United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2023
250th Anniversary of the United States Marine Corps Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue not more than 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins emblematic of the 250th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps. All surcharges received by Treasury from the sale of such coins must be paid to the Marine Corps Heritage Foundation and shall only be used for the purposes of supporting the mission of the Marine Corps Heritage Center.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2023
Keep Americans Safe Act This bill establishes a new criminal offense for the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device (LCAFD). The bill does not prohibit certain conduct with respect to an LCAFD, including the following: importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession related to certain law enforcement efforts, or authorized tests or experiments; importation, sale, transfer, or possession related to securing nuclear materials; and possession by a retired law enforcement officer. The bill permits continued possession of, but prohibits sale or transfer of, a grandfathered LCAFD. Newly manufactured LCAFDs must display serial number identification and the date of manufacture. Additionally, the bill allows a state or local government to use Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds to compensate individuals who surrender an LCAFD under a buy-back program.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2023
Arctic Refuge Protection Act of 2023 This bill designates approximately 1,559,538 acres of land within Alaska in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2023
Extreme Risk Protection Order Expansion Act of 2023 This bill establishes grants to support the implementation of extreme risk protection order laws at the state and local levels, extends federal firearms restrictions to individuals who are subject to extreme risk protection orders, and expands related data collection. Extreme risk protection order laws, or red flag laws, generally allow certain individuals (e.g., law enforcement officers or family members) to petition a court for a temporary order that prohibits an at-risk individual from purchasing and possessing firearms. Among its provisions, the bill directs the Department of Justice to establish a grant program to help states, local governments, Indian tribes, and other entities implement extreme risk protection order laws; extends federal restrictions on the receipt, possession, shipment, and transportation of firearms and ammunition to individuals who are subject to extreme risk protection orders; and requires the Federal Bureau of Investigation to compile records from federal, tribal, and state courts and other agencies that identify individuals who are subject to extreme risk protection orders.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2023
This resolution states that the Senate supports Brazil's democratic institutions and condemns the violent siege against several Brazilian government institutions on January 8, 2023. The resolution also urges social media and group messaging companies to address how their platforms are used to spread disinformation and misinformation in Brazil.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2023
Child Care Workforce and Facilities Act of 2023 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to provide states and tribal entities with grants to increase access to licensed child care services. The grants may be used to develop and expand the child care workforce or child care facilities in locations with insufficient available child care. Specifically, grants cover 50% of the cost of programs to support the education and training of caregivers or projects to build, expand, or renovate child care facilities in these areas.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2023
Protecting America's Meatpacking Workers Act of 2023 This bill addresses workplace conditions and safety with a particular focus on meat and poultry processing establishments and makes other changes to agricultural programs and activities. Generally, the bill provides funding through FY2029 for hiring additional Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspectors and related activities. It also restricts an employer's use of certain attendance policies under which a worker is assessed points for absences with progressive discipline imposed as points accumulate. Additionally, the bill expands protections for workers who exercise their rights under occupational safety and health laws and regulations. This includes specific protections and procedures for workers of meat and poultry processing establishments. The bill expands workplace safety and health requirements that apply to meat and poultry processing establishments, including by prohibiting waivers (subject to limited exceptions) related to line speeds and inspections. Additionally, OSHA must issue standards for these establishments that address, for example, ergonomic program management and preventing occupational exposure to COVID-19. OSHA must also (1) establish, within seven days, a process for establishments to report COVID-19 information; and (2) publish certain regulations regarding a workers' representative accompanying an OSHA inspector during inspections of an establishment. The bill provides funding through FY2032 for, and imposes additional conditions on recipients of, grants to improve meat and poultry processing facilities. Further, the bill increases funding for a program that supports regional and local food systems. It also requires country-of-origin labeling of beef, pork, and dairy products.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2023
Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act of 2023 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to take various actions to address transparency in contract terms and pricing in the cattle industry. Among these requirements, USDA must maintain a publicly available library or catalog of contracts entered into between meat packers and livestock producers for the purchase of cattle, including any schedules of premiums or discounts associated with the contracts and other specific details. USDA must make this information available to producers and other interested parties in a monthly report. The bill further requires USDA to establish five to seven regions encompassing the entire continental United States that reasonably reflect similar fed cattle purchase practices for processing plants and establish mandatory minimums for each region (i.e., the minimum percentage of cattle purchases that are required to be made through approved pricing mechanisms from producers that are not packers). Under the bill, approved pricing mechanisms are generally purchases of fed cattle made through a negotiated purchase, through a negotiated grid purchase, at a stockyard, or through trading systems or platforms where multiple buyers and sellers can regularly make and accept bids and offers. The bill also establishes a maximum penalty for mandatory minimum violations by covered packers. Under the bill, a covered packer is a packer that has slaughtered an average of 5% or more of the number of fed cattle slaughtered nationally during the immediately preceding five calendar years.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2023
Caring for All Families Act This bill expands who is permitted to take qualifying family and medical leave and provides additional leave for parents and family caregivers. The bill grants leave to private sector and federal employees to care for a domestic partner and any individual whose close association with such employees is like a family relationship, regardless of biological or legal relationship, if (1) such individual has a serious health condition, or (2) there is a qualifying exigency due to such employees' active duty in the Armed Forces. The bill entitles an employee who is a domestic partner, next of kin of a member of the Armed Forces, or any individual whose close association is like a family relationship, regardless of biological or legal relationship, to take leave to care for the service member. The bill entitles private sector and federal employees to take additional leave to participate in or attend their children's and grandchildren's school or community organization activities, meet routine family medical care needs, or care for their elderly relatives.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2023
Protecting Access to Medication Abortion Act of 2023 This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure that patients may receive mifepristone through prescriptions issued via telehealth and filled by mail. The FDA has approved mifepristone for medication abortions (i.e., a procedure in which prescription drugs are used to terminate a pregnancy). (Mifepristone is subject to a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy, which imposes various safety-related requirements. During the COVID-19 public health emergency, the FDA suspended enforcement of a requirement that the drug must be dispensed in person, a requirement in the strategy at the time. In January 2023, the FDA updated the strategy to remove the in-person dispensing requirement.) Under this bill, the FDA must ensure that the strategy for mifepristone (1) does not have an in-person dispensing requirement, (2) allows patients to access prescriptions for mifepristone via telehealth, and (3) authorizes all pharmacies certified to dispense mifepristone to patients to do so via mail.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2023
Crime Gun Tracing Modernization Act of 2023 This bill requires the National Tracing Center within the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to establish and maintain an electronic, searchable database of records related to certain firearms transactions.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2023
Protect Our Citizens from Reckless Extortion of our Debt and Irresponsible Tactics Act of 2023 or the Protect Our CREDIT Act of 2023 This bill allows the President to increase the statutory debt limit unless a joint resolution of disapproval is passed by Congress and becomes law. Prior to the beginning of each fiscal year, the President must submit to Congress a certification that specifies the existing debt, the debt limit, and the debt that will be necessary to issue during the next year to meet existing commitments. The debt limit is increased by the proposed amount, unless a joint resolution of disapproval is passed by Congress within 15 days and becomes law. Congress must consider the joint resolution using specified expedited legislative procedures. The President must submit an additional certification to Congress during the year if the debt is within $250 billion of the limit, and further borrowing is necessary to meet existing commitments. The certification must propose a new debt limit for the remainder of the year and explain any discrepancy with the earlier certification. The new debt limit also goes into effect, unless a joint resolution of disapproval is passed by Congress within 15 days and becomes law. The bill suspends the debt limit during the period in which Congress is considering a joint resolution of disapproval after the President has submitted a mid-year certification.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2023
Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program Reauthorization Act of 2023 This bill reauthorizes and expands the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration program, which helps fund collaborative and community-based forest management. To be eligible for support, a collaborative forest landscape restoration proposal must describe plans to prevent, remediate, or control invasions of pathogens. For each proposal nominated for selection by a Forest Service regional office, the office must provide a federal government staffing plan for providing support to collaboratives. In selecting proposals, the Department of Agriculture must give special consideration to proposals that seek to use innovative implementation mechanisms, including conservation finance agreements and good neighbor agreements; reduce the risk of uncharacteristic wildfire or increase ecological restoration activities within areas across land ownerships and within the wildland-urban interface; and enhance watershed health and drinking water sources. The bill increases the number of proposals that may be funded during any fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 1 February 2023
Forbidding Airlines from Imposing Ridiculous Fees Act of 2023 or the FAIR Fees Act of 202 3 This bill directs the Department of Transportation to prescribe regulations (1) prohibiting an air carrier from imposing specified fees relating to a flight in passenger air transportation that are unreasonable or disproportional to the costs it incurs, and (2) establishing standards for assessing whether such fees are reasonable and proportional to those costs.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2023
This resolution states that the Senate supports the people of Burma (Myanmar) in their ambition for democracy, sustainable peace, genuine ethnic and religious reconciliation, and internationally recognized human rights for all. It also calls on the Burmese military to release all political prisoners detained in the February 1, 2021, military coup, remove restrictions on travel and communications, and return the elected civilian government to power.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2023
Smith River National Recreation Area Expansion Act This bill expands the Smith River National Recreation Area in California into Oregon and designates specified segments of the North Fork Smith River as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System (NWSRS). The management emphasis for any portion of the recreation area in Oregon shall be on roadless backcountry and white-water recreation. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) shall study the additions to the recreation area, including inventories and assessments of water features (e.g., streams and lakes). USDA shall modify any applicable management plan to protect the resources inventoried. USDA shall seek to enter into a memorandum of understanding with applicable Indian tribes to (1) provide them with access to the portions of the recreation area in Oregon to conduct historical and cultural activities; and (2) develop interpretive information to be provided to the public on the history of, and use of the area by, those tribes. On the adoption of a resolution by the State Land Board of Oregon, USDA shall acquire the 555 acres of land known as the Cedar Creek Parcel in Oregon. A streamside protection zone in which timber harvesting is prohibited (with exceptions) shall be established for each of the designated North Fork Smith River segments.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2023
Jumpstart Our Businesses by Supporting Students Act of 2023 or the JOBS Act of 2023 This bill expands student eligibility for Pell Grants by establishing the Job Training Federal Pell Grant program. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Education to award a job training Pell Grant to a student who does not have a degree; attends an institution of higher education (IHE); is enrolled in a career and technical education program at an IHE that provides 150 to 600 clock hours of instructional time over a period of 8 to 15 weeks and provides training aligned with high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industry sectors (i.e., job training programs); and meets all other eligibility requirements for a Pell Grant. Additionally, the bill specifies that any period during which a student receives a job training Pell Grant counts toward that student's Pell Grant eligibility period.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2023
Ethan's Law This bill establishes a framework to regulate the storage of firearms on residential premises at the federal, state, and tribal levels. At the federal level, the bill establishes statutory requirements for firearms on residential premises to be safely stored if a minor is likely to gain access without permission or if a resident is ineligible to possess a firearm. An individual who violates the requirements is subject to criminal penalties. A firearm stored in violation of the requirements is subject to seizure and forfeiture. At the state and tribal levels, the bill requires the Department of Justice to award grants to implement functionally identical requirements for the safe storage of firearms.
United States · United States Congress · 31 January 2023
Airline Passengers' Bill of Rights This bill expands protections for passengers in air transportation. Among other things, the bill requires the Department of Transportation to implement regulations relating to protections for airline passengers from being required to involuntarily relinquish their seats, unless necessary for safety or security; the elimination of the dollar limitations on compensation to passengers denied boarding due to overbooking; compensation to passengers for delayed or cancelled flights; interline agreements between air carriers and other transportation providers; training on the rights of passengers; unreasonable air carrier fees; unrestricted access of consumers to information on schedules, fares, fees, and taxes; accuracy in pricing of tickets and disclosure of lowest fares; and notifications to passengers of their rights and eligibility for refunds. The Federal Aviation Administration must (1) prohibit any air carrier from reducing seat size or leg room, and (2) report on the quality of food and potable water on passenger aircraft and the sufficiency of flight crews and aircraft. The bill provides a private right of action for passengers aggrieved by airline actions and increases civil penalties on air carriers for violations of passenger protections.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2023
Elizabeth Dole Home and Community Based Services for Veterans and Caregivers Act of 2023 or the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act This bill addresses home care and caregiver programs provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Under the bill, the cost of providing noninstitutional alternatives to nursing home care may not exceed the cost that would have been incurred if a veteran had been furnished VA nursing home care, unless the VA determines that a higher cost is in the best interest of the veteran. (Under current law, these expenditures are limited to 65% of the cost.) Among other requirements, the VA must establish a partnership with the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly in certain areas to furnish noninstitutional alternatives to nursing home care; implement various programs (e.g., the Veteran Directed Care program) to expand access to home- and community-based services; provide specified support and benefits to caregivers of certain disabled veterans; implement a pilot program to provide homemaker and home health aide services to veterans who reside in communities with a shortage of home health aides; and ensure the availability of home and community-based services for Native American veterans. For veterans or family caregivers who are discharged from the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers, a caregiver support coordinator must provide for a personalized transition to an appropriate program. The Veterans Health Administration must review programs administered through the Office of Geriatric and Extended Care to ensure consistency in program management, eliminate service gaps at the medical center level, and ensure the availability of and access to home and community-based services.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2023
Improving Access to Workers' Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act of 2023 This bill expands the role of nurse practitioners and physician assistants in providing services to injured federal workers under the federal workers' compensation program. Specifically, under the program, nurse practitioners and physician assistants acting within the scope of their practice may (1) prescribe or recommend treatment for injured federal workers; (2) certify the nature of an injury and probable extent of disability; (3) provide prescribed treatment for injured federal workers; and (4) participate, with a physician designated by the Department of Labor, in a mandatory workers' compensation examination of an injured worker. In general, only physicians may fulfill these roles under current law.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2023
Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Conflict Act This bill addresses issues relating to Tibet, including by establishing a statutory definition of Tibet that includes areas in Chinese provinces outside the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). For the purposes of U.S. policies and activities relating to Tibet, this bill defines Tibet to include the TAR and the Tibetan areas of the Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu, and Yunnan provinces. (Generally, when China's government refers to Tibet, it means only the TAR, while Tibetan exile groups consider historical Tibet to include the TAR as well as areas in the provinces included in this bill's definition. China's government formally established the TAR in 1965.) Furthermore, the objectives of the Office of the U.S. Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues shall include working to ensure that U.S. government statements and documents counter disinformation about Tibet by China's government and the Chinese Communist Party, including disinformation about Tibet's history and institutions. The bill also authorizes the office to take other actions to counter such disinformation. This bill also states that it is U.S. policy that the conflict between Tibet and China is unresolved and that Tibet's legal status remains to be determined in accordance with international law.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2023
Daniel J. Harvey Jr. and Adam Lambert Improving Servicemember Transition to Reduce Veteran Suicide Act This bill requires the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs to jointly carry out a five-year pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of providing certain services and a module comprised of specified elements as part of the pre-separation transition process for members of the Armed Forces for the purpose of reducing the incidence of suicide among veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2023
Preventing Auto Recycling Theft Act or the PART Act This bill establishes requirements for motor vehicles related to catalytic converters and other motor vehicle parts that contain precious metals. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration must revise the motor vehicle theft prevention standard for new motor vehicles to include catalytic converters among the parts that require an inscribed or affixed identifying number. Additionally, the Department of Transportation must establish a grant program through which law enforcement agencies and other entities can stamp vehicle identification numbers onto catalytic converters of existing vehicles. The bill establishes retention requirements for the purchase of motor vehicle parts that contain precious metals. It also sets forth criminal penalties for the theft of catalytic converters or any precious metals removed from a vehicle.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2023
Fred Korematsu Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2023 This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal posthumously to Fred Korematsu in recognition of his contributions to civil rights, his loyalty and patriotism to the nation, and his dedication to justice and equality.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2023
This resolution recognizes the importance of establishing a national Fred Korematsu Day of Civil Liberties and the Constitution. It also encourages all people to reflect on the importance of political leadership and vigilance and on the values of justice and civil rights during times of uncertainty and emergency.
United States · United States Congress · 30 January 2023
Korematsu-Takai Civil Liberties Protection Act of 2023 This bill prohibits the detention or imprisonment of an individual based solely on an actual or perceived protected characteristic of the individual. The term protected characteristic includes each of the following: race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, and any additional characteristic that the Department of Justice determines to be a protected characteristic.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2023
Forgotten Heroes of the Holocaust Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to 60 diplomats posthumously in recognition of their brave and vital service of saving Jews during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2023
This concurrent resolution commends the bravery, courage, and resolve of the women and men of Iran who are (1) participating in the current protests to defend their fundamental human rights, and (2) risking their safety to speak out against the human rights abuses committed by the Iranian regime. The resolution condemns (1) the brutal beating and death of Mahsa Amini; and (2) the violent suppression by the Iranian regime of women and men participating in the current demonstrations, including children, and calls for transparent accountability for all killings of protesters by Iranian security forces. Finally, the resolution encourages continued efforts by the Biden Administration to respond to the protests, including the recent sanctioning of the Iranian morality police.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2023
Justice for Black Farmers Act of 202 3 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide a variety of assistance to address historical discrimination and disparities in the agricultural sector. For example, the bill establishes an equity commission in USDA to examine discrimination by the agency against Black farmers and ranchers and recommend actions to end the systematic disparities in the treatment of Black farmers and ranchers. USDA must also establish a Farm Conservation Corps to provide young adults who are from socially disadvantaged groups with the skills necessary to pursue careers in farming and ranching. The bill provides funding for historically Black colleges and universities to commence and expand courses of study that are focused on careers in agriculture or related disciplines. The bill also increases the authorization of appropriations for a program to resolve issues relating to ownership and succession on farmland. Additionally, it expands credit assistance for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. Further, the bill (1) establishes that a minimum of 50% of a covered packer's (not including a packer that owns only one livestock processing plant) daily volume of livestock slaughter must be purchased through spot market sales from nonaffiliated producers; (2) increases funding for the Local Agriculture Market Program; and (3) gives priority to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers for conservation technical assistance, the Conservation Stewardship Program, and the Rural Energy for America Program.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2023
Federal Adjustment of Income Rates Act or the FAIR Act This bill modifies pay rates for federal employees in 2024. Specifically, the bill increases rates under the statutory pay systems and for prevailing rate employees by 4.7% and increases locality pay by 4%.
United States · United States Congress · 26 January 2023
Better Care Better Jobs Act This bill establishes programs and provides funds for state Medicaid programs to improve home- and community-based services (HCBS), such as home health care, personal care, case management, and rehabilitative services. Specifically, the bill provides funds for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to award planning grants, develop quality measures, and provide technical assistance to states regarding specified HCBS improvements, particularly with respect to access, utilization, and the associated workforce. The bill also increases the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (i.e., federal matching rate) for HCBS in states that develop plans and meet specified benchmarks for improvements. The bill also makes permanent (1) the Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration Program (a grant program to help states increase the use of HCBS for long-term care and decrease the use of institutional care), and (2) certain provisions regarding Medicaid eligibility that protect against spousal impoverishment for recipients of HCBS.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2023
This joint resolution provides that the Equal Rights Amendment, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, was ratified by three-fourths of the states and is therefore a valid constitutional amendment, regardless of any time limit that was in the original proposal. 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 · 24 January 2023
Washington, D.C. Admission Act This bill provides for the admission of the state of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth into the United States. The commonwealth consists of all the territory of the District of Columbia (DC), excluding certain federal property. The excluded property shall be known as the Capital and serve as the seat of federal government; it includes the principal federal monuments, the White House, the Capitol Building, the Supreme Court Building, and the federal office buildings located adjacent to the Mall and Capitol Building. In addition, the bill maintains the federal government's authority over military lands and specified other property and prohibits the commonwealth from taxing federal property except as permitted by Congress. Within 30 days of this bill's enactment, the DC mayor must call for the election of two Senators and one Representative for the commonwealth. The commonwealth shall be admitted into the United States upon a presidential proclamation announcing the results of that election. The bill applies current DC laws to the commonwealth and continues pending judicial proceedings. It also continues certain federal authorities and responsibilities, including regarding employee benefits, agencies, and courts, until the commonwealth certifies that it is prepared to take over those authorities and responsibilities. Further, the bill provides for expedited consideration of a joint resolution to repeal the Twenty-third Amendment to the Constitution (which allows DC citizens to vote in presidential elections). The bill also establishes a commission to advise the President, Congress, and DC and commonwealth leaders on the transition.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2023
Build, Utilize, Invest, Learn, and Deliver for Veterans Act of 2023 or the BUILD for Veterans Act of 2023 This bill addresses Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) capital asset management, planning, and investment. Among other requirements, the VA must ensure it has dedicated offices or entities and sufficient staff to conduct relevant critical responsibilities for the life cycle of capital asset management at the local, regional, and central office levels; establish a staffing model to ensure a minimum base level of capital asset staffing; develop goals and metrics to assess and improve the performance of VA capital asset management programs; comprehensively review the climate resilience of its facilities, land, and other relevant capital assets; submit the Strategic Plan to Improve VA's Delivery and Management of Capital Assets; and review all relevant authorities of the VA to determine whether the provisions are meaningful, relevant, and reflect current operational needs, organization structure, and all other necessary requirements for the full life cycle of effective and efficient management of capital assets. The Inspector General of the VA must examine and report on the management and performance of relevant capital asset projects of the VA. The Government Accountability Office must review and report on the VA's progress toward meeting the goals, metrics, and other plans set forth in this bill. The bill also requires various reports from the VA relating to capital asset improvement and the implementation of capital asset directives (e.g., reports on the VA's physical infrastructure and information technology needs).
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2023
Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act This bill establishes the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans. The commission must (1) compile documentary evidence of slavery in the United States; (2) study the role of the federal and state governments in supporting the institution of slavery; (3) analyze discriminatory laws and policies against freed African slaves and their descendants; and (4) recommend ways the United States may recognize and remedy the effects of slavery and discrimination on African Americans, including through a formal apology and compensation (i.e., reparations). The commission consists of individuals from civil society and reparations organizations and individuals appointed by the President and congressional leadership. The commission may hold hearings, subpoena witnesses and records, and contract with other entities to conduct its work. The commission must submit its final report within one year of its first meeting.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2023
Restaurant Revitalization Tax Credit Act This bill allows certain restaurants affected by the COVID-19 pandemic a credit against payroll tax liability up to 100% of the wages paid to their employees, not to exceed $25,000 in any calendar quarter.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2023
VA Clinician Appreciation, Recruitment, Education, Expansion, and Retention Support (CAREERS) Act of 2023 This bill addresses Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) personnel matters and the training, recruitment, and retention of VA health care employees. Among other requirements, the VA must expand various staff training efforts and programs; comply with certain notification and staffing requirements when a VA medical center director is on detail; prescribe a system of pay for individuals appointed as directors of medical centers and directors of Veterans Integrated Service Networks; and establish a consolidated annual leave account for certain VA employees with restored leave during 2020, 2021, and 2022. The bill also authorizes the VA to waive pay limitations for employees of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) who are performing mission critical work; increases the maximum amount of incentive pay for pharmacist executives; modifies the special pay authority for nurse executives and the administration of pay for VA physicians, podiatrists, optometrists, and dentists; authorizes a waiver of certain licensure requirements for psychologists and mental health counselors in certain circumstances; requires the Inspector General of the VA to study and report on the use of direct hire authority, the contributions made by the use of such authority, and any vulnerabilities or inconsistencies with respect to the use of such authority; includes VA police officers as law enforcement officers for purposes of the federal retirement system; and requires the Government Accountability Office to report on human resources modernization conducted by the VHA.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2023
West Coast Ocean Protection Act of 2023 This bill prohibits the Department of the Interior from issuing a lease for the exploration, development, or production of oil or natural gas in any area of the Outer Continental Shelf off the coast of California, Oregon, or Washington.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2023
Assault Weapons Ban of 2023 This bill makes it a crime to knowingly import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon (SAW) or large capacity ammunition feeding device (LCAFD). The prohibition does not apply to a firearm that is (1) manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action, except for certain shotguns; (2) permanently inoperable; (3) an antique; (4) only capable of firing rimfire ammunition; or (5) a rifle or shotgun specifically identified by make and model. The bill also exempts from the prohibition the following, with respect to a SAW or LCAFD: importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession related to certain law enforcement efforts, or authorized tests or experiments; importation, sale, transfer, or possession related to securing nuclear materials; and possession by a retired law enforcement officer. The bill permits continued possession, sale, or transfer of a grandfathered SAW, which must be securely stored. A licensed gun dealer must conduct a background check prior to the sale or transfer of a grandfathered SAW between private parties. The bill permits continued possession of, but prohibits sale or transfer of, a grandfathered LCAFD. Newly manufactured LCAFDs must display serial number identification. Newly manufactured SAWs and LCAFDs must display the date of manufacture. The bill also allows a state or local government to use Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds to compensate individuals who surrender a SAW or LCAFD under a buy-back program.
United States · United States Congress · 23 January 2023
Age 21 Act This bill raises the minimum age to purchase a large capacity ammunition feeding device or semiautomatic assault weapon from 18 to 21 years of age.
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2022
Expanding the Voluntary Opportunities for Translations in Elections Act or the Expanding the VOTE Act This bill expands access to voting materials for individuals with limited proficiency in the English language, including by establishing incentive grants for states and political subdivisions to provide translated voting materials. Additionally, the bill directs the Government Accountability Office to study the impact of (1) reducing the threshold requirement under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and (2) expanding the definition of language minorities to include native speakers of additional languages.
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2022
Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Conflict Act This bill addresses issues relating to Tibet, including by establishing a statutory definition of Tibet that includes areas in Chinese provinces outside the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). For the purposes of U.S. policies and activities relating to Tibet, this bill defines Tibet to include the TAR and the Tibetan areas of the Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu, and Yunnan provinces. (Generally, when China's government refers to Tibet, it means only the TAR, while Tibetan exile groups consider historical Tibet to include the TAR as well as areas in the provinces included in this bill's definition. China's government formally established the TAR in 1965.) Furthermore, the objectives of the Office of the U.S. Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues shall include working to ensure that U.S. government statements and documents counter disinformation about Tibet by China's government and the Chinese Communist Party, including disinformation about Tibet's history and institutions. The bill also authorizes the office to take other actions to counter such disinformation. This bill also states that it is U.S. policy that the conflict between Tibet and China is unresolved and that Tibet's legal status remains to be determined in accordance with international law.
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2022
Stop Arctic Ocean Drilling Act of 2022 This bill limits oil and gas leasing in Arctic areas of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Specifically, the bill prohibits the Department of the Interior from issuing or extending a lease or any other authorization for the exploration, development, or production of oil, natural gas, or any other mineral in Arctic areas of the OCS. In addition, the bill declares that it is the policy of the United States that the Arctic Ocean should be managed for the best interests of the people of the United States, including by keeping fossil fuels in the ground to avoid the dangerous impacts of climate change.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2022
Protecting America's Economy from the Carbon Bubble Act of 2022 This bill prohibits certain financial companies (including bank holding companies, savings and loan holding companies, and insured depository institutions) from involvement in fossil fuel production. Prohibited activities include providing loans to and making investments in fossil fuel companies or projects, facilitating transactions that fund new fossil fuel production, securitizing assets that provide funds for new fossil fuel production, and entering into certain derivatives transactions related to new fossil fuel production. Violators are subject to criminal and civil penalties.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2022
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.)
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2022
Ethical Use of Facial Recognition Act This bill prohibits federal agencies from using facial recognition software until the enactment of legislation that implements certain guidance on its use, as recommended by a specialized commission created under this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 15 December 2022
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment requiring the President and Vice President to be jointly elected directly by the people of the states and the District of Columbia over the age of 18.
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2022
Community Mental Wellness and Resilience Act of 2022 This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to award competitive grants to consortia that represent various community entities (e.g., schools, businesses, and health and human services providers) for carrying out community mental wellness and resilience programs that use a public health approach.
![Official portrait of Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/m001176_200.jpg)