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.
Global Respect Act This bill imposes visa-blocking sanctions on foreign persons responsible for or complicit in violating the human rights of individuals due to actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics. The President must report and periodically update a list of foreign persons responsible for such human rights violations and apply sanctions accordingly. The Department of State must designate at least one senior officer who shall be responsible for tracking violence and discrimination against individuals based on actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics in foreign countries.
Advancing Maternal Health Equity Under Medicaid Act This bill provides a 90% federal matching rate for Medicaid maternal health care expenditures that exceed 2021 levels. Qualifying services must be provided by maternity care providers or perinatal health workers (e.g., doulas) and include prenatal and postpartum telehealth services, home visits, and behavioral health care.
Keeping School Meals Flexible Act This bill extends authority through June 30, 2023, for the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to waive certain requirements for the school meal programs to address COVID-19. The bill extends the authority for USDA to issue a single waiver of child nutrition program requirements to all states under the National School Lunch Program for purposes of providing meals and snacks with appropriate safety measures with respect to COVID-19; grant waivers of requirements to allow non-congregate feeding in the Child and Adult Care Food Program for purposes of providing meals and snacks with appropriate safety measures with respect to COVID-19; and grant waivers related to the nutritional content of meals served in child nutrition programs if it determines the waiver is necessary to provide meals and snacks, and there is a food supply chain disruption due to COVID-19.
Stop the Wait Act of 2022 This bill allows individuals with disabilities to begin receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits in the month they become eligible for the benefits. It also allows these individuals to immediately enroll in Medicare if they cannot afford minimum essential coverage. (Under current law, an individual must generally wait 5 months after the onset of disability to begin receiving SSDI benefits and an additional 24 months to become eligible for Medicare.)
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.
Algorithmic Accountability Act of 2022 This bill requires certain businesses that use automated decision systems to make critical decisions to study and report about the impact of those systems on consumers. Critical decisions include those that have a significant effect on a consumer's life such as the cost or availability of health care, housing, educational opportunities, or financial services. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC), in consultation with relevant stakeholders, must issue regulations to implement the bill. The bill provides for enforcement by the FTC and specified state officials. Further, the bill establishes a Bureau of Technology to advise the FTC about the technological aspects of its functions.
Freedom to Repair Act of 2022 This bill exempts actions related to the repair of digital electronic equipment from certain copyright-related prohibitions. Generally, current federal copyright law prohibits (1) circumventing technological measures (e.g., copy protection technology) that effectively control access to a copyright-protected work; or (2) trafficking (e.g., manufacturing or importing) in products, technologies, or services primarily designed or produced for such acts of circumvention. Under this bill, such an act of circumvention or trafficking shall not be prohibited if the act is for the purpose of diagnosing, maintaining, or repairing digital electronic equipment. However, this bill shall not apply to (1) a manufacturer or distributor of a medical device or digital electronic product (or embedded software) manufactured for use in a medical setting, or (2) any product or service offered by such a manufacturer or distributor.
Native American Child Protection Act This bill reauthorizes through FY2027 and otherwise revises certain programs related to the prevention, investigation, treatment, and prosecution of family violence, child abuse, and child neglect involving Indian children and families. Specifically, the bill revises the Indian Child Abuse Treatment Grant Program to encourage the use of grants for culturally appropriate treatment services and programs. The bill renames the Indian Child Resource and Family Services Centers as the National Indian Child Resource and Family Services Center. It also requires the center to (1) provide advice, technical assistance, and training to urban Indian organizations; (2) develop certain technical assistance materials for Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and urban Indian organizations; and (3) develop model intergovernmental agreements between tribes and states to prevent, investigate, treat, and prosecute incidents of family violence, child abuse, and child neglect involving Indian children and families. Additionally, the bill revises the Indian Child Protection and Family Violence Prevention Program to allow Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and intertribal consortia to use program funds for additional activities, such as operational costs for child protective services.
Agricultural Right to Repair Act This bill requires original manufacturers of electronics-enabled agricultural equipment to provide (on fair and reasonable terms) owners or independent repair shops with the documentation, parts, software, and tools needed to diagnose, maintain, or repair such equipment. If an original manufacturer stops providing required items, any related copyrights or patents held by that manufacturer shall be placed in the public domain. Furthermore, the bill allows individuals, in specified circumstances, to circumvent copyright protections to facilitate diagnosis, maintenance, or repair of electronics-enabled agricultural equipment. The bill provides for enforcement through the Federal Trade Commission.
Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133rd Signal Services Company, known collectively as the Ghost Army , in recognition of unique and highly distinguished service during World War II.
Funding Early Childhood is the Right IDEA Act This bill authorizes through FY2027 specified provisions of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for early childhood education. Specifically, the bill authorizes Part B, Section 619 (grants to states for preschool programs serving children with disabilities ages three to five) and Part C (grants to aid states in implementing early intervention services for infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families).
