Sen. Ben Ray Luján

FEMA Improvement, Reform, and Efficiency Act of 2022 or the FIRE Act This act addresses the federal government's approach to wildfires. Specifically, the act requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to report to Congress regarding the use of relocation assistance under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act for wildfire risk. FEMA, in coordination with the National Weather Service, must study, develop recommendations for, and initiate a process for the use of forecasts and data, including information that supports Red Flag Warnings and similar weather alert and notification methods, to establish plans and actions that can be implemented prior to a wildfire event that can limit the impact, duration, or severity of the fire; and mechanisms to increase interagency collaboration to expedite the delivery of disaster assistance. The Government Accountability Office must report to Congress regarding wildfires, including the effectiveness of FEMA programs. Each state, local agency, or private mental health organization providing professional crisis counseling assistance must ensure that those providing case management services to victims of a major disaster have training to address impacts in communities and to individuals with socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. FEMA must conduct a study and develop a plan to address providing housing assistance to survivors of major disasters or emergencies when presented with challenges such as the presence of multiple families within a single household. The act allows Indian tribal governments to apply for grants for equipping, upgrading, and constructing state and local emergency operations centers.

Improving Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women Act 2.0 This bill makes permanent a grant program that supports the provision of substance use disorder treatment to pregnant and postpartum women.

Fire Suppression Improvement Act This bill sets the federal cost share of fire management assistance at 75% of the eligible cost of such assistance and permits a state or local government to use such assistance for the predeployment of assets and resources. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must complete a rulemaking to provide criteria for the circumstances under which it may recommend that the President increase the federal cost share.

Fire Ready Nation Act of 2022 This bill establishes fire weather programs and activities to improve fire forecasting and readiness. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shall establish a coordinated fire weather services program within NOAA to support readiness, responsiveness, and overall resilience of the United States to wildfires, fire weather, smoke, and other associated conditions, hazards, and impacts in built and natural environments (including at the wildland-urban interface); develop a comprehensive, centralized, and publicly accessible digital presence designed to promote usability of the services, tools, data, and information produced by the program; seek to acquire sufficient high-performance computing resources and capacity for research, operations, and data storage in support of the program; establish a fire weather testbed to evaluate the accuracy and usability of technology, models, fire weather products and services, and other research to accelerate the implementation and use of new capabilities by NOAA, federal and land management agencies, and other relevant stakeholders; conduct annual post-fire-weather season surveys and assessments; establish an Incident Meteorologist Service within the National Weather Service (NWS); assess resources, personnel, procedures, and activities necessary to maximize the functionality and utility of the automated surface observing system and implement a plan that addresses the findings of the assessment; and conduct a workforce support services assessment of NWS employees engaged in emergency response.

Kids Online Safety Act This bill sets out requirements for covered platforms (i.e., social networks, video streaming services, or other applications that connect to the internet and are likely to be used by minors) to protect minors from online harm, including requirements relating to (1) safeguards to restrict access to the personal data of minors, (2) tools to help parents supervise a minor's use of a platform, and (3) reporting of harm to minors from using the platform.

Reese's Law This bill requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission to establish product safety standards with respect to batteries that pose an ingestion hazard (e.g., button cell or coin batteries).

This concurrent resolution recognizes the disparity between wages paid to Latina women, and its impact on women, families, and the nation and reaffirms Congress' commitment to supporting equal pay for equal work and to narrowing the gender wage gap.

Abandoned Well Remediation Research and Development Act This bill requires the Department of Energy to establish a research, development, and demonstration program with respect to (1) data collection on the location of abandoned oil or gas wells; (2) the plugging, remediation, reclamation, and repurposing of the wells; and (3) strategies to mitigate potential environmental impacts of documented and undocumented abandoned wells.

Next Generation Telecommunications Act This bill temporarily establishes the Next Generation Telecommunications Council to advise Congress on sixth generation (6G) and other advanced wireless communications technologies. Appointed members of the council may not have financial or personal interests in matters related to the council's duties. These duties include reviewing past actions related to advancing wireless communications deployment. Additionally, the council must develop a strategy with recommendations on how the federal government can support, for example, the adoption of 6G and other advanced wireless communications technologies and the promotion of international cooperation with respect to those technologies. In developing the strategy, the council must consider issues including access to electromagnetic spectrum resources, workforce needs to support 6G deployment, and network security and resiliency. The council terminates 120 days after submitting a final report that contains the strategy. Within 60 days of receiving that report, the Department of Commerce must submit to Congress an assessment with comments on the report's findings and recommendations.

Funding Affordable Internet with Reliable Contributions Act or the FAIR Contributions Act This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission to study and report on the feasibility of funding the Universal Service Fund through contributions from edge providers (i.e., providers of online content or services, such as search engines).