Rep. Madeleine Dean

Maddy summaryHR 7477, the CERTS Tax Exemption Act, ensures that grants provided under the Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services Act are tax-free for eligible transportation service providers. The bill directly affects companies and organizations providing transportation services that receive these specific federal grants. Key provisions state that grant amounts cannot be counted as taxable income, deductions related to grant-funded costs cannot be denied, and tax attributes (like basis increases) must be treated as tax-free for partnerships and S corporations. This change simplifies tax treatment for recipients by preventing unintended tax liabilities on relief funds.

Russian Digital Asset Sanctions Compliance Act of 2022 This bill allows additional sanctions against Russia and creates specified reporting requirements regarding digital assets. Specifically, the President must periodically identify foreign persons who facilitate evasion of Russian sanctions using digital assets. The bill authorizes sanctions against such persons. The bill requires a U.S. taxpayer engaged in offshore digital asset transactions greater than $10,000 to file an annual Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts with the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. The bill allows the Department of the Treasury to prohibit U.S. digital asset trading platforms and transaction facilitators from transacting with Russian digital asset addresses. Additionally, Treasury must report on its progress in implementing the bill and must annually identify foreign digital asset trading platforms that are a high risk for sanctions evasion, money laundering, and other illicit activities.

Federal Contracting for Peace and Security Act This bill requires executive agencies to terminate their contracts with companies conducting business operations in Russia. This requirement ends when Russia takes steps to restore the safety, sovereignty, and condition of Ukraine. The bill shall not apply to the procurement of products or services for (1) the benefit, either directly or through the efforts of regional allies, of Ukraine; or (2) humanitarian purposes to meet basic human needs. The bill provides for a waiver where in the national interest of the United States.

Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act This bill requires private health insurance plans to cover diagnosis and treatment of congenital anomalies and birth defects, such as reconstructive services and items. Coverage must include services and items that functionally improve, repair, or restore any body part that is medically necessary for normal bodily functions or appearance, as determined by the treating physician. Coverage limits and cost-sharing requirements for such services and items may not be more restrictive than those applicable to all medical and surgical benefits under the plan.

Supply Chain Disruptions Relief Act This bill modifies the treatment of liquidations of new motor vehicle inventory as qualified LIFO (last in first out accounting method) inventory. It allows new motor vehicle dealers to elect to wait until the end of 2025 to replace their inventory for purposes of determining income attributable to the sale of such inventory during 2020 and 2021.

Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act or the MORE Act This bill decriminalizes marijuana. Specifically, it removes marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act and eliminates criminal penalties for an individual who manufactures, distributes, or possesses marijuana. The bill also makes other changes, including the following: replaces statutory references to marijuana and marihuana with cannabis , requires the Bureau of Labor Statistics to regularly publish demographic data on cannabis business owners and employees, establishes a trust fund to support various programs and services for individuals and businesses in communities impacted by the war on drugs, imposes an excise tax on cannabis products produced in or imported into the United States and an occupational tax on cannabis production facilities and export warehouses, makes Small Business Administration loans and services available to entities that are cannabis-related legitimate businesses or service providers, prohibits the denial of federal public benefits to a person on the basis of certain cannabis-related conduct or convictions, prohibits the denial of benefits and protections under immigration laws on the basis of a cannabis-related event (e.g., conduct or a conviction), establishes a process to expunge convictions and conduct sentencing review hearings related to federal cannabis offenses, directs the Government Accountability Office to study the societal impact of state legalization of recreational cannabis, directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to study methods for determining whether a driver is impaired by marijuana, directs the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to study the impact of state legalization of recreational cannabis on the workplace, and directs the Department of Education to study the impact of state legalization of recreational cannabis on schools and school-aged children.

Cerebral Palsy Research Program Authorization Act of 2022 This bill expands research activities related to cerebral palsy (a group of disorders caused by abnormal brain development or damage that affects an individual's ability to move and maintain balance and posture). Specifically, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must carry out a cerebral palsy research program that addresses diagnosis and treatment, public health surveillance, and related matters. Additionally, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development must update an existing strategic plan for cerebral palsy research.

Student and Student Athlete Opioid Misuse Prevention Act or the Student Athlete Opioid Prevention Act This bill authorizes a program through which the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration may award grants or other assistance for preventing and addressing the misuse of opioids and other medications used for treating pain or injury recovery among students and student athletes. Entities eligible for the grants include states, nonprofits, and drug-free community coalitions.

Strengthen Kids' Mental Health Now Act of 2022 This bill establishes several requirements to support the provision of behavioral health services under Medicaid and other programs, particularly for children. For example, the bill temporarily requires payment for pediatric mental, emotional, and behavioral health services under Medicaid to align with Medicare payments to providers. The bill provides for a 100% Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (i.e., federal matching rate) for any associated additional expenditures. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must issue guidance on how state Medicaid programs may expand the availability of telehealth services and mental, emotional, and behavioral health services. In addition, the Health Resources and Services Administration must award grants to support (1) pediatric behavioral health care integration in communities, (2) pediatric mental health and substance use disorder workforce training, and (3) the infrastructure of pediatric hospitals and rural health clinics with respect to behavioral health services.

Anna Westin Legacy Act of 2022 This bill requires the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to maintain the National Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders (NCEED). The bill specifies required activities for NCEED, including providing training for frontline health care providers and other professionals.