United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2023
Fair Access to Agriculture Disaster Programs Act This bill waives the adjusted gross income limitations for payments or benefits under specific Department of Agriculture (USDA) disaster assistance programs for a person or legal entity that derives a portion of their income from agriculture. (Currently, a person or entity is not eligible to receive certain benefits during a crop, fiscal, or program year if their average gross income exceeds $900,000.) Specifically, in the case of an excepted payment or benefit, the adjusted gross income limitation is waived if 75% or more of the average adjusted gross income for the person or entity is derived from farming, ranching, or silviculture activities. These activities include agritourism, direct-to-consumer marketing of agricultural products, and the sale of agricultural equipment owned by such person or entity. The bill applies to the USDA Livestock Indemnity Program; Livestock Forage Disaster Program; Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honey Bees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program; Tree Assistance Program; and Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2023
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 · 14 June 2023
Private Prison Information Act of 2023 This bill specifies that a record related to a nonfederal prison, correctional, or detention facility must be considered a federal agency record for purposes of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). A nonfederal prison, correctional, or detention facility must disclose information under FOIA unless the information is exempt from disclosure or the disclosure is prohibited by law. The term nonfederal prison, correctional, or detention facility means (1) a private prison, correctional, or detention facility; or (2) a state or local prison, jail, or other correctional or detention facility.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2023
Henrietta Lacks Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill awards posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal in commemoration of Henrietta Lacks in recognition of her immortal cells which have made invaluable contributions to global health, scientific research, our quality of life, and patients' rights.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2023
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 · 13 June 2023
Food Access and Stability Act of 2023 This bill repeals the sunset of the work requirements exemption for certain Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients who are able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs). (SNAP recipients who are ABAWDs have work-related requirements in addition to the general SNAP work registration and employment and training requirements.) Under current law, homeless individuals, veterans, and certain foster care individuals (those who are 24 years old or younger and were in foster care on the date of attaining 18 years of age or a higher age) are exempt from the work requirements for ABAWDs. This exemption sunsets at the end of FY2030. The bill repeals the sunset of these exemptions, making them permanent.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2023
This resolution recognizes the historical significance to the nation of Juneteenth Independence Day (commemorating the end of slavery in the United States).
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2023
Disaster Mitigation and Tax Parity Act of 2023 This bill excludes from gross income, for income tax purposes, any qualified catastrophe mitigation payment made under a state-based catastrophe loss mitigation program. A qualified catastrophe mitigation payment means any amount received for making improvements to an individual's property for the sole purpose of reducing the damage that would be done to such property by a windstorm, earthquake, or wildfire.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2023
Methane Emissions Research Act This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency to conduct a methane research pilot study to quantify methane emissions from infrastructure used for the production, gathering and boosting, processing, transmission, and storage of oil and natural gas in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2023
Fair and Open Skies Act This bill amends the policy considerations the Department of Transportation (DOT) must take into account when issuing a foreign air carrier permit. (This allows foreign air carriers to operate in U.S. air space.) DOT must consider preventing the undermining of labor standards when determining whether the foreign air transportation will be in the public interest. Further, the bill amends the requirements for the Department of State and DOT in formulating U.S. international air transportation policy. Under current law, the State Department and DOT must develop a negotiating policy emphasizing the greatest degree of competition compatible with a well-functioning international air transportation system and include specific considerations; this is amended to also include preventing the undermining of labor standards.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2023
North Pacific 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 the following areas of the Outer Continental Shelf: the Washington/Oregon planning area, the Northern California planning area, or the Central California planning area.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2023
Stop Arctic Ocean Drilling Act of 2023 This bill prohibits the Department of the Interior from issuing or renewing a lease or any other authorization for the exploration, development, or production of oil, natural gas, or any other mineral in the Arctic Ocean, including the Beaufort Sea and Chukchi Sea Planning Areas.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2023
Relieving Economic Strain to Enhance American Resilience and Competitiveness in Higher Education and Research Act or the RESEARCHER Act This bill requires executive guidance and policy changes with respect to the compensation and benefits afforded to graduate and postdoctoral researchers. Specifically, the White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy must develop a set of policy guidelines for federal agencies to address the financial instability of graduate and postdoctoral researchers. The guidelines must address certain issues, including stipends that are appropriately indexed to cost-of-living adjustments, health care benefits, and affordable housing and child care. Federal agencies must develop policies that are consistent with such guidelines within six months of the guidelines' issuance. Additionally, the National Science Foundation must (1) provide awards to institutions of higher education or nonprofits to collect data on the financial instability of graduate and postdoctoral researchers, and (2) contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to report on stipends for graduate and postdoctoral researchers relative to their cost-of-living expenses. The Government Accountability Office must report on the implementation of relevant policy changes.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2023
Resources for Victims of Gun Violence Act of 2023 This bill establishes the Advisory Council to Support Victims of Gun Violence. Among other things, the advisory council must assess the needs of victims of gun violence and disseminate information about helpful resources.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2023
This resolution recognizes World Oceans Day and affirms the individual and collective duty, both nationally and internationally, to protect, conserve, maintain, and rebuild our oceans and its resources. It also expresses commitment to increasing the investment of federal funds into scientific research and monitoring to better understand the changing oceans, empower the federal government to address and mitigate the effects of the changing climate, and accomplish the goals of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2023
LGBTQ I+ Data Inclusion Act This bill addresses federal data collection of voluntary, self-disclosed information on sexual orientation, gender identity, and variations in sex characteristics. Specifically, the bill requires federal agencies that collect information through a survey for statistical purposes that includes demographic data (where subjects self-report information or a proxy provides information about the subject or responds for all persons in a household) to review existing data sets to determine which data sets do not include information about sexual orientation, gender identity, and variations in sex characteristics. Such agencies must assess needed changes in survey methods related to asking questions on such matters. Agencies that publish reports relying on survey demographic data must include information on sexual orientation, gender identity, and variations in sex characteristics. Agencies may waive this publication requirement on a case-by-case basis if the confidentiality of the information cannot be maintained or if adding such information to the survey would impair the agency's ability to preserve the utility, accuracy, or objectivity of the survey while also generating relevant evidence about the LGBTQI+ community. The Government Accountability Office must report to Congress on the implementation of this bill's requirements by agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2023
Sustaining Healthy Ecosystems, Livelihoods, and Local Seafood Act or the SHELLS Act This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish an Office of Aquaculture and an Aquaculture Advisory Committee. The term aquaculture means the propagation and rearing of aquatic species in controlled or selected environments, including ocean ranching (with exclusions). Specifically, the Office of Aquaculture must encourage and promote aquaculture operations that promote U.S. food security and limit adverse environmental effects. USDA must also establish a 14-member Aquaculture Advisory Committee to advise USDA on (1) developing and advancing aquaculture best practices; (2) the history, use, and preservation of indigenous and traditional aquaculture practices and ecological knowledge; and (3) providing technical assistance to aquaculture farmers and businesses.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2023
Pets Belong With Families Act This bill prohibits public housing agencies from imposing breed restrictions on pets owned by residents of public housing units. The bill continues to allow public housing agencies to prohibit ownership of dangerous animals in public housing, but prohibits classification as dangerous by breed and requires that any such classification be based on specific behaviors or actions of the animal.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2023
Fiscal Year 2023 Veterans Affairs Major Medical Facility Authorization Act This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to carry out specified major medical facility projects during FY2023. The bill also indicates the maximum amount that can be spent on each project.
United States · United States Congress · 7 June 2023
This resolution recognizes Immigrant Heritage Month in honor of the contributions immigrants and their children have made to the United States. It also welcomes immigrants presently in the United States and individuals seeking to immigrate to the United States to contribute to the health, safety, diversity, and prosperity of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2023
Access to Genetic Counselor Services Act of 2023 This bill provides for coverage under Medicare of genetic counseling services that are furnished by genetic counselors. Covered services include those services, as well as incidental services and supplies, that would otherwise be covered under Medicare if provided by a physician.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2023
Sustainable Agriculture Research Act This bill revises the goals of the Agriculture Advanced Research and Development Authority (AGARDA). Specifically, the bill expands the goals to require AGARDA to enhance the role of sustainable agriculture in innovative voluntary resilience solutions in the United States through the development of agricultural technologies that may address the impact of extreme weather on crop production; the effects of drought and the potential of building water holding capacity in soils on croplands and rangelands; the expansion of the potential for long-term carbon storage through sustainable agriculture; increased economic and practical feasibility for renewable and sustainable energy on farms and in the agriculture industry; increased voluntary adoption of conservation practices that sequester carbon and build on-farm climate resilience; and increased economic and practical feasibility for, and voluntary adoption of, precision agriculture technology. The bill defines precision agriculture as managing, tracking, or reducing crop or livestock production inputs (including seed, feed, fertilizer, chemicals, water, and time) at a heightened level of spatial and temporal granularity to improve efficiencies, reduce waste, and maintain environmental quality.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2023
Animal Welfare Enforcement Improvement Act This bill revises the licensing process of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) for animal dealers and exhibitors to expand USDA's oversight and enforcement of animal welfare requirements. Dealers and exhibitors must apply to USDA for licenses or renewal licenses each year. In order to obtain the licenses or renewals, dealers and exhibitors must meet certain standards for the humane treatment of animals and pass inspections as specified by this bill. USDA may not issue or renew such licenses if the dealers or exhibitors have violated laws relating to animals or if the issuance of the licenses would facilitate the circumvention of state or local laws that prohibit the private ownership of certain animals. Further, USDA must suspend the licenses of dealers or exhibitors whose violations present a risk to animal welfare. USDA must revoke the licenses if the violations persist or if the licensees commit multiple violations. Dealers and exhibitors with suspended or revoked licenses may not be (1) granted another license, (2) granted another license through another person or entity, or (3) employed by another licensee to work with animals during the period of the suspension or revocation.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2023
Securing Unhoused Peoples' Program for Outreach Resources and Transportation For SNAP Act or the SUPPORT For SNAP Act This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a pilot program to raise awareness among and provide support for homeless individuals eligible for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Under the program, USDA must award grants to eligible entities (e.g., state and local agencies, nonprofit and community-based organizations, and community action agencies) to (1) raise awareness among homeless individuals of the availability, eligibility requirements, application procedures, and benefits of SNAP; (2) support homeless individuals in enrolling in SNAP; and (3) train outreach workers, caseworkers, and others on SNAP application and program requirements. The bill specifies that a grant recipient may only use program funding to supplement (and not supplant) the level of state or local funds that would be available in the absence of the grant funds.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2023
Pride in Mental Health Act of 2023 This bill establishes grants and reporting requirements concerning the mental and behavioral health of youth who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer or questioning, nonbinary, intersex, or Two Spirit (gender-variant members of indigenous communities). Specifically, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) must award grants to assess and improve mental health and substance abuse outcomes for those youth. Recipients may use grants for providing mental and behavioral health resources for such youth (including training for caregivers and school-based interventions) and collecting data. Recipients may not use grants for any practice or treatment that seeks to change another individual's sexual orientation or gender (i.e., conversion therapy). Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must (1) conduct a survey to measure issues related to mental health and health care among such youth; and (2) report about the mental health and related care of such youth who are in foster care and otherwise participate in federal social services programs. HHS must also review existing publications on SAMHSA's website that focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, nonbinary, intersex, and Two Spirit individuals and update or commission new publications to fill information gaps related to the mental and behavioral health of those individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2023
Humane Correctional Health Care Act This bill allows states to cover inmates of public institutions under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The Government Accountability Office must report on specified information relating to the health of inmates and the effects of Medicaid and CHIP coverage.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2023
Ocean Regional Opportunity and Innovation Act of 2023 This bill directs the Department of Commerce to designate at least seven entities as Ocean Innovation Clusters. Ocean Innovation Clusters are hubs for private, public, and academic stakeholders to collaborate on opportunities to promote and enhance the maritime industry and the Blue Economy. In designating entities, Commerce shall prioritize entities with a history of supporting cross-sector growth and development of the Blue Economy. (Under the bill, the term Blue Economy generally refers to the value and impact of sustainable industries related to the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts on the economy of the United States.) Additionally, Commerce must designate at least one Ocean Innovation Cluster in (1) each of the regions covered by the five regional offices of the National Marine Fisheries Service, (2) the Great Lakes region, and (3) the Gulf of Mexico region. Commerce may award competitive grants for the establishment, operation, and administration of Ocean Innovation Clusters.
United States · United States Congress · 31 May 2023
Midwives for Maximizing Optimal Maternity Services Act of 2023 or the Midwives for MOMS Act of 2023 This bill establishes grants within the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for establishing or expanding midwifery programs at institutions of higher education and nursing schools. In awarding grants, HRSA must give special consideration to institutions that focus on increasing the number of midwife professionals from underrepresented groups and promote practicing in areas with limited access to professional health care.
United States · United States Congress · 31 May 2023
Family Stability and Opportunity Vouchers Act of 2023 This bill establishes a voucher program through which public housing agencies (PHAs) shall offer support services to help families who have children and are unstably housed, live in an area of concentrated poverty, or are at risk of being displaced from an opportunity area for children move to areas with access to high-performing schools or high-quality childcare and early education. The Department of Housing and Urban Development must provide assistance to PHAs on a competitive basis to implement the program.
United States · United States Congress · 31 May 2023
Ensuring Quality Access to Legal Defense Act of 2023 or the EQUAL Defense Act of 2023 This bill establishes and modifies certain programs that support the delivery of public defense services (i.e., legal services for criminal defendants who cannot afford counsel). Specifically, the bill directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to award grants to state and local governments, tribal organizations, and public defender offices for public defense. A grant recipient must use the grant to establish a data collection process, develop workload limits, and satisfy specified compensation requirements (e.g., pay parity between public defenders and prosecutors). The bill also directs DOJ to award grants to nonprofits and government organizations to train public defenders, court-appointed attorneys, and contract attorneys. Additionally, a state that receives Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program funds must annually submit to DOJ information related to the legal representation of defendants in criminal cases. Finally, it reauthorizes through FY2027 the student loan repayment program for prosecutors and public defenders and otherwise revises the program, including by increasing the maximum benefit amount.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2023
Enhancing Questions to Understand Intentions for Pregnancy Act of 2023 or the EQUIP Act of 2023 This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide eligible health organizations with demonstration program grants to implement routine screenings about people's pregnancy intentions in order to provide better contraceptive and prepregnancy care.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2023
Mental Health Services for Students Act of 2023 This bill provides specific statutory authority for the Project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resiliency in Education) State Educational Agency Grant Program that is administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The program supports school-based mental health services, including screening, treatment, and outreach programs.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2023
Feed Hungry Veterans Act of 2023 This bill expands eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for certain disabled veterans, including those determined to be catastrophically disabled.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2023
Student Mental Health Rights Act This bill addresses mental health and substance use at institutions of higher education (IHEs). Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to solicit information from students and conduct a study on mental health disabilities and substance use disorders at IHEs. In addition, ED must issue guidance on IHEs' (1) compliance with federal law on mental health, (2) legal obligations to students with mental health disabilities and students with substance use disorders, and (3) policies that may have a discriminatory impact on such students.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2023
United States Postal Service Shipping Equity Act This bill authorizes the mailing of alcoholic beverages by certain entities in accordance with the delivery requirements otherwise applicable to a privately carried shipment. The authorization applies to an entity (including a winery, brewery, beverage distilled spirits plant, or other wholesaler, distributer, importer, or retailer of alcoholic beverages) that has registered with, obtained a permit from, or obtained approval of an application from the Department of the Treasury. The bill directs the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to prescribe regulations (1) requiring direct delivery to a duly authorized agent at a postal facility or to the addressee, who must be at least 21 years of age and present a valid, government-issued photo identification at the time of delivery; (2) prohibiting such alcoholic beverages from being for resale or any other commercial purpose; and (3) requiring such entity to certify that the mailing is not in violation of applicable laws or regulations and to provide other information as directed by the USPS. The U.S. district courts shall have jurisdiction to render judgment upon any claim brought by a state, local, or tribal government against the USPS of a violation of state, local, or tribal law regarding the sale, mailing, transportation, or importation of alcoholic beverages into any U.S. state, territory, or district. The USPS shall not be liable for interest prior to judgment or for punitive damages.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2023
Educating Future Nurses Act This bill establishes a permanent National Graduate Nurse Education Program to provide clinical training to advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), particularly with respect to services for Medicare beneficiaries. (The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services conducted a similar demonstration program from 2012-2016.) Under the program, hospitals may receive payments for the costs associated with providing clinical education to APRNs. Hospitals must partner with nursing schools, regional hospitals or health systems, or non-hospital community providers (e.g., nursing homes) to provide qualifying clinical education. Such education must consist of clinical experience in primary, preventive, transitional, acute, and chronic care, as well as other services that are appropriate for Medicare beneficiaries; at least half of this education must be provided in non-hospital, community-based settings. Participating hospitals must report annually on their programs, subject to payment reductions.
United States · United States Congress · 24 May 2023
After Hours Child Care Act This bill establishes a pilot program for the Administration for Children & Families to award grants to increase the capacity of child care providers to deliver services to families in which a parent is working nontraditional work hours (e.g., before 9:00 a.m., after 5:00 p.m., or on a Saturday or Sunday).
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2023
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should ensure that the U.S. Postal Service is not privatized and remains an independent establishment of the federal government.
United States · United States Congress · 23 May 2023
Protecting our Students in Schools Act of 2023 This bill prohibits the use of corporal punishment in schools that receive federal funding. Specifically, the bill authorizes the Department of Education (ED) to take specified actions (e.g., withholding funds and issuing cease-and-desist orders) for schools that allow school personnel, law enforcement officers, or school security guards to subject students to corporal punishment. The bill also establishes enforcement provisions, including a private right of action for a student who has been subjected to corporal punishment. Each state educational agency (SEA) that receives federal funding must submit specified information to ED, including a school climate report that describes the SEA's policies and procedures related to exclusionary and aversive discipline practices in schools. Additionally, the bill authorizes ED to award three-year grants to SEAs and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies to implement positive behavioral interventions and supports to address student behavior and reduce exclusionary and aversive discipline practices. ED must promulgate regulations as necessary to ensure compliance with the bill. The Department of Defense and the Department of the Interior must ensure that the schools they operate or fund also comply with these regulations.
![Official portrait of Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b001278_200.jpg)