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.
Preventing a Patronage System Act of 2022 or the PPSA Act of 2022 This bill prohibits executive agency positions in the competitive service from being placed in the excepted service, unless such positions are placed in Schedules A through E as in effect on September 30, 2020. The bill also prohibits positions in the excepted service from being placed in any schedule other than the aforementioned schedules. On October 21, 2020, former President Donald Trump issued an executive order titled Creating Schedule F in the Excepted Service . The order placed executive agency positions that are of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character, and that are not normally subject to change as a result of a presidential transition, under a new schedule in the excepted service (Schedule F) instead of the competitive service. The order also required any such positions in the excepted service to be reclassified to Schedule F. The order was revoked by President Joe Biden on January 22, 2021.
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.
Let Doctors Provide Reproductive Health Care Act This bill sets out protections for and establishes programs to support health care providers (and those who assist such providers) who offer reproductive health care services that are lawful in the state where the services are provided. Reproductive health care services refer to abortion services; contraceptive services; in vitro fertilization; or other reproductive care, education, and counseling that is provided (1) at a health care site or via telehealth, and (2) in a medically accurate manner. The bill prohibits individuals, entities, and states from preventing, restricting, or otherwise interfering with the provision of lawful reproductive health care services by health care providers. The Department of Justice, individuals, or providers may bring a lawsuit to enforce this bill, and states are not immune from suits for violations. Furthermore, states may not use federal funds to pursue legal cases or similar proceedings (e.g., adverse licensing proceedings) against health care providers, individuals, or entities that offer or assist with lawful reproductive health care services. Additionally, medical malpractice insurers may not deny coverage to or sue a health care provider because the provider offers or assists with lawful reproductive health care services. The bill also funds grants to assist health care providers who offer or refer for abortion services and face legal issues relating to their provision of reproductive health care services with legal matters and improving security.
Recovering America’s Wildlife Act of 2022 This bill provides financial and technical assistance to states, territories, and the District of Columbia for the purposes of (1) recovering species listed as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act or under state law, or (2) avoiding the need to list species under such laws. For example, the bill establishes the Endangered Species Recovery and Habitat Conservation Legacy Fund. A portion of the fund must be used to establish an Endangered Species Recovery Grant Program. It also provides funding for (1) the conservation or restoration of wildlife and plant species of greatest conservation need; (2) the wildlife conservation strategies of states, territories, or the District of Columbia; and (3) wildlife conservation education and recreation projects. The Department of the Interior must use a portion of the funding for a grant program. The grants must be used for innovative recovery efforts for species of greatest conservation need, species listed as endangered or threatened species, or the habitats of such species. In addition, the bill requires certain revenues generated from fees and penalties for violations of environmental requirements to be used as a source for the funding.
This resolution designates September 2022 as National Child Awareness Month to (1) promote awareness of youth-serving charities and organizations throughout the United States, (2) recognize the efforts made by those charities and organizations as critical contributions to the future of the United States, and (3) recognize the importance of meeting the needs of at-risk children and youth.
Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2023 This bill provides FY2023 appropriations to the Department of Commerce, the Department of Justice (DOJ), the science agencies, and several related agencies. The bill provides appropriations to the Department of Commerce for the International Trade Administration, the Bureau of Industry and Security, the Economic Development Administration, the Minority Business Development Agency, Economic and Statistical Analysis, the Bureau of the Census, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and Departmental Management. The bill provides appropriations to DOJ for General Administration; the Executive Office for Immigration Review; the Office of Inspector General; the U.S. Parole Commission; Legal Activities; the U.S. Marshals Service; the National Security Division; Interagency Law Enforcement; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Federal Prison System. The bill also provides appropriations to DOJ for state and local law enforcement activities, including the Office on Violence Against Women, the Office of Justice Programs, and Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). The bill provides appropriations for science agencies, including the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Space Council, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the National Science Foundation. The bill provides appropriations to related agencies, including the Commission on Civil Rights, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the U.S. International Trade Commission, the Legal Services Corporation, the Marine Mammal Commission, the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, and the State Justice Institute. The bill also sets forth requirements and restrictions for using funds provided by this and other appropriations acts.
Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act of 2022 This bill expressly classifies broadband internet as a telecommunications service rather than an information service for purposes of regulation by the Federal Communications Commission. (Current law treats providers of telecommunications services as common carriers and subjects them to more stringent requirements.)
Weatherization Assistance Program Improvements Act of 2022 This bill expands the Department of Energy's Weatherization Assistance Program, including by establishing a Weatherization Readiness Fund. If the dwellings of low-income households have significant defects or hazards that prevent the installation of weatherization (e.g., energy efficiency) measures under the program, then states may use the fund for repairing such defects and hazards.
Global Food Security Reauthorization Act of 2022 This bill reauthorizes through FY2028 activities to implement the Global Food Security Strategy, a whole-of-government strategy to promote global food security, resilience, and nutrition. The bill also modifies aspects of the strategy, such as requiring the strategy to seek to improve the efficiency and resilience of agricultural production. The bill also reauthorizes through FY2028 activities related to the Emergency Food Security Program, an international market-based assistance program.
