The Emergency Relief Program Reauthorization Act of 2022 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture to carry out a program to make payments for losses of crops and livestock during calendar year 2022.
Digital Equity Foundation Act of 2022 This bill sets out a process for establishing the Foundation for Digital Equity to raise funding for, develop programs and partnerships to, and otherwise support efforts to expand access to broadband internet and promote digital literacy, inclusion, and equity. The bill authorizes the foundation to carry out a range of activities to advance its mission, such as (1) establishing for-profit subsidiaries to stimulate economic development and attract investment partners, and (2) awarding grants.
Enhancing Questions to Understand Intentions for Pregnancy Act of 2022 or the EQUIP Act of 2022 This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide eligible health organizations with demonstration program grants to implement routine screenings about people's pregnancy intentions in order to provide better contraceptive and prepregnancy care.
Maddy summaryHRES 1358 is a symbolic House resolution designating the week of September 17-24, 2022, as "National Estuaries Week." It expresses congressional support for raising public awareness about the ecological and economic importance of estuaries, highlighting their role in supporting jobs, fisheries, coastal protection, and biodiversity. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but acknowledges estuaries' contributions to the U.S. economy (e.g., $351 billion in GDP) and their vulnerability to threats like pollution and sea-level rise. It aims to encourage continued efforts by government and community partners to protect and restore these vital ecosystems.
Expanding Service Coordinators Act This bill reauthorizes through FY2027 funding for service coordinator programs, which embed staff in certain federally assisted housing to arrange for transportation, case management, and other supportive services for eligible residents. The bill also makes service coordinators eligible to have qualifying student loans discharged through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Additionally, the Government Accountability Office must study best practices and other matters concerning service coordinator programs in federally assisted housing in rural areas.
Lowering Obstacles to Achievement Now Act or the LOAN Act This bill makes various changes to federal student aid programs, including by providing funding to increase the maximum Pell Grant award for each eligible student and reducing the number of monthly loan payments required for loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.
Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act of 2022 This bill establishes several requirements and standards relating to prior authorization processes under Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. Specifically, MA plans must (1) establish an electronic prior authorization program that meets specified standards, including the ability to provide real-time decisions in response to requests for items and services that are routinely approved; (2) annually publish specified prior authorization information, including the percentage of requests approved and the average response time; and (3) meet other standards, as set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, relating to the quality and timeliness of prior authorization determinations.
Strengthening Welfare in Marine Settings Act of 2022 or the SWIMS Act of 2022 This bill establishes prohibitions on capturing, importing, exporting, or breeding of orcas, beluga whales, false killer whales, or pilot whales for the purpose of public display. Specifically, the bill prohibits the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from issuing any permit under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 that authorizes the taking (e.g., capturing) or importation of such orcas or whales for the purpose of public display. The bill further revises the act to make it unlawful to export such orcas or whales, unless they are being transported to marine mammal sanctuaries or for release into the wild. Further, the bill makes it unlawful under the Animal Welfare Act for any person to breed or artificially inseminate such marine mammals for purposes of using their progeny for public display.
Responsive Energy Demand Unlocks Clean Energy Act or the REDUCE Act This bill requires organizations that operate electric grid transmission facilities (e.g., Regional Transmission Organizations or Independent System Operators) to accept bids in a power market from demand response programs of a certain size. In a demand response program, end-use electricity customers are typically remunerated for voluntarily decreasing their short-term electrical consumption generally in response to compromised grid reliability or high wholesale electricity prices.
Energizing Technology Transfer Act This bill provides support for the development of clean energy and related technology. For example, the bill requires the Office of Technology Transitions within the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a grant program for clean energy incubators that accelerate the commercial application of clean energy technologies. In addition, DOE must establish a Clean Energy Technology University Prize, under which students compete to develop business models for furthering the commercial application of innovative clean energy technologies.
