Rep. Dan Newhouse

Direct Hire To Fight Fires This bill provides direct-hire authority to the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior for purposes of filling wildland and structural firefighting positions, including support positions, in the Forest Service and Interior agencies. Direct-hire authority is an expedited hiring authority that currently may be issued by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to fill positions in the competitive service for which there is a critical hiring need or severe shortage of candidates. The OPM may issue such authority to agencies upon written request or upon an independent assessment that there is a critical hiring need or severe shortage of candidates for specific positions.

Fair Access to Banking Act This bill restricts certain banks, credit unions, and payment card networks from refusing to do business with a person who is in compliance with the law. Restrictions include prohibiting the use of certain lending programs, initiating the process of terminating an institution's depository insurance, and instituting specified civil penalties.

This resolution supports the designation of a National FFA Week. It also (1) recognizes the important role of the National FFA Organization (Future Farmers of America) in developing the next generation of leaders who will change the world, and (2) celebrates 50 years of National FFA alumni and supporters.

Death Tax Repeal Act This bill repeals the estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes. It also makes conforming amendments related to the gift tax.

Veterans' True Choice Act of 2021 This bill allows covered veterans to receive coverage under TRICARE Select, a health care program of the Department of Defense (DOD). Veterans covered by this bill include those with service-connected disabilities, former prisoners of war, Purple Heart recipients, Medal of Honor recipients, those discharged from service due to disability, and those entitled to disability compensation. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) must reimburse DOD's costs of enrolling eligible veteran beneficiaries in the program. A covered veteran may not concurrently receive medical care from DOD and the VA.

Modernize Nuclear Reactor Environmental Reviews Act This bill directs the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to report on its efforts to facilitate efficient, timely environmental reviews of nuclear reactors through expanded use of categorical exclusions, environmental assessments, and generic environmental impact statements in lieu of environmental impact statements as required under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. The commission must promulgate a final rule to (1) establish an optional generic environmental impact statement that may be used in the licensing process for nuclear reactors, and (2) eliminate or modify the list of actions that require environmental impact statements.

Hydropower Clean Energy Future Act This bill expands provisions related to renewable energy, including hydropower production, and revises the hydropower licensing process. The bill updates federal renewable purchase requirements. Specifically, the bill requires the federal government to purchase an increasing amount of renewable energy, including hydropower. By 2026, 25% of the total amount of electric energy the federal government consumes during any fiscal year must be renewable energy. In addition, the bill also provides an expedited licensing process for next-generation hydropower projects. The bill also revises requirements concerning the environmental review of certain hydroelectric power projects, including by designating the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as the lead agency for the purposes of environmental reviews, allowing certain categories of projects to be exempted from such reviews, and establishing deadlines to complete such reviews. Finally, the bill establishes requirements about resolving (1) inconsistent or conflicting license terms, and (2) federal interagency disputes or disputes among federal and state agencies.

Protecting American Energy Jobs Act This bill limits the President's authority to prohibit or withdraw federal land or waters from energy production activities. Specifically, the bill requires the President and federal agencies to obtain the approval of Congress before prohibiting or substantially delaying certain new energy or mineral leases or permits on federal lands, including oil and gas leases, coal leases, hard rock leases, or critical minerals leases. In addition, the President and agencies must obtain the approval of Congress before withdrawing certain federal lands from mineral and geothermal leasing activities. Further, the bill repeals the President's authority to withdraw unleased lands on the outer Continental Shelf from oil and gas leasing. The bill nullifies Executive Order 13990 titled Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science To Tackle the Climate Crisis; Executive Order 14008 titled Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad; and the Department of the Interior's Secretarial Order 3395 concerning a temporary suspension of delegated authority to all of Interior's Bureaus and Offices, including the authority to approve leases.

Protecting American Energy Production Act This bill prohibits the President from declaring a moratorium on the use of hydraulic fracturing unless Congress authorizes the moratorium. The bill also expresses the sense of Congress that states should maintain primacy for the regulation of hydraulic fracturing for oil and natural gas production on state and private lands.

Thin Blue Line Act This bill expands the list of statutory aggravating factors in death penalty determinations to also include killing or targeting a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or other first responder.