HR 5110, the Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act, amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to clarify that federal education funds cannot be used for certain weapons - but this restriction does not apply to archery, hunting, or other shooting sports training programs. The bill directly affects schools and educational programs seeking to use federal funds for these specific activities, such as archery clubs or hunting safety education. It adds an explicit exception to the existing prohibition, allowing funds to support "educational instruction or enrichment activities" in these sports under authorized programs. This change removes ambiguity about funding eligibility for such educational initiatives in K-12 schools.
This bill directs the U.S. Treasury to mint commemorative coins marking the Marine Corps' 250th anniversary in 2025. It authorizes three coin types: $5 gold coins (max 50,000), $1 silver coins (max 400,000), and half-dollar coins (max 750,000), with surcharges of $35, $10, and $5 respectively. The surcharge proceeds will fund the Marine Corps Heritage Center's educational programs, with no net cost to taxpayers as the Treasury must recover all minting costs through the surcharges. The coins can only be issued during 2025, and the Treasury must ensure all costs are covered before distributing funds to the Heritage Foundation.
This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs to spend up to $3.7 billion on seven specific medical facility projects during fiscal year 2023. It directs the VA to construct new clinics and hospitals, renovate existing facilities, and make seismic upgrades at locations including El Paso, Texas ($700 million), Louisville, Kentucky ($1.013 billion), and Portland, Oregon ($523 million). The bill sets maximum funding limits for each project and provides the legal basis for the VA to proceed with these construction and renovation efforts. It directly affects veterans by enabling improvements to healthcare facilities they rely on, without changing VA policy or creating new benefits.
The Veterans' COLA Act of 2023 increases compensation rates for veterans with service-connected disabilities and for survivors of certain disabled veterans, effective December 1, 2023. These increases will be calculated using the same percentage as the Social Security Act's cost-of-living adjustment for that year. The bill affects veterans receiving disability compensation under section 1114 of Title 38, as well as survivors receiving dependency and indemnity compensation under sections 1311, 1313, and 1314. Specific provisions include adjustments to wartime disability compensation, additional compensation for dependents, clothing allowances, and survivor benefits. The Department of Veterans Affairs will publish the adjusted rates in the Federal Register by the date required for Social Security Act adjustments.
This bill terminates the national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020, under the National Emergencies Act. It ends the executive branch's authority to use emergency powers related to that specific declaration. The resolution passed both chambers in early 2023 and took effect April 10, 2023, without creating new policies or affecting specific groups.
H.J. Res. 26 is a congressional disapproval resolution blocking the District of Columbia Council's approval of its Revised Criminal Code Act of 2022 (D.C. Act 24-789). It directly affects the District of Columbia by preventing the new criminal code from taking effect, as Congress disapproved the Council's action under the Home Rule Act. The resolution formally rejects the Council's enactment of the code, which was transmitted to Congress on January 27, 2023. This procedural action stops the District from implementing the revised criminal code without further congressional action.
National Cemeteries Preservation and Protection Act of 2022 This act addresses the administration and jurisdiction of national cemeteries. Specifically, the act requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to pay a plot or interment allowance for a veteran if the veteran was buried before March 15, 2022, in a cemetery on trust land owned by, or held in trust for, a tribal organization, and the organization that maintains or operates the cemetery applies for such allowance. Such allowance is only authorized if a plot or interment allowance was not already paid for the burial of such veteran. The act also authorizes the VA to designate green burial sections in national cemeteries (i.e., sections of cemeteries in which the remains of individuals have been prepared for interment in a manner not involving chemicals or embalming fluids and have been interred in a natural manner or completely biodegradable burial receptacle). The act authorizes the Department of the Army to transfer certain lands to the VA to expand the Fort Bliss National Cemetery. In addition, the act authorizes the Department of the Interior to transfer certain land to the VA for the land to be used as a national cemetery. Finally, the act prohibits persons who have committed certain crimes from being interred or memorialized in a cemetery in the National Cemetery Administration or in Arlington National Cemetery.
Childhood Cancer Survivorship, Treatment, Access, and Research Reauthorization Act of 2022 or the Childhood Cancer STAR Reauthorization Act This act reauthorizes through FY2028 and modifies pediatric cancer research and related programs, including to expand collection of and access to relevant biospecimens and to support the transition of pediatric cancer survivors to primary care.
Low Power Protection Act This act provides for a one-year period during which eligible low-power television stations may apply to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for Class A licenses. To be eligible, a station must serve a media market with a limited number of television households, broadcast a minimum number of hours, and meet other requirements. A low-power station with a Class A license obtains certain broadcast rights, including primary status with respect to its allocation of the electromagnetic spectrum. (Typically, low-power stations have secondary status and may be displaced from their spectrum in the event the FCC reallocates it to a primary user.)
Dr. Joanne Smith Memorial Rehabilitation Innovation Centers Act of 2022 This act directs the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to publish and biennially update a list of all rehabilitation innovation centers. The act defines rehabilitation innovation centers as rehabilitation facilities that (1) hold specified federal research and training designations for traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury research, and (2) serve at least a certain number of Medicare patients. The CMS may waive such criteria as it deems appropriate.
Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2021 This act provides for the posthumous presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal in commemoration of Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley. After it is awarded, the medal shall be given to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Law Enforcement De-Escalation Training Act of 2022 This act directs the Department of Justice (DOJ) to develop scenario-based training curricula (or identify existing curricula) that includes topics such as alternatives to the use of force, de-escalation tactics, and safely responding to an individual experiencing a mental, behavioral health, or suicidal crisis. The act also directs DOJ to make grants to states for costs associated with providing the training to law enforcement officers or mental health professionals.
