United States · United States Congress · 3 August 2022
Malheur Community Empowerment for the Owyhee Act This bill addresses various public land concerns in Malheur County in Oregon. The bill directs the Department of the Interior to prepare a programmatic environmental impact statement for certain federal land in the county. Interior shall develop plans for areas that are ecologically degraded or most at risk of being ecologically degraded. Interior shall establish the Malheur Community Empowerment for Owyhee Group, which shall, among other things, use such statement to review projects proposed to the Bureau of Land Management by group members, ranchers holding grazing permits on the federal land, or other members of the public. The bill also establishes a network to monitor such land, designates 1,133,481 acres of federal lands in the county as wilderness and components of the National Wilderness Preservation System, designates a 14.7-mile segment of Owyhee River as a recreational river, establishes improvements for certain loop roads, requires separate feasibility studies concerning Owyhee Reservoir, requires improvements to existing Oregon State Parks and private camps on the shore of the Reservoir, establishes a dude ranch at Birch Creek, requires a feasibility study on a specified rails-to-trails project, requires a feasibility study on marketing communities or portions of the county as the Gateway to the Oregon Owyhee, requires a determination of the use and conditions under which the Jordan Valley Airstrip may be used to support firefighting, establishes the Native Seed Center as the primary federal native seed repository in the Western States, and requires that land be taken into trust for the benefit of the Burns Paiute Tribe.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2022
Let Doctors Provide Reproductive Health Care Act This bill sets out protections for and establishes programs to support health care providers (and those who assist such providers) who offer reproductive health care services that are lawful in the state where the services are provided. Reproductive health care services refer to abortion services; contraceptive services; in vitro fertilization; or other reproductive care, education, and counseling that is provided (1) at a health care site or via telehealth, and (2) in a medically accurate manner. The bill prohibits individuals, entities, and states from preventing, restricting, or otherwise interfering with the provision of lawful reproductive health care services by health care providers. The Department of Justice, individuals, or providers may bring a lawsuit to enforce this bill, and states are not immune from suits for violations. Furthermore, states may not use federal funds to pursue legal cases or similar proceedings (e.g., adverse licensing proceedings) against health care providers, individuals, or entities that offer or assist with lawful reproductive health care services. Additionally, medical malpractice insurers may not deny coverage to or sue a health care provider because the provider offers or assists with lawful reproductive health care services. The bill also funds grants to assist health care providers who offer or refer for abortion services and face legal issues relating to their provision of reproductive health care services with legal matters and improving security.
United States · United States Congress · 2 August 2022
Spotted Wing Abatement Trust Act of 2022 or the SWAT Act of 2022 This bill directs the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to establish a fund for research relating to, and activities to mitigate the negative effects of, spotted wing drosophila. Spotted wing drosophila is an invasive species from East Asia that has caused significant damage to many valuable fruit crops in the United States, including raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, peaches, plums, and cherries.
United States · United States Congress · 1 August 2022
Western Water Cooperative Committee Act This bill directs the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to establish a Western Water Cooperative Committee. The committee must make recommendations to avoid or minimize conflicts between corps projects and state water rights and laws.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2022
Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2023 This bill provides FY2023 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, the World War I Centennial Commission, the U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, and the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children The bill provides additional emergency appropriations to Interior and the Forest Service for disaster recovery and emergency response activities. Additionally, the bill sets forth requirements and restrictions for using funds provided by this and other appropriations acts.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2022
Supreme Court Review Act of 2022 This bill requires the Government Accountability Office to notify Congress of a covered Supreme Court decision and sets forth expedited procedures for the consideration of legislation related to the decision. A covered Supreme Court decision is a decision by the Supreme Court that interprets a federal statute for the first time, reinterprets a federal statute that it previously interpreted, or interprets or reinterprets the Constitution in a manner that diminishes an individual right or privilege that is or was previously protected by the Constitution.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2022
Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act of 2022 This bill expressly classifies broadband internet as a telecommunications service rather than an information service for purposes of regulation by the Federal Communications Commission. (Current law treats providers of telecommunications services as common carriers and subjects them to more stringent requirements.)
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2022
Global Food Security Reauthorization Act of 2022 This bill reauthorizes through FY2028 activities to implement the Global Food Security Strategy, a whole-of-government strategy to promote global food security, resilience, and nutrition. The bill also modifies aspects of the strategy, such as requiring the strategy to seek to improve the efficiency and resilience of agricultural production. The bill also reauthorizes through FY2028 activities related to the Emergency Food Security Program, an international market-based assistance program.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2022
Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act of 2022 This bill authorizes the use of certain foreign assistance funds to provide comprehensive reproductive health care services in developing countries, including abortion services, training, and equipment.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2022
Fair Access to Financial Services Act of 2022 This bill prohibits financial institutions from discriminating on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex, including sexual orientation and gender identity. The bill also provides an aggrieved person with a private right of action for preventive relief.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2022
Secure And Fair Enforcement Advertising Act of 2022 or the SAFE Advertising Act of 2022 This bill prohibits the Federal Communications Commission from taking certain adverse actions against a radio or television station that advertises cannabis or hemp businesses or service providers if the station is licensed in a state where cannabis or hemp products are legal and other conditions are met. It also specifies that proceeds from transactions with legitimate businesses related to cannabis or hemp shall not be considered proceeds from an unlawful activity or require the denial of federal benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2022
Right to Contraception Act This bill sets out statutory protections for an individual's right to access and a health care provider's right to provide contraception and related information. Contraception refers to an action taken to prevent pregnancy, including the use of contraceptives (i.e., a device or medication used to prevent pregnancy), fertility-awareness based methods, and sterilization procedures. Generally, the bill prohibits measures that single out and impede access to contraception and related information. However, a party may defend against a claim that a measure violates the bill's prohibitions by demonstrating, through clear and convincing evidence, that the measure significantly advances the safety of contraception and cannot be achieved through less restrictive means. The bill also specifies that the prohibition preempts inconsistent state and local laws and applies in spite of other federal laws, including the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. The Department of Justice, individuals, or health care providers may bring a lawsuit to enforce this bill, and states are not immune from suits for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2022
This resolution (1) designates July 2022 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 · 21 July 2022
Benjamin Berell Ferencz Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Benjamin Berell Ferencz in recognition of his service to the United States and the international community during the post-World War II Nuremberg trials and his lifelong advocacy for international criminal justice and the rule of law.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2022
Canyon's Law This bill prohibits the preparing, placing, installing, setting, deploying, or otherwise using an M-44 device on public land. An M-44 device is defined as a device designed to propel sodium cyanide when triggered by an animal, including any device that may be commonly known as an M-44 ejector device or an M-44 predator control device. No later than 30 days after the enactment of this bill, any federal, state, or county agency that has prepared, placed, installed, set, or deployed an M-44 device on public land shall remove each such device from such land.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2022
Protecting and Preserving Social Security Act This bill revises methods for calculating various aspects of Social Security benefits, eliminates the cap on compensation subject to Social Security taxes, and extends eligibility for Social Security benefits during the month of a beneficiary's death.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2022
Summer Meals and Learning Act of 20 22 This bill directs the Department of Education to award grants to state library administrative agencies to enable them to award subgrants to eligible local educational agencies for summer early reading programs held at schools with a summer lunch site.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2022
This resolution calls on the Russian government to immediately release Brittney Griner. The resolution urges the United States, in all interactions with the Russian government, to raise the case of Brittney Griner and to press for her release. The resolution further urges the Russian government to provide consular access to Brittney Griner while she remains in detention and to respect her human rights. Finally, the resolution expresses support to the family of Brittney Griner and a commitment to bringing her home.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2022
Increasing Home Ownership for Servicemembers Act This bill requires the Department of Defense to seek to enter into an agreement with a federally funded research and development center or nonprofit entity to study and report on the barriers to home ownership for members of the Armed Forces.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2022
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, and transportation.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2022
BAH Calculation Improvement Act This bill requires the Department of Defense to submit to Congress a report on the basic allowance for housing for members of the uniformed services that includes elements related to the calculation of such allowance.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2022
BAH Restoration Act This bill increases the monthly amount of the basic housing allowance for members of the uniformed services inside the United States. Specifically, the monthly amount of allowance for a member must be the amount of the monthly cost of adequate housing in the area, as determined by the Department of Defense, for members of the uniformed services serving in the same pay grade and same dependency status as the member.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2022
Right to Contraception Act This bill sets out statutory protections for an individual's right to access and a health care provider's right to provide contraception and related information. Contraception refers to an action taken to prevent pregnancy, including the use of contraceptives (i.e., a device or medication used to prevent pregnancy), fertility-awareness based methods, and sterilization procedures. Generally, the bill prohibits measures that single out and impede access to contraception and related information. However, a party may defend against a claim that a measure violates the bill's prohibitions by demonstrating, through clear and convincing evidence, that the measure significantly advances access to contraception and cannot be achieved through less restrictive means. The Department of Justice, individuals, or health care providers may bring a lawsuit to enforce this bill, and states are not immune from suits for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2022
Respect for Marriage Act This bill provides statutory authority for same-sex and interracial marriages. Specifically, the bill repeals and replaces provisions that define, for purposes of federal law, marriage as between a man and a woman and spouse as a person of the opposite sex with provisions that recognize any marriage that is valid under state law. (The Supreme Court held that the current provisions were unconstitutional in United States v. Windsor in 2013.) The bill also repeals and replaces provisions that do not require states to recognize same-sex marriages from other states with provisions that prohibit the denial of full faith and credit or any right or claim relating to out-of-state marriages on the basis of sex, gender, race, ethnicity, or national origin. (The Supreme Court held that state laws barring same-sex marriages were unconstitutional in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015; the Court held that state laws barring interracial marriages were unconstitutional in Loving v. Virginia in 1967.) The bill allows the Department of Justice to bring a civil action and establishes a private right of action for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2022
Expanding Access to Family Planning Act This bill provides, subject to specified conditions, funding through FY2032 for federally funded family planning services and clinics. In particular, the funds must be used for (1) grants and contracts that support the provision of family planning services, and (2) clinic infrastructure (e.g., construction and renovation of clinics). Clinics that receive funding to provide family planning services must offer each patient with a positive pregnancy test the opportunity for nondirective counseling on (1) prenatal care and delivery; (2) infant care, foster care, and adoption; and (3) pregnancy termination. This counseling must include referrals if requested by a patient. Additionally, if a funding recipient makes subawards for the provision of family planning services, the recipient may not prohibit an entity from participating in a subaward program for reasons other than the entity's inability to provide family planning services.
United States · United States Congress · 18 July 2022
Health Equity for People with Disabilities Act This bill modifies certain grants available to health centers that offer primary health services to medically underserved populations to ensure that members of such populations with disabilities receive accessible health services.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2022
This resolution remembers former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe and his work to strengthen the alliance between the United States and Japan. It also extends condolences to his family and the people of Japan.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2022
Children's Safe Welcome Act of 2022 This bill imposes requirements related to the treatment of noncitizen children detained in immigration custody. For example, the bill (1) prohibits an accompanied noncitizen child from being separated from a parent or legal guardian while in immigration custody, except in certain situations; (2) requires each child in immigration custody to receive a legal orientation presentation and have access to legal counsel and child advocates; and (3) requires each unaccompanied noncitizen child in Department of Health and Human Services custody to be placed in the least restrictive setting that most approximates a family and in which any special needs may be met.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2022
This resolution recognizes the critical role the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission plays in addressing long-standing issues including the wage gap, combating workplace harassment, and ensuring all workers are treated with dignity and respect in the workplace.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2022
Public Health Air Quality Act of 2022 This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency to take specified actions related to monitoring and improving air quality, including by implementing a program to administer or conduct emissions measurement and quantification, promulgating regulations related to specified source categories, and deploying not fewer than 1,000 air quality sensors.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2022
Tax Filing Simplification Act of 2022 This bill directs the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to establish a free on-line tax preparation and filing service and allows taxpayers to access third-party provided tax return information and information held by the IRS. The bill prohibits the IRS from entering into any agreement that restricts its legal right to provide tax return preparation services or to provide tax return filing services. The bill requires the IRS to establish and operate programs to (1) facilitate claims for the child care and the earned income tax credits, (2) provide software for the preparation and filing of individual income tax returns for taxable years beginning after 2022, (3) allow taxpayers to download third-party provided return information and IRS-held information to their tax returns, and (4) allow taxpayers to elect to have their tax returns prepared by the IRS. The bill also requires verification of taxpayer identity and requires the IRS to conduct an outreach campaign to provide the public with information about this bill's programs and software.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2022
This resolution expresses unwavering commitment to and support for strengthening deterrent, protective, and accountability measures to prevent violence against journalists and safeguard the freedom of the press in Mexico. The resolution also encourages the Mexican government to strengthen efforts to protect the free press and journalists; ensure a thorough and impartial investigation into all threats of violence reported by journalists and the provision of immediate access to protective measures for journalists who make such reports; and conduct comprehensive and transparent investigations into the deaths of journalists to ensure all responsible parties are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
United States · United States Congress · 12 July 2022
Freedom to Travel for Health Care Act of 2022 This bill prohibits anyone from interfering with a person's ability to access out-of-state reproductive health care. (Reproductive health care is defined as medical, surgical, counseling, or referral services related to pregnancy, the termination of a pregnancy, contraception services, and other reproductive care.) Specifically, the bill prohibits anyone from restricting, discriminating against, or otherwise disadvantaging anyone who receives, provides, or assists with out-of-state reproductive health care that is legal in the state in which it is provided. The bill allows the Department of Justice to bring a civil action and establishes a private right of action for violations. The bill specifically waives any applicable governmental immunity and preempts any contravening state laws.
United States · United States Congress · 11 July 2022
Youth Voting Rights Act This bill expands voting access for youth. Specifically, the bill establishes a private right of action to enforce the Twenty-Sixth Amendment, which prohibits denying or abridging the right to vote based on age. Additionally, the bill directs each state to designate as voter registration agencies all offices within public institutions of higher education (IHEs) that provide assistance to students, implement a preregistration process to allow minors who are 16 years or older to register to vote in federal elections that take place when or after the preregistered individual turns age 18, and ensure the availability of polling places on campuses of IHEs (with the availability of waivers). The bill prohibits durational residency requirements for voting in all federal elections. Currently, this prohibition applies only to voting for the offices of President and Vice President. States and local jurisdictions with voter identification requirements must treat IHE-issued student identification cards as voter identification. The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) must make grants to states to increase the involvement of individuals under age 18 in public election activities. The Government Accountability Office must report to Congress on trends related to voter registration, absentee voting, and provisional voting. The EAC must also collect and make publicly available certain data from states.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2022
Protecting Access to Medication Abortion Act This bill directs the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take steps to allow patients to receive prescriptions for mifepristone, a drug approved by the FDA for medical abortion, via telehealth and for prescriptions for the drug to be filled by mail. (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 the current strategy's requirement that the drug must be dispensed in person, and this suspension is still in effect. In December 2021, the FDA stated the data supported modifying the strategy to remove the in-person dispensing requirement.) Under this bill, the FDA must require the holder of the relevant approved drug application to submit a proposal to modify the strategy. The modification shall (1) remove the in-person dispensing requirement, (2) allow patients to access prescriptions for mifepristone via telehealth, and (3) authorize all pharmacies certified to dispense mifepristone to patients to do so via mail.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2022
Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2022 This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and others to undertake efforts to reduce health disparities. For example, the bill (1) requires more detailed reporting of demographic and health disparities data, including related to public health emergencies; (2) directs certain components of HHS to support health workforce diversity; and (3) increases access to culturally and linguistically appropriate health care. The bill also modifies eligibility and other requirements for Medicare, Medicaid, private health insurance, nutrition assistance, and other programs to reduce health disparities among vulnerable populations. The bill includes specific provisions with respect to noncitizens; maternal, infant, and child health; mental and behavioral health; specified conditions that disproportionately affect racial and ethnic minority groups, such as certain cancers, HIV/AIDS, kidney disease, and diabetes; investments in communities facing health and other inequities; and nondiscrimination in the provision of services in federally supported health programs. Additionally, the bill (1) revises health information technology programs to address health disparities, and (2) supports health impact assessments and other efforts pertaining to environmental justice and social determinants of health (i.e., nonmedical factors that influence health outcomes, such as income and educational attainment). The bill also requires various studies and reports on issues related to health care and health disparities, including a report by the Government Accountability Office on health workforce diversity.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2022
Stop Anti-Abortion Disinformation Act or the SAD Act This bill prohibits advertisements that use deceptive or misleading statements related to the provision of abortion services. Abortion services include (1) surgical and non-surgical procedures to terminate a pregnancy, or (2) providing referrals for such procedures. The Federal Trade Commission must promulgate rules to implement the prohibition, and the bill provides for enforcement by the commission.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2022
This resolution (1) recognizes the increase in educational opportunities, including in sports, for women and girls since the passage of title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; and (2) encourages the Department of Education and the Department of Justice to ensure that students have a safe learning environment by working to ensure schools prevent and respond to discrimination and harassment on the basis of sex.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2022
This resolution reaffirms the goals of World Refugee Day and the commitment of the United States to promote the safety and well-being of refugees and asylum seekers.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2022
Good Jobs for Good Airports Act This bill addresses pay, benefits, and labor standards for certain airport service workers. Airport service workers include security officers, food service workers, cleaning staff, ticketing agents, and retail service workers. Specifically, the bill establishes a minimum wage and benefit standard for such airport service workers at large, medium, and small hub airports. It also prohibits small, medium, and large hub airports from accessing federal funds for airport development projects unless the airports certify that such airport service workers are paid no less than the higher of $15 per hour, the applicable state or local minimum wage and fringe benefits, or the prevailing wage and fringe benefits required under the Service Contract Act as established by the Department of Labor.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2022
This resolution celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Federal Pell Grant program and expresses support for the designation of June 23 as National Pell Grant Day.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2022
This resolution condemns the use of hunger, including the starvation of civilians, as a weapon of warfare. It also calls on the U.S. government to prioritize diplomatic efforts to call out and address instances where hunger and intentional deprivation of food is being utilized as a weapon of war, including efforts to ensure that security operations do not undermine livelihoods of local populations to minimize civilian harm.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2022
Social Security Expansion Act This bill increases benefits and certain taxes related to the Social Security program. Changes to benefits include (1) increasing the primary insurance amount for certain beneficiaries; (2) revising the method of calculating cost-of-living adjustments; (3) establishing a new minimum benefit for certain low earners; and (4) allowing certain children of retired, deceased, or disabled workers to receive benefits until age 22 if they are a full-time student. Changes to taxes include (1) increasing the net investment income tax and making active trade or business income subject to this tax; and (2) extending payroll taxes on wages, salaries, and self-employment earnings to income above $250,000 (the maximum amount subject to the Social Security payroll tax is currently $147,000 for 2022). The bill also combines the existing Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance Trust Fund into a single Social Security Trust Fund.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2022
This resolution expresses opposition to the application of criminal laws to pregnancy outcomes and affirms that people deserve access to high-quality health care without fear of reprisal or punishment.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2022
This resolution recognizes the significance of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month as an important time to celebrate the contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders to the history of the United States. The resolution also recognizes that the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities enhance the rich diversity of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2022
Register America to Vote Act of 2022 This bill provides for the automatic registration of eligible voters. Specifically, the bill directs each state that has a voter registration requirement for federal elections to automatically register eligible individuals when they turn 18 years of age. The bill also provides for the automatic registration of individuals through state motor vehicle authorities. Individuals must be provided with an opportunity to opt out of automatic voter registration. The Election Assistance Commission must make grants to states to implement these automatic voter registration programs.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2022
Affordability is Access Act This bill establishes several requirements relating to health insurance coverage of, and access to, over-the-counter contraceptives. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Labor, and the Department of the Treasury to specify that private health insurance plans must cover over-the-counter contraceptives that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), even without a prescription. Under current law, private health insurance plans (with some exceptions) must cover FDA-approved prescription contraceptives, without cost-sharing requirements. The bill also prohibits retailers from interfering with an individual's access to oral contraceptives that are meant for routine, daily use and are FDA-approved for use without a prescription.
![Official portrait of Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/m001176_200.jpg)