This concurrent resolution calls for honoring the 236th anniversary of the enactment of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom on Religious Freedom Day, January 16, 2022. The resolution affirms that religious freedom includes the right of individuals of any faith and individuals of no faith to live, work, associate, and worship in accordance with their beliefs; all people of the United States can be unified in supporting religious freedom because it is a fundamental human right; and the American people will remain forever unshackled in matters of faith.
Nurse Corps Tax Parity Act of 2022 This bill excludes from gross income, for income tax purposes, amounts received by members of the Nurse Corps as scholarships or loan forgiveness.
Ensuring Accurate and Complete Abortion Data Reporting Act of 2022 This bill requires states, as a condition of federal payment under Medicaid for family planning services, to report certain abortion data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (Currently, reporting is voluntary.) The CDC must develop standardized questions for states with respect to specified variables (e.g., maternal demographics and methods of abortion).
Masks for All Act of 2022 This bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to manufacture and distribute N-95 respirator masks to every individual in the United States and to provide N-95 masks to all individuals working in health care settings in the United States that are experiencing a shortage of such masks. FEMA must provide the masks at no cost to individuals and deliver them, to the greatest extent possible, using the U.S. Postal Service. Additionally, FEMA shall designate mask pickup sites in each community and shall provide masks to each site, allocated according to population; consider new designs for masks to improve comfort, fit, and size options; and submit to Congress a strategic plan that includes monthly, measurable targets to eliminate shortages and increase domestic production of N-95 masks and to fulfill all other requirements of this bill. The President shall make use of any and all available authorities (including emergency authorities) at the disposal of the federal government to procure and domestically manufacture N-95 masks and support the domestic manufacturing of N-95 masks.
Preventing Violence Against Female Inmates Act of 2022 This bill establishes a framework to prohibit correctional institutions at the federal and state levels from using gender identity to house inmates of one biological sex with inmates of the other biological sex.
Investing in Domestic Semiconductor Manufacturing Act This bill expands the incentives program that provides support to produce semiconductors, and related materials and equipment, in the United States.
Survivor Benefits Fairness Act This bill adjusts the effective date of a reduction or discontinuance of compensation, dependency and indemnity compensation, or pension payments to the last day of the month during which a marriage, remarriage, or death of a payee occurs.
Cures 2.0 Act This bill addresses pandemic preparedness and public health issues, caregiver and patient engagement, drug development, insurance coverage, and biomedical research. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must undertake research and other activities concerning COVID-19 and develop a strategy for future pandemics and declared emergencies. Additionally, the bill specifies actions to combat antimicrobial resistance. HHS may award grants for caregiver training. The bill also addresses diversity in clinical trials, collecting patient experience data during clinical trials, and coverage for care related to participation in specified clinical trials. The bill modifies the timeframe and requires additional guidance relating to expedited approval of certain breakthrough drugs, devices, or products. It also establishes two intercenter institutes within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) focused on particular diseases that meet specified criteria. The bill also addresses (1) coverage in Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program for telehealth, genetic and genomic testing, and other services; (2) electronic prescribing standards for Medicare drug benefits; and (3) access to Medicare and Medicaid claims data by certain registries. Furthermore, the bill prohibits the use of geographic tracking or biometrics in Medicaid electronic visit verification systems. The bill establishes the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) within the National Institutes of Health to accelerate biomedical research and innovation through grants, contracts, cash prizes, and other means. The FDA may work with ARPA-H to expedite the development of medical products through specified activities.
Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture Act or the AQUAA Act This bill establishes standards for sustainable aquaculture in federal offshore waters in the exclusive economic zone and establishes related requirements. For example, it requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish a national plan to identify and designate aquaculture opportunity areas. In addition, NOAA must establish a unified permitting and review process for aquaculture operations. NOAA must also establish a grant program for research and development to support the development of a sustainable marine aquaculture industry, such as research and services to create innovative design and engineering solutions to common obstacles within the aquaculture industry. Finally, the bill directs the Department of Commerce to create and provide resources for an Office of Aquaculture within NOAA to coordinate regulatory, scientific, outreach, and international issues related to aquaculture.
Restoring Brand USA Act This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to make $250 million available (out of unobligated balances remaining from certain fees collected by Treasury) for the Corporation for Travel Promotion, also known as Brand USA.
Minority Business Development Act of 2021 This bill permanently authorizes the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), requires the MBDA to promote and administer programs that assist the development of minority business enterprises (MBEs), and establishes the Minority Business Enterprises Advisory Council to advise and assist the MBDA. Specifically, the bill requires the MBDA to (1) provide assistance to MBEs in domestic and foreign markets by making available specified resources, (2) promote the position of MBEs in local economies, and (3) collect data on the causes of MBE success or failure and research how economic conditions affect the development of MBEs. The bill establishes formal processes for the MBDA Business Center Program and the MBDA Rural Business Center Program through which business centers provide programs and services to support MBEs. The bill also establishes new initiatives to promote economic resiliency for minority businesses, including (1) an annual forum to review problems and programs relating to capital formation by MBEs, (2) a study and report on alternative financing solutions for MBEs, and (3) entrepreneurship education grants for certain institutions of higher education to develop and implement entrepreneurship curricula. Further, the bill establishes grants for certain nonprofit organizations that provide services to MBEs as one of their primary activities. The bill authorizes the MBDA to coordinate federal government programs and operations that affect the establishment, preservation, and strengthening of socially or economically disadvantaged businesses. The Government Accountability Office must report on the programs carried out pursuant to the bill.
Surface Transportation Investment Act of 2021 This bill reauthorizes and establishes Department of Transportation programs and requirements relating to freight transport, railways, and motor carriers, particularly with respect to passenger rail infrastructure and the overall safety of rail service, commercial trucking, highways, and motor vehicles. The bill also includes provisions to support technological research, hazardous material response, and evaluations of department programs.
