This symbolic Senate resolution designates March 3, 2023, as "National Speech and Debate Education Day" to honor the value of speech and debate programs in schools. It does not create new laws or affect specific groups, but encourages educational institutions, businesses, and communities to recognize these programs. The resolution highlights how speech and debate education develops communication, critical thinking, and civic skills in students. It formally affirms the importance of these programs without imposing any requirements or funding changes.
HCONRES 9 is a symbolic resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives that formally denounces socialism as incompatible with American values, citing historical examples of socialist regimes causing widespread suffering and authoritarian rule. It states Congress opposes the implementation of socialist policies in the United States. This resolution has no legal effect, does not change any laws, and serves solely as a non-binding statement of congressional opinion. It directly affects no individuals or policies, as it is purely a declarative position.
HR 382, the "Pandemic is Over Act," terminates the federal public health emergency declaration for the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill ends the emergency status declared on January 31, 2020, effective upon the bill's enactment. This action directly ends the federal authority tied to the emergency, including related public health measures and funding mechanisms under the Public Health Service Act.
HR 582, the Credit Union Board Modernization Act, changes the required meeting frequency for boards of directors at federal credit unions. It replaces a simple "monthly" requirement with tiered schedules based on each credit union's performance rating under the Uniform Financial Institutions Rating System. Top-rated credit unions (ratings 1 or 2) must meet at least six times yearly, with one meeting per fiscal quarter. Lower-rated credit unions (ratings 3, 4, or 5) must meet monthly, and new credit unions must meet monthly for their first five years. This directly affects all federal credit unions by adjusting their board meeting obligations based on their regulatory rating.
This symbolic resolution designates January 2023 as "National Stalking Awareness Month" to raise public awareness about stalking. It directly affects the general public, stalking victims, and organizations providing victim support services by encouraging broader education and resource-sharing. The key mechanism is the Senate’s formal designation of the month, coupled with calls for policymakers, law enforcement, colleges, and community groups to increase awareness and support for victims. The resolution does not create new laws but promotes existing efforts to address stalking through coordinated public education and resource availability.
This bill requires healthcare providers to give the same medical care to infants born alive during abortions as they would to any newborn, and to immediately admit such infants to a hospital. It mandates reporting of non-compliance to law enforcement and imposes penalties including up to 5 years in prison for violations. Women who undergo abortions can file civil lawsuits seeking money damages for injuries, three times the abortion cost, and punitive damages if care standards are not met. The bill also clarifies that abortion includes intentionally killing an unborn child or terminating pregnancy without specific exceptions (e.g., after viability to preserve life or removing a dead fetus).
HR 23, the Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act, rescinds unobligated funds previously allocated to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Specifically, it cancels unused balances from certain IRS funding provisions (sections 10301(1)(A)(ii), (iii), (B), (2), (3), (4), and (5)) of the Inflation Reduction Act. This bill does not change tax laws or directly affect taxpayers; it only redirects unspent IRS budget authority. The provision applies solely to funds that were not obligated by the IRS as of the bill’s enactment date.
HR 22, the *Protecting America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve from China Act*, blocks the U.S. government from selling petroleum from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to entities under Chinese Communist Party control or unless sellers guarantee the oil won’t be exported to China. It directly affects the Department of Energy’s management of the reserve and any foreign entities seeking to purchase reserve petroleum. The key mechanism requires the Secretary of Energy to prohibit sales to China-linked entities or impose strict export restrictions on any sale. This policy change aims to prevent strategic petroleum resources from reaching entities tied to China’s government.
HCONRES 3 is a non-binding congressional resolution expressing support for pro-life facilities, groups, and churches targeted by vandalism and threats following the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision. It condemns specific incidents like graffiti, window-smashing, and arson at pregnancy centers and churches (e.g., in Frederick, MD, and Portland, OR), while recognizing the role of these organizations in supporting pregnant women. The resolution calls on the Biden Administration to use law enforcement to protect these facilities but does not create new laws or policies. As a symbolic measure, it has no legal effect on the incidents described.
Supply Chain Disruptions Relief Act This bill modifies the treatment of liquidations of new motor vehicle inventory as qualified LIFO (last in first out accounting method) inventory. It allows new motor vehicle dealers to elect to wait until the end of 2025 to replace their inventory for purposes of determining income attributable to the sale of such inventory during 2020 and 2021.
SRES 858 is a symbolic Senate resolution expressing support for National Adoption Day and National Adoption Month. It does not create new laws or allocate funds but publicly endorses efforts to promote adoption awareness, celebrate adoptive families, and encourage Americans to consider adoption. The resolution specifically recognizes that every child deserves a permanent family and urges people to support adoption opportunities during November and year-round. It highlights existing statistics about children in foster care (e.g., 114,000 waiting for adoption) but focuses solely on raising awareness, not changing policies. This resolution was introduced by 35 Senators and adopted without legislative effect.
The Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act of 2022 This bill reauthorizes through FY2027, increases funding for, and modifies the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program. This program supports home visits for expectant and new parents who live in communities that are at-risk for poor maternal and child health outcomes. Changes to the program include setting out requirements for allocating program funds; increasing the percentage of funds reserved for tribal entities; establishing a publicly available dashboard that reports program outcomes; requiring activities to reduce unnecessary data collection, reporting, and other administrative requirements of the program; and allowing for virtual home visits (provided certain conditions are met). The bill also reduces funding for the Medicare Improvement Fund.
