Sen. Thom Tillis

Raising Expectations with Child Opportunity Vouchers for Educational Recovery Act or the RECOVER Act This bill directs local educational agencies to use certain federal COVID-19 relief funds to address student learning loss by distributing direct financial assistance (i.e., Child Opportunity Scholarships) to the parent or guardian of an eligible student for certain qualified educational expenses (e.g., educational materials, tutoring, or private school tuition). Eligible student refers to a child who is a member of a household with an income that is not more than 300% of the federal poverty level.

Maddy summaryThis resolution designates August as "National Anti-Counterfeiting and Consumer Education and Awareness Month" to raise public awareness about the dangers of counterfeit products. It directly affects consumers, businesses, and brands by promoting education on how counterfeit goods - such as unsafe medical products or fake electronics - threaten health, safety, and the economy. The key mechanism is encouraging existing efforts (led by agencies like the FTC and FBI) to educate the public through campaigns that help identify counterfeit items in both physical and online markets. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but affirms support for ongoing awareness initiatives to reduce consumer harm and economic losses from counterfeiting.

First Responders' Equipment Access Act This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency to revise regulations to exempt from emission standards engines and equipment of certain marine vessels that are owned by emergency response or public safety agencies with responsibility for domestic response or homeland security activities.

Maddy summaryS 4710 adds phosphate and potash to the Department of the Interior's official list of critical minerals, updating the 2022 final list published in the Federal Register (87 Fed. Reg. 10381). This change directly affects industries relying on these minerals, such as agricultural fertilizer production and chemical manufacturing. The bill amends the existing list without creating new regulations or requirements.

Patent Eligibility Restoration Act of 2022 This bill amends the law relating to patent subject matter eligibility to establish that only specified subject matter (e.g., a natural process wholly independent of human activity) are ineligible for patenting. (Currently, subject matter eligibility is determined by examining whether the claimed invention is directed to certain ineligible categories, and if so, whether there is an inventive concept.)

Western Balkans Democracy and Prosperity Act This bill addresses economic and political development in the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia), including by supporting anti-corruption and trade initiatives.

Animal Violence Exposes Real Threat of Future Violence Act of 2022 or the AVERT Future Violence Act of 2022 This bill directs the National Institute of Justice within the Department of Justice (DOJ) to study the factors that contribute to acts of animal cruelty. The report must also analyze acts of animal cruelty as a predictor of future violence against humans. Additionally, the bill authorizes DOJ to establish a grant program to support the development and strengthening of detection strategies and early intervention or diversion resources to stop acts of animal cruelty and rehabilitate offenders.

Military Housing Readiness Council Act This bill establishes the Department of Defense Military Housing Readiness Council to review and make recommendations to the Department of Defense (DOD) regarding policies for privatized military housing. The council must also monitor compliance by DOD with statutory improvements to policies for privatized military housing and make recommendations to improve collaboration, awareness, and promotion of accurate and timely information about privatized military housing, accommodations available through the Exceptional Family Member Program, and other support services among policymakers, service providers, and targeted beneficiaries. The council must make all documents publicly available until the council ceases to exist.

This bill authorizes the Department of Agriculture to relocate a memorial in North Carolina honoring the nine Air Force crew members who lost their lives in an airplane crash in the Cherokee and Nantahala National Forests during a training mission on August 31, 1982, with the consent of the owner of the private land where the memorial is currently located.

Patent Examination and Quality Improvement Act of 2022 This bill requires the Government Accountability Office to report to Congress on how to improve the patent examination process and the quality of issued patents. Within a year after the report is submitted to Congress, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office must develop guidance for its patent examiners that take into consideration the report’s findings and recommendations.