Cardiovascular Advances in Research and Opportunities Legacy Act This act addresses research, education, and awareness concerning valvular heart disease and its treatment. This disease is caused by damage to or disease affecting any valve that controls blood flow in the heart. The National Institutes of Health may conduct or support research on the disease in consultation with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The NHLBI must also conduct a workshop on mitral valve prolapse, which occurs when the valve between the chambers of the left side of the heart seals improperly. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must develop best practices to treat valvular heart disease. HHS may also carry out other projects to increase education and awareness of the disease.
Big Cat Public Safety Act This act revises requirements governing the trade of big cats (i.e., species of lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, or cougar or any hybrid of such species) under the Lacey Act to limit the possession, breeding, and exhibition of big cats. The Lacey Act prohibits any person from importing, exporting, buying, selling, transporting, receiving, or acquiring big cats across state lines or the U.S. border. However, some exemptions are provided for certain entities, such as universities and wildlife sanctuaries. (Sec. 3) The act expands the Lacey Act prohibitions to include a prohibition on possessing or breeding big cats. Breeding means facilitating propagation or reproduction (whether intentionally or negligently), or failing to prevent propagation or reproduction. Owners of big cats that were born before this act's enactment may keep their big cats, but the owners must register them with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The act modifies the list of entities that are exempt from prohibitions to export, buy, sell, transport, receive, acquire, possess, or breed big cats. The modified list includes exemptions for entities or facilities exhibiting animals to the public if they (1) hold a Class C license in good standing under the Animal Welfare Act, and (2) do not allow individuals to come into direct physical contact with big cats. However, direct contact is allowed if the individual is a trained professional, a veterinarian, or directly supporting conservation programs that do not involve commercial activities and meet other specified restrictions. (Sec. 4) A person who knowingly violates the act must be fined not more than $20,000, or imprisoned for no more than five years, or both. The act considers each violation to be a separate offense. The offense must be deemed to have been committed not only in the district where the violation first occurred, but also in any district in which the defendant may have taken or been in possession of the prohibited wildlife species. (Sec. 5) The act extends forfeiture provisions to fish, wildlife, or plants that are bred or possessed; thus, big cats bred or possessed in violation of the act are subject to forfeiture. (Sec. 6) The Department of the Interior must issue regulations to implement this act.
This act designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 303 East Mississippi Avenue in Elwood, Illinois, as the Lawrence M. "Larry" Walsh Sr. Post Office.
Further Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2023 This act provides continuing FY2023 appropriations for federal agencies through December 23, 2022, and extends several expiring programs and authorities. (Unless otherwise specified, the extensions referred to in this summary are also effective through December 23, 2022.) The act also requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to develop guidance and take other actions to update precipitation estimates. (Sec. 3) This section provides that references to this Act included in any division of this act refer only to the provisions of the division unless the act expressly provides otherwise. (Sec. 4) This section provides appropriations for a payment to Colette Wallace McEachin, the beneficiary of the late Representative Aston Donald McEachin. (A gratuity equal to one year's salary has long been given to the heirs or beneficiaries of Members of Congress who die in office.) DIVISION A--FURTHER CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2023 Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2023 This division provides continuing FY2023 appropriations to federal agencies through the earlier of December 23, 2022, or the enactment of the applicable appropriations act. It is known as a continuing resolution (CR) and prevents a government shutdown that would otherwise occur if the FY2023 appropriations bills have not been enacted when the existing CR expires on December 16, 2022. The CR funds most programs and activities at the FY2022 levels. It also extends several exceptions that provide funding flexibility or additional appropriations for various programs. The division also extends the Department of Homeland Security's federal intrusion detection and prevention system and a related reporting requirement. DIVISION B--OTHER MATTERS TITLE I--EXTENSIONS (Sec. 101) This section extends the authority of the Federal Communications Commission to conduct auctions for electromagnetic spectrum licenses. (Sec. 102) This section extends a special assessment on nonindigent persons or entities convicted of certain offenses involving sexual abuse or human trafficking. The assessment funds programs for human-trafficking survivors. United States Parole Commission Further Extension Act of 2022 (Sec. 103) This section extends the U.S. Parole Commission. (Sec. 104) This section extends the Commodity Futures Trading Commission Customer Protection Fund expenses account. TITLE II--BUDGETARY EFFECTS This title exempts the budgetary effects of this division and each succeeding division from (1) the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (PAYGO), (2) the Senate PAYGO rule, and (3) certain budget scorekeeping rules. DIVISION C--HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TITLE I--MEDICARE AND MEDICAID (Sec. 101) This section extends certain increased payment adjustments for low-volume hospitals under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system. (Sec. 102) This section extends the Medicare-Dependent Hospital Program, which provides additional payments to certain small rural hospitals that have a high proportion of Medicare patients. (Sec. 103) This section extends the increased Medicaid federal matching rate (also known as the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage) for U.S. territories. (Sec. 104) This section decreases funding for the Medicare Improvement Fund. TITLE II--HUMAN SERVICES (Sec. 201) This section extends and provides additional funding for the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, which supports pregnant individuals and parents of young children in certain communities through home visits and partnerships with health, social service, and child development professionals. (Sec. 202) This section extends and provides additional funding for the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Child Welfare Services Program and the MaryLee Allen Promoting Safe and Stable Families Program (i.e., Title IV-B child and family services programs). TITLE III--EXTENSION OF FDA AUTHORIZATIONS (Sec. 301) This section reauthorizes the Critical Path Public-Private Partnerships, through which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may enter into collaborative agreements with eligible entities to develop projects designed to achieve certain goals, such as fostering medical product innovation and accelerating medical product development. (Sec. 302) This section reauthorizes a National Institutes of Health program to (1) develop and publish a priority list of needs in pediatric therapeutics, and (2) award funds to entities with expertise in conducting research regarding such needs. (Sec. 303) This section reauthorizes through December 24, 2022, the humanitarian device exemption program, which authorizes the FDA to, for the purposes of an application for approval to market a medical device, waive certain effectiveness requirements for an eligible device designed to treat or diagnose a disease or condition that affects no more than 8,000 individuals in the United States. Specifically, a request for such an exemption must be submitted on or before December 24, 2022. (Sec. 304) This section reauthorizes a program that provides grants or contracts to nonprofit consortia for demonstration projects to promote pediatric device development. (Sec. 305) This section reauthorizes until December 24, 2022, a provision that allows an applicant for market approval for an eligible single-enantiomer drug to make an election that may qualify the drug for a five-year market exclusivity period. (Sec. 306) This section extends through December 24, 2022, a provision requiring the FDA to accredit persons to inspect facilities that manufacture certain classes of medical devices. (Sec. 307) This section reauthorizes an FDA program that provides grants to defray the costs of developing drugs, medical devices, and medical foods for rare diseases or conditions. (Sec. 308) This section reauthorizes a provision requiring the FDA to post on its website quarterly reports with information on received generic drug applications and priority review applications. (Sec. 309) This section reauthorizes through December 24, 2022, a program that allows accredited persons to review reports and make recommendations to the FDA pertaining to the initial classification of medical devices. TITLE IV--INDIAN HEALTH This title extends until December 24, 2022, provisions that prohibit the Indian Health Service from disbursing funds to Alaska Native villages or corporations that are located in areas served by Alaska Native regional health entities. DIVISION D--PRECIP ACT Providing Research and Estimates of Changes In Precipitation Act or the PRECIP Act This division directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to take actions regarding precipitation estimation. NOAA must seek to enter an agreement with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a study on the state of practice and research needs for precipitation estimation, including probable maximum precipitation estimation. NOAA, in consideration of the study's recommendations, shall consult with relevant partners on the development of a plan to update probable maximum precipitation estimates. NOAA shall develop guidance regarding probable maximum precipitation estimates that (1) provides best practices for federal and state regulatory agencies, private meteorological consultants, and other users that perform probable maximum precipitation studies; (2) considers the recommendations provided in the National Academies study; (3) facilitates review of probable maximum precipitation studies by regulatory agencies; and (4) provides confidence in regional and site-specific probable maximum precipitation estimates.
Respect for Marriage Act This act provides statutory authority for same-sex and interracial marriages. Specifically, the act replaces provisions that define, for purposes of federal law, marriage as between a man and a woman and spouse as a person of the opposite sex with provisions that recognize any marriage between two individuals that is valid under state law. (The Supreme Court held that the current provisions were unconstitutional in United States v. Windsor in 2013.) The act also replaces provisions that do not require states to recognize same-sex marriages from other states with provisions that prohibit the denial of full faith and credit or any right or claim relating to out-of-state marriages on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin. (The Supreme Court held that state laws barring same-sex marriages were unconstitutional in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015; the Court held that state laws barring interracial marriages were unconstitutional in Loving v. Virginia in 1967.) The act allows the Department of Justice to bring a civil action and establishes a private right of action for violations. The act does not (1) affect religious liberties or conscience protections that are available under the Constitution or federal law, (2) require religious organizations to provide goods or services to formally recognize or celebrate a marriage, (3) affect any benefits or rights that do not arise from a marriage, or (4) recognize under federal law any marriage between more than two individuals.
Senator Johnny Isakson VA Regional Office Act of 2022 This act designates the Department of Veterans Affairs Atlanta Regional Office in Georgia as the Senator Johnny Isakson Department of Veterans Affairs Atlanta Regional Office or the Isakson VA Atlanta Regional Office.
Max Cleland VA Medical Center Act This act designates the Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in Atlanta, Georgia, as the Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center or the Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center.
First Responder Fair Return for Employees on Their Initial Retirement Earned Act or the First Responder Fair RETIRE Act This act allows disabled federal first responders (e.g., law enforcement officers, customs and border protection officers, and firefighters) to continue receiving federal retirement benefits in the same manner as though they had not been disabled. Under current law, federal first responders are subject to a mandatory retirement age of 57. To facilitate this earlier retirement, federal first responders are required to pay a greater percentage of their salary towards retirement. Additionally, their annuity amount is calculated at a higher rate than other federal employees. This act allows a federal first responder to remain in the accelerated retirement system if they are placed in another civil service position outside of that system after returning to work from a work-related injury or illness. Further, if such an employee is separated from service before they are entitled to receive an annuity, they may receive a refund of their accelerated contributions.
Speak Out Act This act prohibits the judicial enforceability of a nondisclosure clause or nondisparagement clause agreed to before a dispute arises involving sexual assault or sexual harassment in violation of federal, tribal, or state law.
Safe Connections Act of 2022 This act establishes requirements concerning access to communication services for survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, and related harms. At a survivor's request, a mobile service provider must separate from a shared mobile service contract the survivor's line (and the line of any individual in the survivor's care) from the abuser's line unless separation is operationally or technologically infeasible. A survivor requesting this must (1) verify through appropriate documentation that an individual under the contract committed or allegedly committed an act of domestic violence, trafficking, or a related criminal act against the survivor; and (2) assume financial responsibility for services after a line separation. A provider may not charge fees or impose other requirements on such requests. Additionally, a provider must separate the line within two business days of receiving a request; allow requests to be made remotely (if feasible); meet conditions related to confidentiality of, disposal of, and other matters concerning communications about requests; and make information about the process for requests available through consumer-facing communications (e.g., websites). The act (1) provides liability protection for providers' acts or omissions undertaken to comply with such requests, and (2) requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to adopt rules for these requests. Additionally, the FCC must (1) expand access to federally subsidized communication services for survivors facing financial hardship, and (2) evaluate this expanded access. The FCC must also consider rules requiring communication service providers to omit from consumer-facing logs calls and texts to hotlines for domestic violence and similar issues while retaining internal records.
Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act of 2021 This act sets out programs and otherwise directs the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to carry out activities to prevent and treat malnutrition globally. Specifically, USAID may leverage resources to address malnutrition through the Global Nutrition Coordination Plan (an interagency effort to strengthen the impact of U.S. investments in nutrition) and its role on the board of directors of the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation. USAID must also select countries based on specified malnutrition-related indicators for purposes of targeting malnutrition prevention and treatment programs and update the selection within five years. Additionally, USAID may establish the Nutrition Leadership Council to coordinate federal government activities to prevent and treat malnutrition; and target resources and nutrition interventions to the populations most susceptible to severe malnutrition and otherwise support efforts to prevent and treat malnutrition globally. The act also requires USAID to provide to Congress an implementation plan and annual reports concerning its programs for treating and preventing malnutrition. The act's provisions terminate seven years after its enactment.
Artistic Recognition for Talented Students Act or the ARTS Act This act directs the Copyright Office to waive various copyright registration-related fees for works that win certain competitions sponsored by the Congressional Institute or established by Congress. To qualify for the fee waiver, the copyright registration application must be filed within a specified time frame, but the Copyright Office may waive fees for a qualifying work even if the application is filed outside the time frame.
