Native American Housing Assistance and Self-Determination Reauthorization Act of 2021 This bill provides federal housing assistance to Indians and Native Hawaiians. Specifically, the bill reauthorizes through FY2032 and otherwise revises the Indian Housing Block Grant program and the Native Hawaiian Housing Block Grant program. Among other revisions to these programs, the bill expands allowable housing activities under the Indian program to include education-related stipends, college housing assistance, and other education-related assistance for low-income college students. Next, the bill authorizes the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to guarantee housing loans for Indians and Native Hawaiians through FY2032. HUD may make grants to eligible recipients of block grants for use in eliminating drug-related and violent crime. Additionally, the bill provides statutory authority for the Tribal HUD-VASH program, which provides rental assistance and supportive services to Indian veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness and living in or near an area where a tribe or tribally designated housing entity provides assistance for affordable housing. HUD must use at least 5% of rental assistance amounts under the HUD-VASH program, which provides housing assistance to homeless veterans, for the Tribal HUD-VASH program. The Tribal HUD-VASH program must be carried out by HUD in conjunction with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Under the program, grants must be made to entities eligible for housing assistance block grants. HUD may make renewal grants to entities that have received prior program grants.
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.
Marine Mammal Research and Response Act of 2021 This bill provides support for efforts to protect marine mammals. Specifically, the bill reauthorizes through FY2026 and generally revises the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue Assistance Grant Program, including by renaming the program as the John H. Prescott Marine Mammal Rescue and Response Grant Program. The bill also establishes the Joseph R. Geraci Marine Mammal Rescue and Rapid Response Fund for providing emergency financial assistance for certain stranded or entangled marine mammals and otherwise provides support for marine mammals.
National Ocean Exploration Act This bill provides statutory authority for the National Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and Characterization Council and revises several programs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that support ocean and coastal mapping, hydrographic surveys, and spatial data collection. The bill revises the national ocean exploration program to require NOAA to provide guidance to federal and state agencies, and others, on data standards, protocols for accepting data, and coordination of data collection, compilation, processing, archiving, and dissemination for data relating to ocean exploration and characterization. It also directs NOAA to conduct education and outreach efforts to disseminate information to the public on the discoveries made by the ocean exploration program and coordinate with the outreach strategies of other domestic or international ocean mapping, exploration, and characterization initiatives. Additionally, the bill repeals the undersea research program of NOAA. It also modifies NOAA's ocean and coastal mapping program to include ecosystem approaches in decision-making for natural resource and habitat restoration, emergency response, and coastal resilience and adaptation. NOAA must develop an integrated ocean and coastal mapping federal funding match opportunity to increase the coordinated acquisition, processing, stewardship, and archival of new ocean and coastal mapping data in U.S. waters. The bill also revises and reauthorizes through FY2026 the hydrographic services program of NOAA.
Bolstering Long-term Understanding and Exploration of the Great Lakes, Oceans, Bays, and Estuaries Act or the BLUE GLOBE Act This bill addresses data collection and monitoring of the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts. Specifically, it expands requirements related to a study of the scientific workforce in areas of oceanic and atmospheric research and development. For example, the bill requires the study to include an investigation on whether there is a workforce shortage in the number of individuals with technical or trade-based skillsets or credentials suited to a career in oceanic and atmospheric data collection, processing, satellite production, or satellite operations. The study must also investigate actions the federal government can take to increase diversity in the scientific workforce and shorten the hiring backlog for such workforce. The bill also directs the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to create an Electronic Monitoring Innovation Prize, which may be awarded for the development of advanced electronic fisheries monitoring equipment and data analysis tools. NOAA must also seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to evaluate whether there is a need for an Advanced Research Projects Agency-Oceans within NOAA. Additionally, NOAA must establish a program to improve the collection, aggregation, and analysis of data to measure the value and impact of industries related to the Great Lakes, oceans, bays, estuaries, and coasts on the U.S. economy.
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.
Employee Retention Tax Credit Reinstatement Act This bill provides for a reinstatement of the employee retention tax credit through 2021. The credit was established to compensate employers whose businesses were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic for wages paid to their employees.
Cutting Rampant Access to Crack Kits Act of 2022 or the CRACK Act of 2022 This bill prohibits community-based overdose prevention programs, syringe services programs, and other harm reduction programs from using funds made available through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to procure or distribute pipes or other paraphernalia that can be used to smoke, inhale, or ingest narcotics.
Youth Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Act This bill authorizes competitive grants to enhance services for school-aged youth with mental and behavioral health issues that can lead to poor academic performance, depression, and other negative outcomes. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) may award the grants to state or local educational agencies or Indian tribes. SAMHSA must ensure geographic representation, including with respect to rural areas, in the distribution of grant funds.
Eliminating Abusive and Rampant Neglect of Interactive Technologies Act of 2022 or the EARN IT Act of 2022 This bill revises the federal framework governing the prevention of online sexual exploitation of children. The bill establishes the National Commission on Online Child Sexual Exploitation Prevention. The commission must develop best practices for interactive computer services providers (e.g., Facebook and Twitter) to prevent, reduce, and respond to the online sexual exploitation of children. Additionally, the bill limits the liability protections of interactive computer service providers with respect to claims alleging violations of child sexual exploitation laws. The bill replaces various statutory references to child pornography and material that contains child pornography with child sexual abuse material . Finally, the bill makes changes to the reporting requirements for electronic communication service providers and remote computing service providers (providers) who report apparent instances of crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Among the changes, the bill requires providers to report facts and circumstances sufficient to identify and locate each minor and each involved individual. The bill also increases the amount of time that providers must preserve the contents of a report.
First Rhode Island Regiment Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to the First Rhode Island Regiment, collectively, in recognition of their dedicated service during the Revolutionary War.
United States-Russian Federation Seafood Reciprocity Act of 2022 This bill prohibits the importation of seafood and seafood products from Russia. The prohibition shall terminate on the date on which the President determines and certifies to Congress that the Russian government has terminated its prohibition on the importation of seafood products from the United States.
