Sen. Susan M. Collins

Combating Violent and Dangerous Crime Act This bill revises various statutes with respect to violent crimes and establishes new criminal offenses. For example, the bill (1) increases the statutory maximum penalty for carjacking, and (2) establishes enhanced criminal penalties for certain federal drug offenses involving the manufacture or distribution of candy-flavored controlled substances or similar products for minors.

Maddy summaryThis resolution designates July 30, 2022, as "National Whistleblower Appreciation Day" to commemorate the July 30, 1778, passage of the first U.S. whistleblower protection law by the Continental Congress. It directs federal agencies to inform employees and the public about whistleblower rights and acknowledge whistleblowers' contributions to preventing fraud, waste, and abuse of public funds. The resolution does not create new legal protections or penalties but encourages agencies to recognize whistleblowers' role in safeguarding taxpayer resources and ethical governance. As a ceremonial resolution, it focuses on raising awareness rather than implementing new policy.

This resolution (1) designates July 2022 as National Blueberry Month; and (2) recognizes the contributions of blueberry growers in the United States and their families, and that purchasing blueberries grown in the United States supports farmers, jobs, communities, and the economy of the United States.

Supporting Seniors with Opioid Use Disorder Act of 2022 This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to conduct additional outreach regarding opioid use disorder treatment services that are covered under Medicare and to collect relevant data on the utilization of such services.

Preserving Access to Home Health Act of 2022 This bill restricts the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) from decreasing payments for Medicare home health services based on certain adjustments until 2026. Current law requires the CMS to make certain permanent and temporary payment adjustments under the Medicare prospective payment system for home health services based on behavioral assumptions for 2020 through 2026. The bill restricts the CMS from making adjustments that decrease payments until 2026; the CMS must also ensure that any such necessary decreases are made before 2032.

This resolution recognizes, honors, and commends the women of Ukraine who have contributed to the fight for freedom and the defense of Ukraine. The resolution acknowledges the women who have risked their lives to travel through territory controlled by Russia, break siege tactics surrounding cities, and ensure the safety of children and the elderly. The resolution acknowledges the important role women must play in resolving the conflict between Ukraine and Russia as outlined in U.N. Security Council Resolution 1325 (2016) and required by the laws of the United States and regulations of Ukraine. The resolution further calls on all countries to promote the meaningful inclusion of women in negotiations and decision-making at all levels, including security decisions. Finally, the resolution commits to supporting the women of Ukraine wherever they are as they fight back against tyranny and work for the free and democratic future of Ukraine.

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.

Peace Corps Reauthorization Act of 2022 This bill reauthorizes the Peace Corps program through FY2027 and addresses other issues related to the program. For example, the bill (1) increases the readjustment allowances for returning Peace Corps volunteers; (2) provides statutory authority to an executive order that provides returning volunteers with noncompetitive eligibility for federal employment purposes (i.e., eligibility to be noncompetitively appointed to a competitive federal position); and (3) requires the Peace Corps to take all reasonable measures to prevent and address reprisal or retaliation against a volunteer by any person with supervisory authority over the volunteer, such as a Peace Corps officer.

Cambodia Democracy and Human Rights Act of 2022 This bill directs the President to impose sanctions on foreign persons (i.e., entities and individuals) responsible for acts to undermine democracy in Cambodia, including acts that constitute serious human rights violations and acts to support the establishment of facilities in Cambodia that could be used by China's military. The sanctions shall be directed at foreign persons, including current or former Cambodian government, military, and security forces officials, responsible for such actions, as well as entities controlled or owned by such persons. The sanctions shall include blocking the assets of sanctioned persons and restricting the entry of sanctioned individuals into the United States, and shall not apply to the importation of goods. The President may waive the sanctions with respect to a person if it is in the national interest of the United States. The President may suspend the sanctions if Cambodia makes meaningful progress toward ending government efforts to undermine democracy, ending human rights violations, and meeting other specified conditions. The President must report to Congress on the presence of China's military in Cambodia, including the involvement of China's military in upgrading or constructing certain facilities in Cambodia.

Green Retrofits Act This bill reauthorizes a Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) water and energy conservation demonstration program through FY2027. Prior to its FY2019 expiration, the program allowed HUD to execute agreements with specified entities to reduce utility costs through improvements at multifamily subsidized housing projects. The reauthorization makes a number of changes to the original program, including increasing the cap on eligible residential units from 20,000 to 35,000 and extending the cap on agreement terms from 12 to 15 years. The bill also creates a green retrofit program that allows HUD to provide grants or loans to owners of multifamily subsidized housing projects. The grants or loans must be used to perform in-home health and green retrofits to the property.