U.S. Customs and Border Protection Rural and Remote Hiring and Retention Strategy Act of 2023 This bill requires the Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to issue a strategy and implementation plan to improve CBP's hiring and retention of individuals in rural or remote areas. Until the strategy and implementation plan are issued, DHS must periodically brief Congress and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on its progress. After receiving each DHS report, the GAO must submit to Congress an assessment of the effectiveness of the actions described in the DHS report.
The Community Broadband Act of 2023 removes state-level legal barriers that prevent local governments, cooperatives, or public-private partnerships from building or operating broadband networks. It prohibits states from banning or effectively blocking these entities from providing advanced internet services to residents or businesses. The bill requires public entities to treat all broadband providers fairly under local rules, without favoring their own services or affiliated companies. It specifically defines "public providers" (like cities or counties) and "cooperatively organized providers" (like member-owned co-ops) to clarify who this law protects. The law does not fund new networks but ensures existing state laws cannot block community-led broadband projects.
This resolution urges (1) the President to issue a proclamation recognizing Earth Day; and (2) governments and people to continue building upon the Paris Agreement and other efforts to ensure that future generations inherit a livable, sustainable, and ecologically rich planet.
The SMART Prices Act (S 1246) repeals a provision blocking states from negotiating Medicare drug prices and accelerates the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. It increases the annual number of drugs eligible for negotiation from 10 to 40 starting in 2027, shortens the timeframes for qualifying drugs from 7 to 3 years, and adjusts price ceiling percentages (e.g., raising the maximum fair price cap for some drugs from 75% to 76%). These changes directly affect Medicare beneficiaries by potentially lowering drug costs and pharmaceutical companies by altering negotiation timelines and pricing rules. The bill aims to reduce Medicare drug spending through faster, more aggressive price negotiations.
The No Child Left Inside Act of 2023 would provide federal grants to states to implement environmental literacy plans in K-12 education. These plans would integrate outdoor learning experiences into regular school curriculum, provide teacher professional development focused on environmental content, and create outdoor learning spaces on school grounds. The bill includes a specific grant program for outdoor school education programs that offer multi-day, hands-on environmental experiences aligned with academic standards. Priority would be given to high-need schools serving students from low-income families, with states required to report annually on program implementation and effectiveness.
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.
S 1250, the Drug-price Transparency for Consumers Act of 2023, requires pharmaceutical companies to disclose the wholesale acquisition cost (WAC) for a 30-day supply of prescription drugs in direct-to-consumer advertisements. This applies to drugs covered by Medicare or Medicaid, excluding those with a WAC under $35 per 30-day supply. The bill mandates clear display of the list price in ads, with manufacturers facing $100,000 penalties for noncompliance. It aims to give consumers upfront price information before they discuss prescriptions with doctors, helping them compare costs and make informed choices.
This bill directs the U.S. government to support global nuclear disarmament by urging the U.S. to sign and ratify the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, contingent on ratification leading to verified worldwide elimination of nuclear weapons under international control. If the President certifies that all nuclear-armed nations have begun verified, irreversible elimination under the treaty, the U.S. must redirect funds currently used for nuclear weapons programs to: (1) develop clean energy and retrain nuclear industry workers; (2) address social needs like healthcare, housing, and environmental restoration (including radioactive waste monitoring); and (3) encourage other nations to join the treaty. It directly affects U.S. federal funding streams, nuclear weapons industry workers, and federal agencies managing defense resources. The bill focuses on policy shifts in resource allocation rather than creating new programs or mandating specific disarmament timelines.
This bill would make the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) mandatory under U.S. immigration law. Currently, the law permits border officials to use MPP (a policy requiring certain non-citizens arriving at the border to wait in Mexico while their case is processed), but this bill changes the language from "may" to "shall" in the Immigration and Nationality Act. This means the government would be required to implement MPP for eligible cases instead of having the option to choose. The change would directly affect border processing for non-citizens subject to MPP, altering how immigration cases are handled at the U.S. border.
The No Child Left Inside Act of 2023 provides federal funding to states for implementing environmental literacy plans in K-12 education. It authorizes grants for states to support partnerships between schools and environmental organizations to create outdoor learning opportunities, integrate environmental education into curricula, and provide teacher professional development. The bill prioritizes funding for high-need schools and requires states to develop plans that include field experiences, assessment of student environmental literacy, and strategies to improve academic achievement. A separate pilot program funds residential outdoor school programs that connect classroom learning to real-world environmental experiences. States receiving funds must report annually on program implementation and outcomes to ensure accountability.
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.
Contact Lens Prescription Verification Modernization Act This bill revises the requirements for the verification of prescriptions related to the purchase of contact lenses. Specifically, online sellers of prescription contact lenses must provide consumers with a method to transmit a digital copy of their prescriptions to such sellers. Online sellers also must encrypt protected health information they send by email. Additionally, the bill prohibits any seller of prescription contact lenses from using telephone calls with an artificial or prerecorded voice (i.e., robocalls) to verify a consumer's prescription.
