SRES 224 is a non-binding Senate resolution designating May 2023 as "ALS Awareness Month." It recognizes the challenges of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting nerve cells, noting that about 5,000 Americans are diagnosed annually and there is no cure. The resolution affirms the Senate's commitment to supporting ALS patients and caregivers, including access to treatments, research into causes, and reducing the disease's physical, emotional, and financial burdens. It does not create new laws or policies but serves to raise public awareness and honor efforts by families, researchers, and caregivers.
SRES 220 is a Senate resolution recognizing the 30th anniversary of the Department of Defense State Partnership Program. The resolution acknowledges the program's 30-year history of building security partnerships with 100 nations and expresses gratitude to National Guard members for their service in fostering these international relationships. It does not create new policy but formally honors the program's role in strengthening global security cooperation.
The Main Street Tax Certainty Act permanently extends the 20% tax deduction for qualified business income (QBI), which currently applies to owners of pass-through businesses like sole proprietorships, partnerships, and S corporations. The bill achieves this by amending the tax code to remove an expiration date (via striking subsection (i) of Section 199A of the Internal Revenue Code). This change directly affects small business owners who rely on the QBI deduction to reduce their taxable income. The key provision eliminates uncertainty about the deduction’s future, ensuring continued eligibility without requiring future legislative action.
This bill amends Medicare and Medicaid rules to improve oversight of nursing facilities. It gives the Health Secretary authority to disapprove a facility's nurse aide training program for up to two years if the facility received a $10,697+ civil penalty for substandard care and hasn't fixed the quality issues. Facilities can have disapproval lifted by proving all care deficiencies were corrected, avoiding patient harm issues for two years, and showing the penalty didn't cause immediate jeopardy. The bill also expands access to the National Practitioner Data Bank for background checks on nursing staff. These changes directly affect skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities receiving Medicare or Medicaid funding.
This bill creates a federal grant program to fund training for law enforcement officers on interacting with people with disabilities and older adults with cognitive impairments. Nonprofit disability organizations will receive grants to develop training programs requiring at least 8 hours of mandatory training for new officers (including 4 hours of interactive learning with covered individuals) and 4 hours of annual refresher training for existing officers. The training covers communication strategies, de-escalation techniques, identifying disabilities, and community resources, with a requirement that covered individuals serve as instructors. Funded at $100 million annually through 2026, the program aims to reduce violent encounters based on findings that people with disabilities are 2.5 times more likely to be victims of violent crime and disproportionately affected by police violence.
The Indo-Pacific Strategic Energy Initiative Act (S 1720) creates a framework for U.S. government support of energy infrastructure projects in the Indo-Pacific region, primarily focusing on promoting U.S. liquefied natural gas exports. The bill directs agencies like the State Department and Energy Department to provide diplomatic and financial assistance for projects that improve energy security and diversify energy sources in countries including Australia, India, Japan, and ASEAN nations. It establishes mechanisms for project selection, funding through the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, and annual reporting requirements to track U.S. energy export support. The legislation aims to reduce reliance on energy sources from countries like Russia and China by supporting infrastructure for cleaner energy alternatives with lower emissions.
The RTCP Revitalization Act (S 1676) amends a 2008 law to provide guaranteed annual funding for payments to geographically disadvantaged farmers and ranchers - those in remote or isolated areas with limited access to agricultural resources. It sets mandatory annual funding levels from the Commodity Credit Corporation, starting at $10 million for fiscal year 2024 and increasing to $15 million annually starting in 2029. The bill removes restrictions on payment limits, ensuring farmers receiving payments under this program cannot face caps when the available funding meets or exceeds demand. This directly affects eligible farmers and ranchers by securing stable, predictable financial support for their operations.
The HELP Act of 2023 allocates federal funding to strengthen 211 information and referral services and 988 mental health crisis services nationwide. It requires states to coordinate these services to ensure 24/7 availability, improve accessibility for people with disabilities, and reduce inappropriate 911 calls by connecting individuals with human services instead of law enforcement. The bill authorizes $550 million annually for 2024-2025 (split between 211 and 988 services) and $450 million annually for 2026-2030, with states required to establish oversight bodies to monitor service quality and racial equity. States must use funds to expand access to mental health and human services, particularly in underserved communities, while tracking how many 911 calls are diverted to appropriate services.
The Tech to Save Moms Act expands access to telehealth for pregnant and postpartum individuals by allowing remote monitoring of pregnancy complications through federal health programs. It creates two new grant programs: one to train healthcare providers on maternal health using digital tools (including bias training and remote monitoring), and another to fund digital tools that reduce maternal health disparities in high-risk areas like rural communities, underserved populations, and communities with elevated maternal mortality rates. The grants specifically target providers serving American Indian and Alaska Native communities, medically underserved areas, and populations experiencing racial/ethnic health disparities. The bill also mandates a study on technology bias in maternal care, with a report to Congress within 24 months.
Beneficiary Enrollment Notification and Eligibility Simplification 2.0 Act or the BENES 2.0 Act This bill requires Social Security account statements for individuals attaining ages 60 to 65 to include information about Medicare eligibility, late enrollment penalties, benefit coordination, and related resources. Statements with the required information must be mailed to individuals at least three months before they turn 65; the required information must also be mailed to those who are age 65 or over and are entitled to Social Security benefits three months before their initial Medicare enrollment period begins.
The Primacy Certainty Act of 2023 sets clear deadlines for the EPA to review state applications for primary enforcement authority over Class VI wells (used for carbon dioxide injection). If the EPA fails to act within 180 days, it must provide a written explanation of delays; if no decision is made within 210 days total, the application is automatically approved. This directly affects states seeking to regulate Class VI wells, preventing indefinite federal delays in transferring oversight authority. Key provisions include requiring the EPA to work with states on pre-application steps, designate a single EPA contact per state, and transfer pending permits upon approval. The bill ensures states can assume regulatory control without federal conditions beyond existing requirements.
The Reforming Disaster Recovery Act establishes a Long-Term Disaster Recovery Fund to provide grants for long-term recovery after major disasters, primarily benefiting low- and moderate-income households in communities most impacted by disasters. It creates a new Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Program that requires grantees to allocate at least 70% of funds to help low- and moderate-income people, with funds distributed based on unmet needs for housing, economic revitalization, and infrastructure. The bill mandates detailed planning with public input before funds are distributed, requires grantees to prioritize mitigation activities in hazard-prone areas, and includes provisions for preliminary funding to speed up recovery before final assessments are complete. It also requires annual reporting on fund usage to ensure transparency and accountability, while coordinating with FEMA and other agencies to prevent duplication of benefits.
