Price Stability Act of 2022 This bill removes maximum employment as a goal of the monetary policy set by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Open Market Committee.
This joint resolution nullifies the rule titled Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Updating Payment Parameters, Section 1332 Waiver Implementing Regulations, and Improving Health Insurance Markets for 2022 and Beyond , which was issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Department of the Treasury on September 27, 2021. The rule expands the open enrollment period for individual health coverage and rescinds the previous interpretation of certain requirements relating to Section 1332 waivers (also known as State Innovation Waivers or State Relief and Empowerment Waivers).
Military Spouse Hiring Act This bill expands the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) to include the hiring of a qualified military spouse. (The WOTC permits employers who hire individuals who are members of a targeted group such as qualified veterans, ex-felons, or long-term unemployment recipients to claim a tax credit equal to a portion of the wages paid to those individuals.) A qualified military spouse is any individual who is certified by the designated local agency as being (as of the hiring date) a spouse of a member of the Armed Forces.
This resolution recognizes the important role of local nutrition programs supported through the Older Americans Act of 1965 in addressing senior hunger, malnutrition, and isolation.
Employee Rights Act This bill makes various changes with respect to the collective bargaining process and labor relations. For example, the bill permits an employer to refuse to collectively bargain with a union within 90 days prior to the expiration of a collective bargaining agreement if the employer receives evidence that the majority of the employees in the bargaining unit do not support the union. The bill requires support from a majority of the employees in the bargaining unit (not just a majority of the employees voting) when electing union representation. The bill also requires unions to provide bargaining unit employees with the right to vote by secret ballot, including when voting whether to engage in a strike or refusal to work. Further, union dues, fees, assessments, and other contributions may be used for only collective bargaining or contract administrative functions. Additionally, the bill establishes a process for nullifying executive orders that the Office of Management and Budget determines are likely to result in an employer ordering a plant closure or mass layoff.
Child Care and Development Block Grant Reauthorization Act of 2022 This bill reauthorizes through FY2026 and expands programs and services under the Child Care and Development Fund. The bill expands eligibility to include families earning not more than 150% of the state medium income if the state provides an appropriate opportunity for families earning not more than 85% of the state median income to receive services. Additionally, the bill provides grants for states to expand the supply and capacity of child care providers.
This concurrent resolution expresses that it is the sense of Congress that the President should direct the U.S. representative to the U.N. Commission on Narcotic Drugs to use the voice, vote, and influence of the United States at the commission to seek to de-schedule cannabis from Schedule I of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961, expunge and forgive penalties related to cannabis for prior offenders, and treat cannabis as a commodity similar to other agricultural commodities.
This bill revises oversight and disclosure requirements related to foreign sources and institutions of higher education (IHEs). For example, the bill establishes the Office for Foreign Gifts and Contracts Oversight within the Department of Education. Additionally, the bill requires an IHE to disclose to the office any gift or contract from a foreign source that (1) is valued at $50,000 or more, considered alone or in combination with all other gifts or contracts within a calendar year (current disclosure threshold is $250,000 or more); or (2) has an undetermined monetary value.
American LNG First Act of 2022 This bill exempts certain vessels transporting methane or refrigerated liquid (commonly known as liquefied natural gas or LNG) from vessel documentation requirements as well as coastwise endorsement requirements. Specifically, the bill authorizes a vessel certificate of documentation (i.e., registration) to be issued for a vessel transporting methane or LNG, unless the vessel is (1) owned by a Russian national or Russia, (2) a Russian-flagged vessel, or (3) a vessel with any Russian crew member. The bill also authorizes a coastwise endorsement to be issued for a vessel that is transporting methane or LNG. Such an endorsement allows a vessel to engage in certain trade.
ID for EBT Act of 2022 This bill revises provisions related to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to require states to include a photograph of one or more members of a household on electronic benefit cards that are issued to provide program benefits.
Pigs in Gestation Stalls Act of 2022 or the PIGS Act of 2022 This bill prohibits certain methods of confining breeding pigs that restrict their movement and establishes a program to assist pig producers to comply with the prohibitions.
Regaining Energy Freedom and Undeniable SEcurity and Preserving U.S. Trade Interests Now Act or the REFUSE PUTIN Act This bill addresses U.S. energy security and independence, the importation and exportation of fossil fuels, and drawdowns from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Specifically, the bill directs the President to prohibit the importation of fossil fuels from Russia. While the prohibition is in effect, the President may not ban the export of crude oil. The President must also rescind certain orders, including specified environmental executive orders relating to climate change. Further, agencies must repeal any regulations that have the intent or effect of substantially reducing U.S. energy independence. In addition, the bill grants the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission the exclusive authority to approve or deny applications for facilities, such as liquefied natural gas terminals, to export natural gas from the United States to foreign countries or import natural gas from foreign countries. Additionally, the Department of Energy may not drawdown petroleum in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve until it develops a plan to increase the percentage of federal lands leased for oil and gas production. Finally, the bill also approves the TransCanada Keystone Pipeline in Phillips County, Montana for the import of oil from Canada to the United States.
