Rep. Jahana Hayes

Leading Infrastructure For Tomorrow’s America Act or the LIFT America Act This bill establishes several programs and incentives to modernize the nation's communications, drinking water, energy, transportation, health care, and other related infrastructure. For example, the bill provides incentives to make broadband internet more accessible and affordable. It also establishes grants to implement next generation 9-1-1 services. In addition, it supports drinking water programs, including the drinking water state revolving fund program. Further, it provides grants to treat perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances (commonly referred to as PFAS) in drinking water and to replace lead service lines. The bill establishes a variety of programs to support clean energy infrastructure and address climate change, including efforts to (1) modernize the electric grid and make it more resilient, efficient, and secure; (2) increase energy efficiency in buildings; and (3) support renewable energy infrastructure. Further, it provides incentives for vehicle infrastructure, such as incentives to develop infrastructure for electric vehicles and grants to reduce air pollution at ports by electrifying port infrastructure. Additionally, the bill establishes grants and programs for health care infrastructure, including by providing support for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, laboratories, and state, local, tribal, and territorial health departments. Finally, the bill reauthorizes grant programs to remediate brownfield sites (i.e., sites contaminated with hazardous substances) through FY2026.

Maddy summaryThis bill (H.J.Res. 68) is a symbolic, procedural measure that would require the President to issue an annual proclamation designating a day as "Democracy Day." It directs the President to call on state/local governments and citizens to observe the day through programs and activities, with January 6 referenced as a potential date. The bill does not create new government programs or change existing laws - it only establishes a recurring presidential proclamation. It directly affects federal, state, and local governments by encouraging them to participate in annual observances. The bill has no budgetary impact and remains focused on promoting civic engagement through a designated day.

Afterschool Meals Act of 2022 This bill allows for reimbursements to schools for meals provided to eligible children in after-school care through the National School Lunch Program. (Under current law, schools participating in that program may only provide snacks during after-school care.)

PrEP Access and Coverage Act This bill requires private health insurance plans to cover prescription drugs that prevent HIV, including related screenings, diagnostic procedures, administrative fees, and clinical follow-ups, without any cost-sharing obligation for the plan holder. Further, insurance plans must not impose any preauthorization requirement for this coverage. These coverage requirements also apply to public health insurance programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program. Additionally, the bill prohibits denying, limiting, or qualifying coverage or increasing premiums for disability insurance, long-term care insurance, or life insurance policies based on an individual taking medication for HIV prevention. The bill further requires the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to states, or directly to eligible local organizations, to provide uninsured individuals and underinsured individuals access to prescription drugs and related services that prevent HIV. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also must develop a public awareness campaign that focuses efforts in communities with a high need for HIV prevention treatment.

College Student Hunger Act of 20 21 This bill modifies the eligibility requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to make additional students at institutions of higher education eligible for benefits.

Protecting America's Meatpacking Workers Act of 2021 This bill addresses workplace conditions and safety with a particular focus on meat and poultry processing establishments and makes other changes to agricultural programs and activities. Generally, the bill provides funding through FY2027 for hiring additional Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspectors and related activities. It also restricts an employer's use of certain attendance policies under which a worker is assessed points for absences with progressive discipline imposed as points accumulate. Additionally, the bill expands protections for workers who exercise their rights under occupational safety and health laws and regulations. This includes specific protections and procedures for workers of meat and poultry processing establishments. The bill expands workplace safety and health requirements that apply to meat and poultry processing establishments, including by prohibiting waivers (subject to limited exceptions) related to line speeds and inspections. Additionally, OSHA must issue standards for these establishments that address, for example, ergonomic program management and preventing occupational exposure to COVID-19. OSHA must also (1) establish, within seven days, a process for establishments to report COVID-19 information; and (2) publish certain regulations regarding a workers' representative accompanying an OSHA inspector during inspections of an establishment. The bill provides funding through FY2031 for, and imposes additional conditions on recipients of, grants to improve meat and poultry processing facilities. Further, the bill increases funding for a program that supports regional and local food systems. It also requires country-of-origin labeling of beef, pork, and dairy products.

This bill revises enforcement provisions under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), including by directing inspectors to confiscate or destroy in a humane manner animals found to be suffering physical or psychological harm as a result of failure to comply with the AWA.

Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act This bill establishes grant programs to address neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), and contains other related provisions. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall award grants to eligible entities for scientific research utilizing data from expanded access to investigational ALS treatments for individuals who are not otherwise eligible for clinical trials.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shall award grants to public and private entities to cover the costs of research and development of drugs that diagnose or treat ALS and other rare neurodegenerative diseases. HHS shall also establish the Public-Private Partnership for Neurodegenerative Diseases between the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, and at least one eligible entity (generally, an institution of higher education or a nonprofit organization). The partnership shall support the development and regulatory review of drugs that address ALS and other rare neurodegenerative diseases. The FDA shall publish on its website a five-year action plan for fostering the development of drugs that improve or extend the lives of people living with rare neurodegenerative diseases. The Government Accountability Office must report to Congress about the grants provided under this bill, including an analysis of the impact of such grants on research and development of treatments for ALS.

Wildlife Conservation and Anti-Trafficking Act of 2021 This bill sets forth provisions relating to wildlife conservation, anti-trafficking and poaching, and illegal fishing. Specifically, the bill directs the Departments of Justice, the Interior, Commerce, State, and the Treasury to develop a plan of action for awards to whistleblowers of violations of laws applicable to wildlife trafficking; directs Interior to carry out the International Wildlife Conservation Program to, among other things, address global conservation threats and combat wildlife trafficking and poaching; provides funding for the conservation of certain endangered species; authorizes Interior, in consultation with the State Department, to station not less than one U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officer in the primary diplomatic or consular post of the United States in a focus country or country of concern (i.e., countries engaging in wildlife trafficking); and directs Commerce to make amounts available for illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing enforcement. The bill also modifies the federal criminal code to make wildlife trafficking and illegal fishing predicates with respect to the enforcement of certain criminal offenses, including racketeering and money laundering.

This bill posthumously provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal in commemoration of the 13 service members who died on August 26, 2021, while stationed at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan.