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![Official portrait of Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/m001176_200.jpg)
United States · Official source
5,761 records where Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2023
African Diaspora Heritage Month Act of 2023 This bill requires the President to designate by proclamation African Diaspora Heritage Month. The proclamation shall be issued every year and urge the observation of African Diaspora Heritage Month by state and local governments.
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2023
United States · United States Congress · 13 September 2023
Child Care Stabilization Act This bill provides additional funding through FY2028 for child care stabilization grants under which lead state agencies make subgrants to child care providers for personnel costs, facility costs, the purchase of personal protective equipment, and other costs related to providing child care services.
United States · United States Congress · 12 September 2023
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2023
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2023
This resolution designates 2024 as the Year of Democracy.
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2023
United States · United States Congress · 7 September 2023
Surviving Widow(er) Income Fair Treatment Act of 2023 or the SWIFT Act This bill modifies eligibility requirements and increases Social Security survivor benefits for widows, widowers, and surviving divorced spouses of a deceased worker. Specifically, the bill makes widow and widower's benefits available to disabled individuals at any age, whereas currently the benefits are limited to such individuals between ages 50 to 60. In addition, provisions reducing benefits in various instances, such as when a beneficiary is entitled to multiple types of benefits, shall not apply to widow and widower's benefits for individuals with disabilities. Additionally, the bill raises the upper age limit for determining whether a beneficiary has a child in his or her care from 16 to 18 years (or 19, if the child is a full-time elementary or secondary school student). An individual with a child in care may receive increased benefits in specified instances. The bill also increases various limits on widow and widower's benefits in certain instances and modifies the calculation for increased benefits for individuals who choose to delay receiving such benefits. For current beneficiaries, increases in Social Security benefits under this bill shall not affect the beneficiary's eligibility or benefit amount for any federal assistance program.
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2023
United States · United States Congress · 6 September 2023
Protecting Consumers from Unreasonable Credit Rates Act of 2023 This bill prohibits a creditor from extending credit to a consumer under an open end consumer credit plan (i.e., credit card) for which the fee and interest rate exceeds 36%. The bill also sets forth criminal penalties for violations and empowers state Attorneys General to enforce the bill. Credit card billing statements must include the fee and interest rate, displayed as FAIR , instead of the total finance charge expressed as an annual percentage rate (APR).
United States · United States Congress · 5 September 2023
Nationwide Right To Unionize Act This bill authorizes labor agreements to require membership in a labor organization (i.e., union) as a condition of employment regardless of state law (thus preempting any state laws that prohibit such agreements).
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2024 This bill provides FY2024 appropriations for the Department of the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and several related agencies. The bill provides appropriations to Interior for the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Indian Education, the Office of the Special Trustee For American Indians, Departmental Offices, and Department-Wide Programs. The bill also provides appropriations to the EPA and the Forest Service. Within the Department of Health and Human Services, the bill provides appropriations for the Indian Health Service, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. The bill provides appropriations to several related agencies, including the Council on Environmental Quality and Office of Environmental Quality, the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, the Office of Navajo and Hopi Indian Relocation, the Institute of American Indian and Alaska Native Culture and Arts Development, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Gallery of Art, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Commission of Fine Arts, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation. the National Capital Planning Commission, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Presidio Trust, and the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission. Additionally, the bill sets forth requirements and restrictions for using funds provided by this and other appropriations acts.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
Preventing Election Subversion Act of 2023 This bill prohibits the removal or suspension of local election administrators except for specified reasons and sets forth additional requirements for federal elections. Specifically, the bill restricts the ability of a statewide election administrator to remove a local election administrator. A statewide election administrator may suspend, remove, or relieve the duties of a local election administrator only for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance while in office. Further, the bill directs statewide election administrators to report any removals or suspensions of local election administrators to the Department of Justice. The bill also establishes certain requirements for challenging an individual's eligibility to register to vote or vote in federal elections. In particular, the bill prohibits any person (other than an election official) from challenging an individual's voting eligibility unless the challenge is supported by personal knowledge.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
Tribal Access to Nutrition Assistance Act of 2023 This bill allows for dual enrollment in the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Specifically, the bill allows any household that is eligible to participate in FDPIR to simultaneously participate in SNAP.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
Name Accuracy in Credit Reporting Act This bill prohibits, upon a consumer's request, a credit reporting agency from including on a consumer credit report a consumer's prior name after a legal name change.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
Preventing Health Emergencies And Temperature-related Illness and Deaths Act of 2023 or the Preventing HEAT Illness and Deaths Act of 2023 This bill establishes several programs to address the adverse health effects of extreme heat. For example, the bill establishes an interagency committee in the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy to address the health risks of extreme heat through coordinated research, strategic partnerships, and workforce development. It also requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to (1) establish a heat health information system to improve forecasts of extreme heat, and (2) contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study policy, data, and research gaps relating to extreme heat. NOAA may also, in coordination with the interagency committee, award financial assistance to nonprofits, academic institutions, and state, local, and tribal governments to support the ability of communities to mitigate the health effects of extreme heat (e.g., building modifications and educational campaigns).
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
Secure Rural Schools Reauthorization Act of 2023 This bill reauthorizes through FY2026 and modifies the Secure Rural Schools (SRS) program as well as a pilot program that allows regional foresters to appoint members to SRS resource advisory committees. Under the existing SRS program, states and counties containing federal land may receive payments from the Forest Service or the Department of the Interior respectively for schools and certain other municipal services. The bill extends the authority of the Forest Service and Interior to (1) calculate and provide payments to states and counties under the SRS program through FY2026, and (2) initiate projects using funds provided by the program through FY2028. It also extends the deadline to obligate those funds until the end of FY2029. Additionally, the bill expands the pilot program to allow regional foresters in all states, not just those in Montana and Arizona, to appoint members to the advisory committees in their regions.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
This resolution declares racism a public health crisis and supports efforts to address health disparities and inequities across all sectors.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
Federal Jobs Guarantee Development Act of 2023 This bill requires the Department of Labor to establish a pilot program to provide grants to eligible entities (i.e., political subdivisions of states and Tribal entities with a high unemployment rate) for programs to guarantee employment to individuals residing in the areas served by such entities.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
This concurrent resolution affirms, more than 400 years after the arrival of the first slave ship, that the United States owes a debt of remembrance to those who lived through slavery or other historical injustices against people of color, as well as to their descendants. It also urges the establishment of a U.S. Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
Augmenting Research and Educational Sites to Ensure Agriculture Remains Cutting-Edge and Helpful Act or the AG RESEARCH Act This bill provides funding for maintenance at agricultural research facilities. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) must (1) revise its review process for evaluating proposals for agricultural research facilities to include consulting with representatives of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) peer review panels; and (2) establish a grant program within NIFA to provide agricultural research facilities with a federal share of the cost for the construction, alteration, acquisition, modernization, renovation, or remodeling of the research facilities or the equipment necessary for agricultural research. Additionally, the bill provides funding for the grant program and for USDA to provide direct payments to research facilities of the Agricultural Research Service for addressing deferred maintenance. USDA must give priority to the most critical structures in accordance with the Agricultural Research Service Capital Investment Strategy (April 2012).
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
Stillbirth Health Improvement and Education for Autumn Act of 2023 or the SHINE for Autumn Act of 2023 This bill authorizes grants and establishes other programs to improve data collection on stillbirths. Specifically, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may award grants for surveillance and data collection on stillbirths, and HHS must issue guidelines for health departments and vital statistics units concerning the collection of stillbirth data. HHS must also develop educational awareness materials about stillbirths and make them publicly available. Furthermore, HHS must implement a fellowship program to provide training in perinatal autopsy pathology and otherwise support research on stillbirths and fetal autopsies. The bill also requires HHS to issue a report with educational guidelines on stillbirths and stillbirth risk factors.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
This resolution recognizes August 23, 2023, as National Poll Worker Recruitment Day.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
Rebuild America's Schools Act of 2023 This bill provides support for long-term improvements to public elementary and secondary school facilities. First, the bill sets forth allocations to states and establishes a need-based grant program for local educational agencies (LEAs) to improve school facilities. Further, the bill specifies allowable uses of grant funds, including carrying out major repairs, improving indoor air quality, and making facilities accessible to disabled individuals. Additionally, the bill requires LEAs that receive funds for new construction, modernization, or renovation projects to comply with hazard-resistance building codes and performance criteria under the WaterSense program of the Environmental Protection Agency. Further, the bill requires such LEAs to adopt certain green practices (environmental standards) and requires the use of iron, steel, and manufactured products that are made in the United States (Buy America). The bill restores school infrastructure tax credit bonds. The bill also sets forth reporting requirements, including annual reports on grant program projects and a report by the Government Accountability Office that requires a study of the geographic distribution of projects, the impact of selected projects on student and staff health and safety, and the accessibility of projects to high-poverty schools. The bill also establishes the Office of School Infrastructure and Sustainability within the Department of Education. Next, the bill extends through FY2028 the Impact Aid Construction program. Finally, the bill establishes a grant program to assist LEAs with repairing or replacing concrete foundations affected by pyrrhotite (an iron sulfide material linked to crumbling foundations).
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
This joint resolution expresses the sense of Congress that the Equal Rights Amendment, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, was ratified by more than three-fourths of the states and is therefore a valid constitutional amendment, effective January 27, 2020 (the date of Virginia's ratification). The Equal Rights Amendment was originally proposed to the states in 1972. The original proposal included a deadline for ratification of March 22, 1979; Congress subsequently extended the deadline to June 30, 1982. Although the requisite 38 states have ratified the amendment, three of these states did so after the deadlines, and five states subsequently rescinded their ratifications. The status of the amendment has been the subject of litigation.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
Original Slavery Remembrance Day Resolution This joint resolution designates a Slavery Remembrance Day annually on August 20th and condemns slavery and its progenies.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2023
Better Collaboration, Accountability, and Regulatory Enforcement for Animals Act of 2023 or the Better CARE for Animals Act of 2023 This bill modifies enforcement provisions under the Animal Welfare Act, including by allowing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to bring civil actions against violators of the act for appropriate relief, such as removing animals, revoking violators' licenses, or issuing civil penalties. DOJ must use the penalties to pay for the temporary care for animals pending the disposition of civil or criminal proceedings that allege violations of the act with respect to such animals.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2023
Fair College Admissions for Students Act This bill prohibits an institution of higher education (IHE) that participates in federal student-aid programs from giving preferential treatment in the admissions process to applicants based on their relationships to donors or alumni of the IHE.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2023
Reproductive Health Care Accessibility Act This bill establishes various grants and related programs that address sexual and reproductive health care for individuals with disabilities. Specifically, the Health Resources and Services Administration must support training for health care providers who offer sexual and reproductive health care to individuals with disabilities, and educating individuals with disabilities about sexual and reproductive health care. The Administration for Community Living must establish a national center to provide recommendations, technical assistance, and other resources related to the provision of sexual and reproductive health care for individuals with disabilities. The bill also authorizes support for medical schools, nursing schools, and other educational institutions that offer obstetrics and gynecology training programs to expand the number of individuals with disabilities entering the reproductive health care workforce. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services must study the effectiveness and other aspects of reproductive health care services and programs for individuals with disabilities.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2023
This resolution (1) recognizes the importance of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 in advancing independent living for individuals with disabilities; (2) pledges continued efforts to address remaining barriers for individuals with disabilities; and (3) calls on federal agencies to provide additional resources for individuals with disabilities with respect to economic self-sufficiency, community-based services, housing, telecommunication, and transportation.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2023
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2023
Supporting the Mental Health of Educators and Staff Act of 2023 This bill establishes grants and requires other activities to improve mental and behavioral health among education professionals and other school staff. Specifically, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must award grants or contracts to educational agencies, institutions of higher education, or consortia of such entities for programs to promote mental health and resiliency among education professionals and other school staff. In addition, HHS may award grants for educator preparation programs and training. Additionally, HHS must conduct a campaign to (1) encourage education professionals and other school staff to seek support and treatment for mental and behavioral health concerns, and (2) disseminate best practices to prevent suicide and improve mental health and resiliency among education professionals and other school staff. HHS must also study and develop policy recommendations on improving mental and behavioral health among education professionals and other school staff, removing barriers to accessing care and treatment, and identifying strategies to promote resiliency. Furthermore, the Government Accountability Office must report on the extent to which relevant federal grant programs address the prevalence and severity of mental health conditions and substance use disorders among education professionals and other school staff.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2023
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2023
VA Loan Informed Disclosure Act of 2023 or the VALID Act of 2023 The bill requires a Federal Housing Administration mortgage notice to contain comparative rate and fee information about loans available under the Department of Veterans Affairs home loan program.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2023
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2023
This resolution recognizes the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Department of Defense State Partnership Program and its outsized influence in developing and supporting enduring relationships around the world. The resolution also expresses deep gratitude for the service of members of the National Guard to the program.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2023
Wall Street Tax Act of 2023 This bill imposes a 0.1% excise tax on certain purchases of stocks, bonds, and derivatives. The tax applies to the purchase of a security if (1) such purchase occurs on, or is subject to the rules of, a qualified board or exchange located in the United States; or (2) the purchaser or seller is a U.S. person. The tax applies to transactions with respect to a derivative if (1) the derivative is traded on, or is subject to the rules of, a qualified board or exchange located in the United States; or (2) any party with rights under the derivative is a U.S. person. The bill exempts from such tax (1) initial issues of securities; and (2) any note, bond, debenture, or other evidence of indebtedness which is traded on or is subject to the rules of, a qualified board or exchange located in the United States, and has a fixed maturity of not more than 100 days. The tax applies to transactions by a controlled foreign corporation and must be paid by its U.S. shareholders.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2023
Freedom to Vote Act This bill addresses voter registration and voting access, election integrity and security, redistricting, and campaign finance. Specifically, the bill expands voter registration (e.g., automatic and same-day registration) and voting access (e.g., vote-by-mail and early voting). It also limits removing voters from voter rolls. Next, the bill establishes Election Day as a federal holiday. The bill declares that the right of a U.S. citizen to vote in any election for federal office shall not be denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense unless, at the time of the election, such individual is serving a felony sentence. The bill establishes certain federal criminal offenses related to voting. In particular, the bill establishes a new criminal offense for conduct (or attempted conduct) to corruptly hinder, interfere with, or prevent another person from registering to vote or helping someone register to vote. Additionally, the bill sets forth provisions related to election security, including by requiring states to conduct post-election audits for federal elections. The bill outlines criteria for congressional redistricting and generally prohibits mid-decade redistricting. The bill addresses campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals, requiring additional disclosure of campaign-related fundraising and spending, requiring additional disclaimers regarding certain political advertising, and establishing an alternative campaign funding system for certain federal offices.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2023
Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act This bill expands Medicare coverage to permanently include services provided by a pharmacist, including incidental services and supplies, related to testing, vaccines, and treatment for COVID-19, influenza, and certain other illnesses. Specifically, the bill provides for continued coverage of pharmacist services relating to evaluation and management of patients for testing and treatment for COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), or streptococcal pharyngitis (strep throat), as well as vaccines for pneumococcal disease, COVID-19, influenza, or hepatitis B. It also generally provides for coverage of pharmacist services during a public health emergency.
United States · United States Congress · 25 July 2023
This resolution (1) designates July 2023 as National Blueberry Month; and (2) recognizes the contributions of blueberry growers in the United States and their families, and that purchasing blueberries grown in the United States supports farmers, jobs, communities, and the economy of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2023
Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act of 2023 This bill reauthorizes through FY2028 and otherwise modifies federal support for state-based efforts to improve maternal mortality review committees; enhance surveillance of pregnancy-associated and -related deaths; and otherwise improve, and reduce disparities in, maternal health outcomes. The bill also requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to annually disseminate best practices for preventing maternal mortality and morbidity to hospitals, professional societies, and perinatal quality collaboratives (i.e., networks of perinatal care providers and public health professionals that work to improve pregnancy outcomes through continuous quality improvement).
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2023
Hemp Access and Consumer Safety Act This bill allows hemp and hemp-derived ingredients to be included in food and dietary supplements. Current law prohibits, with limited exceptions, the sale of food and dietary supplements that contain an ingredient that is an active ingredient in (1) an approved drug, or (2) a drug for which there have been substantial and publicly known clinical investigations. This bill exempts hemp and hemp-derived ingredients, such as hemp-derived cannabidiol, from this prohibition. The Food and Drug Administration may establish labeling and packaging requirements for such foods and dietary supplements.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2023
Achieving Thorough Transparency and Accessibility for Information Navigation on Mental Health Act of 2023 or the ATTAIN Mental Health Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to establish an online dashboard with information about federal grants relating to mental health and substance use disorders. Among other requirements, the dashboard must be searchable, current, and indicate whether the application period is open or closed. The dashboard must also include information about associated state programs and subgrants.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2023