Advancing Equality for Wabanaki Nations Act This bill allows the Wabanaki Nations in Maine to access future federal laws that are passed by Congress for the benefit of Indian tribes. Four Indian tribes (Maliseet, Micmac, Penobscot, and Passamaquoddy) make up the Wabanaki Nations. Currently, these tribes are unable to access certain federal laws and related benefits because such laws are preempted by the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980.
Climate Adaptation Science Centers Act or the CASC Act This bill provides statutory authority for the Department of the Interior's National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers. The centers must provide scientific expertise to managers of natural resources, cultural resources, and ecosystem services to inform decisions that aid adaptation to a changing climate and extreme weather events. The program shall include a National Climate Adaptation Science Center and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers. Among its activities, the National Center shall serve as the national office for the regional centers, develop and facilitate coordination among the regional centers, and conduct research on cross-regional and national science priorities. Regional centers shall develop research, education, training, and advisory service priorities regarding the impacts of climate trends and variability on natural and cultural resource management. Interior shall establish an Advisory Committee on Climate and Natural Resource Sciences to advise the National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers on specified matters, including (1) the contents of a national strategy identifying key climate adaptation science priorities to advance the management of natural and cultural resources in the face of climate change; and (2) the integration of equity, particularly for historically underserved communities, in the operation of the National Center and regional centers.
This bill ratifies the Bureau of Indian Affairs' 2018 decision to place approximately 6.7 acres of land into federal trust for the Samish Indian Nation. It confirms this trust status for the specific land described in the 2018 decision and applies to all current or future legal challenges regarding this land or similar actions. The bill explicitly states it does not prevent the Samish Nation from seeking additional land to be placed into trust in the future. It directly affects the Samish Indian Nation's ownership rights to this specific parcel and their legal standing on related land claims.
Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act This bill establishes the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the United States and sets forth its powers, duties, and membership. Among other duties, the commission must investigate the impacts and ongoing effects of the Indian Boarding School Policies (federal policies under which American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children were forcibly removed from their family homes and placed in boarding schools). Further, the commission must develop recommendations on ways to (1) protect unmarked graves and accompanying land protections; (2) support repatriation and identify the tribal nations from which children were taken; and (3) discontinue the removal of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children from their families and tribal communities by state social service departments, foster care agencies, and adoption agencies.
Save Oak Flat Act This bill repeals the requirement for the Department of Agriculture to convey the 2,422 acres of Forest System land located in Tonto National Forest in Pinal County, Arizona, known as Oak Flat, to Resolution Copper Mining, LLC, in exchange for various parcels of land owned by Resolution Copper. Oak Flat is withdrawn from (1) entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws; (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and (3) disposition under all laws pertaining to mineral and geothermal leasing or mineral materials.
This bill authorizes grants to Indian tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations for activities related to recreational travel and tourism. Specifically, the bill authorizes (1) the Bureau of Indian Affairs to make these grants to and enter into agreements with Indian tribes and tribal organizations; (2) the Office of Native Hawaiian Relations to make these grants to and enter into agreements with Native Hawaiian organizations; and (3) other federal agencies to make these grants to and enter into agreements with tribes, tribal organizations, and Native Hawaiian organizations.
Students' Access to Freedom and Educational Rights Act of 2022 This bill expands protections against discrimination and harassment in federally funded education programs or activities. Among other provisions, the bill (1) establishes statutory standards of liability for harassment and relevant remedies under specified statutes; (2) requires the Department of Education to develop a climate survey on K-12 students' experiences with domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and stalking; and (3) establishes training requirements and a grant program for Title IX coordinators.
Small Business Development Centers Improvement Act of 2022 This bill reauthorizes the Small Business Development Center Program through FY2026 and otherwise revises the program. Specifically, the bill (1) generally prohibits entities other than institutions of higher education from receiving new grants under the program; (2) allows centers to collect fees related to private partnerships or cosponsorships; (3) authorizes centers to market their services directly to small businesses; and (4) modifies or establishes provisions related to program funding, operations, data collection, and reporting.
VA Work-Study Improvement Act This bill updates the Department of Veterans Affairs work-study program, including by increasing the number of hours an individual may work, modifying the minimum wage requirements, and implementing an electronic timesheet.
Journalism Competition and Preservation Act of 2022 This bill sets out a process through which certain broadcast or digital news providers may collectively negotiate with covered online platforms (e.g., social media companies) regarding use of the news providers' content by the platforms. Specifically, the bill authorizes an eligible provider (e.g., one with no more than 1,500 full-time employees and nonnetwork news broadcasters that engage in specified news practices) to jointly form an entity with other eligible providers to negotiate the pricing, terms, and conditions by which certain online platforms use the providers' content. A covered platform is generally one that (1) has at least 50 million monthly domestic users, and (2) is owned or controlled by a person with either sales or a market capitalization that exceeds a specified amount or at least one billion monthly users worldwide. The bill establishes requirements concerning the formation, governance, operation, and termination of the joint negotiation entity. It also exempts from antitrust laws certain actions by a joint negotiation entity (e.g., providers jointly denying a platform's access to the providers' content). The bill outlines requirements governing the conduct of the negotiations by, for example, requiring the parties to negotiate in good faith. Additionally, the bill provides for private rights of action if the requirements for a negotiation are not met and establishes requirements for arbitration in limited circumstances. The Government Accountability Office must study the impact of the joint negotiations, including their effects on local and regional news and the employment of journalists. In general, the bill's provisions terminate six years after its enactment.
SRES 838 is a non-binding Senate resolution expressing concern about the increasing number of book bans in schools and libraries across the U.S. It highlights that over 2,500 book restrictions affected more than 4 million students in 32 states during the 2021-2022 school year, including bans on titles addressing LGBTQ+ themes, racial history, and diverse perspectives (such as *The Handmaid’s Tale* and *Maus*). The resolution reaffirms the importance of free expression under the First Amendment and calls on schools and libraries to follow established guidelines when addressing book challenges, rather than removing materials based on political or ideological preferences. It emphasizes protecting students’ access to diverse viewpoints and educators’ ability to teach without censorship.
Reinvesting In Shoreline Economies and Ecosystems Act of 2022 or the RISEE Act of 2022 This bill expands the amount of revenue generated from leases for energy development on federal land or submerged lands in the Outer Continental Shelf that is shared with certain states and coastal communities. For example, the bill dedicates a percentage of the revenue generated from offshore wind leases for coastal states. Currently, this revenue is deposited in the U.S. Treasury. In addition, the bill increases the amount of revenue generated from offshore oil and gas leases that is shared with states under the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act. States must use the funding from the revenue for specified purposes, such as coastal restoration, conservation, or infrastructure.
