Rep. Ritchie Torres

Maddy summaryHRES 437 is a symbolic House resolution designating June 4, 2021, as "National Gun Violence Awareness Day" and June 2021 as "National Gun Violence Awareness Month." It does not create new laws or policies but calls on the public to wear orange, increase awareness of gun violence, and focus on community safety efforts during summer months. The resolution references statistics on gun deaths and honors Hadiya Pendleton, a 15-year-old victim of gun violence, to highlight the issue. It has no direct legal effect on individuals or communities but aims to promote public discussion.

Empowering and Enforcing Environmental Justice Act of 2022 This bill provides statutory authority for the Department of Justice's Office of Environmental Justice. It also establishes grants to improve the capacity of state, local, and tribal governments to enforce environmental laws involving environmental justice matters.

Southeast Asian Deportation Relief Act of 2022 This bill prohibits the detention or removal of certain nationals of Vietnam, Cambodia, or Laos. Specifically, this protection from detention or removal shall apply to nationals of these countries who (1) entered the United States on or before January 1, 2008, (2) have continuously resided in the United States since entry, and (3) are subject to a final order of removal. Such individuals shall also receive employment authorization. The Department of Homeland Security must notify each individual covered by this bill, as well as information and instructions on how to file a motion to reopen removal proceedings.

Miranda Rights Restoration Act of 2022 This bill provides a private right of action for a violation of specified procedural rights related to custodial interrogation. It also provides individuals with a statutory right to sue and recover damages from federal officials for violations of their constitutional rights.

Wayne Ford Racial Impact Statement Act of 2022 This bill requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to prepare a minority impact assessment for each bill or joint resolution that establishes or modifies a crime, criminal penalties, or pretrial, sentencing, or probation procedures, or that could otherwise affect the number of people who are federally incarcerated, and that is under the jurisdiction of specified congressional subcommittees; GAO must also prepare assessments for similar proposed rules. Assessments must include information relating to the fiscal and demographic impact of proposed changes on prisons, prison populations, and the criminal justice system.

Renewing Immigration Provisions of the Immigration Act of 1929 This bill expands eligibility for a program that authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to, at its discretion, provide lawful permanent resident status to certain long-term residents of the United States, including individuals who are unlawfully present. Currently, this program, sometimes referred to as the Registry program, is only available to eligible non-U.S. nationals ( aliens under federal law) who entered the United States before January 1, 1972. The bill removes this entry cutoff date and opens up the program to eligible individuals who have resided in the United States for at least seven years. Existing requirements (e.g., the individual must not be inadmissible or deportable due to certain grounds related to crime or terrorism) continue to apply.

Youth Voting Rights Act This bill expands voting access for youth. Specifically, the bill establishes a private right of action to enforce the Twenty-Sixth Amendment, which prohibits denying or abridging the right to vote based on age. Additionally, the bill directs each state to designate as voter registration agencies all offices within public institutions of higher education (IHEs) that provide assistance to students, implement a preregistration process to allow minors who are 16 years or older to register to vote in federal elections that take place when or after the preregistered individual turns age 18, and ensure the availability of polling places on campuses of IHEs (with the availability of waivers). The bill prohibits durational residency requirements for voting in all federal elections. Currently, this prohibition applies only to voting for the offices of President and Vice President. States and local jurisdictions with voter identification requirements must treat IHE-issued student identification cards as voter identification. The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) must make grants to states to increase the involvement of individuals under age 18 in public election activities. The Government Accountability Office must report to Congress on trends related to voter registration, absentee voting, and provisional voting. The EAC must also collect and make publicly available certain data from states.

Balkans Security Cooperation Act This bill requires the Department of Defense, with the concurrence of the Department of State, to report on security cooperation between Western Balkan countries and the United States, Russia, China, and NATO. For the purposes of this bill, the Western Balkan countries are Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia. The report must include (1) an assessment of how Western Balkan security cooperation with Russia and China affect the security interests of the United States and NATO; (2) an assessment of the Russian Humanitarian Center in Nis, Serbia, and any influence or coordination it may have with Russian intelligence agencies; and (3) a determination by the State Department on whether any Western Balkan country has conducted a significant transaction with a person that is part of Russia's defense or intelligence sectors.

This bill directs the Bureau of Justice Assistance within the Department of Justice to study the efficacy of extreme risk protection orders on reducing gun violence.

Conspiracy to Obstruct the Electoral Count Act This bill prohibits the President from interfering with the determination of electoral votes and establishes penalties for violations. Specifically, the bill prohibits the President from obstructing the certification of electoral votes by Congress or pressuring the Vice President during such certification to discount a state-certified slate of electors or count an alternate slate of electors; a federal, state, or local official to substitute an alternate slate of electors; a federal, state, or local official to find votes; or a federal, state, or local official to make false claims about a presidential election.