United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2023
Electric Bicycle Incentive Kickstart for the Environment Act or the E-BIKE Act This bill allows individual taxpayers a new tax credit for 30% of the cost of a qualified electric bicycle. The bill defines qualified electric bicycle to mean a bicycle or tricycle that does not cost more than $8,000 and that is equipped with fully operable pedals, a saddle or seat for the rider, and an electric motor of less than 750 watts designed to assist in propelling the bicycle or tricycle under certain conditions The bill requires the Internal Revenue Service to establish a program to make advance payments of the credit and to publicly report on the number of taxpayers claiming the credit and the aggregate dollar amount of the credit, beginning in 2023 and 2024.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2023
Sunshine in Product Safety Act This bill repeals provisions that restrict the disclosure of certain information by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Specifically, the bill repeals provisions that prohibit the CPSC from disclosing certain information about a consumer product that may reveal the identity of the product's manufacturer without first taking reasonable steps to ensure that the information is accurate, the disclosure of the information is fair in the circumstances, and that releasing the information to the public serves the purposes of the laws administered by the commission. The provisions also (1) require the CPSC to provide the manufacturer with an opportunity to comment on the accuracy of the information prior to disclosure, and (2) allow the manufacturer to file a lawsuit in federal court to block a disclosure.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2023
Sarah Debbink Langenkamp Active Transportation Safety Act This bill amends the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) to include additional bicyclist and pedestrian safety measures and increases the federal cost share for certain safety projects. Specifically, the bill allows HSIP to fund projects (1) for the connection of two or more segments of existing bicyclist or pedestrian infrastructure, or (2) that are based on a state's plan to improve the safety of vulnerable road users (e.g., bicyclists or pedestrians) in areas identified as high-risk. In addition, the bill allows an increased federal cost share of up to 100% for these projects. The bill also allows an increased federal cost share of up to 100% for certain transportation projects that include a Federal Highway Administration Proven Safety Countermeasure for bicyclists or pedestrians. These measures include bicycle lanes, walkways, and crosswalk visibility enhancements.
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2023
Bipartisan Ban on Congressional Stock Ownership Act of 2023 This bill prohibits Members of Congress and their spouses from owning or trading stocks, bonds, commodities, futures, or any other form of security. Each current Member must divest within 180 days after the bill is enacted and each new Member must divest within 180 days after becoming a Member. However, Members and their spouses have 5 years to divest from specified complex investment vehicles. The bill does not apply to certain investments, such as investments in widely held investment funds that are diversified and do not present a conflict of interest and investments held in government employee retirement plans. A Member or spouse who violates the bill may be subject to a fine of up to $50,000 for each violation. The bill permits a Member or spouse who is required to divest property under the bill to avoid recognizing gain for income tax purposes from the sale of that property to the extent that the Member or spouse purchases permitted bonds or diversified investment funds within 60 days of the divestiture.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2023
Improving Access to Mental Health Act of 2023 This bill increases the Medicare reimbursement rate for clinical social worker services. The bill excludes clinical social worker services from the prospective payment system in which predetermined amounts form the basis for payment under Medicare. Additionally, the bill alters the definition of clinical social worker services as it relates to Medicare. Under current law, such services (1) include services performed for the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses, and (2) exclude services furnished to an inpatient of a skilled nursing facility as a condition of the facility's participation in the Medicare program. The bill repeals these provisions and instead specifies that such services include certain types of health behavior assessment and intervention.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2023
Puppy Protection Act of 2023 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture to expand standards that govern the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of animals to include new requirements for commercial dog dealers. Specifically, the standards must require dog dealers to provide to dogs adequate housing, exercise, and veterinary care; appropriate and nutritious food; continuous access to potable water; and meaningful socialization with humans and compatible dogs for at least 30 minutes each day. The standards must also include requirements for breeders to use safe breeding practices and make all reasonable efforts to find humane placement for retired breeding dogs.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2023
Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act of 2023 This bill expands Medicare coverage of chiropractic services to include all services provided by chiropractors, rather than only subluxation corrections through manual manipulation of the spine.
United States · United States Congress · 14 March 2023
Hello Girls Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2023 This bill provides for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal in honor of the female telephone operators of the Army Signal Corps, commonly known as the Hello Girls , in recognition of their military service, devotion to duty, and 60-year struggle for veterans' benefits and recognition as soldiers.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2023
Leveraging and Energizing America's Apprenticeship Programs Act or the LEAP Act This bill allows employers a tax credit for each of their employees who participate in qualified apprenticeship programs. The credit is equal to $1,500 for each of the apprenticeship employees of the employer that exceeds a specified apprenticeship level determined by this bill. As an offset, the bill requires the Director of the Office of Management and Budget to coordinate with federal departments and independent agencies to devise a strategy to reduce government printing costs over the 10-year period beginning with FY2023.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2023
Paycheck Fairness Act This bill addresses wage discrimination on the basis of sex, which is defined to include pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics. Specifically, it limits an employer's defense that a pay differential is based on a factor other than sex to only bona fide job-related factors in wage discrimination claims, enhances nonretaliation prohibitions, and makes it unlawful to require an employee to sign a contract or waiver prohibiting the employee from disclosing information about the employee's wages. The bill also increases civil penalties for violations of equal pay provisions. Additionally, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs must train EEOC employees and other affected parties on wage discrimination. The bill directs the Department of Labor to (1) establish and carry out a grant program to provide training in negotiation skills related to compensation and equitable working conditions, (2) conduct studies to eliminate pay disparities between men and women, and (3) make available information on wage discrimination to assist the public in understanding and addressing such discrimination. The bill establishes the National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace for an employer who has made a substantial effort to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. It also establishes the National Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force to address compliance, public education, and enforcement of equal pay laws. Finally, the bill requires the EEOC to issue regulations for collecting from employers compensation and other employment data according to the sex, race, and national origin of employees for use in enforcing laws prohibiting pay discrimination.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2023
Good Jobs for Good Airports Act This bill modifies 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 prohibits small, medium, and large hub airports from accessing certain federal funds for airport projects unless the airports certify that such airport service workers are paid no less than the higher of $15 per hour; the applicable federal, state, or local minimum wage and fringe benefits; or the prevailing wage and fringe benefits required under the Service Contract Act, which the bill requires the Department of Labor to establish.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2023
Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a grant program to help states and other entities address contamination by perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS, on agricultural land and commercial farms. Specifically, the USDA program must provide an eligible government (e.g., a state, territory, or Indian tribe) a grant for purposes that include providing financial assistance to a person whose commercial farm is affected by PFAS contamination; assisting the producers on agricultural land and commercial farms contaminated by PFAS in developing an enterprise budget for alternative production, remediation strategies, transitioning to an alternative revenue stream, or relocating farming operations; expanding the capacity of PFAS testing and data management; and conducting research on soil and water remediation systems and food safety relating to PFAS contamination. At least 30% of the program's total annual funding is set aside for one or more eligible governments with a population of less than 3 million people. The bill also requires USDA to establish a task force to provide (1) advice regarding whether addressing PFAS contamination should be added as an eligible activity for each USDA program, (2) evaluations of necessary actions for farms already enrolled in a USDA program where PFAS is detected, and (3) technical assistance to eligible governments in addressing PFAS contamination.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2023
This resolution recognizes the disparity between wages paid to men and women, and its impact on women, families, and the nation and reaffirms Congress' commitment to supporting equal pay and to narrowing the gender wage gap.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2023
Stop Corporate Capture Act This bill modifies the process for federal agency rulemaking. Specifically, it (1) requires interested parties who submit a study or research as part of a comment to a proposed rule to disclose the source of the funding for the study or research, (2) limits the use of the negotiated rulemaking process to government agencies, (3) provides statutory authority for the judicial principle that requires courts to defer to an agency's reasonable or permissible interpretation of a federal law when the law is silent or ambiguous (i.e., the Chevron doctrine), and (4) establishes an Office of the Public Advocate to support public participation in the rulemaking process. Additionally, a public company that knowingly makes a false or misleading statement in a comment to a proposed rule is subject to a civil penalty of not less than $250,000 for a first violation and not less than $1 million for each subsequent violation. Finally, the bill provides agencies with the authority to reissue a rule that has been rescinded under a joint resolution of disapproval pursuant to the Congressional Review Act. For one year, beginning on the date of enactment of this bill, an agency may reinstate such a rule by publishing it in the Federal Register. After the one-year period, an agency may reinstate a rule using notice-and-comment rulemaking procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2023
Vote at Home Act of 2023 This bill expands voting by mail in federal elections and provides for automatic voter registration through state motor vehicle authorities. Specifically, the bill prohibits states from imposing additional conditions or requirements on the eligibility of individuals to cast ballots by mail in federal elections, except states may impose a deadline for requesting the ballot and related voting materials and for returning a ballot. Further, states must mail ballots to individuals registered to vote in a federal election not later than two weeks before the election. In addition, the U.S. Postal Service must carry ballots for federal elections expeditiously and free of postage. Finally, the bill provides for automatic voter registration of individuals through state motor vehicle authorities.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2023
Save Oak Flat From Foreign Mining Act This bill withdraws Oak Flat (which consists of 2,422 acres of Forest System land in the Tonto National Forest in southeastern Arizona) from mining activity. The bill repeals authorization for Oak Flat to be exchanged for land held by Resolution Copper Mining, LLC.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2023
This resolution calls for the federal government to establish a national biodiversity strategy, which must include a goal of conserving at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters to protect biodiversity and address climate change by 2030 and other goals necessary to reduce the threats to biodiversity.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2023
Driver Reimbursement Increase for Veteran Equity Act or the DRIVE Act This bill increases the mileage reimbursement rate available to beneficiaries for travel to or from Department of Veterans Affairs facilities in connection with vocational rehabilitation, required counseling, or for the purpose of examination, treatment, or care. Specifically, the bill makes the reimbursement rate for such travel equal to or greater than the mileage reimbursement rate for government employees using private vehicles when no government vehicle is available.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2023
Major Richard Star Act This bill provides that combat-disabled uniformed services retirees with fewer than 20 years of creditable service may concurrently receive, without reduction, veterans' disability compensation and retired pay or combat-related special compensation.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2023
Law Enforcement Officers Equity Act This bill expands the definition of law enforcement officer under provisions of the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). Specifically, the bill expands the definition to include (1) federal employees whose duties encompass the investigation or apprehension of suspected or convicted criminals and who are authorized to carry a firearm; (2) Internal Revenue Service employees whose duties are primarily the collection of delinquent taxes and the securing of delinquent returns; (3) U.S. Postal Inspection Service employees; (4) Department of Veterans Affairs police officers; and (5) certain U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees who are seized-property specialists with duties relating to custody, management, and disposition of seized and forfeited property. The bill deems service performed by an incumbent law enforcement officer on or after the enactment date of this bill to be service performed as a law enforcement officer for retirement purposes. The past service of such incumbents shall be treated as service performed by a law enforcement officer for retirement purposes only if a written election is submitted to the Office of Personnel Management within five years after the enactment of this bill or before separation from government service, whichever is earlier. An incumbent who makes an election before the enactment of this bill may pay a deposit into the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund to cover prior service. A law enforcement officer shall not be subject to mandatory separation during the three-year period beginning on the enactment of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2023
Cabin Air Safety Act of 202 3 This bill directs the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to implement regulations regarding smoke or fume incidents on aircraft (excluding helicopters). Specifically, the bill requires flight attendants, pilots, aircraft maintenance technicians, airport first responders, and emergency response teams to receive annual training on how to respond to incidents on aircraft; the FAA to develop a standardized form and system for reporting incidents involving smoke or fumes; the FAA to conduct an investigation after a report is submitted about incidents of smoke or fumes if anybody on the aircraft required medical attention; and air carriers to install and operate onboard detectors and other air quality monitoring equipment situated in the air supply system to enable pilots and maintenance technicians to locate the sources of air supply contamination, including carbon monoxide.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2023
Decreasing Emergency Railroad Accident Instances Locally Act or the DERAIL Act This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to expand the statutory definition of a high-hazard flammable train (HHFT), thereby subjecting more trains to additional safety requirements. Specifically, DOT must expand the definition of HHFT to mean a train transporting one or more loaded tank cars of a Class 3 flammable liquid (e.g., benzene residue) or a Class 2 flammable gas (e.g., vinyl chloride) and other materials DOT determines necessary for safety. Current regulations define HHFT as a train transporting 20 or more loaded tank cars of a Class 3 flammable liquid in a continuous block or 35 or more loaded tank cars of a Class 3 flammable liquid dispersed throughout the train. The bill also requires railway carriers to report a train derailment that involves a train carrying material toxic by inhalation within 24 hours of the derailment to the National Response Center, state and local officials, and tribal governments.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2023
Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 20 23 This bill expands various labor protections related to employees' rights to organize and collectively bargain in the workplace. Among other things, it (1) revises the definitions of employee , supervisor , and employer to broaden the scope of individuals covered by the fair labor standards; (2) permits labor organizations to encourage participation of union members in strikes initiated by employees represented by a different labor organization (i.e., secondary strikes); and (3) prohibits employers from bringing claims against unions that conduct such secondary strikes. The bill also allows collective bargaining agreements to require all employees represented by the bargaining unit to contribute fees to the labor organization for the cost of such representation, notwithstanding a state law to the contrary; and expands unfair labor practices to include prohibitions against replacement of, or discrimination against, workers who participate in strikes. The bill makes it an unfair labor practice to require or coerce employees to attend employer meetings designed to discourage union membership and prohibits employers from entering into agreements with employees under which employees waive the right to pursue or a join collective or class-action litigation. The bill further prohibits employers from taking adverse actions against an employee, including employees with management responsibilities, in response to that employee participating in protected activities related to the enforcement of the prohibitions against unfair labor practices (i.e., whistleblower protections). Such protected activities include providing information about a potential violation to an enforcement agency, participating in an enforcement proceeding, initiating a proceeding concerning an alleged violation or assisting in such a proceeding, or refusing to participate in an activity the employee reasonably believes is a violation of labor laws. Finally, the bill addresses the procedures for union representation elections, provides employees with the ability to vote in such elections remotely by telephone or the internet, modifies the protections against unfair labor practices that result in serious economic harm, and establishes penalties and permits injunctive relief against entities that fail to comply with National Labor Relations Board orders.
United States · United States Congress · 27 February 2023
Healthcare Worker Retention Act This bill establishes through 2024 a new refundable health care worker tax credit, equal to $1,000 for individual taxpayers (1) who work in a healthcare setting as an employee or contractor for at least an average of 20 hours per week, and 3 months during each half of a taxable year; and (2) whose gross income does not exceed $100,000 ($200,000 for joint returns or for a surviving spouse). The bill defines healthcare setting as an organization that provides healthcare services in specified settings, including a hospital, a nursing home, a community-based healthcare center, a school or college campus, a primary care facility, an assisted living facility, a hospice or home care, emergency medical services, or any other licensed facility that extends healthcare services to patients, including the elderly and disabled. The bill directs the Internal Revenue Service to establish a program to make semiannual advance payments of healthcare worker tax credit amounts.
United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2023
Correcting Guam's History in the PACT Act This bill expands eligibility for a presumption of service-connection for specified diseases associated with exposure to certain herbicide agents. Under a presumption of service-connection, specific conditions diagnosed in certain veterans are presumed to have been caused by the circumstances of their military service. Health care benefits and disability compensation may then be awarded. Under the bill, service performed in Guam or its territorial waters between August 15, 1958, and July 31, 1980, provides a veteran who has a specified disease that is associated with exposure to certain herbicide agents with eligibility for a presumption of service-connection. (Under current law, the eligible time frame for service in Guam is between January 9, 1962, and July 31, 1980.)
United States · United States Congress · 21 February 2023
Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections Act of 2023 or the DISCLOSE Act of 2023 This bill addresses campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals, requiring additional disclosures of campaign expenditures, and requiring additional disclosures regarding certain political advertisements. Specifically, the bill expands existing foreign money prohibitions to include disbursements for paid web-based or digital communications and federal judicial nomination communications. It also prohibits foreign nationals from contributing to campaigns related to ballot initiatives and referenda. The Government Accountability Office must, for each four-year election cycle, study and report on the incidence of illicit foreign money in federal elections. Next, the bill makes it unlawful to establish or use a corporation, company, or other entity with the intent to conceal an election contribution or donation by a foreign national. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both. Covered organizations (e.g., corporations, labor organizations, and political organizations) must, within 24 hours, file reports with the Federal Election Commission to disclose campaign expenditures of more than $10,000 during an election cycle. The bill also requires organizations to provide additional disclosures regarding political advertisements, including the donors who contributed the most money to that organization in the last year.
United States · United States Congress · 21 February 2023
Governing Unaccredited Representatives Defrauding VA Benefits Act or the GUARD VA Benefits Act This bill imposes fines on individuals for soliciting, contracting for, charging, or receiving any unauthorized fee or compensation with respect to the preparation, presentation, or prosecution of any claim for Department of Veterans Affairs benefits. The attempted commission of such offenses is also punishable by fine.
United States · United States Congress · 21 February 2023
People Over Pentagon Act of 2023 This bill requires the amount authorized to be appropriated for the Department of Defense (DOD) for FY2024 to be $100 billion below the FY2023 funding level. In implementing the funding reductions, DOD must consider the recommendations in the Congressional Budget Office report titled Illustrative Options for National Defense Under a Smaller Defense Budget (October 2021). The bill also excludes the following DOD accounts from the reductions: (1) the Defense Health Program, (2) military personnel accounts, and (3) civil service pay and benefit accounts.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2023
Everett Alvarez, Jr., Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2023 This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Everett Alvarez, Jr. in recognition of his service to the nation.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2023
Caring for Survivors Act of 2023 This bill increases the monthly rate of dependency and indemnity compensation payable to surviving spouses through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Dependency and indemnity compensation is a monthly payment made to eligible survivors (i.e., spouses, parents, or children) of (1) certain veterans who died as a result of a service-connected condition; (2) service members killed while on active military duty or active or inactive duty for training; or (3) veterans who did not die from a service-connected condition, but were totally disabled by a service-connected disability for a certain period of time. The bill also (1) reduces, from 10 years to 5 years, the period of time that certain veterans must have been rated totally disabled due to a service-connected disability in order for a survivor to qualify for benefits; and (2) specifies the amount that is payable to survivors of veterans who were rated totally disabled for a period of less than 10 years before their death.
United States · United States Congress · 17 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 · 17 February 2023
Outdoors for All Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior to establish an outdoor recreation legacy partnership grant program under which Interior may award grants to states, certain political subdivisions of a state, special purpose districts, Indian tribes, or Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian communities or organizations. Funds must be used for projects to (1) acquire land and water for parks and other outdoor recreation purposes in qualifying areas, and (2) develop new or renovate existing outdoor recreation facilities that provide outdoor recreation opportunities to the public in qualifying areas. Qualifying area means an urbanized area or urban cluster that has a population of 25,000 or more in the most recent census, two or more adjacent urban clusters with a combined population of 25,000 or more in the most recent census, or an area that is administered by an Indian tribe or an Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian community organization. Interior shall give priority to projects that create or significantly enhance access to park and recreational opportunities in an urban neighborhood or community, engage and empower underserved communities and youth, provide opportunities for employment or job training for youth or underserved communities, establish or expand public-private partnerships, and take advantage of coordination among various levels of government.
United States · United States Congress · 17 February 2023
Shirley Chisholm Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the posthumous presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal in commemoration of Shirley Chisholm, in recognition of her activism, independence, and groundbreaking achievements in politics, including election as the first African American woman in Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2023
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 $160,200 for 2023). 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 · 14 February 2023
VA Medicinal Cannabis Research Act of 2023 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to study the effects of cannabis on veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system and have been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or chronic pain (i.e., eligible veterans). First, the bill requires the VA to conduct an observational, 18-month study on the effects of cannabis on the health outcomes of eligible veterans. The VA must report on the study and address whether it is able to meet criteria necessary to conduct clinical trials. Then, if the VA determines that it is able to proceed, it must carry out a series of clinical trials on the effects of cannabis appropriate for investigational use, as determined by the Food and Drug Administration, on the outcomes of eligible veterans. The VA must carry out a long-term observational study of the clinical trial participants. The VA may terminate the trials if it is unable to meet clinical guideline requirements or the trials would create excessive risk to participants. The VA must ensure that the study and trials are representative of the demographics of veterans in the United States, as determined by the most recent data from the American Community Survey of the Bureau of the Census. The study and trials must include mechanisms to ensure data preservation and registration as necessary (in an anonymous form).
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2023
Health Care Fairness for Military Families Act of 2023 This bill modifies the extension of dependent coverage under TRICARE by allowing a dependent under the age of 26 to be covered without an additional premium. Additionally, the bill authorizes such coverage of dependents without an additional premium regardless of whether they are eligible to enroll in an employer-sponsored plan.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2023
Dustoff Crews of the Vietnam War Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to Dustoff crews (helicopter air ambulance crews) of the Vietnam War in recognition of their heroic military service.
United States · United States Congress · 14 February 2023
Saving the Civil Service Act This bill generally prohibits changes to the classification of positions in the competitive service and excepted service unless certain conditions are met. (Competitive service positions are subject to competitive examination; excepted service positions are not subject to competitive examination and are instead subject to the specific requirements applicable to the schedule in which they are placed, which depends on the nature of the position.) Specifically, the bill prohibits executive agency positions in the competitive service from being placed in the excepted service, unless such positions are placed in the excepted service as in effect on September 30, 2020. The bill also prohibits positions in the excepted service from being placed in any schedule other than the aforementioned schedules. Additionally, agencies may not (1) transfer occupied positions from the competitive or excepted service into Schedule C without the consent of the Office of Personnel Management, or (2) transfer employees in the excepted service to another schedule or transfer employees in the competitive service to the excepted service without employee consent. On October 21, 2020, former President Donald Trump issued an executive order that placed executive agency positions that are of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character, and that are not normally subject to change as a result of a presidential transition, under a new schedule in the excepted service (Schedule F) instead of the competitive service. The order also required any such positions in the excepted service to be reclassified to Schedule F. The order was subsequently revoked by President Joe Biden.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2023
Stop the Wait Act of 2023 This bill allows individuals with disabilities to begin receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits in the month they become eligible for the benefits. It also allows these individuals to immediately enroll in Medicare if they cannot afford minimum essential coverage. (Under current law, an individual must generally wait 5 months after the onset of disability to begin receiving SSDI benefits and an additional 24 months to become eligible for Medicare.)
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2023
Taxpayer Research and Contributions Knowledge Act of 2023 or the TRACK Act of 2023 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to work with other federal entities to compile a public database of federal contracts, tax benefits, and other support for biomedical research and development. HHS must develop the database within one month and update it every two weeks. The bill sets out elements that must be in the database, including (1) the agency or other federal entity providing the support, (2) the entity receiving the support, (3) an itemized accounting of the support provided, (4) any associated clinical trial data, and (5) any medical products that were developed using the support and that are being brought to market.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2023
Child Care for Every Community Act This bill provides funds to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for an affordable child care and early learning program. Children who are not yet required to attend school may participate in the program regardless of family income, disability status, citizenship status, or employment of a family member. Under the program, HHS must support sponsors (e.g., states, local governments, tribal organizations, and nonprofit community organizations) that provide child care and early learning services for families. Families must pay a subsidized fee, based on their income, for the services. The fees are waived for children from families with incomes below 200% of the poverty line. The fees are capped at 7% of a family's income regardless of the family's income level.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2023
Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2023 This bill makes various changes related to the ethical standards, financial disclosure requirements, and recusal requirements that apply to Supreme Court Justices. Among the changes, the bill requires the Supreme Court to adopt a code of conduct for Justices and establish procedures to receive and investigate complaints of judicial misconduct; adopt rules governing the disclosure of gifts, travel, and income received by the Justices and law clerks that are at least as rigorous as the House and Senate disclosure rules; and establish procedural rules requiring each party or amicus to disclose any gift, income, or reimbursement provided to Justices. Additionally, the bill expands the circumstances under which a Justice or judge must be disqualified; and requires the Supreme Court and the Judicial Conference to establish procedural rules for prohibiting the filing of or striking an amicus brief that would result in the disqualification of a Justice, judge, or magistrate judge.
United States · United States Congress · 9 February 2023
No Tax Breaks for Outsourcing Act This bill modifies the tax treatment of the foreign source income of domestic corporations. The bill includes provisions that modify calculations of the gross income of U.S. shareholders to include net controlled foreign corporation (CFC) tested income in the current taxable year; apply limitations on the foreign tax credit on a country-by-country basis; limit the tax deduction for the interest expense of a U.S. corporation that is a member of an international financial reporting group (i.e., a group that prepares consolidated financial statements according to generally accepted accounting principles or international financial reporting standards); modify the rules for the taxation of inverted corporations (i.e., U.S. corporations that acquire foreign companies to reincorporate in a foreign jurisdiction with income tax rates lower than the United States); and treat certain foreign corporations managed and controlled primarily in the United States as domestic corporations for tax purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2023
Equal COLA Act This bill revises the formula used to calculate the cost-of-living adjustment for annuities paid under the Federal Employees Retirement System.
United States · United States Congress · 8 February 2023
American Teacher Act This bill establishes grants to increase the minimum salary of public elementary and secondary school teachers. It also authorizes a national campaign regarding the value of the teaching profession. First, the bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to award four-year grants to states and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies to establish a minimum annual salary of $60,000 (to be adjusted annually for inflation) for these teachers. Second, the bill directs ED to award grants to eligible state educational agencies to provide cost-of-living adjustments to the annual base salary of teachers. Finally, the bill authorizes ED to carry out a national campaign to (1) increase awareness about the importance of teachers and the value of the teaching profession, (2) encourage secondary school and college students to consider teaching as a professional career, and (3) diversify the pool of individuals who enter the teaching profession.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2023
Freight Rail Assistance and Investment to Launch Coronavirus-Era Activity and Recovery Act of 2023 or the Freight RAILCAR Act of 2023 This bill provides a new tax credit through 2025 for 10% of freight railcar fleet modernization expenses (i.e., railcar replacement and modernization expenses for meeting fuel efficiency and performance standards). The bill provides that no more than 2,000 freight railcars per taxpayer may be taken into account for purposes of determining the credit in a taxable year. The Department of the Treasury must report to Congress on the credit to provide information on the number of times the credit was claimed and the number of railcars scrapped or built as a result of the credit.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2023
Working Dog Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue 50,000 $5 gold coins, 500,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins in commemoration of the service that working dogs provide to society. The designs of the coins minted under this bill shall be emblematic of the contributions of working dogs to society, including in detection, military service, therapy, and assistance. Treasury may issue coins only during the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2025. All sales of coins shall include a surcharge, which shall be paid to America's VetDogs for general expenses associated with the fulfillment of its mission.
![Official portrait of Rep. Hoyle, Val T. [D-OR-4]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/h001094_200.jpg)