Rep. Joe Courtney

Housatonic Wild and Scenic River Act of 2022 This bill designates specified segments of the Housatonic River in Connecticut as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The designation of the river segments must not impact or alter the existing terms of permitting, licensing, or operation of the Falls Village Hydroelectric Generating Station located in Falls Village, Connecticut, or the Bulls Bridge Hydroelectric Generating Station located in New Milford, Connecticut. The designation of the river segments must also not preclude the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from licensing, relicensing, or otherwise authorizing the operation or continued operation of those facilities. The authority of the Department of the Interior to acquire lands for the river segments shall be limited to acquisition by donation or acquisition with the consent of the owner, and subject to the additional criteria set forth in the Housatonic River Management Plan. No land or interest in land may be acquired for the river segments by condemnation.

Student Loan Borrower Relief Act This bill revises income-driven repayment plans for federal student loans, including by reducing from 25 years to 15 years the maximum repayment period under these plans. Additionally, the bill makes changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, including by cancelling a portion of a borrower's student loans after every 12 months of eligible public service employment.

Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act This bill prohibits the importation of energy products from Russia. Specifically, the bill prohibits the importation of Russian products that are classified under chapter 27 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (which includes mineral fuels, mineral oils and products of their distillation, bituminous substances, and mineral waxes). The President may terminate this prohibition, subject to congressional disapproval, if the President certifies that Russia (1) has reached an agreement to withdraw Russian forces and cease military hostilities in Ukraine, (2) poses no immediate military threat of aggression to any North Atlantic Treaty Organization member, and (3) recognizes the right of the Ukrainian people to independently and freely choose their own government.

This resolution supports the designation of Venture Smith Freedom Day to recognize the 257th anniversary of Venture Smith purchasing his freedom from slavery.

Maddy summaryHR 7477, the CERTS Tax Exemption Act, ensures that grants provided under the Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services Act are tax-free for eligible transportation service providers. The bill directly affects companies and organizations providing transportation services that receive these specific federal grants. Key provisions state that grant amounts cannot be counted as taxable income, deductions related to grant-funded costs cannot be denied, and tax attributes (like basis increases) must be treated as tax-free for partnerships and S corporations. This change simplifies tax treatment for recipients by preventing unintended tax liabilities on relief funds.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness Payment Completion Fairness Act or the PSLF Payment Completion Fairness Act This bill removes the requirement that a borrower must be employed in a public service job at the time of loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Under the current PSLF program, the Department of Education must cancel the balance of interest and principal due on a borrower's Federal Direct Loans after the borrower makes 120 monthly loan payments while employed in a public service job and, at the time of loan forgiveness, the borrower is employed in a public service job. This bill removes the requirement that the borrower must be working in a public service job at the time of loan forgiveness.

Postal Service Reform Act of 202 2 This bill addresses the finances and operations of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). The bill requires the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to establish the Postal Service Health Benefits Program within the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program under which OPM may contract with carriers to offer health benefits plans for USPS employees and retirees. The bill provides for coordinated enrollment of retirees under this program and Medicare. The bill repeals the requirement that the USPS annually prepay future retirement health benefits. Additionally, the USPS may establish a program to enter into agreements with an agency of any state government, local government, or tribal government, and with other government agencies, to provide certain nonpostal products and services that reasonably contribute to the costs of the USPS and meet other specified criteria. The USPS must develop and maintain a publicly available dashboard to track service performance and must report regularly on its operations and financial condition. The Postal Regulatory Commission must annually submit to the USPS a budget of its expenses. It must also conduct a study to identify the causes and effects of postal inefficiencies relating to flats (e.g., large envelopes). The USPS Office of Inspector General shall perform oversight of the Postal Regulatory Commission.

Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act This bill requires private health insurance plans to cover diagnosis and treatment of congenital anomalies and birth defects, such as reconstructive services and items. Coverage must include services and items that functionally improve, repair, or restore any body part that is medically necessary for normal bodily functions or appearance, as determined by the treating physician. Coverage limits and cost-sharing requirements for such services and items may not be more restrictive than those applicable to all medical and surgical benefits under the plan.

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.

Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act or the MORE Act This bill decriminalizes marijuana. Specifically, it removes marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act and eliminates criminal penalties for an individual who manufactures, distributes, or possesses marijuana. The bill also makes other changes, including the following: replaces statutory references to marijuana and marihuana with cannabis , requires the Bureau of Labor Statistics to regularly publish demographic data on cannabis business owners and employees, establishes a trust fund to support various programs and services for individuals and businesses in communities impacted by the war on drugs, imposes an excise tax on cannabis products produced in or imported into the United States and an occupational tax on cannabis production facilities and export warehouses, makes Small Business Administration loans and services available to entities that are cannabis-related legitimate businesses or service providers, prohibits the denial of federal public benefits to a person on the basis of certain cannabis-related conduct or convictions, prohibits the denial of benefits and protections under immigration laws on the basis of a cannabis-related event (e.g., conduct or a conviction), establishes a process to expunge convictions and conduct sentencing review hearings related to federal cannabis offenses, directs the Government Accountability Office to study the societal impact of state legalization of recreational cannabis, directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to study methods for determining whether a driver is impaired by marijuana, directs the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to study the impact of state legalization of recreational cannabis on the workplace, and directs the Department of Education to study the impact of state legalization of recreational cannabis on schools and school-aged children.