Patrick Underwood Federal Law Enforcement Protection Act of 2023 This bill revises the federal criminal statute that prohibits assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain federal officers or employees. Among other changes, the bill increases the applicable penalties for such offenses.
HR 53 (FIND Act) requires federal contractors to certify they do not refuse to work with firearm manufacturers, dealers, ammunition sellers, or related safety device companies based on bias. It prohibits main contractors from awarding subcontracts exceeding 10% of a contract’s value to entities that fail to make this certification, and bans efforts to circumvent the rule through complex subcontract tiers. The law applies to all federal procurement contracts, directly affecting businesses bidding on government work. Violations risk contract termination and suspension from future government contracts.
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.)
Protecting American Intellectual Property Act of 2022 This bill imposes sanctions on certain foreign individuals and entities involved in the theft of trade secrets belonging to a U.S. individual or entity. The President shall periodically report a list of foreign individuals and entities that have knowingly engaged in, benefited from, or assisted in the significant theft of U.S. trade secrets that materially contributed to a significant threat to U.S. national security, foreign policy, or economic health. The report shall also list foreign individuals who are chief executive officers or board members of any foreign entity engaging in such theft. The President shall impose (1) property- and visa-blocking sanctions on individuals named in the report; and (2) property- or export-blocking sanctions, including denial of certain financial assistance, on entities named in the report.
HRES 641 is a ceremonial resolution recognizing the 75th anniversary of the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD). It celebrates NACD's history as a locally led conservation organization with 3,000 districts across all 50 states and territories, which works with landowners and governments to manage natural resources. The resolution describes NACD's mission of promoting voluntary, incentive-driven conservation programs at the local level. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new laws or funding, but formally honors NACD's role in conservation efforts.
War Crimes Rewards Expansion Act This act expands the Department of State's rewards program to authorize rewards for providing information leading to the arrest, conviction, or transfer of a foreign national accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide as such crimes are defined under the law of an international criminal tribunal, the applicable country, or the United States. Currently, rewards are authorized for information leading to the arrest, conviction, or transfer of a foreign national accused of such crimes only as defined under the statutes of the relevant tribunal.
Supply Chain Disruptions Relief Act This bill modifies the treatment of liquidations of new motor vehicle inventory as qualified LIFO (last in first out accounting method) inventory. It allows new motor vehicle dealers to elect to wait until the end of 2025 to replace their inventory for purposes of determining income attributable to the sale of such inventory during 2020 and 2021.
Aviation Funding Stability Act of 20 21 This bill provides continuing appropriations to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund if an appropriations bill for the FAA has not been enacted before a fiscal year begins or a joint resolution making continuing appropriations for the FAA is not in effect. The bill provides appropriations at the rate of operations that was provided for the prior fiscal year to continue programs, projects, and activities for which funds were provided in the preceding fiscal year.
Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act This bill imposes various restrictions related to China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, including by prohibiting certain imports from Xinjiang and imposing sanctions on those responsible for human rights violations there. Goods manufactured or produced in Xinjiang shall not be entitled to entry into the United States unless U.S. Customs and Border Protection (1) determines that the goods were not manufactured by convict labor, forced labor, or indentured labor under penal sanctions; and (2) reports such a determination to Congress and to the public. The President shall periodically report to Congress a list of foreign entities and individuals knowingly facilitating (1) the forced labor of Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and members of other Muslim minority groups in Xinjiang; and (2) efforts to contravene U.S. laws regarding the importation of forced labor goods from Xinjiang. The President shall impose property-blocking sanctions on the listed individuals and entities and impose visa-blocking sanctions on the listed individuals. Securities issuers required to file annual or quarterly reports with the Securities Exchange Commission shall disclose in such reports instances in which the issuer knowingly engaged in certain activities related to Xinjiang, such as working with an entity building detention facilities or surveillance systems there. After such a disclosure, the President shall determine whether to investigate if sanctions or criminal charges are warranted. The Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force and the Department of State shall report to Congress strategies to address forced labor in Xinjiang or any other part of China. The State Department shall also report to Congress a determination of whether the treatment of Muslim groups in Xinjiang constitutes crimes against humanity or genocide under U.S. law.
This act directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous award of a Congressional Gold Medal to commemorate Glen Doherty, Tyrone Woods, J. Christopher Stevens, and Sean Smith, four Americans killed in the September 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. (Stevens was the U.S. Ambassador to Libya at the time, Smith was an officer in the Foreign Service, and Doherty and Woods were both government contractors and former Navy SEALs.) After the medal has been awarded, it shall be given to the Central Intelligence Agency Museum.
Aviation Workforce, Opportunity, Recruiting, Knowledge, and Supply Act or the Aviation WORKS Act This bill extends through FY2028 and expands aviation workforce development programs of the Department of Transportation (DOT). Specifically, the bill directs DOT to establish an aviation manufacturing development grant program to develop the aviation manufacturing and supplier workforce. It also requires DOT to develop and support the education of workers who design or produce any aircraft, aircraft engine, propeller, or appliance, or a component, part, or system thereof, that (1) is produced under a production approval issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), (2) has been issued a design approval by the FAA, or (3) has an active application for a design approval. Additionally, DOT must establish a program to provide grants for eligible projects to plan, establish, and expand workforce development partnership programs in the aviation and aerospace industry sector.
Data Mapping to Save Moms' Lives Act This act directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to include data on maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity in its broadband health mapping tool. This is an online platform that allows users to visualize, overlay, and analyze broadband and health data at national, state, and county levels. The FCC must consult with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regarding the data to incorporate into the tool.
