Sen. Cory A. Booker

Heating and Cooling Relief Act This bill provides additional energy assistance to households, including heating and cooling assistance. Specifically, the bill reauthorizes through FY2031 and revises the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. Under the existing program, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may award grants to states for assisting low-income households that pay a high proportion of their income for home energy. To be eligible under the existing program, households must have incomes which do not exceed the greater of an amount equal to 150% of the poverty level for their state or an amount equal to 60% of the state median income. The bill expands eligibility to households with incomes which do not exceed the greater of an amount equal to 250% of the poverty line as defined in the Community Services Block Grant Act or an amount equal to 80% of the state median income. In addition, the bill expands eligibility to households with a monthly energy burden of 3% or more per year. It also requires states to establish procedures to protect households receiving assistance under the program from energy shutoffs and certain late fees. In addition, the bill requires HHS and the Department of Energy to jointly carry out a program that awards grants to states and local governments for developing and implementing interagency plans to reduce energy burdens for eligible households with high home energy use. The plans must promote the reduction of energy from fossil fuels.

Willie O'Ree Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Willie O'Ree or, if unavailable, to a member of his family, in recognition of his contributions and commitment to hockey, inclusion, and recreational opportunity. The amounts received from the sale of duplicate medals shall be deposited in the U.S. Mint Public Enterprise Fund.

Maddy summaryThis resolution designates January 2022 as "National Mentoring Month" to raise awareness about mentoring's benefits for youth development and community engagement. It highlights how mentoring improves academic achievement, reduces delinquency, and supports vulnerable youth, but does not create new policies or allocate funding. The resolution serves as a symbolic recognition by the Senate, encouraging broader support for existing mentoring programs. It directly affects public awareness and advocacy efforts, not specific individuals or institutions.

Maddy summarySRES 492 is a symbolic Senate resolution designating January 23, 2022, as "Maternal Health Awareness Day." It does not create new laws or allocate funds but formally recognizes the ongoing challenges in maternal health in the U.S., including high pregnancy-related mortality rates (approximately 700 deaths annually), significant racial disparities (Black individuals are over 3 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than White individuals), and barriers to care in rural areas. The resolution aims to raise public awareness about these issues and encourage federal, state, and community efforts to address maternal health disparities and improve care. It is a procedural gesture focused on recognition, not policy change.

Banning Surveillance Advertising Act of 2022 This bill restricts online advertising that targets an individual, internet-connected device, or group of individuals or devices based on personal information. Personal information includes information that is reasonably linkable to an individual or connected device such as internet browsing history or the content of communications. The bill generally prohibits (1) online advertisers from using personal information, including personal information that identifies an individual as a member of a specified protected class, to target advertising; and (2) advertising facilitators (i.e., entities that receive compensation for disseminating online advertisements) from using personal information to disseminate targeted advertising or knowingly enabling online advertisers to do so. The bill allows certain exceptions, including for advertisements disseminated based on (1) content with which an individual is engaging, such as search results, if the advertisement is displayed in close proximity to the individual's engagement with the content; or (2) a state, market area, or other geographic location associated with an individual. Furthermore, an advertising facilitator may use information provided by an advertiser or third party if that advertiser or third party also attests in writing that the information complies with the bill's requirements. The bill provides for enforcement of these provisions by the Federal Trade Commission, states, and individuals.

Defending Ukraine Sovereignty Act of 2022 This bill authorizes security assistance for Ukraine, requires sanctions against Russia if it escalates hostilities in or against Ukraine, and addresses related issues. The bill (1) authorizes the Department of Defense to use various authorities to provide and expedite the delivery of defense articles to support Ukraine's armed forces, (2) allows the President to exercise drawdown authority to provide defense articles to Ukraine, and (3) authorizes the Department of State to provide International Military Education and Training assistance to Ukraine. The President must periodically determine whether Russia's government is significantly escalating hostilities in or against Ukraine and whether such an escalation has the aim or effect of undermining Ukraine's government or interfering with Ukraine's sovereignty or territorial integrity. If the President determines that Russia's government has engaged in such escalation, the President must impose sanctions on (1) certain government officials, including Russia's president and prime minister; (2) certain Russian financial institutions; (3) entities involved in certain transactions involving Russian debt; (4) entities (and corporate officers of such entities) involved in constructing or operating Russia's Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline; and (5) certain entities involved in Russian resource extraction industries. The President may terminate such sanctions after certifying to Congress that Russia's government has taken certain actions, such as entering into an agreed settlement with Ukraine's legitimate democratic government. The bill also authorizes Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty to explore opening new bureaus to reach new audiences on Russia's periphery. The State Department must establish an initiative to deepen and foster ties with the Baltic states.

This resolution expresses gratitude for the personnel of the U.S. Capitol and the U.S. Capitol Police for their bravery and service to the United States and reaffirms the dedication of the Senate to strengthening the rights of and support to those personnel.

Strengthening the Public Health Workforce Act This bill reauthorizes through FY2025 and makes changes to the Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment Program (a program that awards student loan repayment to individuals with qualifying degrees who commit to work full-time for a federal, state, tribal, or local public health agency for a period of obligated service). Changes to the program include increasing the maximum repayment amount; eliminating the option for individuals to complete the service obligation in a federal public health agency; and expanding the scope of qualifying degrees to cover, for example, those in statistics, computer science, and programs related to information technology. In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services may take actions to equitably distribute awards across geographic regions, among jurisdictional levels, and between urban and rural areas. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to conduct an evaluation of the public health workforce.

Technology Assessment for Air Quality Management Act of 2022 This bill addresses air quality monitoring technology, including by requiring the Environmental Protection Agency to update its Air Sensor Toolbox with specified information and establish an Air Quality Technology Working Group to report on air quality monitoring systems. The Government Accountability Office must inventory national air quality monitoring infrastructure by documenting specified elements, such as locations and populations near such monitors.

Congressional Tribute to Constance Baker Motley Act of 2022 This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal posthumously to Constance Baker Motley in recognition of her contributions and service to the United States in advancing civil rights as an attorney, elected official, and judge.