Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act of 2022 This bill authorizes the use of certain foreign assistance funds to provide comprehensive reproductive health care services in developing countries, including abortion services, training, and equipment.
The Pacific Islands Embassies Act requires the U.S. Department of State to establish new physical embassies in Vanuatu, Kiribati, and Tonga within two years of enactment. It authorizes $40.2 million for embassy construction and maintenance in fiscal year 2023, plus $3 million for ongoing operations in 2024. The bill mandates regular progress reports to Congress on embassy establishment and regional developments, including activities by China in the Pacific Islands region. This legislation directly affects U.S. diplomatic operations and the three Pacific Island nations by creating dedicated diplomatic posts to strengthen engagement in the region.
Atrocity Crimes, Relief and Accountability Act or the ACRA Act The bill requires the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development to provide assistance to suspected victims, survivors, and witnesses of war crimes; establishes a Ukraine victims trust fund; and establishes a Ukraine atrocity crimes rewards fund. The bill also allows the International Criminal Court to conduct limited activities in the United States relating solely to foreign nationals suspected of committing war crimes in Ukraine.
Naomi Schwartz Safe Parking Program Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development to establish a grant program for safe parking programs operated by local governments, tribes, nonprofit organizations, and certain organizations that assist the homeless. Safe parking programs provide homeless individuals living in vehicles with (1) a safe place to park overnight to facilitate a transition to stable housing, and (2) services including rehousing assistance and case management.
Right to Contraception Act This bill sets out statutory protections for an individual's right to access and a health care provider's right to provide contraception and related information. Contraception refers to an action taken to prevent pregnancy, including the use of contraceptives (i.e., a device or medication used to prevent pregnancy), fertility-awareness based methods, and sterilization procedures. Generally, the bill prohibits measures that single out and impede access to contraception and related information. However, a party may defend against a claim that a measure violates the bill's prohibitions by demonstrating, through clear and convincing evidence, that the measure significantly advances the safety of contraception and cannot be achieved through less restrictive means. The bill also specifies that the prohibition preempts inconsistent state and local laws and applies in spite of other federal laws, including the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. The Department of Justice, individuals, or health care providers may bring a lawsuit to enforce this bill, and states are not immune from suits for violations.
This resolution calls on the Russian government to immediately release Brittney Griner. The resolution urges the United States, in all interactions with the Russian government, to raise the case of Brittney Griner and to press for her release. The resolution further urges the Russian government to provide consular access to Brittney Griner while she remains in detention and to respect her human rights. Finally, the resolution expresses support to the family of Brittney Griner and a commitment to bringing her home.
Benjamin Berell Ferencz Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Benjamin Berell Ferencz in recognition of his service to the United States and the international community during the post-World War II Nuremberg trials and his lifelong advocacy for international criminal justice and the rule of law.
Protecting and Preserving Social Security Act This bill revises methods for calculating various aspects of Social Security benefits, eliminates the cap on compensation subject to Social Security taxes, and extends eligibility for Social Security benefits during the month of a beneficiary's death.
Removing Access Barriers to Running for Elected Office for People with Disabilities Act This bill excludes income earned and work performed as a candidate for an elected office when determining eligibility for, or the amount of, federally financed benefits or assistance if the candidate is entitled to Social Security Disability Insurance benefits or Supplemental Security Income (a federal assistance program that provides monthly cash payments to aged, blind, or disabled individuals with limited income and resources) due to a disability.
Peace Corps Reauthorization Act of 2022 This bill reauthorizes the Peace Corps program through FY2027 and addresses other issues related to the program. For example, the bill (1) increases the readjustment allowances for returning Peace Corps volunteers; (2) provides statutory authority to an executive order that provides returning volunteers with noncompetitive eligibility for federal employment purposes (i.e., eligibility to be noncompetitively appointed to a competitive federal position); and (3) requires the Peace Corps to take all reasonable measures to prevent and address reprisal or retaliation against a volunteer by any person with supervisory authority over the volunteer, such as a Peace Corps officer.
This resolution (1) recognizes the importance of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 in advancing independent living for individuals with disabilities; (2) pledges continued efforts to address remaining barriers for individuals with disabilities; and (3) calls on federal agencies to provide additional resources for individuals with disabilities with respect to economic self-sufficiency, community-based services, housing, and transportation.
Norman Y. Mineta Japanese American Confinement Education Act This bill increases the authorization of appropriations for the Japanese American Confinement Sites (JACS) grant program, which supports the preservation of U.S. confinement sites that were used to detain Japanese Americans during World War II (i.e., internment camps). It also establishes a program within JACS to provide grants to Japanese American nonprofits to educate individuals about the historical significance of these events.
