Tenants' Right to Organize Act This bill provides for the right of tenants who receive certain rental assistance to establish, operate, and participate in a tenant organization. Specifically, tenants who participate in Housing Choice Voucher (i.e., Section 8 tenant-based housing assistance) or Low-Income Housing Tax Credit programs administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development have the right to engage in a tenant organization to address issues related to their living environment and participate in community development activities. Public housing agencies and unit owners are required to recognize tenant organizations and allow tenants to conduct protected activities, including distributing leaflets, initiating tenant contact, and convening meetings in the building. A public housing agency or building owner may not require prior permission for any of these activities. Further, these entities may not retaliate against a tenant for participating in a tenant organization. The bill also provides grants for state and local organizations for training and outreach with respect to tenant organization capacity building and technical assistance.
Sponsored bills
Leveraging Our Water and Energy data to Reduce Energy Bills Act of 2022 or the LOWER Energy Bills Act of 2022 This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency to develop and implement a benchmarking and transparency initiative for certain types of properties (such as commercial or multifamily properties) to (1) advance the knowledge of owners and occupants regarding building energy and water use and greenhouse gas emissions, and (2) inform efforts to reduce energy and water use and greenhouse gas emissions nationwide.
Orphaned Well Cleanup and Jobs Act of 2021 This bill establishes incentives and requirements to permanently plug orphaned (i.e., abandoned) oil and gas wells and clean up pollution leaking from such wells. Specifically, the bill directs the Department of the Interior to establish grant programs to plug and clean up orphaned wells located on federal, state, tribal, and private land. Interior must also issue regulations that require each operator of an idled well on federal land to pay an annual, nonrefundable fee for each well. If the operator fails to pay the fee, then Interior may assess a civil penalty. Revenues generated from such fees must be used for activities related to cleaning up orphaned wells. Additionally, the bill requires the review of the adequacy of bonds or other financial arrangements for oil and gas development on public land leased from the federal government. Such bonds or financial arrangements are currently required to ensure developers have adequate financial resources to remediate and reclaim public land, water, or other resources after wells are abandoned or oil and gas development ceases.
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.
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.
Developing Alternative Mitigation Systems for Beavers Act or the DAMS for Beavers Act This bill directs the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) to establish a competitive grant program to assist projects that use nonlethal measures to reduce property damage caused by beavers and maintain or enhance habitat for beavers and other wildlife. In awarding grants, the FWS may prioritize projects that (1) include monitoring and research that facilitates evaluation of such projects and identification of best practices, (2) includes educational and outreach activities, (3) are located in an area that ensures grant recipients represent diverse geographic areas, and (4) satisfy any other criteria to effectively reduce damage to property and maintain or enhance habitat for beavers and other wildlife.
Respect for Marriage Act This act provides statutory authority for same-sex and interracial marriages. Specifically, the act replaces provisions that define, for purposes of federal law, marriage as between a man and a woman and spouse as a person of the opposite sex with provisions that recognize any marriage between two individuals that is valid under state law. (The Supreme Court held that the current provisions were unconstitutional in United States v. Windsor in 2013.) The act also replaces provisions that do not require states to recognize same-sex marriages from other states with provisions that prohibit the denial of full faith and credit or any right or claim relating to out-of-state marriages on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, or national origin. (The Supreme Court held that state laws barring same-sex marriages were unconstitutional in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015; the Court held that state laws barring interracial marriages were unconstitutional in Loving v. Virginia in 1967.) The act allows the Department of Justice to bring a civil action and establishes a private right of action for violations. The act does not (1) affect religious liberties or conscience protections that are available under the Constitution or federal law, (2) require religious organizations to provide goods or services to formally recognize or celebrate a marriage, (3) affect any benefits or rights that do not arise from a marriage, or (4) recognize under federal law any marriage between more than two individuals.
International Violence Against Women Act of 2022 This bill requires a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to violence against women and girls. The bill establishes in the Department of State an Office of Global Women's Issues, which shall be headed by an Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues. The Ambassador-at-Large shall (1) coordinate U.S. government efforts regarding gender equality and the advancement of women and girls in foreign policy, and (2) develop or update periodically a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to gender-based violence. The bill establishes in the U.S. Agency for International Development the position of Senior Coordinator for Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment who shall coordinate policies, programs, and funding regarding gender equality and women's empowerment.
Working for Immigrant Safety and Empowerment Act of 2022 or the WISE Act of 2022 This bill addresses immigration-related issues for victims of domestic violence and other crimes. For example, the bill (1) extends the period of admission into the United States for certain spouses or children who derive their immigration status from an individual who is abusing the spouse or child; and (2) establishes a presumption that an individual with certain pending applications, such as for a visa for a victim of human trafficking or certain other crimes, should be released from immigration detention without conditions.
This concurrent resolution commends the bravery, courage, and resolve of the women and men of Iran who are (1) participating in the current protests to defend their fundamental human rights, and (2) risking their safety to speak out against the human rights abuses committed by the Iranian regime. The resolution condemns (1) the brutal beating and death of Mahsa Amini; and (2) the violent suppression by the Iranian regime of women and men participating in the current demonstrations, including children, and calls for transparent accountability for all killings of protesters by Iranian security forces. Finally, the resolution encourages continued efforts by the Biden Administration to respond to the protests, including the recent sanctioning of the Iranian morality police.