Rep. Jenniffer González-Colón

Maddy summaryHR 7075 designates a specific triangular area in Washington, D.C. (bounded by 22nd Street NW, P Street NW, and Florida Avenue NW) as "Ukrainian Independence Park," including National Park Service reservations 57D and 360 (which contains the Taras Shevchenko Memorial). The bill updates all federal references to this area to use the new name and authorizes signage highlighting Ukraine's independence and U.S.-Ukraine solidarity. This is a procedural designation bill with no substantive policy changes, solely renaming a park area.

Long-Term Care Veterans Choice Act This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to enter into contracts to pay for specified veterans (i.e., certain veterans who have service-connected disabilities and require nursing home care) to be placed in medical foster homes at their request. A medical foster home is a home designed to provide non-institutional, long-term, supportive care for veterans who are unable to live independently and prefer a family setting. Veterans receiving such care must agree, as a condition of payment for their care, to accept home health services furnished by the VA. Under the bill, no more than a daily average of 900 veterans may have their care in a medical foster home covered by the VA. The VA must create a monitoring system to assess its workload in carrying out the medical foster home payments. Additionally, the Government Accountability Office must submit to Congress reports that assess the implementation of this program and provide recommendations for improvements. The bill also extends certain loan fee rates through February 15, 2031, under the VA's home loan program.

Uyghur Policy Act of 2021 This bill addresses human rights issues concerning the Uyghurs and other minority groups in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China. The bill authorizes the establishment of a Special Coordinator for Uyghur Issues position within the Department of State. The State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs may, subject to appropriations, make certain funds available to human rights advocates working on behalf of Uyghurs and members of other ethnic and religious minority groups persecuted in China. The funds, if made available, shall be used to facilitate the presence of such human rights advocates at public diplomacy forums to speak on issues related to the human rights and religious freedoms of minority groups persecuted in China. The State Department must ensure that Uyghur language training is available to Foreign Service officers. It must also ensure that a Uyghur-speaking member of the Foreign Service is assigned to U.S. diplomatic and consular missions in China.

Delivering Optimally Urgent Labor Access for Veterans Affairs Act of 2022 or the DOULA for VA Act of 2022 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to study the feasibility and advisability of furnishing doula services to pregnant or formerly pregnant veterans (with respect to postpartum care) who are enrolled in the VA health care system.

This resolution encourages people around the world to work to achieve the goal of zero new HIV transmissions, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS-related deaths, in order to end the HIV epidemic in the United States and around the world by 2030. The resolution supports continued funding for prevention, care and treatment services, and research programs for communities impacted by HIV and people living with HIV in the United States and globally. The resolution supports continued leadership by the United States in domestic, bilateral, multilateral, and private sector efforts to fight HIV. Finally, the resolution urges other members of the international community to sustain and scale up their support for and financial contributions to efforts around the world to combat HIV.

This resolution condemns Iran's state-sponsored persecution of its Baha'i minority and its continued violation of the international covenants on human rights. Further, it calls on Iran to immediately release all imprisoned or detained Baha'is, and it urges the President and the Department of State to impose sanctions on Iranian officials and others who are responsible for serious human rights abuses, including abuses against Iran's Baha'i community.

Maddy summaryHRES 1497 is a House resolution introduced by Rep. Lawrence and colleagues on November 29, 2022, that formally recognizes the Women In Military Service For America Memorial (Military Women’s Memorial) for its 25 years of service. The resolution highlights the memorial’s role as America’s only national memorial dedicated to documenting the service of 3 million women in U.S. military history, including preserving 304,000 service records, maintaining a world-class archive of 8,000+ artifacts, and providing educational resources to millions. It emphasizes the memorial’s work as a research hub, oral history repository (1,400+ accounts), and gathering place for veterans and ceremonies. As a symbolic resolution, it has no legal effect but formally honors the memorial’s contributions to preserving and sharing women’s military history.

Disaster Survivors Fairness Act of 2022 This bill makes changes in the process for seeking assistance following a major disaster. Specifically, the bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to establish and maintain a web-based interagency electronic information sharing system, to be known as DisasterAssistance.gov, to facilitate the administration of a universal application for direct federal disaster assistance and for other specified purposes. The President may provide (1) assistance to respond to the disaster-related housing needs of individuals and households who are displaced from their predisaster primary residence that is damaged by a major disaster (currently, such residences must be rendered uninhabitable); and (2) direct assistance for repairs and for cost-effective hazard mitigation measures that reduce threats to life and property or future damage. FEMA may (1) enter into a cooperative agreement to provide funding to a state agency to establish and operate a website to provide information relating to postdisaster recovery funding and resources; and (2) reimburse a state, tribal, or local government for certain costs relating to sheltering emergency response personnel. The bill extends FEMA's authority to implement state-managed housing assistance as a pilot program until the issuance of final regulations. FEMA must conduct a study and develop a plan to address the challenges associated with providing housing assistance to survivors of major disasters or emergencies. The Government Accountability Office must report on assistance issues, including improper and potentially fraudulent federal disaster assistance.

Small Project Efficient and Effective Disaster Recovery Act or the SPEED Recovery Act This act increases to $1 million the threshold for eligibility for assistance for what qualifies as a small project under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, thereby allowing more recovery projects to proceed under simplified procedures. The threshold must be reviewed every three years. The Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security must conduct an audit, and report to Congress, on whether there has been waste and abuse as a result of the change in the threshold.

Lymphedema Treatment Act This bill provides for Medicare coverage of lymphedema compression treatment items. Specifically, the bill provides for coverage of standard and custom fitted gradient compression garments and other approved items that are prescribed by a physician or other specified health care professional to treat lymphedema.