Sen. Christopher A. Coons

Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Reauthorization Act of 2022 This act expands the allowable use of grants under the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program. The program provides state, local, and tribal grants to improve the criminal justice system's response to people with mental health disorders. Among the provisions, the act allows funds for diversion and alternative prosecution and sentencing programs to be used for training for state and local prosecutors related to diversion programs; allows funds for multidisciplinary teams to be used to support police officers and mental health crisis workers responding together to mental health calls; and allows grants to be awarded for additional purposes such as suicide prevention programs and services, case management services, and state and local implementation of the 988 suicide hotline. Additionally, the act reauthorizes through FY2027 the requirement for the Department of Justice to examine and report on the prevalence of mentally ill offenders in prisons and jails.

Iran Hostages Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to the 53 hostages of the Iran Hostage Crisis (November 4, 1979-January 21, 1981) in recognition of their bravery and endurance throughout their captivity.

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.

Platform Accountability and Transparency Act This bill increases access to the data of large technology platforms (i.e., platforms with at least 50 million unique monthly users in the United States) in order to facilitate research concerning activities on those platforms, particularly by requiring platforms to disclose data to researchers who participate in a research program jointly established by the National Science Foundation and the Federal Trade Commission.

Project Safe Neighborhoods Reauthorization Act of 2022 This bill reauthorizes through FY2026 the Project Safe Neighborhoods Block Grant Program within the Department of Justice. The bill also allows funds under the program to be used for hiring crime analysts to assist with violent crime reduction efforts; the cost of overtime for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and law enforcement assistants who assist with the program; purchasing, implementing, and using technology to assist with violent crime reduction efforts; and supporting multijurisdictional task forces.

This bill defers the collection of income taxes from a U.S. national who is unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad until 180 days after such national is released from detention, returns to the United States, or departs the detaining country. It also requires the reimbursement of penalties for late payment of income taxes that become due during such detainment. The bill suspends for 270 days after the release of a U.S. national the running of a statute of limitations for the collection of income taxes deferred by this bill. The deferral allowed by this bill does not apply to social security taxes imposed on employees.

Safeguarding American Innovation Act This bill addresses the security of federally funded research and development grants and export-controlled goods, technologies, or sensitive information. The bill establishes in the Office of Management and Budget a Federal Research Security Council to develop federally funded research and development grant making policy and management guidance to protect the national and economic security interests of the United States. Each executive agency on the council shall be responsible for assessing federal research security risks posed by persons participating in federally funded research and development. The bill prohibits any individual from knowingly (1) preparing or submitting a federal grant application that fails to disclose the receipt of any outside compensation, including foreign compensation, by the individual; or (2) forging, counterfeiting, or otherwise falsifying a document to obtain a federal grant. An alien shall be inadmissible to the United States if a consulate or the Department of Justice knows the alien seeks to enter the United States to acquire export-controlled goods, technologies, or sensitive information if the Department of State has determined that such acquisition would be contrary to U.S. national security (including economic security). The bill revises provisions relating to the disclosure of foreign gifts.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates September as "African Diaspora Heritage Month" in the U.S. Code (Section 3(a)). It requests the President and state/local officials issue annual proclamations encouraging communities to observe the month with programs and activities. The bill directly affects all Americans by creating a designated month for recognizing the African diaspora community's contributions, as outlined in the findings section. This is a procedural designation with no new funding or regulatory changes.

U.S. Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day Act of 2022 This bill designates March 9 as Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Day. The bill also designates the Hostage and Wrongful Detainee Flag as a symbol of the commitment of the United States to recognizing, and prioritizing the freedom of, citizens and lawful permanent residents held as hostages or wrongfully detained abroad.

North Korean Human Rights Reauthorization Act of 2022 This bill reauthorizes through FY2027 various activities to promote human rights in North Korea. These activities include (1) providing grants to nonprofit organizations to promote human rights, democracy, rule of law, and the development of a market economy in North Korea; (2) increasing the availability of sources of information inside North Korea that are not controlled by North Korea's government; and (3) supporting organizations that provide humanitarian assistance to North Koreans who are outside of North Korea without the permission of North Korea's government.