Rep. Tom Rice

Hazard Eligibility and Local Projects Act This act makes an entity seeking assistance under a hazard mitigation assistance program eligible to receive such assistance for certain projects already in progress. Specifically, this act covers a project that is an acquisition and demolition project for which an entity began implementation, including planning or construction, before or after requesting assistance for the project under a hazard mitigation assistance program; and qualifies for a categorical exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must have determined that the project qualifies for a categorical exclusion, is compliant with applicable floodplain management and protection of wetland regulations and criteria, and does not require consultation under any other environmental or historic preservation law or regulation or involve any extraordinary circumstances. FEMA must report to Congress, within 180 days of enactment and annually thereafter for three years, on use of the authority under this act. Such authority terminates three years after enactment.

This act designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 213 William Hilton Parkway in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, as the Caesar H. Wright Jr. Post Office Building.

This act designates the outpatient clinic of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Greenville, South Carolina, as the Lance Corporal Dana Cornell Darnell VA Clinic.

This act designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1550 State Road S-38-211 in Orangeburg, South Carolina, as the J.I. Washington Post Office Building.

This act directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous award of a Congressional Gold Medal to commemorate Glen Doherty, Tyrone Woods, J. Christopher Stevens, and Sean Smith, four Americans killed in the September 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. (Stevens was the U.S. Ambassador to Libya at the time, Smith was an officer in the Foreign Service, and Doherty and Woods were both government contractors and former Navy SEALs.) After the medal has been awarded, it shall be given to the Central Intelligence Agency Museum.

Cardiovascular Advances in Research and Opportunities Legacy Act This act addresses research, education, and awareness concerning valvular heart disease and its treatment. This disease is caused by damage to or disease affecting any valve that controls blood flow in the heart. The National Institutes of Health may conduct or support research on the disease in consultation with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). The NHLBI must also conduct a workshop on mitral valve prolapse, which occurs when the valve between the chambers of the left side of the heart seals improperly. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must develop best practices to treat valvular heart disease. HHS may also carry out other projects to increase education and awareness of the disease.

Maddy summaryHRES 1525 is a non-binding House resolution condemning antisemitism spread by public figures, celebrities, and officials on social media. It cites the Anti-Defamation League’s report of 2,717 antisemitic incidents in 2021 (a 34% increase from 2020) and urges influential people to use their platforms to speak out against antisemitism. The resolution calls for unity with Jewish communities and emphasizes the need for Holocaust education to combat rising hate. As a symbolic measure, it does not create new laws or penalties but formally expresses the House’s stance against antisemitic rhetoric.

FEMA Caseworker Accountability Act This bill directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report to Congress on case management personnel turnover at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Specifically, the GAO must report on the turnover rate for FEMA case management personnel, the average and median length of employment for such personnel, the steps that FEMA is taking or plans to take to lower the turnover rate, the number of FEMA personnel detailed to work disaster recovery, and personnel rotations.

Sunshine Protection Act of 2021 This bill makes daylight savings time the new, permanent standard time. States with areas exempt from daylight savings time may choose the standard time for those areas.

The Jackie Walorski Maternal and Child Home Visiting Reauthorization Act of 2022 This bill reauthorizes through FY2027, increases funding for, and modifies the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program. This program supports home visits for expectant and new parents who live in communities that are at-risk for poor maternal and child health outcomes. Changes to the program include setting out requirements for allocating program funds; increasing the percentage of funds reserved for tribal entities; establishing a publicly available dashboard that reports program outcomes; requiring activities to reduce unnecessary data collection, reporting, and other administrative requirements of the program; and allowing for virtual home visits (provided certain conditions are met). The bill also reduces funding for the Medicare Improvement Fund.