United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2020
This resolution denounces efforts by the Nicolás Maduro regime to hold fraudulent legislative elections and joins members of the international community in rejecting the regime's efforts to carry out those elections. Further, it urges that elections in Venezuela be conducted as soon as possible according to international standards for free, fair, and transparent electoral processes. Additionally, the resolution calls on the Maduro regime to cease its persecution of Venezuala's independent political parties and release all political prisoners, and it calls for Nicolás Maduro and senior members of his regime to be held accountable for their actions.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 2020
Protecting Employees from Surprise Taxes Act of 2020 This bill prohibits employers from deferring payment of payroll taxes unless affected employees provide written consent to a deferral. Employers must also provide notice to their employees of the right to provide or withhold written consent and the future tax liability resulting from providing consent to the deferral of such taxes.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2020
This resolution requires all individuals in a Senate building to (1) adhere to social distancing guidelines, and (2) wear a mask while in any public area. It also requires the Senate to develop and implement a COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) testing and contact tracing program for Senators and Senate workers.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2020
This resolution supports the designation of the week of September 20, 2020, as National Small Business Week in celebration of the entrepreneurial spirit of small business owners and the invaluable contribution small businesses make to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2020
Puppy Protection Act of 2020 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture to expand standards that govern the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of animals to include new requirements for commercial dog dealers. Specifically, the standards must require dog dealers to provide to dogs adequate housing, exercise, and veterinary care; appropriate and nutritious food; continuous access to potable water; and meaningful socialization with humans and compatible dogs for at least 30 minutes each day. The standards must also include requirements for breeders to use safe breeding practices and make all reasonable efforts to find humane placement for retired breeding dogs.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2020
Public Health Infrastructure Saves Lives Act This bill provides funding to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for improving its core public health infrastructure and awarding grants to strengthen such infrastructure in state, tribal, territorial, and local health departments. Core public health infrastructure includes the elements and workforce capabilities that enable health departments to perform critical functions (i.e., disease surveillance and emergency response).
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2020
Climate Planning, Resilience, and Enhanced Preparedness Act of 2020 or the Climate PREP Act This bill addresses climate change preparedness by establishing a council and a task force and requiring each executive agency (excluding the Government Accountability Office) to submit a climate change adaptation plan containing specified elements to the Office of Management and Budget and the Council on Environmental Quality.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2020
Worker Health Coverage Protection Act This bill provides health insurance premium assistance to individuals who become unemployed or are furloughed during the period beginning on March 1, 2020, and ending on January 31, 2021. Specifically, the bill treats such premiums as paid for individuals who (1) are terminated from employment and elect to continue insurance coverage through the COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) program during such period, or (2) receive more than a 30% reduction in work hours during such period but remain eligible for coverage under a group health plan. The bill also specifies requirements for individuals changing, or enrolling in, health plans under the program. Additionally, the bill requires employers to provide eligible individuals specified written notice about the premium assistance program, including, among other information, available health plan enrollment options and the date that such assistance expires. The Department of the Treasury must reimburse employers, group health plans, and insurance issuers through a payroll tax credit or refund for unpaid premiums that were treated as paid under the program. Premium assistance is not considered income for federal income tax purposes or for determining eligibility for federal or state benefits or assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2020
This bill requires the Joint Committee on the Library to obtain, and the Architect of the Capitol to permanently install in the U.S. Capitol or on the U.S. Capitol Grounds, a monument honoring Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2020
This resolution recognizes September 22, 2020, as National Voter Registration Day and encourages those eligible to vote to register, verify their personal information on record with local election officials, and vote.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2020
Holding Russia Accountable for Malign Activities Act of 2020 This bill directs the President to impose visa- and asset-blocking sanctions on any current or former official of Russia's government involved in the August 20, 2020, poisoning of a Russian opposition leader or the subsequent cover-up of the poisoning. An individual or entity that violates, attempts to violate, conspires to violate, or causes a violation of such sanctions shall be subject to civil and criminal penalties. In addition, the President shall report to Congress on the personal wealth of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his family members.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2020
Coronavirus Unemployment Benefits Tax Relief Act This bill excludes from employee gross income, for income tax purposes, unemployment compensation received in taxable years beginning in 2020 that does not exceed $10,200.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2020
Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act of 2020 This bill addresses the security of active and retired federal judges and their immediate families, including by limiting the release of these protected individuals' personally identifiable information. Specifically, federal agencies may not publicly post a protected individual's personally identifiable information. Furthermore, upon receiving a written request from a protected individual, an agency must within 72 hours remove any such information relating to the individual that has already been posted. The Department of Justice must award grants to state and local governments to help prevent the release of protected individuals' personally identifiable information. Additionally, data brokers may not sell the personally identifiable information of a protected individual. Upon receiving a written request from a protected individual, a private party (1) shall not publicly disclose personally identifiable information relating to the individual, and (2) must remove any such information already posted on the internet. A protected individual may sue to enforce the bill's provisions. The bill also authorizes additional security for protected individuals, including by providing home intrusion detection systems and expanding the availability of U.S. Marshals Service protection.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2020
Rohingya Genocide Determination Act of 2020 This bill requires the Department of State to report to Congress an assessment of the persecution of the Rohingya, a predominantly Muslim group in Burma (Myanmar), by Burma's military and security forces, and whether the situation constitutes genocide under U.S. law.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2020
Science and Transparency Over Politics Act This bill directs the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee to appoint a task force to investigate political interference with decisions made by scientific agencies of the Department of Health and Human Services during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency, such as pressure placed on the Food and Drug Administration to reach a certain outcome related to a drug or device to treat or prevent COVID-19. This committee, which is made up of inspectors general of certain federal agencies, conducts and supports oversight of the federal government's COVID-19 response efforts.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2020
Great Lakes Navigation Act of 2020 This bill requires that at least 12% of funds made available each fiscal year from the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund be used for projects that are located within the Great Lakes Navigation System.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2020
This resolution calls on the President to take executive action to cancel up to $50,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers. Further, it encourages the President to (1) ensure that borrowers have no tax liability from the debt cancellation, (2) ensure that the debt cancellation helps close racial wealth gaps, and (3) pause student loan payments and interest accumulation on federal student loans for the duration of the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2020
Innovation Centers Acceleration Act This bill provides a program to advance economic development by designating nine cities as innovation centers—increasing funding for research and development—and providing and modifying certain related grants. It also establishes the Innovation Center Selection Committee to designate these cities. The innovation center designation entitles participating cities—and the businesses, research institutions, and other organizations that operate within them—to various federal funding and benefits for research activities, business and workforce development, and transportation infrastructure projects. These benefits include expanding various tax credits and incentives for businesses and enabling those businesses to access loans and other financial instruments to raise capital. In addition, the bill establishes a grant program for local and tribal governments that partner with innovation centers to develop and preserve affordable housing. It also modifies existing grants, loans, and other programs that support transportation infrastructure to specifically target initiatives in innovation centers.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2020
This resolution calls for free and fair 2020 elections in Burma (Myanmar) and expresses support for the people of Burma. The resolution also urges the United States and the international community to ensure a safe, participatory, and transparent electoral process in Burma through various measures.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2020
America Labor, Economic competitiveness, Alliances, Democracy and Security Act or the America LEADS Act This bill addresses science and technology development, global infrastructure, U.S. manufacturing, foreign relations, and other topics. Provisions of the bill include those authorizing through FY2025 various federal research and development activities; requiring the Department of State to take actions to advance the development and adoption of quality global infrastructure; requiring the use of domestically produced aluminum in certain federal projects; requiring the Department of Defense (DOD), the Department of the Treasury, and the Department of Commerce to take actions to encourage the development and production of measurably secure microelectronics and semiconductors; expanding disclosure requirements for U.S. institutions of higher education that receive foreign gifts; authorizing various programs to support science, technology, engineering, and mathematics training, as well as language skills education; requiring the President to impose sanctions to combat malign behavior by China's government and related persons; authorizing annual contributions to the World Bank's Clean Technology Fund and the United Nations's Green Climate Fund; prohibiting the use of federal funds to withdraw or reduce the presence of the Armed Forces or DOD in Japan or South Korea; prioritizing the transfer of excess defense articles to certain allies in the Indo-Pacific region; authorizing the State Department to provide assistance to increase maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region; authorizing the United States to cofinance infrastructure projects that would otherwise be included within China's Belt and Road initiative; requiring the President to establish a Special Representative for the Arctic; and providing priority refugee status to certain residents of Hong Kong or Xinjiang.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2020
This resolution expresses the sense of the Senate that the establishment of full diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and between Israel and Bahrain are historic achievements. Further, it encourages other Arab nations to establish full relations with Israel, and it reaffirms the Senate's support for a negotiated, two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2020
Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2020 This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal in commemoration of Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley. After the award the medal shall be given to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2020
This concurrent resolution (1) calls on the Members of Congress and all people of the United States to observe September 11, 2020, as a National Day of Service and Remembrance in honor of those who lost their lives or were injured in the September 11, 2001, attacks and in tribute to those who came to the aid of those in need and to the defense of the United States; and (2) recognizes the heroic actions of first responders and other citizens in New York, New York, the District of Columbia, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2020
This resolution designates September 2020 as National Voting Rights Month, encourages people to uphold the right to vote, commemorates the 100th anniversary of the passage and ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution, encourages Congress to pass certain voting rights legislation, recommends the development of a curriculum in public schools and universities regarding voting, encourages the U.S. Postal Service to issue a special John R. Lewis stamp during the month of September, and invites Congress to allocate funds for public service announcements regarding elections.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2020
This resolution: finds the 2020 presidential elections in Belarus to be undemocratic; stands with the people of Belarus in their pursuit of democracy and human rights; calls on Belarus to uphold its human rights obligations; and urges the United States to respond to the events in Belarus, including through sanctions.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2020
This resolution encourages schools to (1) implement evidence-based social and emotional learning programs in both their virtual and in-person curriculum, and (2) provide their staff with virtual and in-person training on these programs.
United States · United States Congress · 10 September 2020
Russia Bounty Response Act of 2020 This bill requires various actions in response to the influence of Russia's government in South and Central Asia and contains other related provisions. The Department of State shall report to Congress a strategy for using U.S. diplomacy to counter such Russian influence. The bill imposes sanctions on various individuals and entities, including (1) Russian President Vladimir Putin or any person acting on his behalf, (2) any senior Russian government official involved in a program to provide bounties for killing members of the U.S. Armed Forces or certain North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces in Afghanistan, and (3) individuals and entities that facilitate illicit or corrupt activities on behalf of Putin or other specified persons. The bill imposes civil and criminal penalties related to violations of such sanctions. The bill also authorizes various activities, including (1) rewards for information about Russian bounties against U.S. Armed Forces anywhere in the world, and (2) State Department activities to counter Russian influence in South and Central Asia. The State Department shall seek to establish a working group involving officials from the government of Afghanistan to address threats to Afghanistan's security posed by Russia's government. The State Department must also create a Deputy Assistant Secretary position tasked with coordinating efforts to counter Russian influence in South and Central Asia. The President shall also appoint a special envoy tasked with countering Russian influence in the region.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2020
Smarter Pretrial Detention for Drug Charges Act of 2020 This bill removes the presumption of pretrial detention for an individual who is charged with a federal drug offense for which the maximum term of imprisonment is 10 years or more.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2020
Abiding by United States Commitments Act of 2020 This bill requires the Department of State to pay the full FY2020 U.S. assessment for certain international organizations, and it makes $118.9 million available to the World Health Organization (WHO) for COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) response. Such funds made available to the WHO may not be used for advance payment to withdraw the United States from the WHO.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2020
This resolution honors service members and veterans, condemns the President's denigration of members of the Armed Forces and veterans, and demands that the President defend members of the Armed Forces against hostile actions by Russia.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2020
Global Learning Loss Assessment Act of 2020 This bill requires the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to report on the impact of the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic on learning and global basic education programs. Such report shall include (1) an assessment of the global learning loss that will result from protracted school closures; (2) evaluations of the effectiveness, cost, accessibility, and reach of the most commonly used forms of distance learning in low-resource contexts; and (3) a description of the tools and resources needed for the USAID to support continued distance learning, safe school reopening, remedial and accelerated learning, and reenrollment campaigns.
United States · United States Congress · 9 September 2020
This bill requires the federal government to pay states for 100% of the cost of National Guard duty for a mission assignment validated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency pursuant to certain declarations related to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency. The bill applies to declarations, with respect to COVID-19, of major disasters, emergencies, national emergencies, and public health emergencies.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2020
This resolution condemns abuses committed by state security forces and armed groups in the northwest and southwest regions of Cameroon, and it affirms that the United States continues to hold Cameroon responsible for safeguarding the security and constitutional rights of all of its citizens, regardless of their region, religion, or political views. Further, it urges all parties to the conflict in Cameroon, the government of Cameroon, U.S. foreign relations entities, and members of the international community to take specified steps toward resolving the ongoing civil conflict in Cameroon.
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2020
Restore Employment in Natural and Environmental Work Conservation Corps Act or the RENEW Conservation Corps Act This bill establishes the Restore Employment in Natural and Environmental Work Conservation Corps program within the Department of the Interior and Department of Agriculture under which participants must implement eligible projects (e.g., planting trees or controlling invasive species).
United States · United States Congress · 8 September 2020
COVID-19 in Corrections Data Transparency Act This bill requires the Bureau of Prisons, the U.S. Marshal Service, and state and local correctional facilities to publish on their websites and report to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention certain data on COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) cases and outcomes.
United States · United States Congress · 6 August 2020
America's Clean Future Fund Act This bill imposes various standards and programs related to clean energy, climate change resiliency, and emissions standards, including by (1) establishing the Climate Change Finance Corporation to finance clean energy and climate change resiliency activities; (2) establishing a carbon fee and emissions targets on the use, sale, or transfer of certain fuels by specified entities; and (3) providing grants to eligible entities for transition assistance to a low-carbon economy.
United States · United States Congress · 6 August 2020
Congressional Whistleblower Protection Act of 2020 This bill creates certain administrative and judicial remedies for federal employees whose right to provide information to Congress is interfered with or denied. Under current law, federal employees have the right to petition or furnish information to Congress or to individual Members of Congress, and this right may not be interfered with or denied. The bill explicitly allows employees who are aggrieved by a violation of this right to seek administrative remedies that are currently available to whistleblowers who are fired or experience other forms of retaliation. The bill also establishes a private right of action for aggrieved employees, including the option of a jury trial, if an administrative remedy is not issued within 210 days of a complaint being made. The bill applies to employees and contractors of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government, including members of the intelligence community.
United States · United States Congress · 6 August 2020
This resolution commemorates the 55th anniversary of the enactment of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Further, the Senate reaffirms its commitment to ensuring the act continues to protect the voting rights of U.S. citizens. In addition, the Senate commits itself to fully restoring Section 4 of the act (which contained a coverage formula to determine the states and jurisdictions that had to obtain preclearance before making legal changes that would affect voting rights).
United States · United States Congress · 6 August 2020
This resolution (1) calls on the President to extend the New START Treaty until 2026 in order to secure limitations on two new types of Russian weapons, (2) urges Russia to cease the production of hazardous new weapons systems, and (3) expresses support for a U.S. initiative to negotiate with China for the conclusion of an arms control treaty or agreement.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 2020
Bronzeville-Black Metropolis National Heritage Area Act This bill establishes the Bronzeville-Black Metropolis National Heritage Area in Chicago, Illinois. The Black Metropolis National Heritage Area Commission shall be the local coordinating entity for the heritage area and shall submit a management plan for the heritage area. The authority of the Department of the Interior to provide financial assistance to the heritage area expires 15 years after the enactment of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 2020
Lori Jackson Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act This bill amends the federal criminal code to modify the prohibition on firearm sale or transfer to, or purchase or possession by, an individual who is subject to a court order that restrains the individual from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner or child of an intimate partner. Specifically, the bill revises the elements of a qualifying court order. It also broadens the definitions of intimate partner and misdemeanor crimes of domestic violence .
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 2020
Food Supply Protection Act of 2020 This bill supports the continuity of the food supply chain during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency, including by providing grants that support the purchase or distribution of surplus perishable food or meals prepared with such food.
United States · United States Congress · 5 August 2020
Mixed Earner Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Act of 2020 This bill allows states to provide pandemic unemployment assistance to individuals who earn a combination of regular wages and a minimum of $7,250 of self-employed annual income (1) instead of regular unemployment compensation if they are otherwise eligible, or (2) if they are still employed at their regular-wage job, but unable to earn self-employed income due to circumstances related to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Under current law, individuals earning such mixed income are only eligible for pandemic unemployment assistance if they are not eligible for regular unemployment and unable to work due to COVID-19.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 2020
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 303 East Mississippi Avenue in Elwood, Illinois, as the "Lawrence M. 'Larry' Walsh Sr. Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 2020
Mentoring to Succeed Act of 2020 This bill requires the Department of Education to award grants to entities such as educational agencies, schools, and local governments to establish, expand, or support school-based mentoring programs that assist at-risk students in developing cognitive skills and promoting social-emotional learning to prepare them for success in high school, postsecondary education, and the workforce.
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 2020
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment related to the fundamental right to vote. Specifically, it grants every U.S. citizen of legal voting age the fundamental right to vote in any public election held in the jurisdiction in which the citizen resides. Next, it specifies that the fundamental right to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States, a state, or a political subdivision of a state, unless the denial or abridgment is in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest by the least restrictive means. Finally, it repeals a specific portion of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which allows for the denial of the right to vote based on crime. (Currently, some states disallow individuals from voting, either temporarily or indefinitely, after incarceration for a felony.)
![Official portrait of Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/d000563_200.jpg)