Stop Communist Construction of Public Infrastructure Act of 2022 or the Stop CCP Infrastructure Act of 2022 This bill prohibits certain entities related to China or the Chinese government from receiving federal funds for public works projects in the United States. Specifically, this prohibition applies to entities that are (1) headquartered in China; or (2) owned, financed, influenced by, or affiliated with the Chinese government, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), or the Chinese military. Further, state and local governments must verify that a recipient for federal funds for a public works project is free from any obligations, influences, or connections to any of these entities.
VA Workforce Investment and Expansion Act of 2022 This bill addresses workforce and employment matters of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Among other elements, the bill requires the VA to develop and implement a national rural recruitment and hiring plan for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA); authorizes the VA to buy out non-VA service contracts of certain health care professionals in exchange for employment at rural or highly rural VA facilities; requires the VA to establish qualifications for each of its human resources positions and establish standardized performance metrics for such positions; increases the pay cap for certain employees of the VHA; expands employment opportunities for housekeeping aides by removing the requirement that competition for VA housekeeping aide positions is restricted to preference eligibles; modifies the authority of the VA related to hours, conditions and employment, and pay for certain employees of the VHA; authorizes the VA to establish an awards program for certain appointed personnel; authorizes the VA to waive any annual premium or aggregate limitation on pay for an employee of the VHA during the calendar year in which the official duty station of the employee is closed or the office, facility, activity, or organization of the employee is realigned; provides additional authority for the VA to provide recruitment and relocation bonuses, retention bonuses, merit awards, incentives for critical skills, and student loan repayments; and authorizes specified health care professionals to prescribe controlled substances through telemedicine.
Ruthie and Connie LGBTQ Elder Americans Act of 2022 This bill addresses matters related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals in certain federal programs serving older Americans, particularly by including an individual's LGBTQ status within the scope of the greatest social needs served by such programs.
Removing Emissions to Mend Our Vulnerable Earth Act of 2022 or the REMOVE Act of 2022 This bill establishes the Committee on Large-Scale Carbon Management within the Department of Energy to plan and oversee efforts to (1) remove carbon dioxide from the air or ocean, and (2) store such carbon.
Protecting Our Kids Act This bill makes various changes to federal firearms laws, including to establish new criminal offenses and to expand the types of weapons and devices that are subject to regulation. Among the changes, the bill generally prohibits the sale or transfer of certain semiautomatic firearms to individuals who are under 21 years of age; establishes new federal criminal offenses for gun trafficking and related conduct; establishes a federal statutory framework to regulate ghost guns (i.e., guns without serial numbers); establishes a framework to regulate the storage of firearms on residential premises at the federal, state, and tribal levels; subjects bump stocks to regulation under federal firearms laws; generally prohibits the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, and possession of large capacity ammunition feeding devices; and requires the Department of Justice to report on the demographic data of persons who are determined to be ineligible to purchase a firearm based on a background check performed by the national instant criminal background check system.
This resolution condemns in the strongest terms the great replacement theory, which it describes as a white supremacist conspiracy theory that has been used to falsely justify racially motivated, violent acts of terrorism domestically and internationally.
Bruce's Law This bill reauthorizes certain grants through FY2027 and sets out other activities to address the dangers of fentanyl-related drug overdoses, with a particular focus on fentanyl contamination. Specifically, the bill (1) reauthorizes grants that are available through the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) for community-based coalitions to address local drug crises, and (2) authorizes new grants for coalitions to implement education and prevention strategies in communities that face significant levels of drug overdoses related to fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. The ONDCP may delegate authority to execute the new grants to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must carry out a campaign to increase public awareness of the dangers of fentanyl, including the risk of fentanyl contamination in counterfeit drugs. The bill also establishes an interagency work group to coordinate and improve federal efforts to reduce and prevent overdoses involving fentanyl contamination in illegal drugs. Work group members include the ONDCP, HHS, the Department of Justice, and the Department of State.
Deterring Enemy Forces and Enabling National Defenses Act of 2022 or the DEFEND Act of 2022 This bill requires the Department of Defense to seek to cooperate with Middle East allies and partners (i.e., countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, and other countries in the region as appropriate) to identify and develop an approach for such allies and partners to implement an integrated air and missile defense capability to protect against attacks from Iran and groups linked to Iran.
Farm Credit Administration Independent Authority Act This bill prohibits the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau from issuing, implementing, or continuing any policy or guidance issued after January 1, 2021, that affects the Farm Credit Administration (FCA), Farm Credit System, or FCA Board.
American Food Supply Chain Resiliency Act of 2022 This bill directs the Agricultural Marketing Service to enter into cooperative agreements with entities (such as states, colleges, and nonprofit organizations) to establish at least six Supply Chain Regional Resource Centers to support small-sized and medium-sized agricultural businesses and producers of agricultural products.
Military Access to Reproductive Care and Health for Military Servicemembers Act or the MARCH for Military Servicemembers Act This bill repeals the restriction on utilizing Department of Defense funds and facilities for performing abortions. The restriction only allows such funds and facilities to be used for abortions in cases of rape, incest, or where the mother's life is endangered.
Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas Supporting Expanded Review for Veterans In Combat Environments Act or the Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas SERVICE Act This bill expands eligibility for Veterans Health Administration mammography screenings to veterans who served in certain locations during specified periods, including those who were exposed to toxic substances at such locations. The specified locations and corresponding time periods include Iraq between August 2, 1990, and February 28, 1991, and from March 19, 2003, until burn pits (areas used for burning solid waste in open air without equipment) are no longer used in Iraq; the Southwest Asia theater of operations, including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar, from August 2, 1990, until burn pits are no longer used in such locations; Afghanistan, Djibouti, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, and Yemen from September 11, 2001, until burn pits are no longer used in such locations; and other locations and time periods as determined by the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry. The bill specifies that the listed locations do not include bodies of water around or airspace above such locations.
