Sen. Patrick J. Leahy

This resolution calls on the Russian government to immediately release Brittney Griner. The resolution urges the United States, in all interactions with the Russian government, to raise the case of Brittney Griner and to press for her release. The resolution further urges the Russian government to provide consular access to Brittney Griner while she remains in detention and to respect her human rights. Finally, the resolution expresses support to the family of Brittney Griner and a commitment to bringing her home.

Benjamin Berell Ferencz Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Benjamin Berell Ferencz in recognition of his service to the United States and the international community during the post-World War II Nuremberg trials and his lifelong advocacy for international criminal justice and the rule of law.

Accessibility and Inclusion to Diversify Local Government Leadership Act or the AID Local Government Leadership Act This bill establishes a community grant program for local elected or appointed officials who have disabilities. Specifically, the Department of Labor must award grants to eligible entities in a state or associated with an Indian tribe to provide to local elected or appointed officials with disabilities reasonable accommodations needed to enable them to carry out their official work duties. To be eligible to receive a grant an entity shall be a local government that has a local elected or appointed official with a disability who needs a reasonable accommodation to carry out official work duties for a jurisdiction that (1) is in a rural area; (2) has a population of less than 10,000; or (3) has a population of 10,000 to less than 200,000 and a poverty rate of 18% or greater. The reasonable accommodations may include physical adaptations, specialized software, communication supports, certain devices, and transportation services. Labor must annually report on the program's impact.

Removing Access Barriers to Running for Elected Office for People with Disabilities Act This bill excludes income earned and work performed as a candidate for an elected office when determining eligibility for, or the amount of, federally financed benefits or assistance if the candidate is entitled to Social Security Disability Insurance benefits or Supplemental Security Income (a federal assistance program that provides monthly cash payments to aged, blind, or disabled individuals with limited income and resources) due to a disability.

Cambodia Democracy and Human Rights Act of 2022 This bill directs the President to impose sanctions on foreign persons (i.e., entities and individuals) responsible for acts to undermine democracy in Cambodia, including acts that constitute serious human rights violations and acts to support the establishment of facilities in Cambodia that could be used by China's military. The sanctions shall be directed at foreign persons, including current or former Cambodian government, military, and security forces officials, responsible for such actions, as well as entities controlled or owned by such persons. The sanctions shall include blocking the assets of sanctioned persons and restricting the entry of sanctioned individuals into the United States, and shall not apply to the importation of goods. The President may waive the sanctions with respect to a person if it is in the national interest of the United States. The President may suspend the sanctions if Cambodia makes meaningful progress toward ending government efforts to undermine democracy, ending human rights violations, and meeting other specified conditions. The President must report to Congress on the presence of China's military in Cambodia, including the involvement of China's military in upgrading or constructing certain facilities in Cambodia.

This resolution (1) recognizes the importance of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 in advancing independent living for individuals with disabilities; (2) pledges continued efforts to address remaining barriers for individuals with disabilities; and (3) calls on federal agencies to provide additional resources for individuals with disabilities with respect to economic self-sufficiency, community-based services, housing, and transportation.

This resolution remembers former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe and his work to strengthen the alliance between the United States and Japan. It also extends condolences to his family and the people of Japan.

Respect for Marriage Act This bill provides statutory authority for same-sex and interracial marriages. Specifically, the bill repeals and replaces provisions that define, for purposes of federal law, marriage as between a man and a woman and spouse as a person of the opposite sex with provisions that recognize any marriage that is valid under state law. (The Supreme Court held that the current provisions were unconstitutional in United States v. Windsor in 2013.) The bill also repeals and replaces provisions that do not require states to recognize same-sex marriages from other states with provisions that prohibit the denial of full faith and credit or any right or claim relating to out-of-state marriages on the basis of sex, gender, race, ethnicity, or national origin. (The Supreme Court held that state laws barring same-sex marriages were unconstitutional in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015; the Court held that state laws barring interracial marriages were unconstitutional in Loving v. Virginia in 1967.) The bill allows the Department of Justice to bring a civil action and establishes a private right of action for violations.

Expanding Access to Family Planning Act This bill provides, subject to specified conditions, funding through FY2032 for federally funded family planning services and clinics. In particular, the funds must be used for (1) grants and contracts that support the provision of family planning services, and (2) clinic infrastructure (e.g., construction and renovation of clinics). Clinics that receive funding to provide family planning services must offer each patient with a positive pregnancy test the opportunity for nondirective counseling on (1) prenatal care and delivery; (2) infant care, foster care, and adoption; and (3) pregnancy termination. This counseling must include referrals if requested by a patient. Additionally, if a funding recipient makes subawards for the provision of family planning services, the recipient may not prohibit an entity from participating in a subaward program for reasons other than the entity's inability to provide family planning services.

Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light On Spending in Elections Act of 2021 or the DISCLOSE Act of 2021 This bill addresses campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals, requiring additional disclosures of campaign expenditures, and requiring additional disclosures regarding certain political advertisements. First, the bill prohibits foreign nationals from participating in the decision-making process regarding an election expenditure. Additionally, the bill expands existing foreign money prohibitions to include disbursements for paid web-based or digital communications and federal judicial nomination communications. It also prohibits foreign nationals from contributing to campaigns related to ballot initiatives and referenda. The Federal Election Commission (FEC) must conduct an audit after each federal election cycle to determine the incidence of illicit foreign money. Next, the bill makes it unlawful to establish or use a corporation, company, or other entity with the intent to conceal an election contribution or donation by a foreign national. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both. Covered organizations (e.g., corporations, labor organizations, and political organizations) must, within 24 hours, file reports with the FEC to disclose campaign expenditures of more than $10,000 during an election cycle. Finally, the bill requires organizations to provide additional disclosures regarding political advertisements, including the donors who contributed the most money to that organization in the last year.