Rep. Maxine Waters

Downpayment Toward Equity Act of 2021 This bill establishes a grant program through the Department of Housing and Urban Development for states and other entities to provide qualifying assistance to certain first-time, first-generation home buyers in purchasing their first homes. Qualifying assistance includes assistance for mortgage down payments, mortgage closing costs, reduction of mortgage interest rates, subsidies for shared equity homes, or for certain preoccupancy modifications to a home to accommodate persons with disabilities. The bill also establishes grant requirements regarding home buyer income, types of housing, homeowner occupancy, types of mortgages, and home buyer counseling.

This resolution expresses support for the goals and ideals of Caribbean American Heritage Month. The resolution also affirms that (1) the contributions of Caribbean Americans are a significant part of the history, progress, and heritage of the United States; and (2) the ethnic and racial diversity of the United States enriches and strengthens the nation.

Financial Services Racial Equity, Inclusion, and Economic Justice Act This bill address access to financial services, diversity in various financial institutions and establishments, and other related issues. Access to credit, mortgages, and banking services are expanded, including by prohibiting discrimination with respect to credit transactions on the basis of an applicant's sexual orientation, gender identity, or location based on zip code or census tract; establishing language translation requirements for residential mortgage applications; and providing funding set-asides for minority lending institutions. The bill expands the support of, and access to, minority depository institutions and community development financial institutions and establishes an impact bank designation for small institutions that predominately lend to low-income borrowers. Further, the Federal Reserve Board must carry out its duties in a manner that supports the elimination of racial and ethnic disparities in employment, income, wealth, and access to affordable credit. Additionally, the bill requires financial institutions to report information relating to diversity policies and lending practices. Retail businesses must accept cash as a form of payment for sales in amounts less than $2,000 and are prohibited from charging cash-paying customers a higher price. Finally, the bill commissions various reports and studies, including a report from the Government Accountability Office on public housing for the homeless.

Good Jobs for Good Airports Act This bill addresses pay, benefits, and labor standards for certain airport service workers. Airport service workers include security officers, food service workers, cleaning staff, ticketing agents, and retail service workers. Specifically, the bill establishes a minimum wage and benefit standard for such airport service workers at large, medium, and small hub airports. It also prohibits small, medium, and large hub airports from accessing federal funds for airport development projects unless the airports certify that such airport service workers are paid no less than the higher of $15 per hour, the applicable state or local minimum wage and fringe benefits, or the prevailing wage and fringe benefits required under the Service Contract Act as established by the Department of Labor.

Protecting Our Kids Act This bill makes various changes to federal firearms laws, including to establish new criminal offenses and to expand the types of weapons and devices that are subject to regulation. Among the changes, the bill generally prohibits the sale or transfer of certain semiautomatic firearms to individuals who are under 21 years of age; establishes new federal criminal offenses for gun trafficking and related conduct; establishes a federal statutory framework to regulate ghost guns (i.e., guns without serial numbers); establishes a framework to regulate the storage of firearms on residential premises at the federal, state, and tribal levels; subjects bump stocks to regulation under federal firearms laws; generally prohibits the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, and possession of large capacity ammunition feeding devices; and requires the Department of Justice to report on the demographic data of persons who are determined to be ineligible to purchase a firearm based on a background check performed by the national instant criminal background check system.

Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act of 2022 This bill authorizes and establishes procedures for federal courts to issue federal extreme risk protection orders. Additionally, the bill establishes grants to support the implementation of extreme risk protection order laws at the state and local levels, extends federal firearms restrictions to individuals who are subject to extreme risk protection orders, and expands related data collection. Extreme risk protection order laws, or red flag laws, generally allow certain individuals (e.g., law enforcement officers or family members) to petition a court for a temporary order that prohibits an at-risk individual from purchasing and possessing firearms. Among its provisions, the bill authorizes a family or household member, or a law enforcement officer, to petition for a federal extreme risk protection order with respect to an individual who poses a risk to themselves or others; directs the Department of Justice to establish a grant program to help states, local governments, Indian tribes, and other entities implement extreme risk protection order laws; extends federal restrictions on the receipt, possession, shipment, and transportation of firearms and ammunition to individuals who are subject to extreme risk protection orders; and requires the Federal Bureau of Investigation to compile records from federal, tribal, and state courts and other agencies that identify individuals who are subject to extreme risk protection orders.

Promoting and Advancing Communities of Color Through Inclusive Lending Act This bill expands the support of, and access to, community development financial institutions, minority lending intuitions, and minority depository institutions. These institutions provide financial services to economically distressed or minority communities. The bill provides mandatory funding set-asides for assistance to minority lending institutions and establishes the Office of Minority Lending Institutions to administer these funds. The bill also establishes the Office of Diverse and Mission-Driven Community Financial Institutions to monitor and support institutions seeking certification. Further, the bill provides for technology grants, a pilot program for establishing new institutions, and various studies and reports.

Expanding Financial Access for Underserved Communities Act This bill eases credit union membership requirements to allow more access for persons in underserved areas. A credit union must, however, submit a business and marketing plan to the National Credit Union Administration explaining the credit union's ability and intent to serve such population. The bill also excludes loans made to members in underserved areas from certain credit union limits on member business loans.

This joint resolution directs the President to remove U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities against the Houthis in Yemen within 30 days of the enactment of this joint resolution unless Congress authorizes a later withdrawal date, issues a declaration of war, or specifically authorizes the use of the Armed Forces. Prohibited activities include sharing intelligence or providing logistical support to enable offensive strikes by the coalition led by Saudi Arabia. This joint resolution shall not affect any military operations directed at Al Qaeda or associated forces.

Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2022 This bill establishes new requirements to expand the availability of information on domestic terrorism, as well as the relationship between domestic terrorism and hate crimes. It authorizes domestic terrorism components within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to monitor, analyze, investigate, and prosecute domestic terrorism. The domestic terrorism components of DHS, DOJ, and the FBI must jointly report on domestic terrorism, including white-supremacist-related incidents or attempted incidents. DHS, DOJ, and the FBI must review the anti-terrorism training and resource programs of their agencies that are provided to federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies. Additionally, DOJ must make training on prosecuting domestic terrorism available to its prosecutors and to assistant U.S. attorneys. It creates an interagency task force to analyze and combat white supremacist and neo-Nazi infiltration of the uniformed services and federal law enforcement agencies. Finally, it directs the FBI to assign a special agent or hate crimes liaison to each field office to investigate hate crimes incidents with a nexus to domestic terrorism.