Accountability for Cryptocurrency in El Salvador Act or ACES Act This bill requires the Department of State to devise and implement a plan to mitigate any potential risk to the U.S. financial system posed by the adoption of a cryptocurrency as legal tender in El Salvador and any other country that uses the U.S. dollar as legal tender. The State Department must report to Congress on this plan and on various issues relating to El Salvador's adoption of Bitcoin as legal tender.
United States-Ecuador Partnership Act of 2022 This bill requires and authorizes actions to strengthen the U.S.-Ecuador relationship. The President may transfer two excess Coast Guard vessels to Ecuador if there is sufficient capacity to maintain the vessels. The Department of State must develop and implement a strategy to strengthen commercial and economic ties between the United States and Ecuador, including by (1) promoting cooperation and information sharing to increase trade and investment opportunities, and (2) supporting efforts by Ecuador's government to promote a more open and competitive business environment. The State Department must also develop and implement a strategy to increase the capacity of Ecuador's justice system and law enforcement to combat crime, corruption, and the harmful influence of malign foreign and domestic actors. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) must develop and implement a strategy to support inclusive economic development across Ecuador's national territory, including by facilitating increased access to financing and investment for small- and medium-sized businesses. USAID must also, by working through appropriate nonprofit organizations, develop and implement programs to provide training and technical assistance to strengthen the National Assembly of Ecuador. USAID must also develop and implement programs to improve ecosystem conservation and enhance the effective stewardship of Ecuador's natural resources. The State Department and USAID must periodically report to Congress on the implementation of these strategies and programs.
Innocent Landowners Protection Act This bill exempts a person who has an ownership interest in a facility for oil exploration, development, production, or storage but does not participate in managing that facility from certain liability for oil spills and related pollution.
Flexibility for Workers Education Act This bill excludes from hours worked certain voluntary training that occurs outside an employee's regular working hours. Such training does not count as hours worked even if it is offered by the employer, provided that an employee's working conditions are not adversely affected by choosing not to participate and the employee does not perform any productive work for the employer during the training.
Stop Flood Insurance Rate Hikes Act This bill allows National Flood Insurance Program policyholders to elect to pay premiums at the rate in effect prior to the implementation of Risk Rating 2.0 and to receive refunds for previously paid premiums. Risk Rating 2.0 bases premium rates on an individual property's specific flood risk instead of the flood risk of a general location and property type. Policyholders may elect to pay the previous rate until the Federal Emergency Management Agency performs several actions regarding Risk Rating 2.0, including publishing all data and methods used to calculate premium rates under Risk Rating 2.0, creating an online database where policyholders can see premium rates for their property using specified calculations, and publishing an assessment of the economic, social, and environmental impacts of Risk Rating 2.0.
Improving Law Enforcement Officer Safety and Wellness Through Data Act This bill requires the Department of Justice to report on (1) targeted attacks on law enforcement officers, (2) the feasibility of incorporating such attacks into existing crime reporting systems, and (3) the mental health resources that are available to law enforcement officers.
PATCH Act This bill requires premarket applications for cyber devices (i.e., medical devices that include software or connect to the internet) to include information relating to cybersecurity, including plans to monitor for cybersecurity risks and address vulnerabilities through regular product updates.
Expanding Reentry Employment Assistance Act This bill provides statutory authority for the Department of Labor's Reentry Employment Opportunities program, which provides competitive grants to improve employment and training outcomes and reduce recidivism of justice-involved individuals.
Validate Prior Learning to Accelerate Employment Act This bill incorporates assessments that measure an individual's prior knowledge, skills, competencies, and experiences into specified state and local employment training activities under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
Reversing Every Vaccine Emergency Requirement and Stopping Employee OSHA Mandates Act or the REVERSE OSHA Mandates Act This bill limits the authority of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to regulate workplace safety and health matters. Specifically, the bill repeals OSHA's authority to issue emergency temporary standards related to workplace safety and health. The bill further specifies that OSHA may not, under its authority to regulate workplace safety and health, require the administration of any drug, vaccine, or other biological product to an employee.
This resolution supports the preservation of the stepped-up basis tax rule that allows recipients of inherited assets such as land, equipment, or buildings to adjust the cost basis of the assets to reflect their fair market value. The resolution opposes any efforts to impose new taxes on family farms or small businesses and recognizes the importance of generational transfers of farm and family-owned businesses.
China Trade Cheating Restitution Act of 2022 This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to deposit into special accounts certain interest earned on antidumping and countervailing duties collected by U.S. Customs and Border Protection on or after October 1, 2000. Currently, the applicable date is October 1, 2014. Amounts in special accounts are distributed to affected domestic producers.
