Sen. Kyrsten Sinema

Maddy summaryThis bill grants a federal charter to the National American Indian Veterans, Incorporated, establishing it as a legally recognized nonprofit organization. It directly affects American Indian veterans by creating a formal entity to unite them, advocate for their needs with government agencies, and support tribal veterans services through outreach and training. Key provisions include requiring the organization to maintain tax-exempt status, prohibiting stock or dividends, mandating annual congressional reports on its activities, and granting exclusive rights to its name and emblems. The charter imposes strict governance rules to ensure the organization remains focused on veteran advocacy without distributing assets to members.

This resolution recognizes November 2022 as National Native American Heritage Month and the Friday after Thanksgiving as Native American Heritage Day.

Chance to Compete Act of 2022 This bill modifies examination requirements and other components of the federal hiring process for positions in the competitive service, including prohibiting examinations from consisting solely of a self-assessment from an automated examination, allowing for the use of subject matter experts to develop position-specific assessments, and requiring the creation of an online platform through which agencies may share developed assessments.

Facilitating Federal Employee Reskilling Act This bill establishes certain standards for federal reskilling programs. The bill defines federal reskilling program as a program established by an executive agency, or the Office of Personnel Management, to provide employees with technical skills or expertise that would qualify them to serve in different positions. The bill requires such programs to use merit-based principles with respect to employees' participation. Participating employees must also be given the option to return to their original positions, particularly if they are unsuccessful in their new positions. Additionally, employees are entitled to the same grades in their new positions as in their original positions; new positions must also utilize employees' newly acquired skills or expertise.

This resolution designates the week beginning on October 9, 2022, as National Wildlife Refuge Week. The resolution acknowledges the importance of national wildlife refuges for their recreational opportunities and contribution to local economies. Finally, the resolution reaffirms the support of the Senate for wildlife conservation and the National Wildlife Refuge System.

Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022 This bill revises the process of casting and counting electoral votes for presidential elections. The bill also revises provisions related to the presidential transition process. The bill specifies that the choice of electors must occur in accordance with the laws of the state enacted prior to election day. Additionally, the bill identifies each state's governor (unless otherwise identified in the laws or constitution of a state in effect on election day) as responsible for submitting the certificate of ascertainment identifying the state's electors. Further, the bill provides for expedited judicial review for any action brought by an aggrieved presidential or vice-presidential candidate arising under the U.S. Constitution or U.S. laws with respect to the issuance or transmission of such a certificate. The bill revises the framework for the joint session of Congress to count electoral votes and make a formal declaration of which candidates have been elected President and Vice President. Among other changes, the bill (1) specifies that the role of the Vice President during the joint session shall be ministerial in nature, and (2) raises the objection threshold in Congress to at least one-fifth of the duly chosen and sworn members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The bill also revises the presidential transition process, including to (1) allow more than one candidate to receive federal transition resources under certain circumstances, and (2) require additional reporting by the General Services Administration.

Omnibus Travel and Tourism Act of 2021 This bill addresses measures to support the U.S. travel and tourism industry with a specific focus recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill establishes the office of Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism. Among other responsibilities, the Assistant Secretary must develop and implement a strategy to assist the U.S. travel and tourism industry to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill also provides statutory authority for the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board and directs the board to assist with the recovery strategy. Additionally, the Department of Commerce must study the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment, revenue, and other aspects of the travel and tourism industry and provide policy recommendations to promote the industry. Commerce must also publish trends in domestic travel and tourism. Further, the Department of Health and Human Services must establish a joint federal task force to address health, safety, security, and other logistical issues affecting air travel during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill establishes a committee comprised of representatives of airports and other aviation stakeholders to advise the task force. In addition, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) must study the feasibility of using dogs to detect the presence of the virus that causes COVID-19 as part of airport security screenings. The TSA may also establish a pilot program at up to six foreign airports to allow passengers departing from those airports to bypass domestic security rescreening at a connecting airport in the United States.

Salton Sea Projects Improvements Act This bill provides the Bureau of Reclamation with additional project authorities for the Salton Sea research project in Southern California and reauthorizes a Department of Interior pilot program in the Colorado River Basin. Specifically, the bill authorizes Reclamation to provide grants and enter into contracts and cooperative agreements to carry out projects (e.g., construction activities and dust suppression projects) to improve air quality, fish and wildlife habitat, recreational opportunities, and water quality in the area of the Salton Sea. To carry out these projects, Reclamation may enter into partnerships with state, tribal, and local governments; water districts; joint powers authorities, including the Salton Sea Authority; nonprofit organizations; and institutions of higher education. The bill also reauthorizes Interior to fund or participate in pilot projects to increase Colorado River System water in Lake Mead and the Colorado River Storage Project reservoirs through FY2026. The bill further requires Interior to submit an updated report to Congress by the end of FY2027 on the effectiveness of the pilot projects and a recommendation on whether to continue the program.

Solid Start Act of 2022 This act permanently authorizes and expands the Solid Start program, which is an outreach program for veterans in their first year of separation from the military. Specifically, the act requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to coordinate with the Department of Defense to collect updated contact information during transition classes or separation counseling for members of the Armed Forces who are separating from service; explain the existence and purpose of the program; call veterans three times within the first year of separation; publish information about the program in booklets and on the VA website; provide women veterans with information tailored to their health care and benefit needs; provide information on access to state and local resources, such as Vet Centers; gather and analyze data that assesses the effectiveness of the program; ensure calls are tailored to each veteran's needs by conducting quality assurance tests; and prioritize outreach to veterans who have accessed mental health resources prior to separation from the Armed Forces. Under the act, the VA is authorized to (1) encourage members of the Armed Forces to provide additional contact information if they are unreachable following their separation, and (2) follow up on missed phone calls.

Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act This act directs the Department of Transportation to establish an Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) interagency working group to plan and coordinate efforts related to the safety, infrastructure, physical security, cybersecurity, and federal investment necessary to bolster the AAM ecosystem, particularly passenger-carrying aircraft, in the United States. Advanced Air Mobility refers to an air transportation system that moves people and cargo between places using new aircraft designs that are integrated into existing airspace operations as well as operated in local, regional, intraregional, rural, and urban environments. Additionally, the Government Accountability Office must study and report to Congress on the interests, roles, and responsibilities of federal, state, local, and tribal governments affected by AAM aircraft and operations.