Rep. Troy A. Carter

National Climate Adaptation and Resilience Strategy Act This bill requires the President to identify or appoint a Chief Resilience Officer that must (1) direct a government-wide effort to build resilience to climate change vulnerabilities in the United States in collaboration with existing federal initiatives and interagency adaptation efforts, and (2) create working groups. The officer and the working groups must jointly submit to the President and Congress a strategy for the government to address such vulnerabilities in partnership with nonfederal partners, a plan to implement the strategy, and updates by specified deadlines.

Heating and Cooling Relief Act This bill provides additional energy assistance to households, including heating and cooling assistance. Specifically, the bill reauthorizes through FY2031 and revises the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. Under the existing program, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may award grants to states for assisting low-income households that pay a high proportion of their income for home energy. To be eligible under the existing program, households must have incomes which do not exceed the greater of an amount equal to 150% of the poverty level for their state or an amount equal to 60% of the state median income. The bill expands eligibility to households with incomes which do not exceed the greater of an amount equal to 250% of the poverty line as defined in the Community Services Block Grant Act or an amount equal to 80% of the state median income. In addition, the bill expands eligibility to households with a monthly energy burden of 3% or more per year. It also requires states to establish procedures to protect households receiving assistance under the program from energy shutoffs and certain late fees. In addition, the bill requires HHS and the Department of Energy to jointly carry out a program that awards grants to states and local governments for developing and implementing interagency plans to reduce energy burdens for eligible households with high home energy use. The plans must promote the reduction of energy from fossil fuels.

Freedom to Vote: John R. Lewis Act This bill addresses voter registration and voting access, election integrity and security, redistricting, campaign finance, and voting rights. Specifically, the bill expands voter registration (e.g., automatic and same-day registration) and voting access (e.g., vote-by-mail and early voting). It also limits removing voters from voter rolls. Next, the bill establishes Election Day as a federal holiday. The bill establishes certain federal criminal offenses related to voting. In particular, the bill establishes a new criminal offense for conduct (or attempted conduct) to corruptly hinder, interfere with, or prevent another person from registering to vote or helping someone register to vote. Additionally, the bill sets forth provisions related to election security, including by requiring states to conduct post-election audits for federal elections. The bill outlines criteria for congressional redistricting and generally prohibits mid-decade redistricting. The bill addresses campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals and establishing an alternative campaign funding system for certain federal offices. Next, the bill establishes new criteria for determining which states and political subdivisions must obtain preclearance before changes to voting practices may take effect. Preclearance is the process of receiving preapproval from the Department of Justice or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before making legal changes that would affect voting rights. The bill also includes provisions related to federally protected activities at polling places and voting access on tribal lands.

Comprehensive Resources for Entrepreneurs in the Arts to Transform the Economy Act of 2022 or the CREATE Act of 2022 This bill expands financial assistance for, and establishes measures to support, the creative economy and art entrepreneurs. Specifically, the bill requires (1) the Small Business Administration to develop loan criteria, evaluation procedures, and technical assistance programs for small business concerns that are owned by artists and support the creative economy; and (2) the Department of Commerce to ensure that traditional economic development tools, such as business incubators and grant programs, support the arts industry and creative economy.

Masks for All Act of 2022 This bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to manufacture and distribute N-95 respirator masks to every individual in the United States and to provide N-95 masks to all individuals working in health care settings in the United States that are experiencing a shortage of such masks. FEMA must provide the masks at no cost to individuals and deliver them, to the greatest extent possible, using the U.S. Postal Service. Additionally, FEMA shall designate mask pickup sites in each community and shall provide masks to each site, allocated according to population; consider new designs for masks to improve comfort, fit, and size options; and submit to Congress a strategic plan that includes monthly, measurable targets to eliminate shortages and increase domestic production of N-95 masks and to fulfill all other requirements of this bill. The President shall make use of any and all available authorities (including emergency authorities) at the disposal of the federal government to procure and domestically manufacture N-95 masks and support the domestic manufacturing of N-95 masks.

College Student Hunger Act of 20 21 This bill modifies the eligibility requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to make additional students at institutions of higher education eligible for benefits.

Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act This bill establishes grant programs to address neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), and contains other related provisions. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall award grants to eligible entities for scientific research utilizing data from expanded access to investigational ALS treatments for individuals who are not otherwise eligible for clinical trials.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shall award grants to public and private entities to cover the costs of research and development of drugs that diagnose or treat ALS and other rare neurodegenerative diseases. HHS shall also establish the Public-Private Partnership for Neurodegenerative Diseases between the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, and at least one eligible entity (generally, an institution of higher education or a nonprofit organization). The partnership shall support the development and regulatory review of drugs that address ALS and other rare neurodegenerative diseases. The FDA shall publish on its website a five-year action plan for fostering the development of drugs that improve or extend the lives of people living with rare neurodegenerative diseases. The Government Accountability Office must report to Congress about the grants provided under this bill, including an analysis of the impact of such grants on research and development of treatments for ALS.

Necessary Entrepreneurship Workshops via the SBA to Transform and Assist Re-entry Training Act of 2021 or the NEW START Act of 2021 This bill establishes a pilot program for providing entrepreneurial development assistance to formerly incarcerated individuals. Specifically, the bill requires the Small Business Administration to establish a pilot program whereby it awards grants to organizations or partnerships that create or support entrepreneurship programs for providing assistance to formerly incarcerated individuals. Such assistance shall be in the form of entrepreneurial development programming that includes the disbursement of microloans. The Government Accountability Office must submit a report evaluating the (1) services that grant recipients provide to formerly incarcerated individuals, (2) oversight of the pilot program by the SBA, and (3) overall performance and impacts of the pilot program.

Protecting Our Democracy Act This bill addresses issues involving (1) abuses of presidential power; (2) checks and balances, accountability, and transparency; and (3) election integrity and security. Specifically, regarding abuses of presidential power, the bill requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the President to submit to Congress specified materials relating to certain pardons, prohibits presidential self-pardons, suspends the statute of limitations for federal offenses committed by a sitting President or Vice President, prohibits the acceptance of foreign or domestic emoluments, and sets forth provisions regarding Office of Government Ethics and Office of Special Counsel jurisdiction and enforcement authority. To address checks and balances, accountability, and transparency, the bill authorizes specified actions to enforce congressional subpoenas, imposes limits on presidential declarations of emergencies, requires DOJ to maintain a log of specified communications between it and the White House, requires cause for removal of inspectors general, increases whistleblower protections, and requires a candidate for President or Vice President to provide copies of tax returns for the 10 most recent taxable years to the Federal Election Commission. To address election integrity and security, the bill requires federal campaign reporting of foreign contacts, makes various changes to requirements concerning foreign donations to political campaigns and candidates and foreign contributions to online electioneering communications, prohibits distribution of materially deceptive audio or visual media prior to an election (i.e., deepfakes), and establishes a program to support states and localities transition to ranked choice voting systems.

Maddy summaryHRES 834 is a ceremonial resolution honoring the late Congresswoman Carrie Pittman Meek (1926-2021) for her congressional service and legacy. It commends her dedication to public service, her role as a trailblazer for Black women in politics, and her advocacy for communities in Florida. The resolution specifically recognizes her work securing hurricane relief funding after Hurricane Andrew and her service in the Florida State Senate and U.S. Congress. As a commemorative resolution, it contains no policy changes or funding provisions.