Range Access Act This bill directs the Departments of Agriculture and of the Interior to identify suitable locations for, and construct, shooting ranges on National Forest System land and public land administered by the Bureau of Land Management, respectively, for the public to use for recreational target shooting. Such shooting ranges may not charge a fee to use the range.
Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act of 2022 This bill bars the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture from prohibiting or regulating the use of lead ammunition or tackle on federal land or water that is under the jurisdiction of such departments and made available for hunting or fishing. The bill makes exceptions for specified existing regulations and where the applicable department determines that a decline in wildlife population at the specific unit of federal land or water is primarily caused by the use of lead in ammunition or tackle, based on the field data from such unit, and the state approves the regulations.
Major Richard Star Act This bill provides that combat-disabled uniformed services retirees with fewer than 20 years of creditable service may concurrently receive, without reduction, veterans' disability compensation and retired pay or combat-related special compensation.
Electoral Count Reform and Presidential Transition Improvement Act of 2022 This bill revises the process of casting and counting electoral votes for presidential elections. The bill also revises provisions related to the presidential transition process. The bill specifies that the choice of electors must occur in accordance with the laws of the state enacted prior to election day. Additionally, the bill identifies each state's governor (unless otherwise identified in the laws or constitution of a state in effect on election day) as responsible for submitting the certificate of ascertainment identifying the state's electors. Further, the bill provides for expedited judicial review for any action brought by an aggrieved presidential or vice-presidential candidate arising under the U.S. Constitution or U.S. laws with respect to the issuance or transmission of such a certificate. The bill revises the framework for the joint session of Congress to count electoral votes and make a formal declaration of which candidates have been elected President and Vice President. Among other changes, the bill (1) specifies that the role of the Vice President during the joint session shall be ministerial in nature, and (2) raises the objection threshold in Congress to at least one-fifth of the duly chosen and sworn members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. The bill also revises the presidential transition process, including to (1) allow more than one candidate to receive federal transition resources under certain circumstances, and (2) require additional reporting by the General Services Administration.
No Oil Producing and Exporting Cartels Act of 2021 or NOPEC This bill prohibits a foreign state from engaging in collective action impacting the market, supply, price, or distribution of oil, natural gas, or any other petroleum product in the U.S. Specifically, a foreign state is prohibited from collective action that limits the production or distribution of such product, collective action to set or maintain the price of such product, or any other action that restrains trade of such product. Specified defenses such as sovereign immunity (i.e., a foreign state's immunity from the jurisdiction of U.S. courts) and the act of state doctrine (i.e., the prohibition of a court invalidating an official act of a foreign sovereign performed within its own territory) shall not apply to a foreign state's violation of this bill.
Stop the Sexualization of Children Act This bill prohibits the presentation of sexually oriented materials to children under the age of 10. The bill defines sexually oriented material as any (1) depiction or description of sexual activity; (2) lewd or lascivious depiction or description of human genitals; or (3) topic involving gender identity, gender dysphoria, transgenderism, sexual orientation, or related subjects. Specifically, the bill prohibits (1) the use of federal funds to develop, implement, facilitate, or fund any sexually oriented program, event, or literature for children under the age of 10; and (2) the use of federal facilities or properties to host or promote such programs, events, or literature. The bill grants a parent or guardian a private right of action against a government official, government agency, or private entity that violates this bill. Additionally, the bill prohibits federal agencies from disbursing federal funds to a government agency or private entity for three fiscal years if the agency or entity has received two or more injunctions for violations of the bill in a five-year period.
Stop Our Scourge Act of 2022 or the SOS Act of 2022 This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security to designate illicit fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction and requires the Office of National Drug Control Policy to conduct an assessment regarding that substance. Specifically, the office must assess foreign manufacturing of illicit fentanyl, the tools and capabilities across federal agencies to address trafficking of that substance, the capabilities of the Mexican military to conduct counterdrug missions with respect to that substance, the capacities and willingness of China to take specified actions with respect to that substance, and illicit fentanyl being trafficked into the United States from Mexico.
Simplifying Grants Act of 2022 This bill sets forth procedures for simplifying the grant process for nonurbanized areas, for both existing and new grant programs. Each agency must make publicly available a checklist for covered local governments with respect to each grant program of the agency for which such governments are otherwise eligible that includes each requirement for every step of the grant process. The Office of Management and Budget must report to Congress (1) within 270 days of this bill's enactment, evaluating the extent to which agencies have simplified the requirements and made the checklist available; and (2) each April 1st, evaluating the amount of technical assistance provided and the amount of funds awarded.
American Technology Leadership Act of 2022 This bill establishes an Office of Global Competition Analysis. The purposes of the office are to carry out a program of analysis on U.S. leadership in technology and innovation sectors critical to national security and economic prosperity relative to other countries, particularly those countries that are strategic competitors of the United States; and support policy development and decision-making to ensure U.S. leadership in technology and innovation sectors critical to national security and economic prosperity. To carry out the purposes, the office may enter into an agreement with a public-private or a federally funded research and development center, a university affiliated research center, or consortium of such centers. Periodically, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, the National Economic Council, and the National Security Council, in coordination with other executive agencies, shall jointly determine the analytical priorities of the office.
Endangered Species Transparency and Reasonableness Act of 2022 This bill revises requirements concerning determinations on whether a species is a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA) and caps attorney's fees to prevailing parties in ESA citizen suits. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) must publish online, subject to privacy or administrative limitations, the best scientific and commercial data available that are the basis for each determination. The bill states that the term best scientific and commercial data available includes all data submitted by a state, tribal, or county government. Thus, the USFWS and NMFS would no longer consider whether data from those sources are the best scientific and commercial data available. Instead, the data would be automatically deemed the best scientific and commercial data available regardless of the quality of the data. Before making a determination on whether a species is an endangered or threatened species, the USFWS and NMFS must provide affected states with all of the data that is the basis of the determination. The Department of the Interior must also publish and maintain an online searchable database that discloses federal expenditures related to litigation under the ESA.
Family and Small Business Taxpayer Protection Act This bill rescinds unobligated amounts appropriated to the Internal Revenue Service by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 for its enforcement and other activities.
HRES 1398 is a symbolic resolution designating the week beginning September 25, 2022, as "National Source Water Protection Week." It does not create new laws or funding but formally supports raising public awareness about protecting drinking water sources. The resolution emphasizes the importance of safeguarding water quality for public health, environmental sustainability, and community resilience, encouraging collaboration across government levels to promote water conservation. It has no direct impact on regulations or affected parties, as it is purely a recognition measure.
