United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2023
Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation Act or the SOAR Act This bill modifies requirements regarding special recreation permits for outfitting and guiding on federal recreational lands and waters, including by categorizing permits as transitional special recreation permits or as long-term permits. The bill requires the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to issue two-year transitional special recreation permits to a recreation provider for a new or additional reoccurring recreation service. Interior or USDA must issue a long-term special recreation permit, with a term of 5 or 10 years, to a recreation provider who has held no less than two transitional permits (or similar permits) and meets performance criteria. The departments may provide the flexibility to a permit holder to engage in another activity similar to the permitted activity under a permit. The departments must establish a pilot program to offer a single joint special recreation permit or commercial use authorization for a multijurisdictional trip. The bill requires the departments to evaluate and improve the process for issuing special recreation permits.
United States · United States Congress · 16 May 2023
Protecting Service Members and Military Families' Access to Reproductive Care Act of 2023 This bill provides statutory authority for a Department of Defense (DOD) policy that provides for the granting of an administrative absence at the request of a member of the Armed Forces for purposes of receiving non-covered reproductive health care or to accompany a spouse or other dependent who receives non-covered reproductive health care. Under the bill, non-covered reproductive health care means care not authorized to be performed at a DOD facility, including an abortion or assisted reproductive technology (e.g., in vitro fertilization). An administrative absence granted for such purposes may not exceed 21 days. DOD is authorized to prescribe regulations under this bill, which must provide that (1) no additional requirements may be imposed on a member requesting an administrative absence for non-covered reproductive health care, and (2) DOD and the approval authority of a member must prioritize the privacy of the member (or dependent). The bill also authorizes DOD to provide an allowance for travel expenses in connection with a member's or dependent's travel to receive non-covered reproductive health care.
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 · 11 May 2023
This resolution supports the designation of November 12, 2023, as National Warrior Call Day and encourages individuals to engage with warriors (i.e., members of the Armed Forces and veterans) to connect and provide support.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2023
WWII Nurses Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to World War II Army and Navy Nurse Corps members in recognition of their critical military service and devotion to duty.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2023
National American Indian Veterans Charter Act This bill grants a federal charter to the National American Indian Veterans Inc., which is a nonprofit corporation organized in the United States.
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
This resolution marks the 60th anniversary of the Polaris Sales Agreement. (The agreement established basic policy and terms for the sale of Polaris missiles by the United States to the United Kingdom, and formed a basis of cooperation between the two countries on strategic nuclear defense and deterrence.) The resolution also commends the Royal Navy for maintaining a continuous at-sea deterrent and reaffirms the United Kingdom as a valued ally of the United States.
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 · 10 May 2023
This bill establishes circumstances under which reinitiation of consultation related to endangered or threatened species is not required under a land and resource management plan or a land use plan. Specifically, the bill prohibits a land and resource management plan for a unit of the National Forest System or a land use plan for public lands from being considered to be a continuing federal agency action, or constituting a discretionary federal involvement or control for a distinct federal purpose. This makes certain consultation requirements related to endangered or threatened species inapplicable to such plans.
United States · United States Congress · 10 May 2023
This resolution designates June 10, 2023, as Veterans Get Outside Day and encourages the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Forest Service within the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of the Interior to coordinate to promote the day along with National Get Outdoors Day.
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
Access to Contraception for Servicemembers and Dependents Act of 2023 This bill addresses Department of Defense (DOD) contraceptive care and family planning services. Specifically, the bill prohibits cost-sharing requirements with respect to TRICARE beneficiaries for specified prescription contraceptives. Additionally, the bill prohibits cost-sharing requirements for TRICARE Select and TRICARE Prime beneficiaries in relation to any in-network method of contraception or contraceptive care (including with respect to insertion, removal, and follow-up), any sterilization procedure, or any related patient education or counseling service. The bill requires DOD to provide information on emergency contraceptives and care to sexual assault survivors at its medical treatment facilities. Upon request by a sexual assault survivor, DOD must provide such emergency contraceptives or a prescription for emergency contraceptives. Finally, DOD must establish a uniform standard curriculum for education programs on family planning for all members of the Armed Forces. Such education programs must be provided to service members during their first year of service and at other appropriate times, as determined by each military department.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2023
This resolution recognizes the significance of Jewish American Heritage Month as a time to celebrate the contributions of Jewish Americans to American society and culture, and calls on elected officials, faith leaders, and civil society leaders to condemn and combat antisemitism.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2023
Pharmacy and Medically Underserved Areas Enhancement Act This bill provides for Medicare coverage and payment with respect to certain pharmacist services that (1) are furnished by a pharmacist in a health-professional shortage area, and (2) would otherwise be covered under Medicare if furnished by a physician.
United States · United States Congress · 9 May 2023
This resolution expresses the sense of the Senate that the United States must lead efforts to reform the rules of the World Trade Organization for special and differential treatment to ensure those rules promote advancement for truly developing countries.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2023
Baltic Security Initiative Act This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to carry out an initiative to deepen security cooperation with Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. The goals of this initiative include (1) achieving U.S. national security objectives by deterring Russian aggression; (2) enhancing regional planning and cooperation among these countries, particularly with respect to long-term regional capabilities such as long-range precision fire systems and integrated air and missile defense; and (3) improving these countries' cyber defenses. DOD must also submit to Congress a strategy for accomplishing these goals.
United States · United States Congress · 3 May 2023
This bill revises requirements for a garment to be considered water resistant under the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS). The HTS sets out the tariff rates and statistical categories for all merchandise imported into the United States. Currently, garments that are classified under specified subheadings under chapter 62 of the HTS (e.g., water resistant trousers) must have a water resistance such that, under a head pressure of 600 millimeters, not more than 1.0 gram of water penetrates after two minutes when tested in accordance with a specified test method. Further, the water resistance must be the result of a rubber or plastics application to the outer shell, lining, or inner lining. This bill removes the requirement that the water resistance must be the result of a rubber or plastics application to the outer shell, lining, or inner lining.
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 · 27 April 2023
Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act This bill establishes an interagency Federal Work Group on Youth Residential Programs to support and implement best practices regarding the health and safety, care, treatment, and appropriate placement of youth in youth residential programs. The work group must develop recommendations about a national database to aggregate information about processes and outcomes for youth in such programs. The work group also must support the education and training of professional and paraprofessional personnel in fields that service such youth. Further, the Department of Health and Human Services must contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study and make recommendations about various aspects of federal and state oversight of youth residential programs.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2023
Recognizing the Role of Direct Support Professionals Act This bill requires the Office of Management and Budget to establish a separate category within the Standard Occupational Classification system for direct support professionals (i.e., individuals who provide services to promote independence in individuals with an intellectual or developmental disability) for data reporting purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2023
This resolution recognizes April 28, 2023, as National Arbor Day and encourages the people of the United States to participate in National Arbor Day activities.
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
Providing Resources for Emergency Preparedness And Resilient Enterprises Act of 2023 or the PREPARE Act of 2023 This bill reauthorizes through FY2028 a pre-disaster mitigation program, administered by the Small Business Administration, for disbursing economic injury disaster loans to small businesses for protection of real estate, equipment, inventory, supplies, and materials. The bill also increases the amount for loans to take mitigating actions to protect damaged or destroyed property from possible future disasters.
United States · United States Congress · 27 April 2023
Wastewater Infrastructure Pollution Prevention and Environmental Safety Act or the WIPPES Act This bill requires the Federal Trade Commission to issue regulations requiring entities responsible for the labeling or retail packaging of certain premoistened, nonwoven wipes (e.g., baby wipes, cleaning wipes, or personal care wipes) to label such products clearly and conspicuously with the phrase Do Not Flush and accompanying symbol as depicted under specified industry guidelines. The commission is authorized to enforce this requirement.
United States · United States Congress · 26 April 2023
Fairness for Servicemembers and their Families Act of 2023 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to periodically review and report on the maximum coverage available under the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance and Veterans' Group Life Insurance programs. Specifically, the VA must review such coverage amount every three years, taking into account the percentage increase in the average of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the fiscal year ending during the preceding calendar year compared to the average of the CPI-U for FY2005.
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
Right to Read Act of 2023 This bill expands access to school libraries and literacy skills support for elementary and secondary school students. It also outlines certain constitutional rights and liability protections related to school libraries. Specifically, the bill reauthorizes through FY2028 (1) the Comprehensive Literacy State Development Program, which provides grants to ensure high-quality instruction and effective strategies in reading and writing for children through 12th grade; and (2) the Innovative Approaches to Literacy Program, which provides grants to support the development of literacy skills in low-income communities. Additionally, the bill allows Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants to be used to assist local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools in recruiting, hiring, and retaining state-certified school librarians. Further, the bill authorizes states and LEAs to use Student Support and Academic Enrichment grants for programs and activities that promote the development of digital literacy and information literacy skills. The Department of Education (ED) must direct the National Center for Education Statistics to biennially collect data on school libraries. ED must require an assurance from each state and LEA receiving certain funds confirming that it will (1) protect the First Amendment rights of students in school libraries, and (2) provide equal protection in the conduct of school libraries in compliance with the requirements of the Fourteenth Amendment and nondiscrimination laws. The bill also provides liability protection to teachers, school librarians, school leaders, paraprofessionals, and other staff for actions that conform with state or local policies regarding the right to read.
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 · 26 April 2023
Supreme Court Code of Conduct Act This bill requires the Supreme Court to issue a code of conduct for the Chief Justice and Justices. The Supreme Court must publish the code of conduct on its website and designate an individual to process complaints of misconduct by the Chief Justice and Justices.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2023
Railroad Employee Equity and Fairness Act or the REEF Act This bill permanently exempts payments made from the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Account from sequestration. Sequestration is a process of automatic, usually across-the-board spending reductions under which budgetary resources are permanently cancelled to enforce specific budget policy goals. Currently, this exemption ends 30 days after the termination of the COVID-19 national emergency period.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2023
Fentanyl Eradication and Narcotics Deterrence Off Fentanyl Act or the FEND Off Fentanyl Act This bill requires or authorizes various actions, including sanctions, targeting foreign persons (individuals and entities) engaged in trafficking of fentanyl and other illicit opioids. This bill requires that the sanctions specified in Executive Order 14059 (relating to sanctions on foreign persons involved in the global illicit drug trade), as well as any amendments to or directives issued pursuant to that executive order before the date of the enactment of this bill, shall remain in effect. The bill also requires the President to impose property-blocking sanctions on any foreign person knowingly involved in (1) significant trafficking of fentanyl, fentanyl precursors, or other related opioids by a transnational criminal organization; or (2) significant activities of a transnational criminal organization relating to the trafficking of fentanyl, fentanyl precursors, or other related opioids. The Department of the Treasury is authorized to take certain actions relating to classes of transactions that (1) involve a non-U.S. jurisdiction, and (2) are of primary money laundering concern in connection with illicit opioid trafficking. For such transaction classes, Treasury may require domestic financial institutions to (1) take certain special measures, (2) prohibit certain transmittals of funds, or (3) impose conditions on transmittals of funds. Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network must issue guidance to U.S. financial institutions for filing reports of suspicious transactions related to suspected fentanyl trafficking by transnational criminal organizations.
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
Improving Needed Safeguards for Users of Lifesaving Insulin Now Act of 2023 or the INSULIN Act of 2023 This bill limits cost-sharing for insulin under private health insurance and revises the requirements for approval and cost-sharing of generic drugs and biosimilar products. Specifically, the bill caps cost-sharing under private health insurance for a month's supply of selected insulin products at $35 or 25% of a plan's negotiated price (after any price concessions), whichever is less, beginning in 2025. The bill also requires pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to remit to the group health plan 100% of the fees, alternative discounts, and all other remuneration received from a drug manufacturer. Additionally, the bill modifies the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) procedures for determining whether a petition to delay the approval of a generic drug was made with the primary purpose of delaying the application and provides for the referral of such petitions to the Federal Trade Commission. The bill also authorizes the FDA to expedite the development and review of applications for products designated as a competitive biosimilar therapy. Finally, the bill permits prescription drug plan sponsors under Medicare Part D to make certain mid-year changes to the cost-sharing tier of a reference biological product if the sponsor also adds the respective biosimilar product to the same or a lower cost-sharing tier as the reference biological product immediately prior to the change.
United States · United States Congress · 25 April 2023
Strengthening Medicare And Reducing Taxpayer Prices Act or the SMART Prices Act This bill modifies requirements of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program and makes other changes with respect to the prices of prescription drugs under Medicare. Current law requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to negotiate maximum prices for brand-name drugs that do not have other generic equivalents and that account for the greatest Medicare spending. The CMS must negotiate the prices of 10 drugs that are covered under the Medicare prescription drug benefit in 2026, 15 drugs that are covered under the Medicare prescription drug benefit in 2027, 15 drugs that are covered under the Medicare prescription drug benefit or under Medicare medical services in 2028, and 20 drugs that are covered under the Medicare prescription drug benefit or under Medicare medical services in 2029 and each year thereafter. The bill requires the CMS to negotiate the prices of 20 drugs under the Medicare prescription drug benefit in 2026 and 40 drugs under the Medicare prescription drug benefit or under Medicare medical services in 2027 and each year thereafter. It also (1) shortens the required period of market approval from 7 years and 11 years for drugs and biologics, respectively, to 3 years; and (2) modifies the ceiling for the maximum fair price for short-, extended-, and long-monopoly drugs. The bill also repeals provisions that prohibit the CMS from interfering in negotiations between drug manufacturers, pharmacies, and PDP sponsors (i.e., noninterference clause).
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2023
Strengthening Medicare And Reducing Taxpayer Prices Act or the SMART Prices Act This bill modifies requirements of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program and makes other changes with respect to the prices of prescription drugs under Medicare. Current law requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to negotiate maximum prices for brand-name drugs that do not have other generic equivalents and that account for the greatest Medicare spending. The CMS must negotiate the prices of 10 drugs that are covered under the Medicare prescription drug benefit in 2026, 15 drugs that are covered under the Medicare prescription drug benefit in 2027, 15 drugs that are covered under the Medicare prescription drug benefit or under Medicare medical services in 2028, and 20 drugs that are covered under the Medicare prescription drug benefit or under Medicare medical services in 2029 and each year thereafter. The bill requires the CMS to negotiate the prices of 20 drugs under the Medicare prescription drug benefit in 2026 and 40 drugs under the Medicare prescription drug benefit or under Medicare medical services in 2027 and each year thereafter. It also (1) shortens the required period of market approval from 7 years and 11 years for drugs and biologics, respectively, to 3 years; and (2) modifies the ceiling for the maximum fair price for short-, extended-, and long-monopoly drugs. The bill also repeals provisions that prohibit the CMS from interfering in negotiations between drug manufacturers, pharmacies, and PDP sponsors (i.e., noninterference clause).
United States · United States Congress · 20 April 2023
Drug-price Transparency for Consumers Act of 2023 or the DTC Act of 202 3 This bill requires consumer advertisements for drugs and biologicals to include certain price information if the drug or biological is (1) covered under Medicare or Medicaid, and (2) required to include a risk summary under current law. The requirement does not apply to advertisements for drugs or biologicals with a wholesale cost of less than $35 for a one-month supply. Each violation of this requirement is subject to a civil penalty of not more than $100,000.
United States · United States Congress · 19 April 2023
Protect Our Waters and Expand Renewables on Our Reservoirs Act or the POWER Our Reservoirs Act This bill creates a framework for the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to pilot the use of floating solar panels at Reclamation and USACE project sites. Before launching the pilot programs, Reclamation and the USACE must separately analyze and report on expected costs, benefits, technical requirements, and overall feasibility.
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
Recycling Infrastructure and Accessibility Act of 2023 This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a pilot grant program for improving recycling accessibility in communities. The EPA may award grants to states, local governments, Indian tribes, or public-private partnerships.
![Official portrait of Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/k000383_200.jpg)