Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Reauthorization Act of 2022 This act expands the allowable use of grants under the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program. The program provides state, local, and tribal grants to improve the criminal justice system's response to people with mental health disorders. Among the provisions, the act allows funds for diversion and alternative prosecution and sentencing programs to be used for training for state and local prosecutors related to diversion programs; allows funds for multidisciplinary teams to be used to support police officers and mental health crisis workers responding together to mental health calls; and allows grants to be awarded for additional purposes such as suicide prevention programs and services, case management services, and state and local implementation of the 988 suicide hotline. Additionally, the act reauthorizes through FY2027 the requirement for the Department of Justice to examine and report on the prevalence of mentally ill offenders in prisons and jails.
Sponsored bills
Iran Hostages Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to the 53 hostages of the Iran Hostage Crisis (November 4, 1979-January 21, 1981) in recognition of their bravery and endurance throughout their captivity.
Supply Chain Disruptions Relief Act This bill modifies the treatment of liquidations of new motor vehicle inventory as qualified LIFO (last in first out accounting method) inventory. It allows new motor vehicle dealers to elect to wait until the end of 2025 to replace their inventory for purposes of determining income attributable to the sale of such inventory during 2020 and 2021.
Maddy summaryThe Redistricting Reform Act of 2022 establishes federal standards for congressional redistricting in all states. It requires states to create single-member districts that comply with constitutional requirements, protect minority voting rights under the Voting Rights Act, respect communities of interest, and avoid partisan gerrymandering. The bill prohibits mid-decade redistricting except for court-ordered changes, mandates public input and transparency in the process, and creates enforcement mechanisms including court oversight if states fail to comply with the requirements.
Election Security Act of 2022 This bill addresses election security through grant programs and requirements for voting systems and paper ballots. Among other provisions, the bill (1) establishes requirements for voting systems, including that systems use individual, durable, voter-verified paper ballots; (2) directs the Election Assistance Commission to award grants to states for specified activities, including replacing voting systems and improving the security of the systems; and (3) requires states and jurisdictions to carry out postelection audits for all federal elections.
Campaign Finance Transparency Act This bill revises provisions regarding the Federal Election Commission (FEC), including to (1) modify the process for the FEC to initiate an investigation, (2) extend permanently the FEC's administrative penalty authority, and (3) provide statutory authority for limitations on ex parte communications as applied to FEC members and employees.
Platform Accountability and Transparency Act This bill increases access to the data of large technology platforms (i.e., platforms with at least 50 million unique monthly users in the United States) in order to facilitate research concerning activities on those platforms, particularly by requiring platforms to disclose data to researchers who participate in a research program jointly established by the National Science Foundation and the Federal Trade Commission.
Project Safe Neighborhoods Reauthorization Act of 2022 This bill reauthorizes through FY2026 the Project Safe Neighborhoods Block Grant Program within the Department of Justice. The bill also allows funds under the program to be used for hiring crime analysts to assist with violent crime reduction efforts; the cost of overtime for law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and law enforcement assistants who assist with the program; purchasing, implementing, and using technology to assist with violent crime reduction efforts; and supporting multijurisdictional task forces.
Providing Resources, Officers, and Technology to Eradicate Cyber Threats to Our Children Act of 2022 or the PROTECT Our Children Act of 2022 This act reauthorizes through FY2024 (1) the National Strategy for Child Exploitation Prevention and Interdiction, and (2) the National Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program.
Maddy summarySRES 875 is a non-binding Senate resolution declaring racism a public health crisis in the United States. It directly affects racial and ethnic minority communities, which face documented health disparities including lower life expectancy, higher maternal mortality, and worse pandemic outcomes due to systemic inequities. The resolution commits the Senate to establishing a nationwide strategy to address health disparities, dismantle systemic racism, and advance reforms for communities disproportionately impacted by racism. It cites evidence from public health experts and historical data showing racism meets all criteria of a public health crisis: widespread impact, unfair distribution, preventable nature, and lack of current preventive measures. The resolution is symbolic, urging cross-government action but not creating new laws or funding.