Sen. Michael F. Bennet

Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act This bill prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs from requiring payment from a veteran for any contraceptive item that is required to be covered by health insurance plans without a cost-sharing requirement.

Recovering America’s Wildlife Act of 2022 This bill provides financial and technical assistance to states, territories, and the District of Columbia for the purposes of (1) recovering species listed as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act or under state law, or (2) avoiding the need to list species under such laws. For example, the bill establishes the Endangered Species Recovery and Habitat Conservation Legacy Fund. A portion of the fund must be used to establish an Endangered Species Recovery Grant Program. It also provides funding for (1) the conservation or restoration of wildlife and plant species of greatest conservation need; (2) the wildlife conservation strategies of states, territories, or the District of Columbia; and (3) wildlife conservation education and recreation projects. The Department of the Interior must use a portion of the funding for a grant program. The grants must be used for innovative recovery efforts for species of greatest conservation need, species listed as endangered or threatened species, or the habitats of such species. In addition, the bill requires certain revenues generated from fees and penalties for violations of environmental requirements to be used as a source for the funding.

Eviction Crisis Act of 2021 This bill creates several eviction-related grant programs and shields certain eviction records from consumer reports. Specifically, the bill requires the Bureau of Justice Assistance to award matching grants to state and local governments to support landlord-tenant focused community courts that allow social service representatives to assist tenants in the court process. The bill also permits the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to award grants to state, local, territorial, and tribal governments to provide financial assistance and housing stabilization services to extremely low-income households. HUD is also required under the bill to award grants to local governments and nonprofit organizations to collect data from landlords on illegal self-help evictions and to establish and maintain an eviction database. The bill also requires a consumer report obtained in association with a rental application to be provided to the consumer applicant and requires that eviction information be excluded from a consumer report in cases decided in favor of the tenant. Further, the bill requires the Government Accountability Office to track historical eviction data and to report on savings and revenue generated by the grants awarded under the bill.

Getting Renewable and Energy Efficient Neighborhoods Appraisals Act of 2022 or the GREEN Appraisals Act of 2022 This bill requires lenders that originate federally backed residential mortgages to notify borrowers of their right to request an energy report concerning the property. The bill also requires, upon consent of the borrower, the lender to provide to an appraiser any available energy report concerning the property. The appraiser must take this report into consideration when appraising the value of the property.

Student Apprenticeship Act of 2022 This bill requires the Department of Education to award grants to certain partnerships to enable the development and implementation of a postsecondary apprenticeship program. An eligible partnership must consist of (1) at least one institution of higher education, (2) at least one individual employer, and (3) a workforce intermediary (an entity that demonstrates expertise in fostering partnerships in order to support postsecondary apprenticeship programs). Such partnership may also include other entities such as a state agency responsible for administering career and technical education, a labor organization, or an economic development agency. A partnership that receives a grant must use the funds to develop and implement a postsecondary apprenticeship program in a high-skill, high-wage, and in-demand industry sector or occupation. Additionally, an apprenticeship shall qualify as a work-study program through which a student apprentice is eligible for federal financial assistance.

Digital Citizenship and Media Literacy Act This bill directs the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to award grants to state and local educational agencies, public libraries, and qualified nonprofit organizations to develop and promote media literacy and digital citizenship education for elementary and secondary school students. Media literacy includes the ability to access relevant information, analyze media content, evaluate the accuracy of information, and make educated decisions based on information obtained from media and digital sources. Digital citizenship includes the ability to safely, responsibly, and ethically use communication technologies and to participate in the political, economic, social, and cultural aspects of life related to technology and the digital world.

North American Grasslands Conservation Act of 2022 This bill sets forth requirements to establish councils, a conservation strategy, and programs to conserve and restore grasslands in North America, such as a grant program to support voluntary grasslands conservation projects.

Right to Contraception Act This bill sets out statutory protections for an individual's right to access and a health care provider's right to provide contraception and related information. Contraception refers to an action taken to prevent pregnancy, including the use of contraceptives (i.e., a device or medication used to prevent pregnancy), fertility-awareness based methods, and sterilization procedures. Generally, the bill prohibits measures that single out and impede access to contraception and related information. However, a party may defend against a claim that a measure violates the bill's prohibitions by demonstrating, through clear and convincing evidence, that the measure significantly advances the safety of contraception and cannot be achieved through less restrictive means. The bill also specifies that the prohibition preempts inconsistent state and local laws and applies in spite of other federal laws, including the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. The Department of Justice, individuals, or health care providers may bring a lawsuit to enforce this bill, and states are not immune from suits for violations.

This resolution calls on the Russian government to immediately release Brittney Griner. The resolution urges the United States, in all interactions with the Russian government, to raise the case of Brittney Griner and to press for her release. The resolution further urges the Russian government to provide consular access to Brittney Griner while she remains in detention and to respect her human rights. Finally, the resolution expresses support to the family of Brittney Griner and a commitment to bringing her home.

Benjamin Berell Ferencz Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Benjamin Berell Ferencz in recognition of his service to the United States and the international community during the post-World War II Nuremberg trials and his lifelong advocacy for international criminal justice and the rule of law.