Category: Congress at Work

Investing in Main Street Act of 2023 (HR 400) – Introduced by Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) on Jan.20, this bill would permit certain financial institutions to increase investments in small business investment companies (SBICs). The current cap is 5 percent; if passed, the amount would rise to up to 15 percent of their capital and surplus. The bill passed in the House on Jan.25 and is now under consideration in the Senate.

To terminate the requirement imposed by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for foreign travelers and for other purposes (HR 185) – This bill would nullify the standing CDC order that requires non-U.S. citizens who are not immigrants to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (or otherwise prove adherence to public health measures to prevent contagion)for entry into the United States by air travel. The bill also would nullify both successor and subsequent orders that would require proof of a COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of entry and prohibit the use of federal funds to enforce such a requirement. However, the bill carves out exceptions for certain individuals traveling from China to the United States. The bill was introduced on Jan. 9 by Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY). It passed in the House on Feb. 8 and is currently under consideration in the Senate.

Freedom for Health Care Workers Act (HR 497) – The passage of this bill would eliminate the current COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare providers working in certain federal healthcare programs. The bill was introduced by Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC) on Jan. 25 and passed in the House on Jan. 31. It is currently awaiting review in the Senate.

To nullify the modifications made by the Food and Drug Administration in January 2023 to the risk evaluation and mitigation strategy for the abortion pill mifepristone and for other purposes (HR 383) – This bill would nullify the FDA’s new rule allowing a pharmacy to dispense mifepristone, as well as ban the pill from being offered by mail. Medication abortion is now the most commonly used abortion method in the United States. Under the current guidelines, pharmacies may prescribe mifepristone in person to patients, essentially permitting it to be disseminated at the same time with misoprostol. This two-pill combination is taken in sequence to induce an abortion at home. The bill to ban this access was introduced on Jan. 17 by Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) but has yet to be assigned to a committee for review.

To ensure the privacy of pregnancy termination or loss information under the HIPAA privacy regulations and the HITECH Act (HR 459) – This legislation was introduced in the House by Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) on Jan. 24. It would ban doctors from revealing a patient’s abortion information without consent, even under a court order or subpoena. Presently, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) restricts doctors, psychologists, pharmacies, hospitals, etc., from revealing a patient’s protected health information – unless compelled to do so by law. This bill would make it illegal for a medical professional to reveal a patient’s abortion information without the patient’s consent, superseding even a court order or subpoena. The bill is currently in the House awaiting a potential vote by the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Prescription Pricing for the People Act of 2023 (S 113) – This bill would authorize the Federal Trade Commission to study the role of intermediaries in the pharmaceutical supply chain and report on anti-competitive practices and other trends that impact how prescription medications are priced. In an effort to increase transparency, the FTC also would provide recommendations to Congress for potential legislative action. The bill was introduced on Jan. 26 by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and is currently being considered in the Senate.

 

To rescind certain balances made available to the Internal Revenue Service (HR 23) – Introduced by Rep. Adrian Smith (R-NE) on Jan. 9, this bill would rescind funds allocated to the Internal Revenue Service by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. The bill is designed to “defund” specific enforcement activities, operational support, enhancement to the e-file tax return system, and allocations to the U.S. Tax Court and other Department of the Treasury tax agencies. The bill passed in the House on Jan. 9 and has moved to the Senate, 

Protecting America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve from China Act (HR 22) – This bill would prohibit the Department of Energy (DOE) from selling crude oil to any entity under the ownership, control, or influence of the Chinese Communist Party. The bill was introduced on Jan. 9 by Rep. Cathy Anne McMorris Rogers (R-WA). It passed in the House on Jan. 12 and is currently under consideration in the Senate.

Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (HR 26) – An example of one of many abortion-related bills introduced by the House in the new 118th Congressional Session, this Act would require healthcare practitioners to exercise the proper degree of care in cases where a fetus survives an attempted abortion – including ensuring the neonate is immediately admitted to a hospital. Failure to provide such care or failure of others to report the crime would be subject to a fine and/or up to five years in prison. Furthermore, anyone who intentionally kills the neonate would be subject to prosecution for murder. However, this bill would bar criminal prosecution of the birth mother in these circumstances and permit her to bring civil action for these violations if perpetrated by others. The bill was introduced by Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO) on Jan. 9 and is under assignment in a House committee.

Fair Tax Act of 2023 (HR 25) – This legislation was introduced in the House by Rep. Buddy Carter (R-GA) on Jan. 9. It is currently assigned to committee for consideration.  The purpose of the bill is to replace the current income tax system (including payroll, estate, and gift taxes) with a national consumption sales tax on goods and services. Instead of paying the current 10 percent to 37 percent tax rates based on income bracket, as well as eliminating all deductions and credits, U.S. residents would pay a minimum 23 percent federal tax (in addition to state and local taxes) on all purchases, regardless of income bracket. Exemptions would include property or services purchased for business, export, investment, or state government functions. The flat rate would essentially tax a higher percentage of income from low earners while high-income earners would have more assets available for savings and investment that would not be taxable. Each state would bear the responsibility for collecting and remitting this federal sales tax to the Treasury.

Respect for Marriage Act (HR 8404) – Introduced by Sen. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) on July 18, this Act replaces previous provisions that defined marriage as strictly between a man and a woman. It codifies marriage to state that a spouse may be a person of the opposite sex as long as the contract between the two individuals is valid under state law, and prohibits any state from denying out-of-state marriages on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity or national origin. The bill passed in the Senate on Nov. 29 and the final bill passed in the House on Dec. 8. President Biden signed the Act into law on Dec. 13.

James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (HR 7776) – This bill authorizes defense spending at $858 billion, an approximate 10 percent increase over last year and $37 billion more than President Biden requested in his budget. This bill is expected to increase pay for service members and civilians by 4.6 percent and include inflation bonuses for those earning less than $45,000 a year. The bill was initially introduced on May 16 and the final bill was agreed upon by a bipartisan committee comprised of Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) and Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and Reps Adam Smith (D-Wash.) and Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) The bill first passed in the House on July 14. It was signed into law by the President on Dec. 23.

Help Find the Missing Act (S 5230) – This Act is designed to facilitate data sharing between the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System and the National Crime Information Center database of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in order to improve efforts in finding missing persons. The bill was introduced by Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Dec. 8 and passed in the Senate on the same day. It passed in the House on Dec. 14 and is currently awaiting the President’s signature.

Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act (HR 8454) – This legislation was introduced by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) on July 21. The purpose of the bill is to increase the supply of marijuana that may be used in government studies. It expands the number of registered entities (e.g., academia, practitioners, manufacturers) that may manufacture, distribute, dispense or possess marijuana or cannabidiol (CBD) for the purposes of medical research. The bill also enables physicians to discuss with patients the potential harms and therapeutic potential of marijuana and its derivatives (such as CBD). Going forward, the Department of Health and Human Services will report on marijuana’s impact on various conditions, such as epilepsy; its impact on adolescent brains; and on the ability to operate a motor vehicle. The bill passed in the House on July 26 and in the Senate on Nov. 16. It was signed into law by the President on Dec. 2.

Equal Pay for Team USA Act of 2022 (S 2333) – This bill was introduced by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) on July 13, 2021, and was passed in the Senate on Dec. 8. The legislation would require equal compensation and benefits for all athletes representing the United States in international amateur athletic competitions, regardless of gender. The bill would require each sport’s national governing body to submit annual compliance reports pertaining to this requirement. The bill’s fate currently lies in the House.

To provide for a resolution with respect to the unresolved disputes between certain railroads represented by the National Carriers’ Conference Committee of the National Railway Labor Conference and certain of their employees (HJ Res 100) – Passage of this bill was successful in averting a nationwide strike of rail workers, but it did not satisfactorily address all of their demands. The Act provides improved healthcare benefits and a 24 percent pay raise, as well as the ability to take limited unpaid sick leave without being subject to penalties. However, the bill failed to provide the five days of paid medical leave sought. The bill was introduced by Rep. Donald Payne Jr (D-N.J.) on Nov. 29, passed in the House on Nov. 30 and the Senate on Dec. 1. It was signed into law on Dec. 2.

Safe Connections Act of 2022 (HR 7132) – Introduced on March 17 by Rep. Ann Kuster (D-N.H.), this bill instructs cell phone service providers to waive separation of contract service fees when requested by survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking and related harms. The Act requires that the requestor present verifying documentation that a cosigner of thecontract committed or allegedly committed an act of domestic violence, trafficking or a related criminal act against the survivor. The requestor must assume financial responsibility for services after a line separation. The bill passed in the House on July 27, in the Senate on Nov. 17 and was signed into law on Dec. 7.

Disaster Resiliency Planning Act (S 3510) – Introduced by Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) on Jan. 13,this Act details guidelines for federal agencies to incorporate natural disaster resilience with regard to real property asset management and investment decisions. The bill passed in the Senate on June 22, in the House on Nov. 14 and is awaiting signature by President Biden.

Disclosing Foreign Influence in Lobbying Act (S 4254) – This Act is designed to combat attempts of foreign adversaries, such as Russia and China, from trying to influence U.S. political elections. Specifically, the bill closes a loophole used to conceal lobbying efforts frequently used by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).The bill was introduced by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) on May 18 and passed in the Senate on Sept. 29. It is currently under consideration in the House.

Chance to Compete Act of 2022 (HR 6967) – This legislation was introduced by Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA) on Jan. 25, 2021. The bipartisan bill attempts to improve the federal civil service hiring process by waiving education degree requirements. The focus would shift to an evaluation of skills, aptitude and experience. Furthermore, the bill would enable agencies to share applicant assessments and permit interviewing by subject matter experts. The bill passed in the House on Sept. 29 and is now being reviewed in the Senate.

A bill to allow for alternatives to animal testing for purposes of drug and biological product applications (S 5002) – This bipartisan bill was introduced by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) on Sept. 29, 2021, and was passed in the Senate on the same day. The legislation requires that certain alternatives be utilized in animal testing in order to receive an exemption from an investigation of the safety and effectiveness of a drug. Alternatives may include cell-based assays and computer models. The Act also waives the requirement of using animal studies to get a license for a biological product that is interchangeable with another biological product. The bill’s fate currently lies in the House.

Fairness for 9/11 Families Act (HR 8987) – Introduced by Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) on Sept. 26, this bipartisan bill authorizes funding for catch-up payments from the United States Victims of State Sponsored Terrorism Fund. The Act passed in the House on Sept. 30 and is currently being considered in the Senate.

Stop Tip-Overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth Act (STURDY) Act (S3232) – This legislation directs the Consumer Product Safety Commission to revise the safety standards for freestanding dressers, bureaus and chests of drawers. The new manufacturing standards would require testing related to tip-overs for all products sold in the U.S. market. The bill was introduced by Sen. Robert Casey (D-PA) on Nov.18, 2021. It was passed in the Senate on Sept. 29 and is presently under consideration in the House.

Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act of 2021 (HR 5441) – Introduced on Sept. 30, 2021, by Rep. Steven Cohen (D-TN), this bill addresses soring horses. Soring is the practice of making adjustments to horses’ limbs in order to produce a higher gait for showing at horse shows, exhibitions, sales and auctions. These alterations can cause pain, distress, inflammation or lameness. Specifically, the bill seeks to expand soring regulation and enforcement by establishing a new system for soring inspections and increasing penalties for violations. The bill passed in the House on Nov. 14 and currently lies with the Senate.

Speak Out Act (S 4524) – Introduced on July 13 by Sen. Kristen Gillibrand (D-NY), this Act would waive enforcement of nondisclosure agreements (NDS) involving sexual assault or harassment disputes. The legislation would allow any survivor to share his or her story regardless of a previously signed NDA. The bill passed in the Senate on Sept. 29 and is in the House for consideration.

Planning for Animal Wellness Act /PAW Act (S 4205) – Introduced by Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) on May 12, this act instructs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to compile best practices and federal guidance for handling household pets, service and assistance animals and captive animals during emergencies and disasters. Initiatives include preparedness (e.g., sheltering and evacuation planning), response and recovery.The bill passed in the Senate on Aug. 6, in the House on Sept. 14 and was signed into law on Oct. 17 by President Biden.

Bulb Replacement Improving Government with High-Efficiency Technology Act/BRIGHT Act (S 442) – Presently, public buildings managed by the General Services Administration (GSA) must be equipped with energy-efficient lightbulbs and fixtures. This new bill expands requirements to ensure buildings are equipped with the most cost-effective and energy-efficient lighting systems available. Procurement must take into consideration factors such as motion sensors, fixture distribution and other elements. The act was introduced by Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) on Feb. 25, 2021. It passed in the Senate on March 30, the House on Sept. 14 and was enacted into law on Sept. 17.

FTC Collaboration Act of 2021 (HR 1766) – Introduced by Rep. Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ) on March 10, 2021, this bill authorizes the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to work with state attorneys general to evaluate procedures, such as accountability mechanisms, to better facilitate efforts to prevent and detect fraud and scams. FTC proposals must provide the opportunity for public comment, then submit legislative recommendations based on the results of the study. This bill passed in the House on April 14, 2021, and in the Senate on Sept. 29, 2022. It was signed into law on Oct. 10.

Expedited Delivery of Airport Infrastructure Act of 2021 (HR 468) – This legislation was introduced by Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) on Jan. 25, 2021, to amend Title 49 of the United States Code. New provisions allow for incentive payments to expedite certain federally financed airport development projects, subject to an allowable project cost standard. The bill passed in the House on June 15, 2021, the Senate on Sept. 27, 2022, and was signed into law on Oct. 10.

Supporting Families of the Fallen Act (S2794) – This legislation impacts service members (or former members) covered by the Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance program and the Veterans’ Group Life Insurance program. Specifically, it increases the maximum life insurance coverage amount from $400,000 to $500,000. The bill was introduced by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) on Sept. 22, 2021. It was passed in the Senate on March 23, 2022, and in the House on Sept. 29. It was signed into law by the president on Sept. 17.

Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act of 2021 (HR 4693) – Introduced on July 26, 2021, by Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX), this bipartisan bill directs the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to develop initiatives designed to prevent and treat malnutrition globally. The USAID is charged with choosing recipient countries based on specified malnutrition-related indicators. These initiatives andcountry selections must be made within five years, and the provisions are scheduled to terminate seven years after the bill’s enactment. The bill passed in the House with a 90 percent vote on April 27, 2022, in the Senate on Sept. 20, 2022, and was signed into law on Oct. 19.

Global Food Security Reauthorization Act of 2022 (HR 8446) – This act reauthorizes funding to support the government Global Food Security Strategy and the Emergency Food Strategy programs through fiscal year 2028. The first program is designed to promote nutrition and food security, with a newly enhanced focus on improving efficiency and reliability in agriculture production. The latter program provides market-based assistance throughout the world. The bill was introduced by Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) on July 20. With 78 percent of the vote, it was passed in the House on Sept. 29 and is currently under consideration in the Senate.