Fair Elections Now Act of 2022 This bill establishes the Freedom from Influence Fund, which shall provide funding to Senate candidates who meet specified conditions and agree to abide by certain requirements, such as limits on types of campaign funding sources. The bill also imposes a tax on certain U.S. government contracts.
Continuity for Operators with Necessary Training Required for ATC Contract Towers Act of 2021 or the CONTRACT Act of 2021 This bill exempts certain air traffic controllers from a required reduction in their retirement annuity payment on account of earnings from certain work performed while entitled to such annuity. Under current law, retired Federal Aviation Administration air traffic controllers receive an annuity payment during the period between the mandatory retirement age of 56 and the Social Security minimum age of 62. Such annuity payment is required to be reduced by a certain percentage of any excess earnings during this period. The bill exempts from such reduction in annuity payments an air traffic controller who participates in the Air Traffic Control Contract Program (a public-private partnership for air traffic control services) following mandatory retirement.
Small Business Child Care Investment Act This bill deems certain nonprofit child care providers to be small business concerns so that they may participate in loan programs administered by the Small Business Administration.
Maddy summarySRES 870 is a symbolic Senate resolution honoring former Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, who died on October 24, 2022. The resolution expresses the Senate's sympathy to his family, commends his public service career, and recognizes his work as Defense Secretary (2015-2017), including advancing gender equity in the military, supporting defense innovation, and leading efforts against the Islamic State. It does not create new laws or policies - it is purely a commemorative gesture. The Senate also adjourned in his memory as a mark of respect.
Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Reauthorization Act of 2021 This bill directs the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to sell each copy of the Multinational Species Conservation Fund Semipostal Stamp and notify Congress when all copies have been sold. If the USPS destroys one or more such stamps before this bill's enactment, it shall print and sell the same number of such stamps.
Emergency Vacating of Aircraft Cabin Act This bill directs the Federal Aviation Administration to issue a final rule establishing evacuation standards for transport category airplanes that accounts for certain factors, including the ability of passengers of different ages (e.g., infants, children, and senior citizens) to safely and efficiently evacuate an airplane.
Aviation Workforce Development Enhancement Act This bill expands aviation workforce development programs of the Federal Aviation Administration by providing additional grant funding for aircraft pilot development, the education and recruitment of aviation maintenance technical workers, and the development of the aviation manufacturing workforce.
Tornado Observations Research and Notification Assessment for Development of Operations Act or the TORNADO Act This bill establishes programs and activities to improve the forecasting of hazardous weather and water events, including tornadoes. The bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to maintain and improve the system by which the risks of hazardous weather and water events are communicated to the general public, with the goal of informing action and encouraging response to prevent loss of life and property. NOAA shall also maintain a hazard risk communication office; establish or maintain a research program to modernize the creation and communication of risk-based, statistically reliable, probabilistic hazard information to inform effective responses to hazardous weather and water events; establish a pilot program for tornado hazard communication to test the effectiveness of the implementation of the research conducted pursuant to this bill; submit to Congress a strategic plan for developing and prioritizing the implementation of high-resolution probabilistic forecast guidance for hazardous weather and water events using a next-generation weather forecast and warning framework; perform one or more post-storm surveys and assessments following each hazardous weather or water event that is of sufficient societal importance; update, if necessary, the system for rating tornado severity; and maintain the Vortex USA tornado research program. The Government Accountability Office shall submit a report that examines the information technology infrastructure of the National Weather Service.
This concurrent resolution recognizes the disparity between wages paid to Latina women, and its impact on women, families, and the nation and reaffirms Congress' commitment to supporting equal pay for equal work and to narrowing the gender wage gap.
Clarifying Civil Rights Remedies Act of 2022 This bill specifies that damages in certain civil rights lawsuits may include all types of compensatory damages, including for emotional harm.
