This resolution designates March 24, 2022, as National Women in Agriculture Day. It also recognizes the important role of women in agriculture as producers, educators, leaders, mentors, and more
Military Spouse Hiring Act This bill expands the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) to include the hiring of a qualified military spouse. (The WOTC permits employers who hire individuals who are members of a targeted group such as qualified veterans, ex-felons, or long-term unemployment recipients to claim a tax credit equal to a portion of the wages paid to those individuals.) A qualified military spouse is any individual who is certified by the designated local agency as being (as of the hiring date) a spouse of a member of the Armed Forces.
Postal Banking Act This bill grants the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) the power to provide basic financial services, including low-cost, small-dollar loans, in specified amounts; small dollar lending servicing, which shall ensure that the customer's access to the products and the public interest is given significant consideration; small checking accounts and interest-bearing savings accounts in specified amounts; transactional and remittance services; and other basic financial services in the public interest. It grants the USPS the power to set interest rates and fees for the financial instruments and products provided by the USPS that meet specified requirements. The USPS (1) shall not be granted a bank charter or become an insured depository institution for the purpose of capital requirements, and (2) shall be subject to the provisions of the Uniform Commercial Code regarding bank deposits and collections. The Federal Reserve Board of Governors shall transfer to the USPS such sums as necessary to carry out the services described in this bill, which shall (1) be sufficient to ensure that the products substantially decrease the number of people who do not have a bank account or use alternative financial products such as payday lending, check cashing, prepaid debt cards, and overdraft fees; and (2) be provided to the USPS through a separate account. The Government Accountability Office shall submit to Congress an annual report that includes the demographics, number of participants, and average balances and uses for such products.
Maddy summaryThis resolution (SRES 551) is a symbolic recognition, not a policy change. It honors AmeriCorps members, alumni, and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers for their service across the U.S., including helping vulnerable communities, supporting education, and responding to emergencies. The Senate encourages the public to salute these volunteers during AmeriCorps Week and promotes national service as a way to strengthen communities. It does not create new programs, funding, or legal requirements.
Erie Canalway National Heritage Reauthorization Act This bill increases the maximum amount of funding that may be authorized for the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor in the state of New York and extends the authority of the Department of the Interior to provide financial assistance for the corridor through FY2037.
Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area Reauthorization Act This bill extends the authority of the Department of the Interior to make any grant or provide any assistance for the Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area in New York through FY2037.
Advancing Toward Impact Aid Full Funding Act of 2022 This bill reauthorizes through FY2027 certain activities under the Impact Aid Program. The program provides funding to local educational agencies that have lost property tax revenue due to the presence of tax-exempt federal property or to those that have experienced increased expenditures due to enrollment of federally connected children (e.g., children living on Indian lands or military bases).
Empowering the U.S. Fire Administration Act This bill authorizes the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) to conduct on-site investigations of major fires and other fires under other specified circumstances. In the case of a major fire, the USFA may send incident investigators (e.g., safety specialists, fire protection engineers, codes and standards experts, researchers, and fire training specialists) to the site. Any such investigation shall (1) be conducted in coordination with appropriate federal, state, and local authorities; and (2) examine the determined cause and origin of the fire and assess broader systematic matters. Upon concluding any such investigation, the USFA must issue a public report to local, state, and federal authorities on the findings of such investigation or collaborate with another investigating federal agency on that agency's report. Additionally, the USFA may send fire investigators to conduct investigations at the site of any fire with unusual or remarkable context that results in losses less severe than those occurring as a result of a major fire.
Flood Insurance Pricing Transparency Act This bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to publish all formulas used by FEMA to calculate mitigation credits available to properties insured under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). (Under current NFIP rating methodology, individuals can receive premium credits for mitigation activity on their property such as installing flood openings, elevating the structure, and elevating machinery and equipment above the lowest floor.) FEMA must also develop a publicly available tool that estimates NFIP premium rates based on user inputs, including the change in rates as a result of mitigation activities.
Into the Light for Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders Act of 2022 or the Into the Light for MMH and SUD Act of 2022 This bill reauthorizes through FY2028 a program that addresses maternal depression and, among other changes, expands its scope to include mental health and substance use disorders. It also requires the Department of Health and Human Services to maintain a national hotline to provide mental health and substance use disorder resources to pregnant and postpartum women and their families.
