Rep. Paul Tonko

Territorial Representation in the Senate Act This bill allows each U.S. territory (American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands) with local legislative approval to be represented in Congress by a nonvoting delegate to the Senate who shall be elected by the people qualified to vote for officials of the territory. Further, the bill establishes qualifications for the office of delegate, authorizes the government of the territory to determine the election procedure, and provides that each delegate shall receive the same compensation, privileges, and immunities as any other member of the Senate.

Helping Experts Accelerate Rare Treatments Act of 2022 This bill requires studies on processes for approving drugs that treat rare diseases and conditions. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) must contract with an appropriate entity to study the European Union's process for evaluating the safety and efficacy of such drugs, including any flexibilities or mechanisms that are specific to rare diseases or conditions. The GAO must also conduct a study about the Food and Drug Administration's mechanisms for ensuring that patient and physician perspectives are considered when evaluating and approving drugs for rare diseases or conditions. The GAO must report to Congress the results of these studies.

Women's Health Protection Act of 2021 This bill prohibits governmental restrictions on the provision of, and access to, abortion services. Specifically, governments may not limit a provider's ability to prescribe certain drugs, offer abortion services via telemedicine, or immediately provide abortion services when the provider determines a delay risks the patient's health. Furthermore, governments may not require a provider to perform unnecessary medical procedures, provide medically inaccurate information, comply with credentialing or other conditions that do not apply to providers whose services are medically comparable to abortions, or carry out all services connected to an abortion. In addition, governments may not (1) require patients to make medically unnecessary in-person visits before receiving abortion services or disclose their reasons for obtaining such services, or (2) prohibit abortion services before fetal viability or after fetal viability when a provider determines the pregnancy risks the patient's life or health. The bill also prohibits other governmental measures that are similar to the bill's specified restrictions or that otherwise single out and impede access to abortion services, unless a government demonstrates that the measure significantly advances the safety of abortion services or health of patients and cannot be achieved through less restrictive means. The Department of Justice, individuals, or providers may bring a lawsuit to enforce this bill, and states are not immune from suits for violations. The bill applies to restrictions imposed both prior and subsequent to the bill's enactment.

Original Black History Month Resolution of 2022 This resolution recognizes the importance of commemorating Black History Month to acknowledge the achievements of Black Americans throughout history.

America's Call To Improve Opportunities Now for National Service Act or the ACTION for National Service Act This bill (1) converts the Corporation for National and Community Service into the AmeriCorps Administration and revises its membership, leadership, and authority; (2) reauthorizes programs carried out by the administration; (3) establishes a National Service Foundation to accept and administer gifts on behalf of the administration; (4) modifies the calculation of national service educational awards; and (5) otherwise modifies provisions related to national and volunteer service programs. Additionally, the bill creates an interagency Civilian Climate Corps, operated by the administration, to conduct service projects addressing climate change.

Bipartisan Ban on Congressional Stock Ownership Act of 2022 This bill prohibits Members of Congress and their spouses from owning or trading stocks, bonds, commodities, futures, or any other form of security. Each current Member must divest within 180 days after the bill is enacted and each new Member must divest within 180 days after becoming a Member. However, Members and their spouses have 5 years to divest from specified complex investment vehicles. The bill does not apply to certain investments, such as investments in widely held investment funds that are diversified and do not present a conflict of interest and investments held in government employee retirement plans. A Member or spouse who violates the bill may be subject to a fine of up to $50,000 for each violation. The bill permits a Member or spouse who is required to divest property under the bill to avoid recognizing gain for income tax purposes from the sale of that property to the extent that the Member or spouse purchases permitted bonds or diversified investment funds within 60 days of the divestiture.

Maddy summaryHRES 939 is a symbolic House resolution expressing support for designating February 21-25, 2022, as "Public Schools Week." It does not create new policies, allocate funding, or impose requirements on schools or students. The resolution uses supportive language to acknowledge public education's role in democracy but has no legal effect. It was introduced by multiple representatives as a non-binding gesture of appreciation for public schools.

This resolution supports the goals and ideals of National Engineers Week to increase understanding of, and interest in, engineering and technology careers. The resolution recognizes that engineering education is a critical component of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education.

Readable Legislation Act of 2022 This bill requires every bill or joint resolution that amends an existing section of an act to set forth the entire section, showing proposed changes to that section by appropriate typographical device. This eliminates the current practice of revising or amending a section of an act by mere reference to it.

This resolution supports the designation of Career and Technical Education Month to celebrate career and technical education across the United States.