Sen. Richard Blumenthal

Maddy summarySRES 858 is a symbolic Senate resolution expressing support for National Adoption Day and National Adoption Month. It does not create new laws or allocate funds but publicly endorses efforts to promote adoption awareness, celebrate adoptive families, and encourage Americans to consider adoption. The resolution specifically recognizes that every child deserves a permanent family and urges people to support adoption opportunities during November and year-round. It highlights existing statistics about children in foster care (e.g., 114,000 waiting for adoption) but focuses solely on raising awareness, not changing policies. This resolution was introduced by 35 Senators and adopted without legislative effect.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (SRES 855) commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), established by the 1972 Consumer Product Safety Act. It formally recognizes the Commission's role in protecting consumers through safety standards, product recalls, and enforcement of laws like the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. The Senate expresses appreciation for the CPSC's work in reducing injuries and deaths from products such as refrigerators, pools, and bicycles, while acknowledging ongoing safety challenges. This is a symbolic gesture with no new policy requirements or funding.

Holding Accountable Russian Mercenaries Act or the HARM Act This bill requires the Department of State to designate the PMC Wagner Group as a foreign terrorist organization. Such designation also applies to any affiliated and successor entities undertaking malign activities against the United States and its allies or partners. (Among other things, such a designation allows the Department of the Treasury to require financial institutions to block transactions involving the organization.) The President may waive the application of sanctions against these entities if the President determines it to be in the national interest.

Women's Health Patient Navigator Act of 2022 This bill provides funding for patient navigator grants to assist individuals in accessing abortion services. The Department of Health and Human Services must award the grants to state, tribal, or local governments; nonprofits; or community organizations that offer unbiased and medically accurate programs, services, or activities to connect individuals with abortion services. Grant-funded activities include, among others, coordinating the scheduling, financing, and other logistics of abortion services. Further, the bill prohibits individuals, entities, and states from preventing or otherwise disadvantaging an entity that is eligible to receive a grant from carrying out activities to assist individuals with accessing abortion services, including in any state in which those services are not lawful. Such activities include providing (or assisting in the provision of) abortion care and other reproductive health services that are either (1) lawful in the state where the services are provided, or (2) provided to an individual who does not reside in the state where the services are provided. The bill allows for enforcement of this prohibition through private lawsuits.

International Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2022 This bill reauthorizes certain initiatives to combat human trafficking (e.g., the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000) and specifically incorporates anti-human trafficking initiatives into other federal programs and activities (e.g., the U.S. Agency for International Development).

Maddy summaryThis Senate resolution (SRES 853) recognizes November 2022 as "National Homeless Children and Youth Awareness Month." It does not create new laws or allocate funding but formally acknowledges the issue of homelessness affecting children and youth in the U.S. The resolution encourages businesses, state/local governments, organizations, educators, and volunteers to intensify efforts during November 2022 to raise awareness about child and youth homelessness and support prevention programs. It highlights statistics on homelessness impacts but focuses solely on symbolic recognition and awareness-raising, not policy changes.

Proprietary Education Interagency Oversight Coordination Improvement Act This bill requires certain actions to increase federal oversight of proprietary (i.e., for-profit) institutions of higher education (IHEs). Specifically, the bill establishes the Proprietary Education Interagency Oversight Coordination Committee and sets forth its duties and membership. The bill also directs the Department of Education (ED) to collect and track student complaints regarding the services or activities of any proprietary IHE that is eligible for federal education assistance. Further, ED must publish a warning list for parents and students that is comprised of proprietary IHEs that have engaged in certain activities, including those that have been sued for financial relief or have pending claims for borrower relief discharge.

Hide No Harm Act of 2022 This bill establishes criminal penalties for corporate officers who fail to inform federal agencies, their employees, or affected individuals of any serious physical danger that is associated with their products or services. It also prohibits retaliatory action against whistleblowers.

Corporate Crime Database Act of 2022 This bill requires the Bureau of Justice Statistics to establish a public database of enforcement actions taken by federal agencies against businesses for corporate offenses.

This concurrent resolution commemorates the 50th anniversary of the enactment of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972, commonly known as the Clean Water Act.