Returning Amtrak To Economic Sustainability Act or the RATES Act This bill revises the mission and goals of Amtrak. It encourages an economically sustainable intercity and commuter passenger rail system and requires Amtrak to ensure route profitability proportional to the federal share of investment.
Equitable Community Access to Pharmacist Services Act This bill expands Medicare coverage to permanently include services provided by a pharmacist, including incidental services and supplies, related to testing, drug regimens, and vaccines for COVID-19, influenza, and certain other illnesses. Specifically, the bill provides for continued coverage of pharmacist services relating to testing and vaccines for COVID-19 and influenza, as well as coverage of testing for respiratory syncytial virus and streptococcal pharyngitis (i.e., strep throat) and the initiation of drug regimens that are used to treat COVID-19, influenza, or strep throat. It also generally provides for coverage of pharmacist services during a public health emergency or to address health equity. A pharmacist, or the facility with which the pharmacist is contracted or employed, may present a claim for reimbursement of 85% (or 100% during a declared emergency) of the applicable amount. A pharmacist may not bill an individual for such a service other than for the applicable deductible or coinsurance amounts.
This concurrent resolution expresses that it is the sense of Congress that the President should direct the U.S. representative to the U.N. Commission on Narcotic Drugs to use the voice, vote, and influence of the United States at the commission to seek to de-schedule cannabis from Schedule I of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, expunge and forgive penalties related to cannabis for prior offenders, and treat cannabis as a commodity similar to other agricultural commodities.
Pigs in Gestation Stalls Act of 2022 or the PIGS Act of 2022 This bill prohibits certain methods of confining breeding pigs that restrict their movement and establishes a program to assist pig producers to comply with the prohibitions.
Regaining Energy Freedom and Undeniable SEcurity and Preserving U.S. Trade Interests Now Act or the REFUSE PUTIN Act This bill addresses U.S. energy security and independence, the importation and exportation of fossil fuels, and drawdowns from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Specifically, the bill directs the President to prohibit the importation of fossil fuels from Russia. While the prohibition is in effect, the President may not ban the export of crude oil. The President must also rescind certain orders, including specified environmental executive orders relating to climate change. Further, agencies must repeal any regulations that have the intent or effect of substantially reducing U.S. energy independence. In addition, the bill grants the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission the exclusive authority to approve or deny applications for facilities, such as liquefied natural gas terminals, to export natural gas from the United States to foreign countries or import natural gas from foreign countries. Additionally, the Department of Energy may not drawdown petroleum in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve until it develops a plan to increase the percentage of federal lands leased for oil and gas production. Finally, the bill also approves the TransCanada Keystone Pipeline in Phillips County, Montana for the import of oil from Canada to the United States.
Water Design-Build Improvement Act of 2022 This bill allows the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to use the collaborative project delivery method for certain water infrastructure projects (e.g., building and upgrading wastewater and drinking water treatment systems). This method involves collaboration among those involved at various stages of a project from design through completion of construction. The bill also requires the EPA and USACE to study the use of the collaborative project delivery method in these projects and make the results public.
Protect American Election Administration Act of 2022 This bill generally prohibits a state from soliciting, receiving, or expending any payment or donation of funds, property, or personal services from a private entity for the purpose of administering a federal election. For example, the bill prohibits the use of these payments or donations for programs related to voter education, outreach, and registration. The prohibition shall not apply to a state's acceptance and use of a private entity's donation of space to be used for a polling place or an early voting site.
This resolution expresses that the House of Representatives declares its gratitude on behalf of the people of the United States to the journalists and news staff who continue to put themselves in harm's way to report on the humanitarian crisis and ongoing war on the ground in Ukraine following Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine; and honors the contributions of journalists and news staff reporting from the war in Ukraine as essential in the ongoing struggle for the rights of a free press and free speech internationally, pivotal in pushing back against false propaganda by tyrants, and crucial to informing Americans and the world of the horrors being wrought against the Ukrainian people.
Accountable Federal Employees Act or the Accountable Feds Act This bill establishes and modifies requirements relating to the administration of the federal workforce, including (1) creating a new Schedule F in the excepted service for certain positions that are not normally subject to change as a result of a presidential transition; (2) specifying certain standards and principles relating to removals, grievance procedures, and adverse personnel actions; (3) placing certain restrictions on the use of union time; and (4) creating a workgroup to manage the efficiency of labor-management relations.
This resolution (1) recognizes Girl Scouts of the United States of America for 110 years of providing girls with a safe, inclusive, all-girl space where they can hone their skills and develop leadership abilities; and (2) congratulates all Girl Scouts who earned the Gold Award in 2021.
