Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act This bill updates policies and procedures related to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care and benefits for veterans who have been exposed to toxic substances. Specifically, the bill extends the eligibility period for VA hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for combat veterans who served after September 11, 2001, and were exposed to toxic substances, radiation, or other conditions, including those who did not enroll to receive VA care during the eligibility period. The VA must incorporate into its existing health care screening a screening to help determine potential exposures to toxic substances during military service. Among other requirements, the VA must also provide annual training to health care and benefits personnel with respect to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances; analyze total and respiratory disease mortality in veterans who served in specified locations on specified dates; conduct an epidemiological study on the health trends of veterans who served in the Armed Forces after September 11, 2001; conduct a study to determine trends in the rates of the incidence of cancer in veterans; publish a list of VA resources for veterans who were exposed to toxic substances, families and caregivers of such veterans, and survivors of such veterans who are receiving death benefits; and report on the data quality of the Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record and its usefulness in supporting veterans in receiving VA health care and benefits.
Protecting Family and Small Business Tax Cuts Act of 2022 This bill makes permanent provisions affecting individual and business taxpayers that were enacted in 2017 by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and are scheduled to expire at the end of 2025. The bill makes permanent provisions that reduce individual and capital gain tax rates. The bill increases the standard tax deduction for individual taxpayers. It also increases and modifies the child tax credit and raises the contribution base for the tax deduction of charitable contributions. The bill allows additional contributions to ABLE accounts (tax-exempt accounts designed to enable individuals with disabilities to save and pay for disability-related expenses). It exempts from taxation combat zone benefits of members of the Armed Forces serving in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt and the moving expenses of servicemembers. Additionally, the bill lowers to $750,000 the amount of mortgage debt eligible for an interest expense tax deduction; excludes from the gross income of student borrowers income attributable to the discharge after 2025 of loan debt due to death or disability; makes permanent the limitation on the tax deduction for state and local taxes and denies a deduction for foreign real property taxes; makes permanent the tax deduction of the income of certain pass-through business entities; repeals the tax deduction for personal tax exemptions and the exclusion of employer-provided bicycle commuter fringe benefits; terminates certain miscellaneous itemized tax deductions; doubles the estate and gift tax exemption amount; and makes permanent the increase of the alternative minimum tax exemption amount for individual taxpayers.
Due Process Continuity of Care Act This bill allows an otherwise eligible individual who is in custody pending disposition of charges (i.e., pretrial detainees) to receive Medicaid benefits at the option of the state. The bill also provides funds for state planning grants to support the provision of such benefits.
Equal Access to Therapeutics Act This bill prohibits using race or ethnicity as a factor in decisions about an individual's access to COVID-19 treatments (e.g., monoclonal antibody therapies). Specifically, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may not adopt any policy or guidance that allows race or ethnicity to be factored into such decisions. Furthermore, the Secretary of HHS shall be personally liable for the death of any individual who is denied access to COVID-19 treatments pursuant to a prohibited policy or guidance. The bill also prohibits hospitals or other health care providers that have policies restricting access to COVID-19 treatments based on race or ethnicity from receiving federal funds.
HRES 911 is a symbolic resolution supporting National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, observed annually on February 7 to address the disproportionate impact of HIV/AIDS on African American communities. It encourages state and local governments, public health agencies, and media to promote HIV testing, education, and community engagement within Black communities. The resolution commends organizations providing HIV services and aligns with the National HIV/AIDS Strategy’s goals to reduce new infections, improve care access, and address health disparities. As a non-binding resolution, it does not create new laws or funding but serves as a call to action to combat HIV/AIDS through prevention, treatment, and reducing stigma.
Strengthening Enforcement and Criminalizing Unlawful Records Enabling Flights Act or the SECURE Flights Act This bill prohibits the use of warrants and other documents issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as proof of identification at airport security checkpoints unless the individual is leaving the United States pursuant to immigration laws. If an individual uses prohibited documents as a proof of identification, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) must (1) inform ICE and local law enforcement to determine whether the individual is in violation of any term of release, and (2) collect the individual's biometric information unless the TSA can verify the individual is a U.S. national. The TSA must also submit the biometric information to a national biometric identification system.
Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act This bill repeals the inclusion of any Social Security or tier I railroad retirement benefits in gross income for income tax purposes. The bill also (1) appropriates funds to cover reductions in transfers to the Social Security and Railroad Retirement Trust Funds resulting from the enactment of this bill, and (2) expresses the sense of Congress against using tax increases to provide revenue necessary to carry out this bill.
Teamwork for Employees and Managers Act of 2022 This bill authorizes employers and employees to establish voluntary employee involvement organizations to address matters of mutual interest within the workplace (e.g., productivity, compensation, benefits, recruitment, and retention). Employee involvement organizations are not considered labor organizations under federal labor laws, and they do not constitute an unfair labor practice by an employer provided the employees are not already represented by a labor organization.
Taiwan Representative Office Act This bill requires the Department of State to seek to enter into negotiations with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) to rename its office in Washington, DC, the Taiwan Representative Office. (The U.S.-Taiwan relationship is unofficial, and TECRO is Taiwan's principal representative office in the United States.)
Countering CCP Drones Act This bill requires the inclusion of telecommunications and video surveillance equipment or services produced or provided by Shenzhen Da-Jiang Innovations Sciences and Technologies Company Limited (a Chinese drone maker commonly known as DJI Technologies) on a list of communications equipment or services determined by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to pose an unacceptable risk to U.S. national security. Current law prohibits the use of federal funding available through specified FCC programs for purchasing or maintaining listed equipment or services.
Stop Arduous Vaccine Enforcement Act of 2022 or the SAVE Act of 2022 This bill prohibits transplant centers from discriminating against an individual on the basis of COVID-19 vaccination status for purposes of determining eligibility or assigning priority for organ transplants.
Ethics Reform Act This bill establishes a number of ethics requirements for members of Congress and the President and Vice President. Specifically, the bill prohibits members of Congress from buying or selling individual securities other than widely held investment funds; prohibits former members of Congress from engaging in certain compensated lobbying activities; requires the Internal Revenue Service to disclose tax return information of candidates for President and Vice President; and prohibits the President, Vice President, Cabinet, and their immediate family members from raising funds from certain foreign entities. The bill also prohibits contributions or donations by foreign nationals in connection with state or local ballot initiatives or referenda.
