This Senate resolution (SRES 526) formally condemns the antisemitic terrorist attack at Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue in Colleyville, Texas, on January 15, 2022, where hostages were held at gunpoint. It expresses gratitude that no lives were lost, applauds law enforcement and emergency responders for their actions, and condemns antisemitism in the United States. The resolution does not create new policies or allocate funds; it is a symbolic expression of support for the Jewish community and law enforcement. It directly affects the congregation and local community by affirming their safety and the importance of religious freedom.
This resolution designates February 28, 2022, as "Rare Disease Day" in the U.S. Senate. It symbolically recognizes the importance of raising awareness about rare diseases (affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the U.S.), improving early diagnosis, and supporting global efforts to develop treatments for these conditions. The resolution does not create new policies or funding but aligns with the annual global observance of Rare Disease Day, first recognized in the U.S. in 2009 and observed in over 100 countries. It acknowledges the challenges faced by the estimated 7,000+ rare diseases affecting roughly 1 in 10 Americans.
This resolution recognizes Black History Month as an opportunity to reflect on U.S. history and to commemorate the contributions of African Americans. It calls for the United States to (1) honor the contribution of pioneers who helped to ensure its legacy; and (2) move forward as a nation "indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
SRES 520 is a ceremonial Senate resolution designating the week of February 21-25, 2022, as "Public Schools Week." It does not create new laws, allocate funding, or directly affect any individuals or institutions. The resolution uses symbolic language to highlight the importance of public education in the U.S. but contains no policy changes or actionable provisions. As a procedural resolution, it serves only to recognize public schools during that specific week.
Combating Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing, and Counterfeiting Act of 2022 This bill makes changes to anti-money laundering requirements under federal criminal and banking laws. Among the changes, the bill specifies that a blank check that is drawn on an account containing more than $10,000 and that is possessed by the bearer to avoid reporting requirements is a monetary instrument subject to international transport reporting requirements, increases the maximum criminal penalties for bulk cash smuggling, and permits the government to charge a defendant with a single count of money laundering for multiple violations that are part of the same scheme or continuing course of conduct.
Affordable Insulin Now Act This bill limits cost-sharing for insulin under private health insurance and the Medicare prescription drug benefit. Specifically, the bill caps cost-sharing under private health insurance for a month's supply of selected insulin products at $35 or 25% of a plan's negotiated price (after any price concessions), whichever is less, beginning in 2023. The bill caps cost-sharing under the Medicare prescription drug benefit for a month's supply of covered insulin products at (1) $35 between October 1, 2022, and January 1, 2024; and (2) $35 or 25% of a plan's negotiated price, whichever is less, beginning in 2024. The bill provides funds for FY2022 for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to implement the bill. Currently, the CMS is testing a voluntary model under the Medicare prescription drug benefit (the Part D Senior Savings Model) in which the copayment for a month's supply of insulin is capped at $35 through participating plans. The model is set to expire on December 31, 2025.
Open App Markets Act This bill establishes rules related to the operation of an app store by a covered company (i.e., the owner or controller of an app store with more than 50 million U.S. users). An app is a software application or electronic service that may be run or directed by a user on a computer or mobile device. An app store is a publicly available website, software application, or other electronic service that distributes apps from third-party developers to users. The bill prohibits a covered company from (1) requiring developers to use an in-app payment system owned or controlled by the company as a condition of distribution or accessibility, (2) requiring that pricing or conditions of sale be equal to or more favorable on its app store than another app store, or (3) taking punitive action against a developer for using or offering different pricing terms or conditions of sale through another in-app payment system or on another app store. A covered company may not interfere with legitimate business communications between developers and users, use non-public business information from a third-party app to compete with the app, or unreasonably prefer or rank its own apps (or those of its business partners) over other apps. The bill provides for enforcement of its provisions by the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice, as well as through suits brought by developers that are injured by reason of anything prohibited by this bill.
This concurrent resolution directs the Joint Committee on the Library to modify the statue, known as the Portrait Monument, commemorating women's suffrage and located in the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol by placing an inscription on it that is based on its original inscription from when it was delivered to the U.S. Capitol on February 10, 1921. The concurrent resolution also authorizes the use of the rotunda of the U.S. Capitol for a ceremony to unveil the revised Portrait Monument.
This resolution supports the designation of February 2022 as Career and Technical Education Month to celebrate career and technical education across the United States.
Transportation Equity Act This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to reestablish the Transportation Equity Committee. The committee must study, advise DOT about, and develop a strategic plan concerning transportation equity issues. The committee must also evaluate the work of DOT in connecting people to economic and related forms of opportunity; revitalizing communities through strategic, research, technological, regulatory, community engagement, and economic policy activities related to transportation and opportunity; and ensuring equal access to transportation for all residents. In addition, DOT must appoint a full-time federal employee to serve as coordinator and act as the designated federal officer for the committee.
National Ocean Exploration Act This bill provides statutory authority for the National Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization Council and revises several programs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that support ocean and coastal mapping, hydrographic surveys, and spatial data collection. The bill revises the national ocean exploration program to require NOAA to provide guidance to federal and state agencies, and others, on data standards, protocols for accepting data, and coordination of data collection, compilation, processing, archiving, and dissemination for data relating to ocean exploration and characterization. It also directs NOAA to conduct education and outreach efforts to disseminate information to the public on the discoveries made by the ocean exploration program and coordinate with the outreach strategies of other domestic or international ocean mapping, exploration, and characterization initiatives. Additionally, the bill repeals the undersea research program of NOAA. It also modifies NOAA's ocean and coastal mapping program to include ecosystem approaches in decision-making for natural resource and habitat restoration, emergency response, and coastal resilience and adaptation. NOAA must develop an integrated ocean and coastal mapping federal funding match opportunity to increase the coordinated acquisition, processing, stewardship, and archival of new ocean and coastal mapping data in U.S. waters. The bill also revises and reauthorizes through FY2026 the hydrographic services program of NOAA.
Bolstering Long-term Understanding and Exploration of the Great Lakes, Oceans, Bays, and Estuaries Act or the BLUE GLOBE Act This bill addresses data collection and monitoring of the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts. Specifically, it expands requirements related to a study of the scientific workforce in areas of oceanic and atmospheric research and development. For example, the bill requires the study to include an investigation on whether there is a workforce shortage in the number of individuals with technical or trade-based skillsets or credentials suited to a career in oceanic and atmospheric data collection, processing, satellite production, or satellite operations. The study must also investigate actions the federal government can take to increase diversity in the scientific workforce and shorten the hiring backlog for such workforce. The bill also directs the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to create an Electronic Monitoring Innovation Prize, which may be awarded for the development of advanced electronic fisheries monitoring equipment and data analysis tools. NOAA must also seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to evaluate whether there is a need for an Advanced Research Projects Agency-Oceans within NOAA. Additionally, NOAA must establish a program to improve the collection, aggregation, and analysis of data to measure the value and impact of industries related to the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts on the U.S. economy.
