Sen. Patty Murray

Schedules That Work Act This bill provides employees with the right to request changes to their work schedules related to the number of hours they are required to work or be on call, the location of the work, the amount of notification about work schedule assignments, and fluctuations in work hours. Employers must negotiate in good faith with employees who make such requests and comply with certain work schedule notice and split shift pay requirements for retail, food service, cleaning, hospitality, or warehouse employees.

Part-Time Worker Bill of Rights Act This bill modifies various employment, leave, and pension rules with respect to part-time workers. Specifically, the bill removes the requirement that employees work a minimum number of hours during the preceding 12-month period before becoming eligible for family and medical leave. The bill also sets the maximum length of service on which employers may condition the eligibility of part-time employees for a qualified pension plan (e.g., 401(k) retirement plan). Except as required by an applicable collective bargaining agreement, such service requirement may be no longer than two consecutive 12-month periods of at least 500 hours of service for part-time employees who have reached the age of 21 by the end of such period. The bill further prohibits employers of more than 15 employees from setting disparate terms of employment or working conditions for part-time employees, including with respect to compensation, notice of work hours, and promotion opportunities. Additionally, the bill requires such employers to offer available, qualified part-time employees additional work hours before hiring new employees for such hours. Among other enforcement methods, employers must maintain three years of records for offers of additional hours and employee responses to such offers. The bill also provides a private right of action for employees to enforce the nondiscrimination requirements of this bill.

Guarding Mental Health Act This bill requires the U.S. Coast Guard to establish an interim behavioral health policy for its members that is equivalent to the behavioral health policy of the Department of Defense.

Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022 This bill modifies and reauthorizes through FY2027 programs and activities under the Violence Against Women Act that seek to prevent and respond to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. The bill also authorizes new programs, makes changes to federal criminal laws, and establishes new protections to promote housing stability and economic security for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.

Gas Prices Relief Act of 2022 This bill provides for a temporary exemption through 2022 from the excise tax on gasoline (other than aviation gasoline) and from the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund financing rate. The Department of the Treasury must transfer from the general fund to the Highway Trust Fund and the Leaking Underground Storage Tank Trust Fund amounts resulting from the exemption provided by this bill. The bill also expresses congressional policy that consumers immediately receive the benefit of this exemption.

Higher Education Access and Success for Homeless and Foster Youth Act of 2022 This bill requires certain actions to support access to higher education for children and youth who are homeless or in foster care. Among other provisions, the bill requires institutions of higher education (IHEs) participating in financial aid programs to give priority to these students for any on-campus housing during and between academic terms. Further, the bill requires IHEs to designate a staff liaison to assist these students with support services, programs, and community resources in a variety of areas, including financial aid and housing. The bill also requires these students to receive in-state tuition rates at public IHEs. Under current law, some states offer these students in-state tuition or provide them with tuition waivers.

Climate Adaptation Science Centers Act or the CASC Act This bill provides statutory authority for the National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The centers must provide scientific expertise to managers of natural resources, cultural resources, and ecosystem services to inform decisions that aid adaptation to a changing climate and extreme weather events. The program shall include a National Climate Adaptation Science Center and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers. Among its activities, the National Center shall serve as the national office for the regional centers, develop and facilitate coordination among the regional centers, and conduct research on cross-regional and national science priorities. Regional centers shall develop research, education, training, and advisory service priorities regarding the impacts of climate trends and variability on natural and cultural resource management. The USGS shall establish an Advisory Committee on Climate and Natural Resource Sciences to identify and recommend priorities for ongoing research needs on such impacts in informing the research priorities of the National Center.

Stop the Wait Act of 2022 This bill allows individuals with disabilities to begin receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits in the month they become eligible for the benefits. It also allows these individuals to immediately enroll in Medicare if they cannot afford minimum essential coverage. (Under current law, an individual must generally wait 5 months after the onset of disability to begin receiving SSDI benefits and an additional 24 months to become eligible for Medicare.)

Values in Arms Export Act of 2022 This bill restricts transferring defense articles and services to countries that violate human rights, imposes such restrictions on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and addresses related issues. The bill establishes the Human Rights and Law of War Oversight Board. The board's duties shall include (1) reviewing countries that receive U.S. defense articles for strict adherence to human rights and the law of armed conflict principles, and (2) ensuring that such principles are appropriately considered in arms transfers. The President, the Department of State, the Department of Defense, the board, or Congress may designate a country (except for certain exempted countries such as NATO member countries) as a country of concern. Such a designation shall last for three years, during which the country shall be barred from receiving the defense articles that led to the designation. The bill also imposes additional restrictions on a designated country that fails to improve its adherence to human rights principles. The Department of the Treasury must impose sanctions on the appropriate government officials of a country subject to such additional restrictions. The bill designates Saudi Arabia and the UAE as countries of concern. Before certain defense articles transfers, the President must provide Congress an assessment of the risk of the defense articles being used to violate human rights. The bill also requires various government agencies to monitor and report information concerning human rights violations involving U.S. defense articles.

Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133rd Signal Services Company, known collectively as the Ghost Army , in recognition of unique and highly distinguished service during World War II.