Rep. Al Lawson, Jr.

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.

Don Young Veterans Advancing Conservation Act This bill requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish the Veterans Advancing Conservation Grant Program to award grants, on a competitive basis, to facilitate the training and employment of veterans for marine and coastal conservation activities (e.g., coral restoration and rehabilitation). NOAA must coordinate with the Department of the Interior and the Department of Veterans Affairs to implement the program.

Maddy summaryHRES 1092 is a symbolic resolution supporting National Hurricane Preparedness Week (May 1-7, 2022). It encourages federal agencies like the National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center to continue public education on hurricane safety, including developing family disaster plans and understanding evacuation procedures. The resolution urges all Americans to use this week to learn about hurricane risks, such as storm surge vulnerabilities and flood safety, based on guidance from NOAA and the National Weather Service. As a non-binding statement, it does not create new laws or requirements.

United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021 This bill addresses U.S. technology and communications, foreign relations and national security, domestic manufacturing, education, trade, and other matters. Among other provisions, the bill provides funding for FY2022-FY2026 to support U.S. semiconductor manufacturing, research and development, and supply chain security; provides funding for wireless supply chain innovation; establishes a Directorate for Technology and Innovation in the National Science Foundation; extends through 2025 the authority of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to lease its non-excess real property and related personal property; authorizes various programs and policies related to space exploration; authorizes various international affairs programs and activities, including foreign assistance for the Indo-Pacific region; requires federal infrastructure programs to provide for the use of materials produced in the United States; imposes sanctions on China for cybersecurity and human rights abuses; requires the Department of Health and Human Services to consider national security risks associated with sensitive genetic information; includes initiatives related to elementary and secondary education, including those to increase computer science education; contains provisions related to higher education, including those reauthorizing through FY2027 international education programs and addressing China's influence on institutions of higher education; modifies and expands the schedule for graduated merger filing fees; prohibits federal funding for the Wuhan Institute of Virology; requires the U.S. Trade Representative to take certain actions related to digital trade and censorship practices; and extends through 2027 the Generalized System of Preferences.

Fueling Affordable Insurance for Today's Homeowners Act of 2022 or the FAITH Act of 2022 This bill establishes the Natural Disaster Risk Reinsurance Program within the Department of the Treasury. States may voluntarily participate in the program. The program provides payments to states for damages from a natural disaster not covered by the National Flood Insurance Program for amounts in excess of trigger amounts. These trigger amounts are calculated by the National Academy of Sciences. States must present a plan that ensures the coverage of losses by insurers not exceeding the trigger amount. States must also pledge to repay the full amount provided by the program within 10 years.

This resolution celebrates the contributions of small businesses in every U.S. community and supports the designation of National Small Business Week. Further, it supports efforts to provide small businesses with aid and assistance through certain programs and initiatives.

BAH Restoration Act This bill increases the monthly amount of the basic housing allowance for members of the uniformed services inside the United States. Specifically, the monthly amount of allowance for a member must be the amount of the monthly cost of adequate housing in the area, as determined by the Department of Defense, for members of the uniformed services serving in the same pay grade and same dependency status as the member.

This resolution recognizes that Black women are experiencing high, disproportionate rates of maternal mortality and morbidity in the United States and that Black Maternal Health Week is an opportunity to deepen the national conversation about Black maternal health.

Student Loan Borrower Relief Act This bill revises income-driven repayment plans for federal student loans, including by reducing from 25 years to 15 years the maximum repayment period under these plans. Additionally, the bill makes changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, including by cancelling a portion of a borrower's student loans after every 12 months of eligible public service employment.

James Weldon Johnson Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins emblematic of James Weldon Johnson, an influential writer, diplomat, educator, lawyer, and civil rights activist. All surcharges received by Treasury from the sale of such coins must be paid to the Marshall-Motley Scholars Program, the Stanton College Preparatory School, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and the James Weldon Johnson Foundation.