Sen. Steve Daines

No WHO Pandemic Preparedness Treaty Without Senate Approval Act This bill establishes that any convention or agreement on pandemic-related issues reached by the World Health Assembly (WHA) pursuant to a specified negotiating body shall be deemed to be a treaty requiring the advice and consent of the Senate. Specifically, this bill applies to any international instrument negotiated by the intergovernmental negotiating body established by the WHA in December 2021 to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.

Defending Freedom of Conscience for Cadets and Midshipmen Act of 2022 This bill provides that a cadet or midshipman at a federal service academy (e.g., the U.S. Naval Academy) may not be required to be vaccinated for COVID-19 as a condition for graduation and may not be dismissed from the academy as a result of refusing to be vaccinated. Cadets and midshipmen who are prohibited from fulfilling their service agreement due to their refusal to receive a COVID-19 vaccination may not be subjected to repayment provisions (e.g., bonus repayment) or specified debt repayment collections.

St. Mary's Reinvestment Act This bill authorizes the Bureau of Reclamation to use funds through FY2032 to rehabilitate the St. Mary Diversion Dam and Canal Headworks, which are part of the Milk River Project in Montana. In addition, the bill requires Reclamation to (1) coordinate with the Blackfeet Tribe with respect to the replacement activities that are carried out for the rehabilitation, (2) study the ability of project beneficiaries (i.e., water users) to pay for the costs of the rehabilitation, and (3) establish repayment terms based on the study. Finally, the bill requires the federal cost share to be at least 26.04%.

Maddy summarySRES 648 is a symbolic Senate resolution designating May 2022 as "National Brain Tumor Awareness Month." It does not create new laws or affect specific individuals, but aims to raise public awareness about brain tumors through official recognition. The resolution cites statistics on brain tumor diagnoses (over 88,000 estimated new cases in 2022), survival rates (35.6% 5-year survival), and their status as a leading cause of cancer death in children and young adults. It encourages public awareness, supports research for better treatments, and honors those affected by brain tumors. This resolution has no direct policy impact but serves as a formal acknowledgment of the disease's significance.

Border's Unused Idle and Lying Dormant Inventory Transfer Act or the BUILD IT Act This bill requires the federal government to transfer, upon request, materials associated with the construction of a barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border to the governments of the states along that border (i.e., Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Texas). The transferred materials must be used to construct a barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border.

Federal Secure Cloud Improvement and Jobs Act of 2021 This bill provides statutory authority for the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) within the General Services Administration (GSA). FedRAMP is a government-wide program that provides a standardized, reusable approach to security assessment and authorization for cloud computing products and services that process unclassified information used by agencies. The bill establishes a FedRAMP Board to provide input and recommendations to the GSA regarding the requirements and guidelines for, and the prioritization of, security assessments of cloud computing products and services. The GSA may determine whether FedRAMP may use an independent assessment service to analyze, validate, and attest to the quality and compliance of security assessment materials that pertain to cloud computing products and services. An independent assessment service that performs such work must annually report to GSA about any foreign interest in, influence of, or control of its service. The Government Accountability Office must publish a report that, among other requirements, includes an assessment of the costs incurred by agencies and cloud service providers related to the issuance of FedRAMP authorizations. The bill establishes the Federal Secure Cloud Advisory Committee.

Competition and Transparency in Digital Advertising Act This bill limits certain large digital advertising companies from owning multiple types of advertising exchanges or brokerages and imposes certain duties with respect to the interests of the customers of such brokerages. Advertising exchanges and brokerages generally facilitate advertisers and publishers in buying and selling advertising inventory through an automated bidding process. Specifically, companies with more than $20 billion in annual digital advertising revenue are prohibited from owning more than one type of service within the digital advertising marketplace. For example, a company, such as Google, may not own a digital advertising exchange and provide software that assists publishers of online advertisements in selling advertising space on their websites. Additionally, companies with more than $5 billion in annual digital advertising revenue that provide brokerage services to buyers or sellers of digital advertisements must act in the best interest of their brokerage customers. The bill also establishes transparency and privacy requirements for such brokerages. The bill provides for enforcement of these requirements by the Department of Justice, state attorneys general, and private right of action.

Maddy summarySRES 643 is a Senate resolution designating the week of May 15-21, 2022, as "National Police Week" to honor law enforcement officers who serve and sacrifice in their communities. The resolution recognizes the service of law enforcement officers, particularly those killed or injured in the line of duty, and acknowledges their sacrifices during the COVID-19 pandemic. It expresses support for officers' needs for proper equipment, training, and resources, and encourages the public to observe the week by honoring law enforcement personnel. This designation serves as a formal recognition of law enforcement service without creating new legal requirements or policy changes.

Protecting Indian Tribes from Scams Act This bill requires the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), after consultation with Indian tribes, to report on unfair or deceptive practices that target tribes or tribal members. The FTC must submit the report to Congress and make it publicly available. Further, the FTC must update its website to include information for consumers and businesses on identifying and avoiding unfair or deceptive practices that target tribes or tribal members.

Greatest Generation Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 50,000 $5 coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins in commemoration of the National World War II Memorial in the District of Columbia. The design of the coins shall be emblematic of the memorial and the service and sacrifice of American soldiers and civilians during World War II. All surcharges received from the sale of such coins shall be paid to the Friends of the National World War II Memorial to support the National Park Service in maintaining and repairing the memorial, and for educational and commemorative programs.