Rep. Cliff Bentz

This bill ensures that members of the Armed Forces who were granted a general discharge under honorable conditions (on the sole basis that the members failed to obey a lawful order to receive a vaccine for COVID-19) are eligible for Department of Veterans Affairs educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty and Post-9/11 GI Bill programs.

This concurrent resolution expresses the sense of Congress that (1) it opposes the establishment of a new U.S. consulate in Jerusalem for outreach to Palestinians, (2) any establishment of a new consulate or diplomatic mission in Jerusalem should not move forward without congressional approval through the passage of new legislation, and (3) the presence of a U.S. diplomatic mission devoted to a non-state actor in Israel's sovereign capital would be an affront to the territorial integrity of a long-standing U.S. partner and ally.

Border's Unused Idle and Lying Dormant Inventory Transfer Act or the BUILD IT Act This bill requires the federal government to transfer, upon request, materials associated with the construction of a barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border to the governments of the states along that border (i.e., Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas). The transferred materials must be used to construct a barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends the Endangered Species Act to require the Secretary of the Interior to issue protective regulations for endangered species, changing the current "may" to "shall" for this action. It clarifies that such regulations can prohibit activities listed in Section 9 (like harming species or their habitats) but only apply in states that haven't adopted equivalent rules through cooperative agreements. The bill also updates Section 9 to reference these new regulations. This change directly affects how federal protections are implemented for species listed as endangered, ensuring consistent conservation measures nationwide unless states adopt their own rules.

Federal Columbia River Power System Certainty Act This bill requires Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) operations to be consistent with a specified decision. The system includes dams in the Columbia and Snake rivers in the Pacific Northwest. Specifically, the Bureau of Reclamation, the Bonneville Power Administration, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must operate the FCRPS consistent with the Columbia River System Operations Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision dated September 2020. The preferred alternative outlined in that decision would allow specified dams in the lower Snake River to remain in place. The decision may be amended if each agency determines that (1) changes are necessary for public safety or electrical grid reliability, or (2) certain requirements in the decision are no longer necessary. Further, the bill requires statutory authorization for any structural modification, action, study, or engineering plan that (1) restricts FCRPS hydroelectric dam generation; or (2) limits navigation on the Snake River in Washington, Oregon, or Idaho.

Securing Our Students Act This bill authorizes local educational agencies and nonpublic schools to use certain COVID-19 emergency relief funds, services, or assistance for school safety uses, that is improving school conditions for student learning by planning and designing school buildings and facilities, installing infrastructure, providing safety education, and implementing technology or other measures that strengthen security on school premises.

Community Services Block Grant Modernization Act of 2022 This bill reauthorizes the Community Services Block Grant program through FY2032 and otherwise modifies the program. The program supports various antipoverty activities, primarily through formula-based allotments to states, Indian tribes, and territories. In particular, the bill makes changes to the program's administration and leadership; performance measurement; and allotments to states and territories. The bill also expands eligibility for services and activities funded by the program to 200% of the federal poverty line (FPL). Under current law, eligibility is generally set at the FPL.

Trust the Science Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior to remove protections for the gray wolf under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). Specifically, the bill requires Interior to reissue the final rule titled Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Removing the Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) From the List of Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and published on November 3, 2020. The rule removed the gray wolf in the lower 48 United States, except for the Mexican wolf ( C. l. baileyi ) subspecies, from the endangered and threatened species list. However, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California vacated the rule on February 10, 2022. As a result, the gray wolf reattained the protection status it had prior to the rule's promulgation. The bill also prohibits the reissuance of the rule from being subject to judicial review.

Maddy summaryHRES 1094 designates May 5, 2022, as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls. It directly supports Native American communities affected by disproportionately high rates of violence against women and girls, citing data showing murder rates over 10 times the national average in some Tribal communities. The resolution asks the public to honor victims and show solidarity with families, while acknowledging existing efforts like Savanna’s Act to address the crisis. As a symbolic resolution, it does not create new laws but raises awareness about this ongoing issue.

No Timber From Tyrants Act This bill prohibits the importation of wood and related articles from Russia and Belarus. It also directs the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to replace these prohibited imports with timber production on certain lands. Specifically, the bill directs the President to prohibit the importation of all wood and related articles from Russia and Belarus. The President may terminate this prohibition upon certification to Congress that certain conditions have been met, including that Russia or Belarus (or both, as applicable) reached an agreement to withdraw forces in Ukraine. Additionally, the bill directs Interior and USDA to authorize timber harvest in an amount sufficient to equal the volume, with respect to calendar year 2021, of imports of wood and related articles from Russia and Belarus. Interior may authorize timber harvest only on public lands and USDA may authorize timber harvest only on National Forest System lands. The bill generally prohibits Interior and USDA from approving a plan that reduces the allowable sale quantity of timber.