Rep. Bruce Westerman

Enhancing Geothermal Production on Federal Lands Act This bill revises the environmental review of geothermal energy projects on federal land in order to expedite such projects.

Carbon Sequestration Collaboration Act This bill requires the Department of Energy to establish a research initiative to evaluate carbon sequestration.

Maddy summaryHR 8004, the America Works Act of 2022, reinstates work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). It repeals a temporary pandemic-era suspension of these requirements and standardizes exemptions, allowing exemptions only for individuals under 18 or over 65, those medically certified as unfit for work, parents with children under 7, or pregnant women. The bill also reduces the exemption threshold from 12% to 3% for certain states. This directly affects SNAP recipients who are able-bodied adults without dependents in states where work requirements apply.

Citizen Ballot Protection Act This bill allows a state to include on its mail voter registration application form a requirement that the applicant provide proof of U.S. citizenship.

Mining Schools Act of 2022 This bill establishes a grant program for mining schools to recruit and educate mining engineers and other qualified professionals.

This resolution expresses that the House of Representatives supports the designation of National Tire Safety Week; expresses strong support for the goals and ideals of National Tire Safety Week and efforts to reduce tire-related accidents, fatalities, and injuries; and encourages the people of the United States to participate in National Tire Safety Week events and activities and educate themselves and others on the importance of regularly inspecting and maintaining a vehicle's tires.

Student Loan Accountability Act This bill generally prohibits the Departments of Education, Justice, or the Treasury from taking any action to cancel or forgive the outstanding balances, or portion of balances, of covered loans. Covered loans refer to Federal Family Education Loans, Federal Direct Loans, Federal Perkins Loans, and loans under the Health Education Assistance Loan Program. The prohibition does not apply to targeted federal student loan forgiveness, cancellation, or repayment programs that are in effect by final regulation on March 12, 2020, and carried out under the Higher Education Act of 1965.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Endangered Species Act to require the Secretary of the Interior to issue protective regulations for endangered species, changing the current "may" to "shall" for this action. It clarifies that such regulations can prohibit activities listed in Section 9 (like harming species or their habitats) but only apply in states that haven't adopted equivalent rules through cooperative agreements. The bill also updates Section 9 to reference these new regulations. This change directly affects how federal protections are implemented for species listed as endangered, ensuring consistent conservation measures nationwide unless states adopt their own rules.

Reducing Farm Input Costs and Barriers to Domestic Production Act This bill addresses various provisions related to the regulation of domestic agricultural products, including by requiring the Department of Agriculture to publish criteria for considering requests from meat and poultry establishments to operate at line speeds in excess of the current regulatory limitations. The bill also nullifies the final rule issued by the Council on Environmental Quality on April 20, 2022, that reinstated various National Environmental Policy Act regulatory provisions.

Butcher Block Act This bill authorizes the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to make (or guarantee) loans and award grants for establishing, expanding, and otherwise supporting livestock and poultry processing and related activities. In awarding grants and making or guaranteeing loans, USDA shall prioritize applicants that have experience in livestock and poultry processing and can quickly scale-up to increase overall processing capacity in the region involved.