HR 53 (FIND Act) requires federal contractors to certify they do not refuse to work with firearm manufacturers, dealers, ammunition sellers, or related safety device companies based on bias. It prohibits main contractors from awarding subcontracts exceeding 10% of a contract’s value to entities that fail to make this certification, and bans efforts to circumvent the rule through complex subcontract tiers. The law applies to all federal procurement contracts, directly affecting businesses bidding on government work. Violations risk contract termination and suspension from future government contracts.
This bill defers the collection of income taxes from a U.S. national who is unlawfully or wrongfully detained abroad until 180 days after such national is released from detention, returns to the United States, or departs the detaining country. It also requires the reimbursement of penalties for late payment of income taxes that become due during such detainment. The bill suspends for 270 days after the release of a U.S. national the running of a statute of limitations for the collection of income taxes deferred by this bill. The deferral allowed by this bill does not apply to social security taxes imposed on employees.
Defense of United States Infrastructure Act of 2021 This bill sets out programs and requirements related to critical infrastructure and cybersecurity threats, including (1) a pilot program to enable federal and nonfederal entities to share information in order to prevent, identify, and mitigate cyber threats; (2) reporting about the federal government's efforts to support security certifications for information technology; and (3) a working group to develop a strategy for implementing security measures for foundational internet protocols.
HRES 1525 is a non-binding House resolution condemning antisemitism spread by public figures, celebrities, and officials on social media. It cites the Anti-Defamation League’s report of 2,717 antisemitic incidents in 2021 (a 34% increase from 2020) and urges influential people to use their platforms to speak out against antisemitism. The resolution calls for unity with Jewish communities and emphasizes the need for Holocaust education to combat rising hate. As a symbolic measure, it does not create new laws or penalties but formally expresses the House’s stance against antisemitic rhetoric.
Access for Veterans to Records Act of 2022 This bill directs the Office of the Archivist of the United States to submit to Congress a comprehensive plan for eliminating the backlog of requests for records from, and improving the efficiency and responsiveness of operations at, the National Personnel Records Center. Such plan must include the number and percentage of unresolved veteran record requests that have been pending for more than 20 days, 90 days, and one year; target time frames to eliminate the backlog; a detailed plan for using existing funds to improve technology infrastructure, including secure access to appropriate agency federal records, to prevent future backlogs; actions to improve customer service for requesters; measurable goals with respect to the comprehensive plan and metrics for tracking progress toward such goals; and strategies to prevent future record request backlogs, including backlogs caused by an event that prevents employees of the center from reporting to work in person. The office must submit updates of such plan at specified intervals.
Continuity for Operators with Necessary Training Required for ATC Contract Towers Act of 2021 or the CONTRACT Act of 2021 This bill exempts certain air traffic controllers from a required reduction in their retirement annuity payment on account of earnings from certain work performed while entitled to such annuity. Under current law, retired Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controllers receive an annuity payment during the period between the mandatory retirement age of 56 and the Social Security minimum age of 62. Such annuity payment is required to be reduced by a certain percentage of any excess earnings during this period. The bill exempts from such reduction in annuity payments an air traffic controller who participates in the Air Traffic Control Contract Program (a public-private partnership for air traffic control services) following mandatory retirement.
Sunshine Protection Act of 2021 This bill makes daylight savings time the new, permanent standard time. States with areas exempt from daylight savings time may choose the standard time for those areas.
This joint resolution nullifies the interim final rule issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) titled Reproductive Health Services and published on September 9, 2022. The rule authorizes the VA to provide certain abortion-related care to veterans. The rule also applies to such care provided to beneficiaries covered under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA).
Mandatory Materiality Requirement Act of 2022 This bill limits additional disclosure requirements applicable to issuers of securities. Specifically, the Securities and Exchange Commission may only require an additional disclosure if the commission determines that there is a substantial likelihood that a reasonable investor of the issuer would consider the information important with respect to an investment decision.
Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act This bill authorizes appropriations through FY2026 to the Department of Transportation (DOT) to provide parking for commercial motor vehicles on the federal-aid highway system. DOT must provide competitive grants to states, metropolitan planning organizations, local governments, and tribal governments for projects that improve the safety of commercial motor vehicle operators and provide parking for commercial motor vehicles on federal-aid highways or on a facility with reasonable access to such a highway or a freight facility. The federal share for a project carried out in accordance with the bill shall be up to 100%.
Tornado Observations Research and Notification Assessment for Development of Operations Act or the TORNADO Act This bill establishes programs and activities to improve the forecasting of hazardous weather and water events, including tornadoes. The bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to maintain and improve the system by which the risks of hazardous weather and water events are communicated to the general public, with the goal of informing action and encouraging response to prevent loss of life and property. NOAA shall also maintain a hazard risk communication office; establish or maintain a research program to modernize the creation and communication of risk-based, statistically reliable, probabilistic hazard information to inform effective responses to hazardous weather and water events; establish a pilot program for tornado hazard communication to test the effectiveness of the implementation of the research conducted pursuant to this bill; submit to Congress a strategic plan for developing and prioritizing the implementation of high-resolution probabilistic forecast guidance for hazardous weather and water events using a next-generation weather forecast and warning framework; perform one or more post-storm surveys and assessments following each hazardous weather or water event that is of sufficient societal importance; update, if necessary, the system for rating tornado severity; and maintain the Vortex USA tornado research program. The Government Accountability Office shall submit a report that examines the information technology infrastructure of the National Weather Service.
Facilitating Relief for Efficient Intermodal Gateways to Handle Transportation Act or the FREIGHT Act This bill makes multiple changes to address the efficiency of ports and the intermodal shipping of cargo. The Bureau of Transportation Statistics of the Department of Transportation must publish data about the dwell time of marine shipping containers and chassis (i.e., the quantity of time such equipment is subject to maintenance versus in use). The bill also requires a study on best practices for operating a chassis pool to optimize supply chains. In addition, the bill modifies duties and authorities of the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC), including by providing statutory authority for an office that offers mediation and related services to resolve issues under the FMC's jurisdiction; and authorizing the FMC to expand data-sharing between port operators, shippers, and other stakeholders to facilitate efficient freight operations if the FMC determines port congestion constitutes an emergency.
