benefit, facility, privilege, advantage, or accommodation. In order for a person to assert a RFRA claim or defense in a judicial proceeding, the government must be a party to the proceeding.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2023
Securing and Enabling Commerce Using Remote and Electronic Notarization Act of 2023 This bill allows a notary public commissioned under state law to remotely notarize electronic records and perform notarizations for remotely located individuals. The bill provides technical requirements for the notarizations, including the creation and retention of video and audio recordings and the use of communication technologies (i.e., video chat). Additionally, the bill requires U.S. courts and states to recognize notarizations—including remote notarizations of electronic records and notarizations of remotely-located individuals—that occur in or affect interstate commerce and are performed by a notary public commissioned under the laws of other states. The bill also allows a notary public to remotely notarize electronic records involving an individual located outside of the United States, subject to certain requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2023
Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act This bill requires the Department of Labor to address workplace violence in health care, social service, and other sectors. Specifically, Labor must issue an interim occupational safety and health standard that requires certain employers to take actions to protect workers and other personnel from workplace violence. The standard applies to employers in the health care sector, in the social service sector, and in sectors that conduct activities similar to those in the health care and social service sectors. In addition, Labor must promulgate a final standard within a specified time line.
United States · United States Congress · 18 April 2023
This resolution designates April 22-30, 2023, as National Park Week. The resolution also encourages the people of the United States and the world to responsibly visit, experience, recreate in, and support the treasured national parks of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2023
Project Safe Childhood Act This bill modifies and reauthorizes through FY2028 the Project Safe Childhood Program within the Department of Justice. The program coordinates child sexual exploitation investigations and prosecutions across federal, state, and local law enforcement; provides training to law enforcement on best practices; and supports public education programs.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2023
This resolution states that the Senate holds the Russian government responsible for the illegal kidnapping of children from Ukraine and condemns these actions. The resolution also (1) declares that illegal adoptions are contrary to the Genocide Convention (the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide); (2) claims that Russia is attempting to wipe out a generation of Ukrainian children; and (3) asserts that Russia's invasion of Ukraine has increased the risks of children being exposed to human trafficking, exploitation, child labor, gender-based violence, hunger, injury, trauma, deprivation of education and shelter, and death.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2023
Invest to Protect Act of 2023 This bill directs the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services within the Department of Justice to award grants to local and tribal governments that employ fewer than 200 law enforcement officers. Grant funds may be used for various activities, including to provide de-escalation training and improve recruitment and retention.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2023
This resolution commemorates the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement and celebrates the historic compromise as the beginning of a new era of peaceful political engagement in Northern Ireland. The resolution also supports full implementation of the agreement and subsequent agreements, including the Windsor Framework, and calls for action to resolve the injustices of past violence. (Since the Good Friday Agreement, there has been an open border between the Republic of Ireland, an EU member state, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. The Windsor Framework seeks to resolve challenges related to this border that arose after the United Kingdom left the European Union.)
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2023
Global Health, Empowerment and Rights Act This bill establishes that a foreign nongovernmental organization shall not be disqualified from receiving certain U.S. international development assistance solely because the organization provides medical services using non-U.S. government funds if the medical services do not violate the laws of the country in which they are being provided and would not violate United States federal law if provided in the United States. Such foreign organizations shall not be subject to requirements relating to their use of non-U.S. funds for advocacy or lobbying activities, other than those that apply to U.S. nongovernmental organizations.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2023
This resolution recognizes the role that the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a program established in 2003 that invests in the international AIDS response, has played in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. It applauds the successes and accomplishments of PEPFAR and urges continued funding and support.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2023
Background Check Completion Act of 2023 This bill prohibits a licensed gun dealer from transferring a firearm to an unlicensed person prior to the completion of a background check. Current law permits a licensed gun dealer to transfer a firearm to an unlicensed person if a submitted background check remains incomplete after three business days.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2023
This resolution expresses that the Senate condemns the unjust detention and indicting of Russian opposition leader Vladimir Vladimirovich Kara-Murza; urges the U.S. government and other allied governments to work to secure the immediate release of Vladimir Vladimirovich Kara-Murza, Alexei Navalny, and other Russian citizens imprisoned for opposing the regime of Vladimir Putin and the war against Ukraine; and calls on the President to increase support provided by the U.S. government for those advocating for democracy and independent media in Russia.
United States · United States Congress · 30 March 2023
Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act of 2023 or the ADVANCE Act of 2023 This bill sets forth provisions to develop and deploy advanced nuclear fuel for the United States and certain allied countries, restrict the possession or ownership of enriched uranium from Russia or China, clean up hazardous land, and establish related requirements. Specifically, the bill provides incentives for developing and deploying new nuclear technologies, such as reduced licensing fees and prize awards for deploying such technologies. It also extends through 2045 the indemnification policy under the Price-Anderson Act that limits liability related to the nuclear industry. It also requires the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to (1) develop a process that enables timely licensing of nuclear production facilities or utilization facilities at brownfield sites, and (2) establish an initiative to enhance preparedness and coordination with respect to the qualification and licensing of advanced nuclear fuel. NRC may hire specialized staff without regard to civil service laws to address its critical licensing or regulatory oversight needs. The NRC must also coordinate certain international nuclear activities and may establish an International Nuclear Reactor Export and Innovation Branch within the Office of International Programs. The bill allows certain foreign entities to receive licenses under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 for nuclear utilization facilities as specified by the bill. The bill also allows the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct activities to assist in cleaning up certain abandoned mining sites on tribal lands that are hazardous.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2023
Gun Violence Prevention Research Act of 2023 This bill authorizes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct or support research on firearms safety or gun violence prevention.
United States · United States Congress · 29 March 2023
This resolution encourages (1) the people of the United States to join in a national effort to salute AmeriCorps members, alumni, and Americorps Seniors volunteers and to raise awareness about the importance of national and community service; and (2) all individuals to consider opportunities to serve in AmeriCorps and Americorps Seniors.
![Official portrait of Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/c001088_200.jpg)