Close Biden's Open Border Act This bill provides $15 billion for the Department of Homeland Security to construct a border wall along the southern border of the United States. It also imposes a two-year moratorium on funding for U.S. contributions to the United Nations (U.N.). During the two-year period, funds may not be authorized or otherwise made available for contributions to the U.N.
Climate Security Intelligence Act of 2022 This bill permanently authorizes the Climate Security Advisory Council (currently authorized until December 31, 2025). The bill also requires the advisory council to report to Congress a plan to permanently establish a Climate Security Intelligence Center within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. The plan must contain recommendations relating to the proposed center's duties, which shall include (1) serving as the primary intelligence community organization addressing the climate security intelligence needs and priorities of policymakers, (2) analyzing U.S. climate security risks and U.S. influence on climate policies around the world, and (3) conducting strategic forecasting for future climate security risks and opportunities. The plan shall also include a proposed process for transferring recommended functions and duties from the advisory council to the center.
Saudi Arabia Legitimate Self Defense Act This bill imposes restrictions on exports of defense services for maintaining or servicing U.S.-provided aircraft belonging to Saudi Arabian military units conducting offensive airstrikes in Yemen. Specifically, the President may not authorize (and must suspend authorizations issued before this bill's enactment) exporting such defense services for aircraft that, in the preceding year, have undertaken offensive airstrikes in Yemen not directly related to preventing or degrading the ability of Houthi (Ansar Allah) to launch missile and unmanned aircraft strikes on the territory of Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates. This restriction shall be in effect for two years starting from this bill's enactment. The Department of State must report quarterly to Congress on airstrikes by the Saudi Air Force in Yemen, including (1) information about strikes in the past three months that the U.S. government considers to be legitimate self-defense, internal security, or for preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; (2) information about strikes that do not meet such criteria; and (3) a certification that the State Department is investigating any indications that U.S.-sourced defense articles are not being used against anything other than legitimate military targets in Yemen.
Keeping School Meals Flexible Act This bill extends authority through June 30, 2023, for the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to waive certain requirements for the school meal programs to address COVID-19. The bill extends the authority for USDA to issue a single waiver of child nutrition program requirements to all states under the National School Lunch Program for purposes of providing meals and snacks with appropriate safety measures with respect to COVID-19; grant waivers of requirements to allow non-congregate feeding in the Child and Adult Care Food Program for purposes of providing meals and snacks with appropriate safety measures with respect to COVID-19; and grant waivers related to the nutritional content of meals served in child nutrition programs if it determines the waiver is necessary to provide meals and snacks, and there is a food supply chain disruption due to COVID-19.
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.)
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.
Rural Outdoor Investment Act This bill directs the Department of Commerce to make grants to eligible recipients for outdoor recreation projects to spur economic development, with a focus on rural communities. Commerce shall develop a partnership agreement to provide for the development of, among other things, basic training, including in-person or modular training sessions, for small businesses and rural communities.
Senior Citizens Tax Elimination Act This bill repeals the inclusion of any Social Security or tier I railroad retirement benefits in gross income for income tax purposes. The bill also (1) appropriates funds to cover reductions in transfers to the Social Security and Railroad Retirement Trust Funds resulting from the enactment of this bill, and (2) expresses the sense of Congress against using tax increases to provide revenue necessary to carry out this bill.
TSA Security Threat Assessment Application Modernization Act This bill requires the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to standardize the enrollment and renewal system for individuals applying for or renewing multiple TSA Security Threat Assessment programs, including the Transportation Worker Identification Credential, Hazardous Materials Endorsement, and TSA PreCheck programs. The standardization shall permit an individual to (1) enroll at a TSA-designated universal enrollment center once and use the application for one of such programs to enroll in two or more of such programs,with specified exceptions for those applying for or renewing enrollment in more than one program at different times; (2) apply successful, valid clearance results from a TSA Security Threat Assessment to satisfy vetting requirements for participation in any related program without additional cost; and (3) undergo a streamlined and expeditious renewal process. Additionally, the TSA must publish on its website information relating to the standardization of the enrollment system.
This resolution supports the participation of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams in the 2022 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in a safe, free, and secure environment.
Small Practice, Underserved, and Rural Support Program Extension Act of 2022 or the SURS Extension Act This bill reauthorizes funds through FY2027 for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to contract with specified entities (e.g., quality improvement organizations) to provide technical assistance regarding the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) and alternative payment models under Medicare, specifically for health professionals in practices with 15 or fewer professionals. (MIPS is an incentive program under Medicare that allows health professionals to receive payment adjustments based on certain performance measures.)
Freedom to Repair Act of 2022 This bill exempts actions related to the repair of digital electronic equipment from certain copyright-related prohibitions. Generally, current federal copyright law prohibits (1) circumventing technological measures (e.g., copy protection technology) that effectively control access to a copyright-protected work; or (2) trafficking (e.g., manufacturing or importing) in products, technologies, or services primarily designed or produced for such acts of circumvention. Under this bill, such an act of circumvention or trafficking shall not be prohibited if the act is for the purpose of diagnosing, maintaining, or repairing digital electronic equipment. However, this bill shall not apply to (1) a manufacturer or distributor of a medical device or digital electronic product (or embedded software) manufactured for use in a medical setting, or (2) any product or service offered by such a manufacturer or distributor.
