The Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity, and Reliability Act of 2023 establishes a new trust fund funded by increasing the corporate tax rate from 21% to 24.5% to support water infrastructure and affordability programs. It allocates funds to clean water programs (42%), safe drinking water funding (42.5%), household water wells (1%), colonias assistance (0.5%), Indian health services (3%), and water operator job training (0.5%). The bill requires the EPA to conduct a study and submit a report on water affordability, discrimination in water services, public participation in regionalization, and data collection related to service disconnections. It includes specific provisions for colonias, household water wells, and job training programs for water system operators to improve water access and equity.
This resolution recognizes the 70th anniversary of the signing of the Mutual Defense Treaty between the United States and South Korea. Affirming the importance of the U.S.-South Korean alliance as the linchpin to safeguarding peace, security, and prosperity on the Korean peninsula, the resolution welcomes President Yoon Suk Yeol to the United States. It also supports ongoing defense and security ties, calls for continued promotion of human rights, and encourages close cooperation between the United States, South Korea, and Japan.
HR 2541, the Ensuring Safer Schools Act of 2023, modifies federal COPS grants to prioritize hiring veterans and retired law enforcement officers as school resource officers (SROs). It adds preferential consideration for grant applications focused on this hiring, requires annual mental health screenings and training for SROs, and mandates annual student engagement activities by SROs. The bill directly affects schools receiving COPS grants, veterans seeking SRO roles, and law enforcement agencies partnering with schools. It also requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to connect veterans with local SRO programs. These changes adjust existing grant rules without creating new funding or altering school safety protocols.
This bill establishes national goals for reducing aviation greenhouse gas emissions (35% reduction by 2035, net zero by 2050) and defines sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as fuel meeting specific environmental and technical standards. It creates a $200 million annual grant program (2024-2028) to support U.S. production, transportation, and storage of SAF, while establishing a low carbon fuel standard requiring progressively lower carbon intensity in aviation fuels. The Department of Defense must purchase at least 10% sustainable aviation fuel by 2025 if competitively priced and domestically produced. These provisions directly affect airlines, fuel producers, the Department of Defense, and other entities involved in aviation fuel production and consumption, with tax credits extended for SAF production through 2032.
S 1247, the Terry Technical Correction Act, clarifies that retroactivity provisions under the First Step Act of 2018 apply to crack-cocaine offenders sentenced before the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010, including low-level offenses under specific sections of the Controlled Substances Act (like 21 U.S.C. 841(b)(1)(C)). It amends the First Step Act to explicitly define "covered offense" to include 14 specific crack-related violations and their attempts/conspiracies. This technical correction ensures eligible offenders previously denied retroactive sentencing adjustments due to a Supreme Court interpretation can now seek review. The bill directly affects individuals convicted of certain crack offenses before 2010 who were excluded from retroactivity under prior court rulings. It makes no new policy changes but corrects an interpretation gap in existing law.
The Combating Violent and Dangerous Crime Act amends federal criminal statutes to clarify legal standards and increase penalties for specific violent crimes. It clarifies that assaults on federal officers are general intent crimes (removing the need to prove defendants specifically intended to harm officers), increases carjacking penalties to 20 years for first offenses (up from 15) and up to 40 years when weapons are used, and creates a new offense for distributing candy-flavored controlled substances to minors with penalties of up to 20 years for repeat violations. The bill also updates sentencing guidelines to require a 2-level enhancement for the new candy-flavored drug offense. These changes apply to existing federal criminal codes without creating new crime categories beyond the specified provisions.
The Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act establishes new standards for Department of Homeland Security detention facilities, requiring them to meet or exceed the American Bar Association's Civil Immigration Detention Standards. The bill mandates annual, unannounced inspections by the DHS Inspector General, public reporting on facility compliance, and a phased-out timeline for private detention facilities (phasing out by 3 years after enactment). It prohibits solitary confinement for all detainees, requires community-based alternatives to detention for vulnerable individuals, and mandates detailed public reporting on facility conditions, staffing, and detainee demographics. The legislation directly affects all immigrants held in DHS custody, including children, vulnerable persons, and primary caregivers, with specific protections for these groups in detention procedures.
HR 2743 prohibits large financial institutions (over $100 billion in assets) from denying banking services to lawful businesses based on subjective political reasons, industry type, or reputational concerns. It requires these institutions to use objective, risk-based assessments for service decisions and provide written justifications for denials. The law applies to banks, credit unions, and payment networks, with civil penalties for violations including fines up to $10,000 per incident. It specifically ensures businesses operating legally under federal law receive fair access to financial services without discrimination. The bill mandates that denials be based on documented risk factors, not political bias or category-based exclusion.
Homeland and Cyber Threat Act or the HACT Act This bill allows claims in federal or state court against foreign states that conduct or participate in cyberattacks against U.S. nationals.
The Freedom from Government Competition Act of 2023 requires federal agencies to obtain most goods and services from private companies through competitive bidding instead of providing them through government operations. Exceptions apply only when the law mandates government provision, for national defense or homeland security, for inherently governmental functions, or when no private source exists. Agencies must conduct competitive analyses to confirm private sector provision offers the best value to taxpayers and submit annual reports to Congress with a 5-year plan to transition commercial activities to private companies. This policy directly affects federal agencies and private sector providers by shifting procurement responsibilities away from government-run services.
HR 2777, the School Meals during School Closures Act, allows schools to continue providing meals during certain closures without following standard meal program rules. It directly affects schools and meal providers by enabling the Secretary to waive requirements under the National School Lunch Act for closures due to strikes (excluding employer lockouts), weather disasters, public health emergencies, unsafe facilities, construction, or other unanticipated events. The key provision creates a new waiver exception (added to Section 12 of the Act) that skips specific regulatory hurdles normally required for meal services during these closures. This change ensures students can still receive meals when schools close unexpectedly for covered reasons.
American Innovation and R&D Competitiveness Act of 2023 This bill eliminates the five-year amortization requirement for research and experimental expenditures, thus allowing continued expensing of such expenditures in the taxable years in which they are incurred.
