Protecting Medicaid Beneficiaries Act of 2022 This bill requires states and U.S. territories to implement asset verification programs and resources tests for all enrollees as a condition of Medicaid eligibility (such requirements are currently generally limited to individuals who are eligible for Medicaid on the basis of being aged, blind, or disabled, and do not apply in all U.S. territories). The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must distribute any resulting federal savings to states for two years; states may use the funds to support maternal and child health under Medicaid or for other purposes that are approved by the CMS. The CMS must also track and report on any savings. The Government Accountability Office must report on the efficacy of the asset verification programs.
Sponsored bills
Employee Rights Act This bill makes various changes with respect to the collective bargaining process and labor relations. For example, the bill permits an employer to refuse to collectively bargain with a union within 90 days prior to the expiration of a collective bargaining agreement if the employer receives evidence that the majority of the employees in the bargaining unit do not support the union. The bill requires support from a majority of the employees in the bargaining unit (not just a majority of the employees voting) when electing union representation. The bill also requires unions to provide bargaining unit employees with the right to vote by secret ballot, including when voting whether to engage in a strike or refusal to work. Further, union dues, fees, assessments, and other contributions may be used for only collective bargaining or contract administrative functions. Additionally, the bill establishes a process for nullifying executive orders that the Office of Management and Budget determines are likely to result in an employer ordering a plant closure or mass layoff.
Student Transparency for Understanding Decisions in Education Net Terms Act or the STUDENT Act This bill requires loan disclosure forms for federal student loans to include the total amount of interest that would be paid over the life of the loan based on a standard 10-year repayment plan.
Maddy summarySRES 545 is a symbolic Senate resolution designating the week beginning March 13, 2022, as "National Tribal Colleges and Universities Week." It directly recognizes 35 accredited Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) serving over 230 federally recognized tribes across 15 states. The resolution calls on the public and organizations to observe the week with activities supporting TCUs, which provide culturally grounded education, open enrollment, and workforce preparation in underserved communities. This is a non-binding commemorative measure with no new policy or funding changes.
Countermeasure Injury Compensation Fund Amendment Act This bill modifies a program that compensates individuals for injuries experienced due to medical countermeasures (e.g., vaccines) delivered during certain public health emergencies, including with respect to compensation for COVID-19 vaccine injuries. The bill aligns award determination procedures and other aspects of the program with requirements under the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, which provides compensation for injuries or deaths associated with routinely administered vaccines. Additionally, the bill establishes a temporary commission to identify injuries caused by receipt of a COVID-19 vaccine. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must list all identified injuries in a table of conditions that are presumed to be caused by a COVID-19 vaccine, provided there is sufficient scientific evidence linking the injury to the vaccine. If HHS does not include an identified injury in the table, it must publish an explanation of that decision. The bill also allows individuals to resubmit their COVID-19 vaccine compensation claims, including the amounts of previously approved claims, for reconsideration under the provisions set out in the bill.
Maddy summarySJRES 38 is a joint resolution that terminates the national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020, under the National Emergencies Act. This resolution ends the special authorities and regulatory flexibilities granted during the emergency, requiring federal agencies to revert to standard operating procedures. Introduced by Senators Marshall, Braun, Lee, Johnson, Cruz, and Paul, it was referred to the Senate Committee on Finance. The termination removes the legal basis for emergency-related policies that had been in effect since March 2020.
American Energy Independence from Russia Act This bill addresses U.S. energy security, the production of oil and gas, and the importation and exportation of oil and gas. Specifically, the President must submit an energy security plan that (1) evaluates U.S. crude oil, petroleum products, and natural gas imports and exports; (2) assesses the energy security risks of such imports; and (3) includes strategies to encourage increased domestic production of crude oil, petroleum products, and natural gas to offset Russian imports. The bill also approves the TransCanada Keystone Pipeline in Phillips County, Montana for the import of oil from Canada to the United States. In addition, the bill grants the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission the authority to approve or deny applications for facilities to export natural gas from the United States to foreign countries or import natural gas from foreign countries. The President and federal agencies must obtain congressional approval before (1) prohibiting or substantially delaying certain new energy mineral leases or permits on federal lands, or (2) withdrawing certain federal lands from mineral and geothermal leasing activities. The Department of the Interior must resume issuing oil and gas leases on federal lands and offshore submerged lands in the Outer Continental Shelf as specified under the bill. Finally, the bill limits the drawdown of petroleum in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve until the Department of Energy develops a plan to increase the percentage of federal lands leased for oil and gas production.
This bill repeals a provision authorizing the President to waive certain sanctions related to specified Russian natural gas pipeline projects, specifically Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream (and any successor projects). The bill also makes permanent the authority to impose such sanctions.
This joint resolution nullifies the rule titled Medicare and Medicaid Programs; Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination , which was issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on November 5, 2021. The rule requires health care providers, as a condition of Medicare and Medicaid participation, to ensure that staff are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
This bill addresses the removal of federal protections for the gray wolf ( Canis lupus ). Specifically, the Department of the Interior must reinstate a rule that removed the gray wolf in the Western Great Lakes region from the endangered and threatened species list. The bill exempts the reinstated rule from judicial review. In addition, it exempts from judicial review a reinstated rule that removes the gray wolf in Wyoming from the list.