Rep. Doris O. Matsui

Rights for the Transportation Security Administration Workforce Act of 2022 or the Rights for the TSA Workforce Act of 2022 This bill modifies the workplace rights, protections, and benefits applicable to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel. Specifically, the bill by December 31, 2022, eliminates personnel authorities of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Transportation governing the conditions of employment for TSA employees, thus making TSA employees subject to the personnel management system applicable to other federal employees; sets forth transition rules that protect the pay rates, leave rights, and other rights of TSA employees; and requires DHS to consult with the exclusive representative of TSA screening employees to carry out the conversion of those positions. The bill also permits the TSA to consult with organizations representing federal air marshals to address concerns, including mental health and suicide rates; directs the TSA to ensure its employees are provided proper guidance regarding prevention and protections against COVID-19; requires the TSA to provide a one-time bonus payment of $3,000 to each TSA employee carrying out duties that require substantial contact with the public during the COVID-19 national emergency; and requires the Government Accountability Office to report on implementation of the bill, TSA recruitment efforts, and specified TSA personnel policies.

Maddy summaryHRES 1110 is a non-binding resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives on May 12, 2022, to recognize and mourn the 1,000,000 Americans who died from COVID-19. It formally honors the deceased and extends condolences to their families and loved ones without creating new laws or policies. The resolution does not directly affect any specific group or alter existing legislation, as it serves solely as a commemorative expression of national grief. Its key mechanism is the House’s formal acknowledgment of the pandemic’s human toll, referencing the milestone of one million deaths.

Federal Firefighters Fairness Act of 2022 This bill makes it easier for federally employed firefighters who contract certain illnesses to qualify for federal workers' compensation. Specifically, the bill provides that chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, mesothelioma, and specified other cancers of those employed in fire protection activities for at least five years are presumed to be proximately caused by such employment for purposes of a disability or death claim under the federal workers' compensation program. This presumption also applies to federal employees employed in fire protection activities for at least five years who experience a sudden cardiac event or stroke within 24 hours of performing a fire protection activity. The bill also requires the Department of Labor to conduct a review to determine whether breast cancer, gynecological cancer, and rhabdomyolysis should be included under the presumption and to conduct periodic reviews to determine whether other diseases should be included. In addition, a person may petition Labor to include another disease under the presumption. An employee in fire protection activities is a firefighter, paramedic, emergency medical technician, rescue worker, ambulance personnel, or hazardous material worker who (1) is trained in fire suppression; (2) has the legal authority and responsibility to engage in fire suppression; (3) is engaged in the prevention, control, and extinguishing of fires or response to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk, including the prevention, control, suppression, or management of wildland fires; and (4) performs such activities as a primary responsibility.

Clean Water Standards for PFAS 2.0 Act of 2022 This bill directs the Environmental Protection Agency to develop requirements to (1) limit the discharge of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) into certain waters of the United States, and (2) publish human health water quality criteria for PFAS. PFAS are man-made and may have adverse human health effects. A variety of products contain the compounds, such as nonstick cookware or weatherproof clothing.

Benjamin Berell Ferencz Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Benjamin Berell Ferencz in recognition of his service to the United States and the international community during the post-World War II Nuremberg trials and his lifelong advocacy for international criminal justice and the rule of law.

Roadless Area Conservation Act of 2021 This bill bars the Department of Agriculture from allowing the construction of roads, the reconstruction of roads, or logging in an inventoried roadless area where those activities are prohibited by the Roadless Rule (i.e., certain federal regulations relating to roadless area management).

Maddy summaryHRES 1098 designates May 10, 2022, as National Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Mental Health Day. The resolution symbolically recognizes the mental health challenges faced by the AANHPI community, including low service utilization rates and high suicide rates among youth. It encourages federal, state, and local health agencies to improve mental health awareness and culturally appropriate care for AANHPI communities. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but serves as a formal acknowledgment of these issues.

This resolution extends collective bargaining rights prescribed in the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 to employees of the House of Representatives.

Maddy summaryHRES 1093 is a symbolic House resolution designating May 2022 as "Mental Health Awareness Month." It expresses support for raising public awareness about mental health, emphasizes that mental well-being is as important as physical health, and encourages efforts to reduce stigma and improve access to services. The resolution does not create new laws or allocate funding but calls for recognizing mental health as a national priority and applauds existing efforts by organizations. It was introduced by multiple representatives and passed in the House on May 6, 2022, as a non-binding gesture.

Drug Shortages Shelf Life Extension Act This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to issue or revise guidance to address issues relating to extending drug expiration dates. Specifically, the guidance must address recommendations to drug companies relating to (1) submitting stability testing data in applications for market approval for drugs or biological products; (2) establishing on drug labels the longest feasible expiration date scientifically supported by such data, taking into consideration how extended expiration dates may help prevent or mitigate drug shortages and affect product quality; and (3) using innovative approaches to stability modeling to support initial product expiration dates and expiration date extensions. The FDA must also periodically report to Congress certain information about requests to change the expiration date on a drug label, including the number of such requests from the FDA to the manufacturer and the rationale for each request.