This bill extends full contraceptive coverage without out-of-pocket costs to military dependents and non-active duty service members under TRICARE. It amends TRICARE to eliminate cost-sharing for all FDA-approved contraceptive methods, related counseling, insertion/removal services, and sterilization procedures - aligning dependent coverage with existing active duty benefits under the Affordable Care Act. The bill also requires military medical facilities to provide comprehensive pregnancy prevention information and emergency contraception access to sexual assault survivors, and mandates standardized family planning education for all service members on topics like contraceptive options and confidentiality. These changes directly affect over 700,000 female spouses/dependents and transgender military families covered by TRICARE who currently face cost barriers.
The BIDIRECTIONAL Act establishes a federal grant program to support projects using electric school buses with bidirectional energy capabilities, meaning these buses can both draw power from and supply power back to the electrical grid. The program, funded with $500 million over fiscal years 2024-2028, provides grants to eligible entities including school districts, utilities, manufacturers, and charging infrastructure providers for projects that include at least one such electric school bus. The bill also requires states to consider implementing rates, tariffs, and standards that enable vehicle-to-grid integration and compensation for electricity exported from vehicles to the grid. Projects must demonstrate economic viability, include community outreach, and report data on operational impacts to ensure effective deployment of this technology.
The Invest to Protect Act of 2023 establishes a federal grant program for local law enforcement agencies with fewer than 200 officers (including counties, municipalities, and tribal governments) to fund training and support services. Grants cover de-escalation training, mental health resources, evidence-based safety training (such as handling domestic violence or mental health crises), and recruitment/retention incentives like signing bonuses, retention bonuses (up to 20% of salary), and stipends for graduate education in mental health or social work. The bill requires a streamlined grant application process (under two hours), public disclosure of bonus amounts, and annual audits to prevent misuse of funds.
This resolution expresses the sense of the Senate that the United States must lead efforts to reform the rules of the World Trade Organization for special and differential treatment to ensure those rules promote advancement for truly developing countries.
The Strategy and Investment in Rural Housing Preservation Act of 2023 establishes a permanent program to preserve rural affordable housing by providing mechanisms to extend or restructure loans for multifamily rental housing projects financed under USDA housing programs. It requires annual notices to property owners about maturing loans and detailed notices to tenants about their housing rights and options. The program allows for loan restructuring options (reducing interest, deferring payments, etc.) and offers 20-year rental assistance renewals to maintain affordability for low-income residents. The bill authorizes $200 million annually for 2024-2028 to fund this program and requires the USDA to develop a plan for preserving affordability within six months.
This bill expands Medicare coverage to include pharmacist services in designated underserved areas. It directly affects Medicare beneficiaries in health professional shortage areas, medically underserved areas, or medically underserved populations, as well as pharmacists licensed to provide these services. Key provisions require Medicare to cover pharmacist services (like those typically provided by physicians) in these areas and set payment at 80% of the lesser of the actual charge or 85% of the physician fee schedule. The changes take effect January 1, 2024, and require new billing codes for pharmacists.
The SECURE IT Act (S 1500) requires federal testing labs to conduct simulated cyberattacks (penetration testing) on voting systems before certification, directly affecting election system vendors and state/local election officials. It establishes a 5-year voluntary program where cybersecurity researchers can legally test election systems (like voting machines and software) and report vulnerabilities to vendors, with researchers protected under federal law from legal action for good-faith testing. Vendors must fix critical or high-risk vulnerabilities within 180 days, send patches to election officials, and undergo expedited federal review for certified systems. The law also creates a public database for disclosed vulnerabilities while exempting them from public disclosure laws.
The Transit to Trails Act establishes a federal grant program to fund transportation projects connecting critically underserved communities - defined as areas lacking adequate park access, low-income, communities of color, or environmental justice areas - to public lands and recreational spaces. Eligible entities, including states, local governments, tribal organizations, and park districts, can apply for grants to develop transportation connectors (like bus routes) and culturally appropriate education materials, with priority for projects using low-emission vehicles and offering discounted fares for low-income riders. Grants range from $25,000 to $500,000, with federal funding covering up to 80% of costs, and recipients must report on demographics served and project outcomes. The program is funded at $40 million annually in its fifth year, aiming to improve mobility to parks and recreation in communities historically excluded from such access.
HCONRES 37 is a non-binding congressional resolution expressing that Congress views climate change as an emergency requiring a massive national mobilization. It states that human-caused climate change severely impacts U.S. economic well-being, health, safety, and national security, and urges the President to use existing authorities to accelerate climate action. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but emphasizes the need for urgent, equitable efforts to reduce emissions, address environmental injustice, and support vulnerable communities disproportionately affected by climate impacts. It cites rising global temperatures, extreme weather costs ($165 billion in U.S. disasters in 2022), and the Inflation Reduction Act as context, while clarifying it does not declare an actual national emergency.
This bill allows states to implement a statewide program under the National School Lunch Act, enabling all schools in the state to receive federal reimbursement for free meals without needing to individually verify student poverty levels. It removes the previous requirement that schools must meet a minimum percentage of low-income students (setting the threshold to zero) and simplifies eligibility by calculating student need across the entire state instead of per school district. Schools in participating states would no longer need to conduct individual student eligibility screenings for free meal programs, streamlining access. The policy directly affects public school districts and students in states that adopt this statewide approach, ensuring all enrolled students receive free meals without administrative barriers.
Defending the Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act This bill limits U.S. assistance to Israel and establishes reporting requirements related to Israel's activities in the West Bank and its expenditures for offshore procurement. (Offshore procurement involves spending U.S. security assistance from the Foreign Military Financing program on Israeli-origin rather than U.S.-origin defense articles.) Specifically, the bill prohibits the use of any funds that are made available for assistance to Israel to support (1) military detention, interrogation, abuse, or ill treatment of Palestinian children; (2) seizure, appropriation, or destruction of Palestinian property and forcible transfer of civilians in the Israeli-controlled West Bank; or (3) certain activities to facilitate unilateral annexation by Israel of West Bank territory. The Department of State must report on the nature and extent of such activities carried out by Israel. Further, the Government Accountability Office must submit to Congress a report on related topics, such as (1) identifying specific programs and items to which funds for offshore procurement in Israel have been allocated, (2) identifying all end-use monitoring to which Israel is subject with respect to U.S.-origin defense articles, and (3) assessing the extent to which offshore procurement funds have supported illegal Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank.
HR 2965, the Autism Family Caregivers Act of 2023, establishes a federal pilot program to provide free or low-cost evidence-based skills training for family caregivers of children (ages 0-9) with autism spectrum disorder or other developmental delays. It authorizes $10 million annually to fund grants for eligible organizations (like nonprofits, health centers, and community groups) to teach caregivers practical strategies for communication, social engagement, daily living skills, and managing challenging behaviors. The program requires local stakeholder committees - including caregivers, healthcare providers, and community representatives - to ensure cultural relevance, and mandates annual evaluations to assess impacts on children's well-being and caregiver support.
