Rep. G. K. Butterfield

Hazard Eligibility and Local Projects Act This act makes an entity seeking assistance under a hazard mitigation assistance program eligible to receive such assistance for certain projects already in progress. Specifically, this act covers a project that is an acquisition and demolition project for which an entity began implementation, including planning or construction, before or after requesting assistance for the project under a hazard mitigation assistance program; and qualifies for a categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must have determined that the project qualifies for a categorical exclusion, is compliant with applicable floodplain management and protection of wetland regulations and criteria, and does not require consultation under any other environmental or historic preservation law or regulation or involve any extraordinary circumstances. FEMA must report to Congress, within 180 days of enactment and annually thereafter for three years, on use of the authority under this act. Such authority terminates three years after enactment.

Great Dismal Swamp National Heritage Area Act This act directs the Department of the Interior to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating a study area comprised of cities and counties in Virginia and counties in North Carolina as a National Heritage Area to be known as the Great Dismal Swamp National Heritage Area. The study shall include analysis, documentation, and determinations on whether the study area (1) has an assemblage of natural, historic, and cultural resources that represent distinctive aspects of the people and culture of the United States; and (2) are worthy of recognition, conservation, interpretation, and continuing use.

This resolution condemns the actions of a White supremacist mob that drove Black residents out of Atlanta, Georgia in 1906 and supports the designation of a national day of remembrance for the victims of forced migrations of Black Americans.

This resolution promotes increased public awareness of motorcyclist profiling. The resolution also encourages the motorcyclist community and law enforcement to collaborate and communicate on efforts to end motorcyclist profiling.

This concurrent resolution requires the printing of a revised and updated version of House Document 101-117, titled Black Americans in Congress, 1870-1989 .

Bus Rapid Transit Act This bill directs the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to establish a grant program to provide grants to state, local, and tribal governments for the design and implementation of bus rapid transit systems, including for the redesign, retrofit, renovation, update, and repair of existing bus systems. As a condition of receiving a grant, eligible entities must certify that fares for riding the bus rapid transit system shall not increase solely due to improvements carried out with grant funds and for any reason for at least one year after completion of a project funded by the bill. In carrying out the program, the FTA must prioritize projects located in economically disadvantaged communities.

Expanding the Voluntary Opportunities for Translations in Elections Act or the Expanding the VOTE Act This bill expands access to voting materials for individuals with limited proficiency in the English language, including by establishing incentive grants for states and political subdivisions to provide translated voting materials. Additionally, the bill directs the Government Accountability Office to study the impact of (1) reducing the threshold requirement under Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and (2) expanding the definition of language minorities to include native speakers of additional languages.

This act directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous award of a Congressional Gold Medal to commemorate Glen Doherty, Tyrone Woods, J. Christopher Stevens, and Sean Smith, four Americans killed in the September 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. (Stevens was the U.S. Ambassador to Libya at the time, Smith was an officer in the Foreign Service, and Doherty and Woods were both government contractors and former Navy SEALs.) After the medal has been awarded, it shall be given to the Central Intelligence Agency Museum.

Cardiovascular Advances in Research and Opportunities Legacy Act This act addresses research, education, and awareness concerning valvular heart disease and its treatment. This disease is caused by damage to or disease affecting any valve that controls blood flow in the heart. The National Institutes of Health may conduct or support research on the disease in consultation with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The NHLBI must also conduct a workshop on mitral valve prolapse, which occurs when the valve between the chambers of the left side of the heart seals improperly. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must develop best practices to treat valvular heart disease. HHS may also carry out other projects to increase education and awareness of the disease.

Big Cat Public Safety Act This act revises requirements governing the trade of big cats (i.e., species of lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, or cougar or any hybrid of such species) under the Lacey Act to limit the possession, breeding, and exhibition of big cats. The Lacey Act prohibits any person from importing, exporting, buying, selling, transporting, receiving, or acquiring big cats across state lines or the U.S. border. However, some exemptions are provided for certain entities, such as universities and wildlife sanctuaries. (Sec. 3) The act expands the Lacey Act prohibitions to include a prohibition on possessing or breeding big cats. Breeding means facilitating propagation or reproduction (whether intentionally or negligently), or failing to prevent propagation or reproduction. Owners of big cats that were born before this act's enactment may keep their big cats, but the owners must register them with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The act modifies the list of entities that are exempt from prohibitions to export, buy, sell, transport, receive, acquire, possess, or breed big cats. The modified list includes exemptions for entities or facilities exhibiting animals to the public if they (1) hold a Class C license in good standing under the Animal Welfare Act, and (2) do not allow individuals to come into direct physical contact with big cats. However, direct contact is allowed if the individual is a trained professional, a veterinarian, or directly supporting conservation programs that do not involve commercial activities and meet other specified restrictions. (Sec. 4) A person who knowingly violates the act must be fined not more than $20,000, or imprisoned for no more than five years, or both. The act considers each violation to be a separate offense. The offense must be deemed to have been committed not only in the district where the violation first occurred, but also in any district in which the defendant may have taken or been in possession of the prohibited wildlife species. (Sec. 5) The act extends forfeiture provisions to fish, wildlife, or plants that are bred or possessed; thus, big cats bred or possessed in violation of the act are subject to forfeiture. (Sec. 6) The Department of the Interior must issue regulations to implement this act.