Rep. Grace Meng

This resolution recognizes the significance of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month as an important time to celebrate the contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders to the history of the United States. The resolution also recognizes that the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities enhance the rich diversity of the United States.

Respect, Advancement, and Increasing Support for Educators Act of 2022 or the RAISE Act of 2022 This bill allows eligible educators (i.e., any elementary or secondary teacher and any early childhood educator) a refundable tax credit of $1,000 plus an additional amount (based upon a specified student poverty ratio) for eligible educators employed at a qualifying school (i.e., a public elementary or secondary school that is eligible for certain federal assistance or is funded by the Bureau of Indian Education), or an early childhood education program for children receiving certain federal assistance. The bill also increases the amount of the tax deduction for the expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers and expands such credit to include early childhood educators. The bill provides additional funding to local educational agencies that maintain or increase the salaries of their teachers.

Pride in Mental Health Act This bill expands programs that prevent and treat child abuse and neglect to address issues facing youth who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, nonbinary, or gender-variant members of indigenous communities (e.g., Two Spirit). Specifically, these programs include (1) research and reporting requirements, (2) providing technical assistance, (3) grants to states and local agencies to train child-welfare personnel, and (4) community-based prevention-service grants. The bill also establishes a grant program to provide mental and behavioral health resources for such youth, including trauma-informed care.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (HRES 1072) designates April 30, 2022, as "National Adult Hepatitis B Vaccination Awareness Day" to raise public attention. It does not create new laws or policies but symbolically supports efforts to address hepatitis B, which affects millions in the U.S. and has serious health risks like liver cancer. The resolution encourages increased adult vaccination (currently at 30% coverage), testing, and linkage to care, particularly for high-risk groups including people with opioid use disorder and communities disproportionately impacted by the disease. It highlights that hepatitis B is highly infectious and often undiagnosed, with rising cases linked to the opioid epidemic in several states.

Stop Sexual Harassment in K-12 Act This bill outlines the role and duties of Title IX coordinators in elementary and secondary schools, including by requiring local educational agencies to increase the number of full-time employees designated to serve as a Title IX coordinator per specified student population. The bill also creates a grant program to train teachers and staff on how to respond to signs of sexual harassment and assault of students and requires the Department of Education to develop a sexual violence climate survey.

Armenian Genocide Education Act This bill requires the Library of Congress to maintain a public website and otherwise support educational initiatives to promote understanding about the Armenian Genocide.

This resolution recognizes that Black women are experiencing high, disproportionate rates of maternal mortality and morbidity in the United States and that Black Maternal Health Week is an opportunity to deepen the national conversation about Black maternal health.

Maddy summaryHRES 1045 (2022) is a symbolic resolution supporting National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (observed April 10). It calls on federal, state, and local entities to recognize the day and encourages efforts to address HIV disparities among youth, including promoting inclusive sex education, removing outdated HIV criminalization laws, and supporting youth-friendly healthcare access. The resolution does not create new laws or allocate funding but affirms existing policies like the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program and the Affordable Care Act's protections for young people living with HIV. It focuses on raising awareness and reducing stigma rather than mandating specific actions.

This resolution recognizes the discrimination that Sikhs have faced and continue to face in the United States and elsewhere and condemns all acts of bias and hatred against the Sikh community. The resolution also expresses respect and gratitude for the contributions of all Sikh Americans.

Hispanic Educational Resources and Empowerment Act of 2022 This bill directs the Department of Education to (1) award grants to Hispanic-serving institutions of higher education (IHEs) to improve and expand innovative collaboration agreements between local educational agencies and IHEs to better serve Hispanic and Latino students, (2) provide technical assistance to such IHEs, and (3) contract with a third party to conduct an independent evaluation of grant activities. Such grants must be used for specific activities, such as improving school-based and institutional practices to prepare students for postsecondary education and addressing nonacademic needs of students that are barriers to college enrollment.