Strengthening the Force and Fleet Through Enlisted Education Act or the Smart Act This bill removes the capacity limit for enlisted members of the Armed Forces to receive graduate-level instruction in a Naval Postgraduate School program. The Department of Defense must brief Congress on the effects of increasing enrollment of enlisted members at the school.
Maddy summaryHRES 1114 is a non-binding House resolution expressing support for recognizing "National Police Week" as a way to honor law enforcement officers across the United States. The resolution acknowledges the service and sacrifices of law enforcement officers, particularly those who have died in the line of duty, and specifically references 619 officers who died in 2021 as listed in the resolution. This resolution does not create new laws or allocate funds but serves as a symbolic gesture to encourage public recognition of law enforcement personnel. It calls for Americans to observe National Police Week by honoring officers and raising awareness about their essential role in community safety. The resolution was introduced by multiple members of Congress and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
Protecting Our Second Amendment Data Act This bill places conditions on certain grants by requiring certifications related to the disclosure of personally identifiable information of individuals involved in certain firearms transactions.
Hotels for Heroes Act of 2022 This bill requires public lodging establishments to waive any minimum age requirements to obtain accommodation for members of the Armed Forces who present a valid identification card and seek to obtain accommodation while under military orders or on authorized military leave. A knowing violation of this requirement is punishable by fine.
Volunteer Fighters Exemption Act of 2022 This bill temporarily exempts from prosecution individuals who violate certain federal criminal laws related to their participation as combatants in the armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine on behalf of Ukraine.
Russian Travel Sanctions for a Democratic Ukraine Act This bill imposes visa-blocking sanctions on certain citizens of Russia. Specifically, the President must impose such sanctions on citizens of Russia who are (1) Russian oligarchs, (2) employees of Russia's government, or (3) employees of companies that are owned by or receive funding from Russia's government. The President must also impose the sanctions on family members of such individuals. The President must coordinate with allies, including NATO member states, on the imposition of such sanctions. The President may waive the application of such sanctions in certain instances.
Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 This bill allows certain individuals to sue and recover damages for harm from exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987. This action is available only to individuals who were exposed to contaminated water for at least 30 days. The bill prohibits the U.S. government from asserting specified immunity from litigation in response to such a lawsuit. The bill also prohibits an individual who brings such an action from bringing a separate tort action against the United States based on the same harm.
Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act of 2022 or the PRENDA Act of 2022 This bill creates new federal crimes related to the performance of sex-selection abortions (i.e., abortions based on the sex or gender of an unborn child). It subjects a violator to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both. It also authorizes civil remedies, including damages and injunctive relief. A woman who undergoes a sex-selection abortion may not be prosecuted or held civilly liable.
Preventing Auto Recycling Theft Act or the PART Act This bill establishes requirements for motor vehicles related to catalytic converters and other motor vehicle parts that contain precious metals. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration must revise the motor vehicle theft prevention standard for new motor vehicles to include catalytic converters among the parts that require an inscribed or affixed identifying number. Additionally, the Department of Transportation must establish a grant program through which law enforcement agencies and other entities can stamp vehicle identification numbers onto catalytic converters of existing vehicles. The bill establishes retention requirements for the purchase of motor vehicle parts that contain precious metals. It also sets forth criminal penalties for the theft of catalytic converters or any precious metals removed from a vehicle.
Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act or the HALT Fentanyl Act This bill places fentanyl-related substances as a class into schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. A schedule I controlled substance is a drug, substance, or chemical that has a high potential for abuse; has no currently accepted medical value; and is subject to regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal penalties under the Controlled Substances Act. Additionally, the bill establishes a new, alternative registration process for schedule I research that is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services or the Department of Veterans Affairs or that is conducted under an investigative new drug exemption from the Food and Drug Administration. The bill also makes several other changes to registration requirements for conducting research with controlled substances, including permitting a single registration for related research sites in certain circumstances, waiving the requirement for a new inspection in certain situations, and allowing a registered researcher to perform certain manufacturing activities with small quantities of a substance without obtaining a manufacturing registration.
