Rep. Julia Brownley

Puerto Rico Status Act This bill provides for a plebiscite to be held on November 5, 2023, to resolve Puerto Rico's political status. Specifically, such plebiscite shall offer eligible voters a choice of independence, sovereignty in free association with the United States, or statehood. The Puerto Rico State Elections Commission shall carry out a nonpartisan voter education campaign through traditional paid media and make available at all voting locations voter education materials related to the plebiscites, and invite national and international election observers to ensure transparency and confidence in the electoral process. All voter educational materials and ballots used to carry out this bill shall be made available in English and Spanish. The bill sets forth transition and implementation provisions for each choice offered in the plebiscite.

Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 396 South California Avenue in West Covina, California, as the "Esteban E. Torres Post Office Building."

Maddy summaryThis bill designates the U.S. Postal Service facility at 15701 Sherman Way in Van Nuys, California, as the "Marilyn Monroe Post Office Building." It updates all federal references in laws, documents, and records to use this new name, ensuring consistency in official communications. The bill does not alter postal services, operations, or address details - only the official designation of the building.

VA Employee Fairness Act of 2021 This bill repeals provisions excluding any matter or question concerning professional conduct or competence; peer review; or the establishment, determination, or adjustment of employee compensation from the applicability of collective bargaining rights for Veterans Health Administration employees.

Zero-Emission Vehicles Act of 2022 or the ZEVs Act of 2022 This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a zero-emission passenger vehicle standard. Specifically, the bill sets a schedule for increasing the percentage of zero-emission vehicles a vehicle manufacturer delivers for sale, culminating in a requirement to sell only zero-emission vehicles from 2035 on. The bill also requires the EPA to establish a zero-emission vehicle credit program that approves one zero-emission vehicle credit for each zero-emission vehicle delivered for sale in the United States and partial credits for qualified electric vehicles based on the estimated proportion of the mileage driven on the battery. Manufacturers that fail to meet the minimum required percentage of zero-emission vehicle sales must submit to the EPA a quantity of zero-emission vehicle credits sufficient to offset the excess. Credits may also be sold, transferred, exchanged, or retired in certain circumstances. The bill imposes civil penalties for the failure to comply with zero-emission vehicle credit standards, with collected penalties being deposited into the Highway Trust Fund. After 2035, the EPA must issue injunctions on the manufacture of passenger vehicles other than zero-emission vehicles.

Boundary Waters Wilderness Protection and Pollution Prevention Act This bill withdraws certain federal lands and waters in Minnesota from mining and related activities. Specifically, the bill withdraws approximately 234,328 acres of federal land and waters in a specified area in the Rainy River Watershed of Superior National Forest from entry, appropriation, and disposal under the public land laws; location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and operation of the mineral leasing, mineral materials, and geothermal leasing laws. The area is adjacent to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Mining Protection Area. Land or interest in land within such area that is acquired by the United States shall be immediately withdrawn in accordance with this bill. The Forest Service is authorized to permit the removal of sand, granite, iron ore, and taconite from national forest system lands within such area if the removal is not detrimental to the water quality, air quality, and health of forest habitat within the Rainy River Watershed.

Offshore Pipeline Safety Act This bill establishes requirements to address the environmental risks of decommissioned oil and gas pipelines on the seafloor. Specifically, the bill requires the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) to finalize regulations proposed in 2007 related to offshore pipelines. The regulations must require owners of oil and gas pipelines to provide for biannual, third-party inspections of pipelines and to equip pipelines with leak detection systems or devices. Further, the BSEE must issue regulations to charge an annual fee on such owners for the purpose of providing the BSEE with funds to decommission or remove offshore pipelines in the event the owner files for bankruptcy. When determining whether to permit an owner to decommission such pipelines, the BSEE must consider the navigational hazards, any interferences with other uses of the Outer Continental Shelf, and the environmental impacts of the pipelines. In addition, the BSEE must continually monitor the condition and location of all oil and gas pipelines that have been decommissioned and remain in place. If the BSEE identifies an exposed segment of any active or decommissioned pipeline, then it must either remove the pipeline from the ocean or ensure it is properly decommissioned and does not pose a threat. If a segment of any active pipeline is exposed or shifts, then the BSEE must resecure the segment to the sea floor.

Restoring Community Input and Public Protections in Oil and Gas Leasing Act of 2021 This bill modifies several provisions related to oil and gas leasing on public lands. Among other requirements, the bill replaces the competitive auction process with a competitive-sealed bidding process. It also eliminates non-competitive bidding. Additionally, the bill increases royalty rates, rental rates, and the minimum bid amount. Further, the bill creates a fee for nominating lands for leasing. Lease sales must be held in each state no more than three times per year instead of quarterly. The bill also decreases lease term durations from 10 to 5 years. Certain lease information must be made available on public websites, including the names of all current and former lessees and operators. The bill also adds a number of new provisions related to protection of private surface estate owners. Finally, the bill establishes requirements to protect water resources, including by requiring oil or gas operators to replace certain water supplies affected by drilling, hydraulic fracturing (i.e., fracking), or production operations. In addition, the Bureau of Land Management must issue regulations governing the use of fracking under oil and gas leases for federal lands. The regulations must require (1) baseline water testing, and (2) public disclosure of each chemical used for fracking.

This resolution expresses that the House of Representatives is committed to building upon the 20 years of success of the George McGovern-Robert Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition Program, complementing humanitarian assistance efforts and development programs through the continued implementation of the McGovern-Dole Program to address global food insecurity and create conditions for peace and stability, and supporting U.S. farmers, millers, shippers, and commodity groups that provide agricultural commodities for use in the McGovern-Dole Program to help combat global malnutrition and food insecurity and advance global education.

Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 333 North Sunrise Way in Palm Springs, California, as the "Chairman Richard Milanovich Post Office."