Rep. Robin L. Kelly

Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021 (Sec. 2) This bill revises background check requirements applicable to proposed firearm transfers from a federal firearms licensee (e.g., a licensed gun dealer) to an unlicensed person. Specifically, it increases the amount of time, from 3 business days to a minimum of 10 business days, that a federal firearms licensee must wait to receive a completed background check prior to transferring a firearm to an unlicensed person. (This type of transaction is often referred to as a default proceed transaction.) If a submitted background check remains incomplete after 10 business days, then the prospective purchaser may submit a petition for a final firearms eligibility determination. If an additional 10 days elapse without a final determination, then the federal firearms licensee may transfer the firearm to the prospective purchaser. (Sec. 3) The Government Accountability Office must report on the extent to which the changes have prevented firearms transfers to prohibited persons. (Sec. 4) The Federal Bureau of Investigation must report on the number of petitions it receives for final federal firearms determinations. (Sec. 5) The Department of Justice, in consultation with the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence and Firearms, must report on further amendments to the background check process that would likely reduce the risk of death or great bodily harm to victims of domestic violence, domestic abuse, dating partner violence, sexual assault, and stalking.

Fraud and Scam Reduction Act This bill expands activities to address mail, telephone, and internet fraud, particularly such scams targeting older adults. The bill establishes a Senior Scams Prevention Advisory Group, which must create model educational materials to educate employees of retailers, financial-services companies, and wire-transfer companies on how to identify and prevent scams that affect older adults. Further, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) must establish an advisory office in the Bureau of Consumer Protection to assist the FTC in monitoring scams targeting older adults, educating consumers, and receiving complaints.

Access to Baby Formula Act of 2022 This bill authorizes the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to take certain actions to address emergencies, disasters, and supply chain disruptions (particularly the shortage of infant formula in the United States) affecting participants of the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The bill directs USDA to require each infant formula cost containment contract to include remedies in the event of an infant formula recall, including how an infant formula manufacturer would protect against disruption to WIC participants in the state. USDA must, within 30 days, ensure there is a memorandum of understanding with the Department of Health and Human Services that includes procedures for coordination and information sharing regarding any supply chain disruption, including a supplemental food recall. The bill also authorizes USDA to waive or modify any WIC qualified administrative requirement during emergencies, disasters, and supply chain disruptions. Specifically, USDA may waive or modify such a requirement for one or more state agencies if (1) the requirement cannot be met by state agencies during the emergency, disaster, or disruption; and (2) the modification or waiver is necessary to provide assistance to WIC participants and does not substantially weaken the nutritional quality of supplemental foods. For example, USDA may waive the maximum monthly allowance for infant formula. The bill establishes notification requirements for USDA and state agencies related to supply chain disruptions.

NIH Clinical Trial Diversity Act of 2022 This bill sets out requirements to increase the diversity of clinical trial participants. The bill also requires other activities to foster participation in clinical trials. As a condition of funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a clinical trial investigating a drug or device, a sponsor's application must include certain information related to diversity in its trial, such as goals for recruiting and retaining trial participants, plans for achieving the recruitment and retention goals and implementing less-burdensome clinical trial follow-up requirements, and education and training requirements related to diversity in clinical trials for researchers and other individuals who conduct or support the trial. A sponsor must also annually share demographic data of clinical trial participants with the NIH. The NIH must publish on its website information about the diversity of and other information concerning the clinical trials it funds. If a sponsor fails to meet its goals or other requirements with respect to trial diversity, the sponsor must develop and implement a strategic plan to increase the diversity of the clinical trial participants. Further, the NIH and the Food and Drug Administration must carry out a national campaign to increase awareness about the need for diverse clinical trials. The bill also requires studies on barriers to participation in clinical trials. The Government Accountability Office must study actions taken by federal agencies to address such barriers while the NIH must study regulations that govern reimbursements of out-of-pocket expenses of and incentives for clinical trial participants.

Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act This bill prohibits any person from selling, during a proclaimed energy emergency, a consumer fuel at a price that (1) is unconscionably excessive, and (2) indicates that the seller is exploiting the emergency to increase prices unreasonably. The President may issue a proclamation of such an emergency that specifies the consumer fuel and geographic area covered and how long the proclamation applies. The bill provides for enforcement of these provisions by the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general. Civil penalties collected by the commission through such enforcement must be used to provide assistance under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. Additionally, the commission must investigate whether the price of gasoline is being manipulated through reducing refinery capacity or other manipulative practices. The commission also must establish a Transportation Fuel Monitoring and Enforcement Unit to collect, monitor, and analyze crude oil and transportation fuel market data. The bill further includes specified transportation fuels within the prohibitions against (1) manipulative market practices, and (2) reporting false price information. It also increases the penalty for violations of those prohibitions. Finally, the Energy Information Administration must survey energy companies to facilitate transparent and competitive crude oil and transportation fuel markets.

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.

Affordable Housing and Area Median Income Fairness Act of 2022 This bill reauthorizes through FY2032 the Community Development Block Grant and other specified programs that support affordable housing. The bill also requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to assess alternative methods of calculating area median income (i.e., any metric used to refer to the median income level for a given area or jurisdiction for purposes of any program administered by HUD) and the use of alternative metrics in order to make housing more affordable for low-income families in urban areas.

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.

Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 114 North Mongolia Street in Elmwood, Illinois, as the "Corporal Benjamin Desilets Post Office."

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.