This bill makes significant changes to US corporate tax rules to prevent tax avoidance through foreign operations. It requires corporations to calculate foreign income tax liabilities country-by-country, limits interest deductions for large international financial reporting groups, and modifies rules for "inverted corporations" (where US companies move tax residence abroad). The bill also creates new rules treating foreign corporations managed primarily in the US as domestic corporations for tax purposes. These changes aim to close tax loopholes related to outsourcing and foreign tax planning.
HR 971, the Black History Matters Act, directs the Director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture to study Black history education in public elementary and secondary schools. The 3-year study will identify which schools require Black history curriculum, assess teaching quality through discussions and materials, and analyze how schools measure student understanding. It does not change school requirements but will produce a report for Congress on the current state of Black history education, including coverage of topics like slavery, Reconstruction, and systemic racism. The bill specifically defines "Black history education" as teaching the history of African Americans, including struggles against racism and discrimination. This is a procedural study bill, not a policy requiring new educational mandates.
HRES 110 is a non-binding resolution supporting the designation of "Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month" to recognize CTE's role in preparing students for high-demand careers. It encourages educators, school counselors, and parents to promote CTE as a respected pathway for students seeking credentials in fields like healthcare, technology, and skilled trades. The resolution highlights CTE's benefits, including reducing high school dropout rates and aligning education with workforce needs, without creating new funding or policy changes. It directly affects schools, educators, and students by affirming CTE's value in workforce development.
This resolution condemns Azerbaijan's blockade of the Lachin Corridor to Nagorno-Karabakh (also known as Artsakh). The resolution calls on the U.S. government to work with international partners to deploy observers to explore opportunities for security and peaceful development. The resolution also calls on the President to (1) suspend military and security assistance from the United States to Azerbaijan, and (2) fully enforce a U.S. law prohibiting certain bilateral assistance to Azerbaijan until Azerbaijan takes demonstrable steps to cease all offensive uses of force against Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh.
HR 866, the Equal COLA Act, changes how cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) are calculated for federal retirees under the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). It requires that each year's COLA be based on the exact percent change in the price index from the previous year's base quarter, rounded to the nearest 0.1%, effective December 1. This applies to all FERS annuities starting before, on, or after the bill's enactment date, ensuring a standardized calculation method for retirees' annual adjustments.
HR 882, the American Teacher Act, requires states to ensure full-time teachers in public elementary and secondary schools earn at least $60,000 annually (adjusted for inflation), with part-time teachers receiving proportional pay. It provides federal grants to states to fund these salary increases, mandating sustainability plans beyond the 4-year grant period and prioritizing schools in high-poverty areas. The bill also includes cost-of-living adjustments tied to the Consumer Price Index and funds a national campaign to promote teaching as a career. It explicitly states grant funds must supplement existing education budgets without reducing current teacher pay or state loan forgiveness programs.
SRES 33 is a procedural resolution authorizing the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works to spend funds for its operations. It directly affects the committee by granting authority to use the Senate's contingent fund for personnel, consultant services, and staff training from March 2023 through February 2025. The resolution sets specific annual spending limits: $3.9 million for early 2023, $6.7 million for fiscal year 2024, and $2.8 million for late 2024. It specifies allowable expenses like consultant fees (capped at $8,000 annually) and staff training, while detailing reimbursement procedures for Senate agency services.
The Keep Americans Safe Act bans the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of large capacity ammunition magazines (defined as holding more than 10 rounds) for most civilians, while exempting law enforcement officers, retired officers, and certain security personnel. It requires new magazines to have serial numbers and manufacturing dates, and allows federal funding for buy-back programs to remove these magazines from circulation. The law grandfathered existing magazines owned before enactment and excludes specific uses like campus law enforcement or nuclear facility security. This directly affects civilians owning high-capacity magazines but not police, military, or authorized security personnel.
S 282, the Arctic Refuge Protection Act of 2023, designates approximately 1,559,538 acres of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska as wilderness under federal law. This provision directly affects the Coastal Plain area of the refuge by restricting activities like oil drilling, mining, and development, as wilderness designation prohibits such uses. The bill amends the National Wildlife Refuge System Administration Act to formally add this specific area to the National Wilderness Preservation System, using a map dated October 20, 2015, for precise boundaries. The change would protect the land from most human alteration while maintaining its ecological integrity.
The Countering Economic Coercion Act of 2023 establishes a framework for the U.S. to respond when foreign adversaries use economic coercion against U.S. trading partners. It authorizes the President to provide economic support to affected trading partners, such as reducing import duties or expediting export licenses, while also enabling measures against the foreign adversary like increasing duties on their goods. The bill requires the President to consult with Congress before implementing any support measures and to publish details of the economic coercion in the Federal Register. It emphasizes coordination with allies to address economic coercion as a shared challenge to the international trade system, with specific limitations on tariff changes to prevent indirect benefits to the foreign adversary.
Restoring Communities Left Behind Act This bill directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development to establish a competitive grant program for local partnerships to carry out neighborhood revitalization support activities in economically distressed areas. Eligible activities include weatherization and energy efficiency improvements; housing accessibility improvements for seniors and persons with disabilities; purchasing delinquent mortgages; pre-purchase counseling and down payment assistance for prospective homebuyers; purchasing and developing vacant or distressed properties to create affordable rental housing and for other purposes; and improving parks, sidewalks, and street lighting.
The Better Care Better Jobs Act (HR 547) aims to improve access to home and community-based services (HCBS) for Medicaid beneficiaries by providing states with planning grants and enhanced federal funding. States that develop approved HCBS infrastructure improvement plans will receive a 10 percentage point increase in federal Medicaid funding for HCBS services, with additional incentives for self-directed care programs. The bill requires states to address barriers to access, expand workforce development, improve payment rates for direct care workers, and track demographic data on service utilization. It also establishes quality measurement requirements and mandates regular reporting on progress toward improving HCBS access and quality.
