This resolution supports the designation of February 2022 as Career and Technical Education Month to celebrate career and technical education across the United States.
Never Yielding Europe's Territory (NYET) Act of 2022 This bill addresses Russia's actions against Ukraine and other countries in the region. The bill authorizes and expedites the provision of security assistance, including by (1) prioritizing delivering excess defense articles to Ukraine, (2) authorizing the Department of State to waive certain costs for defense articles leased to Ukraine, and (3) authorizing additional Foreign Military Financing for programs in Europe. The bill also provides funding for (1) Foreign Military Financing assistance to Ukraine, (2) the Global Engagement Center to counter foreign-sponsored propaganda and disinformation, (3) the Countering Russian Influence Fund to support Ukraine and other countries in response to Russia's aggression, and (4) International Military Education and Training assistance for Ukraine. Furthermore, the bill imposes sanctions, including on (1) senior Russian military officials responsible for planning or executing military operations that violated Ukraine's sovereignty or territorial integrity, and (2) foreign individuals or entities that acted on behalf of Russia's government to destabilize Ukraine or disrupt Ukraine's critical infrastructure. The bill also addresses additional matters, including (1) authorizing Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty to explore opening new bureaus to reach audiences on Russia's periphery; and (2) providing for expedited approval of natural gas exports to qualifying nations, including NATO members, whereas currently expedited approval is only available for exports to countries that are in a free trade agreement relating to natural gas with the United States.
Safeguarding Women's and Children's Health Act of 2022 This bill imposes reporting requirements relating to abortion drugs. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must require health care practitioners to report (1) any death or adverse event associated with the use of an abortion drug, whether or not the adverse event is considered drug-related; and (2) each time the practitioner prescribes, dispenses, or administers such a drug. The FDA must establish online portals for health care practitioners to report such information and for patients to self-report adverse events. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must aggregate the collected information and annually publish data about such drugs, including the number of prescriptions and adverse events occurring within 120 days of use.
This resolution supports the designation of Career and Technical Education Month to celebrate career and technical education across the United States.
Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act This bill updates policies and procedures related to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care and benefits for veterans who have been exposed to toxic substances. Specifically, the bill extends the eligibility period for VA hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for combat veterans who served after September 11, 2001, and were exposed to toxic substances, radiation, or other conditions, including those who did not enroll to receive VA care during the eligibility period. The VA must incorporate into its existing health care screening a screening to help determine potential exposures to toxic substances during military service. Among other requirements, the VA must also provide annual training to health care and benefits personnel with respect to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances; analyze total and respiratory disease mortality in veterans who served in specified locations on specified dates; conduct an epidemiological study on the health trends of veterans who served in the Armed Forces after September 11, 2001; conduct a study to determine trends in the rates of the incidence of cancer in veterans; publish a list of VA resources for veterans who were exposed to toxic substances, families and caregivers of such veterans, and survivors of such veterans who are receiving death benefits; and report on the data quality of the Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record and its usefulness in supporting veterans in receiving VA health care and benefits.
Protecting Family and Small Business Tax Cuts Act of 2022 This bill makes permanent provisions affecting individual and business taxpayers that were enacted in 2017 by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and are scheduled to expire at the end of 2025. The bill makes permanent provisions that reduce individual and capital gain tax rates. The bill increases the standard tax deduction for individual taxpayers. It also increases and modifies the child tax credit and raises the contribution base for the tax deduction of charitable contributions. The bill allows additional contributions to ABLE accounts (tax-exempt accounts designed to enable individuals with disabilities to save and pay for disability-related expenses). It exempts from taxation combat zone benefits of members of the Armed Forces serving in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt and the moving expenses of servicemembers. Additionally, the bill lowers to $750,000 the amount of mortgage debt eligible for an interest expense tax deduction; excludes from the gross income of student borrowers income attributable to the discharge after 2025 of loan debt due to death or disability; makes permanent the limitation on the tax deduction for state and local taxes and denies a deduction for foreign real property taxes; makes permanent the tax deduction of the income of certain pass-through business entities; repeals the tax deduction for personal tax exemptions and the exclusion of employer-provided bicycle commuter fringe benefits; terminates certain miscellaneous itemized tax deductions; doubles the estate and gift tax exemption amount; and makes permanent the increase of the alternative minimum tax exemption amount for individual taxpayers.
Ban IRS Biometrics Act This bill prohibits the Department of the Treasury from requiring taxpayers to provide biometric information as a condition of filing any tax return, receiving any service, or accessing taxpayer information. The bill defines biometric information as any information regarding any measurable physical characteristic or personal behavioral trait used to recognize the identity, or verify the claimed identity or location, of an individual, including facial images, fingerprints, and iris scans. Treasury must also develop a plan for the safe and secure destruction and disposal of any biometric information collected or used prior to the enactment of this bill.
Advanced Nuclear Reactor Prize Act This bill authorizes the Department of Energy to award prizes that cover the regulatory costs of the first entities to acquire licenses for operating certain categories of advanced nuclear reactors.
Medical Countermeasures Surge Capacity Act of 2022 This bill expands the scope of research and development activities carried out by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to include support for maintaining and improving domestic manufacturing surge capacity and capabilities for vaccines, diagnostics, and other medical countermeasures. In particular, BARDA must enter into transactions with facilities to ensure that domestic manufacturing surge capacity is available to manufacture medical countermeasures and related products in the event of a public health emergency (e.g., by supporting flexible or advanced manufacturing). The Government Accountability Office must report on these efforts. In addition, BARDA must address support for domestic manufacturing surge capacity in its strategic plan for countermeasure research, development, and procurement. The bill also reauthorizes through FY2028 a program through which BARDA may support innovative technologies to assist in medical countermeasure research and development using grants, cooperative agreements, and other transactions.
Informed Lawmaking to Combat Inflation Act This bill requires the Congressional Budget Office to provide inflation estimates for certain legislation that is projected to cause an annual gross budgetary effect of at least 0.25% of the projected gross domestic product of the United States. The estimates must determine whether the legislation will have no significant impact on inflation, a quantifiable inflationary impact on the consumer price index, or a significant impact on inflation that cannot be quantified at the time the estimate is prepared. The requirement does not apply to legislation that (1) provides for emergency assistance or relief at the request of any state, local, or tribal government; or (2) is necessary for the national security or the ratification or implementation of international treaty obligations.
This resolution applauds the athletes and coaches of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams and the families who support them, and it supports such athletes in competing at the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
Blockchain Solutions for Small Businesses Act This bill requires the Small Business Administration to study the current and potential uses of blockchain technology (i.e., the technology that supports digital currencies such as Bitcoin) in making loans to qualified small businesses.
