Rep. Yvette D. Clarke

This resolution recognizes Immigrant Heritage Month in honor of the contributions immigrants and their children have made to the United States. It also welcomes immigrants presently in the United States and individuals seeking to immigrate to the United States to contribute to the health, safety, diversity, and prosperity of the United States.

Maddy summaryHRES 507 is a non-binding House resolution condemning legislative actions and violence targeting transgender and nonbinary individuals. It references 2021 state bills restricting transgender youth access to gender-affirming medical care, sports participation, and public facilities, alongside statistics on rising violence (44 transgender killings in 2020) and mental health impacts. The resolution formally condemns discriminatory legislation and violence, remembers victims of transphobic hate, and commits to advocating for the community’s safety. As a symbolic resolution - not a law - it expresses congressional disapproval but does not create new policies or alter existing laws.

This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that (1) lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) rights are human rights and protected by the U.S. Constitution; (2) LGBTQIA+ Pride Month should be celebrated; and (3) all Americans should be treated equally regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Haiti Criminal Collusion Transparency Act of 2022 This bill requires the Department of State to provide an annual report to Congress on ties between criminal gangs and political and economic elites in Haiti. Among other things, the report must (1) identify prominent criminal gangs in Haiti, (2) list Haitian political and economic elites that have links to criminal gangs, (3) assess how collusion between Haitian political and economic elites and criminal gangs threatens the Haitian people and U.S. national interests, and (4) assess what actions the governments of the United States and Haiti could take to address those threats. The bill also requires the State Department to identify certain individuals listed in the report who may be subject to visa- and property-blocking sanctions under specified U.S. laws.

Maddy summaryThe Facial Recognition Act of 2022 regulates how law enforcement agencies can use facial recognition technology. It requires law enforcement to obtain court orders before using facial recognition with reference photo databases (with limited emergency exceptions), mandates removal of photos from arrest databases for people who weren't convicted, and requires annual accuracy and bias testing of facial recognition systems. The bill prohibits use for tracking constitutional rights, enforcing immigration laws, or using body camera footage, and establishes reporting requirements for agencies. It also provides individuals with the right to sue if their rights are violated by improper use of facial recognition.

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.

Backlog Justice Act of 2022 This bill requires certain actions to address the backlog of untested sexual assault kits. For example, the bill (1) directs the Bureau of Justice Assistance to establish a publicly accessible online database regarding untested kits, and (2) requires the Department of Justice to provide an increased amount of certain grant funding for states that have in place electronic evidence tracking systems for these kits.

Leading Against White Supremacy Act of 2022 This bill establishes a standard for determining whether a person engaged in a white supremacy inspired hate crime. The bill also sets forth the elements of related conspiracies. Specifically, the bill states that a person engaged in a white supremacy inspired hate crime when white supremacy ideology motivated the actions that constituted a crime or were undertaken in furtherance of activity that would have constituted a crime. Additionally, the bill sets forth the elements of an offense involving the conspiracy to engage in a white supremacy inspired hate crime. Finally, the bill authorizes the Department of Justice to investigate, prosecute, and maintain records of white supremacy inspired hate crimes and related conspiracies.

Stealthing Act of 2022 This bill establishes a civil action for the nonconsensual removal of a sexual protection barrier (e.g., a condom). A person may recover compensatory and punitive damages, injunctive and declaratory relief, and such other relief as a court may deem appropriate.

Consent is Key Act This bill directs the Department of Justice to increase a state's allocation of funds under the Sexual Assault Services Program if the state has in effect a law that authorizes civil damages and equitable relief against a person who engages in the nonconsensual removal of a sexual protection barrier (e.g., a condom).