Rep. Van Taylor

Integrating New Technologies to Empower Law Enforcement at Our Borders Act This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to report to Congress a plan to identify and deploy emerging and advanced technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence, automation, and optical radar) to achieve greater situational awareness along the northern and southern U.S. borders between ports of entry. The report shall contain information including assessments of (1) how Customs and Border Protection is currently using such technologies, (2) how such technologies can address border security capability gaps, and (3) the cost of acquiring such technologies.

Protecting Family and Small Business Tax Cuts Act of 2022 This bill makes permanent provisions affecting individual and business taxpayers that were enacted in 2017 by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and are scheduled to expire at the end of 2025. The bill makes permanent provisions that reduce individual and capital gain tax rates. The bill increases the standard tax deduction for individual taxpayers. It also increases and modifies the child tax credit and raises the contribution base for the tax deduction of charitable contributions. The bill allows additional contributions to ABLE accounts (tax-exempt accounts designed to enable individuals with disabilities to save and pay for disability-related expenses). It exempts from taxation combat zone benefits of members of the Armed Forces serving in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt and the moving expenses of servicemembers. Additionally, the bill lowers to $750,000 the amount of mortgage debt eligible for an interest expense tax deduction; excludes from the gross income of student borrowers income attributable to the discharge after 2025 of loan debt due to death or disability; makes permanent the limitation on the tax deduction for state and local taxes and denies a deduction for foreign real property taxes; makes permanent the tax deduction of the income of certain pass-through business entities; repeals the tax deduction for personal tax exemptions and the exclusion of employer-provided bicycle commuter fringe benefits; terminates certain miscellaneous itemized tax deductions; doubles the estate and gift tax exemption amount; and makes permanent the increase of the alternative minimum tax exemption amount for individual taxpayers.

Service Restoration Act This bill prohibits the use of federal funds to require a member of the Armed Forces to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. The bill also prohibits adverse action (e.g., punishment) being taken against a member of the Armed Forces solely on the basis that the member refuses to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. Individuals who were involuntarily separated from the Armed Forces solely on the basis of their refusal to receive a COVID-19 vaccination must be reinstated in the grade they held prior to the separation. In computing retired or retainer pay, the military department concerned must include the time between the involuntary separation and reinstatement of the individual. The military department concerned must expunge adverse actions or references to involuntary separation related to the refusal to receive a COVID-19 vaccination from an individual's service record.

This bill requires the military departments to reinstate individuals (upon their request) who were involuntarily separated from the Armed Forces solely based on their refusal to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. Such individuals must be reinstated in the grade they held prior to the separation.

VA Same-Day Scheduling Act of 2022 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to ensure that when a veteran enrolled in the VA health care system contacts the VA by telephone to schedule an appointment for care or services at a VA facility, the scheduling for the appointment occurs during that telephone call.

Rescue Endangered SIVs and Citizens and Urgently Evacuate to Safety Act of 2022 or the RESCUES Act of 2022 This bill requires reports on issues related to the evacuation of Afghanistan, specifically the evacuation of (1) U.S. nationals and lawful permanent residents, (2) nationals of Afghanistan who have received or applied for a special immigrant visa, and (3) nationals of Afghanistan who are eligible for certain levels of priority under the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program. The Department of State must report to Congress on State Department funding provided to nongovernmental entities for evacuating such individuals. The report must include funding provided from August 15, 2021, to the date that is 180 days after this bill's enactment. The State Department must also report to Congress on the State Department's methods to prevent waste, fraud, abuse, or diversion to unintended beneficiaries of funding provided to a nongovernmental entity for evacuating such individuals.

This bill authorizes the National Medal of Honor Museum Foundation to establish a commemorative work on federal land in the District of Columbia in honor of the extraordinary acts of valor, selfless service, and sacrifice displayed by Medal of Honor recipients. The foundation shall be solely responsible for the acceptance of contributions for, and the payment of expenses of, the establishment of the commemorative work. Federal funds may not be used to pay any expenses for the establishment of the commemorative work. The establishment of the commemorative work shall be in accordance with the Commemorative Works Act.

Providing Our Law Enforcement with Adequate Resources for a Response Act or the POLAR Response Act This bill includes a polar vortex as a major disaster for which a declaration of a state of emergency can be made and provides a definition for a disaster-related emergency for purposes of the Department of Defense (DOD) excess personal property program (therefore authorizing DOD to transfer certain personal property for a polar vortex emergency).

Answer COVID FOIAs Now Act This bill addresses pending Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests related to COVID-19. Specifically, the bill requires each federal agency, within 100 calendar days, to complete all pending FOIA requests related to a drug or medical device to prevent, diagnose, mitigate, or treat COVID-19; gain-of-function or potential pandemic pathogen research; or a policy, rule, or standard requiring COVID-19 vaccination of individuals. For each calendar day on which any applicable FOIA request remains pending, the Department of the Treasury must transfer $1 million from the appropriations account of the office of the head of the agency to the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program of the Health Resources and Services Administration. A person submitting such a request shall be deemed to have demonstrated a compelling need for expedited processing.

This bill posthumously provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal in commemoration of the 13 service members who died on August 26, 2021, while stationed at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan.