# Summary of the Agriculture Resilience Act of 2023
This comprehensive legislation aims to enhance agricultural sustainability, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and decrease food waste across the food system. Key provisions include:
1. **Conservation Programs**:
- Expanded Conservation Reserve Program with increased acreage limits through 2028
- New Grassland 30 pilot program for 30-year conservation contracts
- Conservation of Private Grazing Land program focused on advanced grazing management
- Alternative Manure Management Program to reduce methane emissions from livestock operations
2. **Renewable Energy**:
- Enhanced Rural Energy For America Program with carbon accounting requirements
- New agrivoltaic systems research and demonstration program
- Continued support for the AgSTAR program (anaerobic digestion)
3. **Food Waste Reduction**:
- Standardized quality date labeling ("BEST If Used By") and discard date labeling ("USE By")
- Amendments to the Federal Food Donation Act requiring donation of excess food
- School food waste reduction grant program for local educational agencies
- Grants for composting and anaerobic digestion food waste-to-energy projects
4. **Additional Key Provisions**:
- Composting recognized as a conservation practice
- Technical assistance programs for sustainable agriculture
- Support for beginning, socially disadvantaged, and small-scale farmers
- Funding commitments for multiple programs through fiscal year 2028
The legislation emphasizes climate change adaptation and mitigation, environmental protection, food system resilience, and equitable support for diverse farm operations while reducing food waste across the supply chain.
This bill changes how U.S. foreign aid is provided to international health organizations. It prevents U.S. agencies from denying aid to foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) solely because they offer health services (like counseling or referrals) using their own funds, as long as those services follow local laws. It also stops applying stricter rules about how foreign NGOs can use their own funds for advocacy compared to U.S. NGOs receiving similar aid. The bill directly affects foreign health-focused NGOs that rely on U.S. foreign assistance funding.
This bill (SJRES 22) seeks to block a specific rule issued by the Department of Education regarding federal student loan modifications. It targets the rule titled "Waivers and Modifications of Federal Student Loans," which included a one-time debt relief program announced in October 2022. The resolution requests Congress disapprove the rule under the Congressional Review Act, preventing the Department from implementing it. If approved, the rule would have no legal effect, directly affecting how student loan borrowers could access modifications or debt relief under that specific policy.
The Affordable College Textbook Act establishes a federal grant program to help colleges and universities adopt free, openly licensed textbooks (called "open textbooks") to reduce student costs. It requires institutions to publicly list textbook prices and whether materials are open textbooks on course schedules, and funds projects for creating or adapting these resources. Institutions receiving grants must make open textbooks freely available in accessible formats under reusable licenses, while tracking savings and educational impacts. The bill targets the average $1,240 annual cost for textbooks at public four-year colleges, aiming to lower expenses through expanded use of open educational resources.
This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to study whether the Universal Service Fund (USF) - which helps fund broadband access in rural and low-income areas - should expand who pays into it. Within 120 days of enactment, the FCC must complete this study and report findings to Congress, then propose new rules within a year to reform the USF contribution system. The key mechanism is expanding the USF's funding base to ensure costs are shared fairly between consumers and businesses, while considering impacts on seniors. It directly affects telecom companies currently required to contribute to the USF, but does not change how the fund distributes support.
The FIRE STATION Act establishes a $750 million grant program to fund construction, renovation, and upgrades of fire and EMS facilities. It directly assists career, volunteer, and combination fire departments, as well as non-hospital-based EMS organizations, by allocating 25% of funds to each category (with an additional 25% for competitive use). Grants can cover building/rebuilding facilities, installing safety systems (like HVAC or backup power), and meeting current building codes focused on firefighter health and safety, with a maximum award of $7.5 million per recipient. Recipients must report annually on fund usage to FEMA, and the Administrator must submit effectiveness reports to Congress.
S 976, the After Hours Child Care Act, creates a new federal grant program to improve child care access for parents working nontraditional hours (evenings, nights, weekends). It directly affects working parents with young children and eligible child care providers who serve them. The bill authorizes $10 million over five years to fund competitive grants (ranging from $25,000 to $500,000) for providers or partnerships to expand existing care, establish workplace programs, or support quality improvements. Grantees must cover 25% of costs, and the Secretary must report biennially on children served and program impacts.
Historic Tax Credit Growth and Opportunity Act of 2023 This bill increases the rehabilitation tax credit and modifies certain requirements for the credit. The bill increases the rate of the credit for qualified rehabilitation expenditures in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2020, and before January 1, 2028, after which the rate reverts to 20%. The bill increases the rate of the credit to 30% for certain small projects whose qualified rehabilitation expenditures do not exceed $2.5 million. The bill also expands the types of buildings eligible for rehabilitation by decreasing the rehabilitation threshold from 100% to 50% of project expenses. It also eliminates the basis adjustment requirement for the credit and modifies rules relating to tax-exempt use property eligible for the credit.
HR 1777 establishes a $50 million annual fund (2024-2028) for collaborative defense research between the U.S. and Israel in emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, directed energy, and automation. The bill directly supports U.S. and Israeli military forces by enabling joint development of new warfare capabilities to address current and future defense challenges. Key provisions include authorizing $50 million per year for collaborative projects, building on existing U.S.-Israel defense partnerships like counter-tunnel and counter-drone systems. This funding aims to strengthen bilateral defense innovation without altering existing military aid structures.
Hemp and Hemp-Derived CBD Consumer Protection and Market Stabilization Act of 2023 This bill allows the use of hemp, cannabidiol (i.e., CBD) derived from hemp, or any other ingredient derived from hemp in a dietary supplement, provided that the supplement meets other applicable requirements. (Currently, the Food and Drug Administration's position is that CBD products may not be sold as dietary supplements.)
HCONRES 28 is a symbolic resolution expressing Congress's view that tax-exempt fraternal benefit societies - organizations providing life, health, and accident benefits to members - have long delivered critical community support. It states these societies, with about 7 million members nationwide, generate significant annual value through charitable work and volunteer activities (estimated at over $3.8 billion yearly). The resolution affirms that their tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(8) of the tax code is essential for sustaining their volunteer-driven model and relieving pressure on government safety programs. As a non-binding expression of congressional sentiment, it does not alter existing laws or create new obligations.
This bill creates a Senior Investor Taskforce within the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to address challenges faced by investors aged 65 and older. The Taskforce will identify issues like financial exploitation and cognitive decline impacts, coordinate with agencies, and produce biennial reports analyzing trends, regulatory gaps, and best practices for senior investors. It also mandates a GAO study within two years to assess the economic costs and frequency of financial exploitation targeting seniors, including factors like isolation and income. The bill does not create new regulations but establishes a mechanism for ongoing analysis and reporting to inform future policy.
