National Liberty Memorial Preservation Act This bill extends through FY2027 the authority of the National Mall Liberty Fund D.C. to establish a memorial on eligible federal land to honor the slaves and free Black persons who served as soldiers and sailors or provided civilian assistance during the American Revolution.
Break the Cycle of Violence Act This bill establishes federal grant programs and related entities to support violence intervention initiatives. Specifically, the bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants for coordinated community violence intervention initiatives in communities disproportionately impacted by homicides and community violence. HHS must also establish several related entities, including an Office of Community Violence Intervention to administer programs and activities related to violence intervention; the Community Violence Intervention Advisory Committee to advise and assist the office and HHS; and the National Community Violence Response Center to provide training and technical assistance, coordinate research, and develop data collection policies. Additionally, the bill directs the Department of Labor to award grants for job training and workforce programs in communities disproportionately affected by gun violence to connect youth ages 16 to 24 to in-demand occupations.
This resolution welcomes His Holiness, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the worldwide spiritual head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, to Illinois, Texas, and Maryland. The resolution commends the efforts of His Holiness towards promoting a pathway to achieve individual and global peace, as well as individual and global justice. The resolution commends His Holiness for condemning extremism and terror in all its forms. Finally, the resolution commends His Holiness for his perseverance in counseling all Ahmadi Muslims to shun any form of violence, even in the face of severe persecution.
National Council on African American History and Culture Act of 2022 This bill establishes a National Council on African American History and Culture in the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). The duties of the council shall include gathering timely and authoritative information concerning historical developments and cultural trends in African-American history and culture; evaluating the various programs and activities of the NEH to determine the extent to which such programs and activities are contributing, or not contributing, to the successful preservation and celebration of African-American history and culture; and developing and recommending to the NEH national policies to foster and promote the understanding of African-American history, the preservation of African-American culture, and the celebration of African Americans as contributors to the country's economic, cultural, and political success.
Maddy summaryHR 4380 designates the Healing Garden at 6900 Delta Drive in El Paso, Texas, as the "El Paso Community Healing Garden National Memorial." This designation does not make the site part of the National Park System and explicitly states that no federal funds will be required or authorized for the memorial's upkeep or operations. The bill is purely procedural, focusing on naming the site.
Clean Slate Act of 2021 This bill establishes a framework for sealing records related to certain federal criminal offenses. Courts must automatically seal records related to (1) a conviction for simple possession of a controlled substance or for any nonviolent offense involving marijuana, or (2) an arrest for an offense that does not result in a conviction. Additionally, an individual who meets certain criteria may petition to seal records related to a conviction for other nonviolent offenses.
Social Security Fairness Act of 2021 This bill repeals provisions that reduce Social Security benefits for individuals who receive other benefits, such as a pension from a state or local government. The bill eliminates the government pension offset , which in various instances reduces Social Security benefits for spouses, widows, and widowers who also receive government pensions of their own. The bill also eliminates the windfall elimination provision , which in some instances reduces Social Security benefits for individuals who also receive a pension or disability benefit from an employer that did not withhold Social Security taxes. These changes are effective for benefits payable after December 2021.
This resolution recognizes (1) the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month; and (2) the integral role of Latinos and their manifold heritage in the economy, culture, and identity of the United States.
No Trafficking Zones Act or the NTZ Act This bill establishes an enhanced penalty—an additional prison term of up to five years—for certain interstate human trafficking offenses or coercion of sexual activity that occurs in a school zone or on or within 1,000 feet of a premises on which a school-sponsored activity is taking place or of a premises owned by an institution of higher education.
Peace Corps Reauthorization Act of 2022 This bill reauthorizes through FY2024 and modifies operations of the Peace Corps. Changes include increasing the readjustment allowance paid to volunteers when their service terminates and providing statutory authority for an executive order that grants returned volunteers noncompetitive eligibility for federal civil-service positions. Additionally, the bill entitles returned volunteers to sixty days of health care benefits. The Peace Corps must also provide volunteers with information about enrolling in U.S. health plans before service termination and mental health care during and after service. The bill also includes provisions to address involuntary termination of Peace Corps service in emergencies, including by expediting re-enrollment of involuntarily terminated volunteers. The Peace Corps must also adequately insure volunteers' safety and must coordinate with the Department of State to periodically update agreements concerning the security of Peace Corps volunteers and staff abroad. The bill also authorizes Peace Corps to recruit domestically based volunteers to serve in the United States at the request of another agency or to provide services in a host country virtually, modifies the Peace Corps National Advisory Council's membership and functions, expands whistleblower protections for volunteers, increases the rate of pay that applies to a volunteer's workers compensation claim, requires Peace Corps to implement a zero tolerance drug use policy regarding volunteer involvement with illegal drugs, and emphasizes the use of the internet in Peace Corps programs. Furthermore, the bill requires reporting, including on the provision of mental health services to volunteers.
