This bill awards a Congressional Gold Medal to the United States Army Dustoff crews who served during the Vietnam War, recognizing their life-saving medical evacuations. The medal, to be designed by the Secretary of the Treasury in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, will be displayed at the U.S. Army Medical Department Museum. The bill honors the approximately 900,000 wounded personnel these crews transported over the course of the Vietnam War, including U.S., South Vietnamese, and allied forces, who relied on their rapid medical evacuation services.
HR 4581, the Maternal and Child Health Stillbirth Prevention Act of 2024, amends Title V of the Social Security Act to explicitly allow federal funds to support stillbirth prevention efforts. The bill directs states receiving Title V maternal and child health funds to use these resources for evidence-based programs and research aimed at reducing stillbirths, including tracking fetal movements, screening for growth issues, smoking cessation, and community support. It directly affects state maternal health programs by clarifying that existing funding can now cover specific stillbirth prevention activities previously not explicitly permitted. The law changes how Title V funds may be spent, adding clear provisions for research and programs targeting stillbirth reduction. This is a policy change that updates funding guidelines without creating new programs or mandates.
This bill (HR 2365, Public Law 118-66) directs the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish the National Parkinson’s Project. It requires HHS to create and update a coordinated national plan for preventing, diagnosing, treating, and researching Parkinson’s disease and related disorders (including multiple system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy), while coordinating federal research and care efforts across agencies like the NIH, CDC, and VA. The law mandates annual progress assessments, an advisory council with patient advocates and diverse experts, and annual reports to Congress on federal Parkinson’s programs and recommendations for improvement. It affects federal agencies managing Parkinson’s-related programs and aims to improve care coordination and research efficiency for patients and caregivers, with the law sunsetting in 2035.
This bill approves and implements a new trade agreement between the United States and Taiwan, negotiated by the American Institute in Taiwan and Taiwan's Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office. The agreement aims to strengthen economic ties by addressing areas like supply chain security, investment screening, health, science, technology, and the digital economy. The bill establishes requirements for the President to consult with Congress before implementation, submit reports on how the agreement benefits US workers and businesses, and provide transparency about future trade negotiations. It also clarifies that the agreement doesn't override US or state laws and requires any future agreements to follow a similar approval process with congressional review.
This bill directs the U.S. Treasury to mint commemorative coins marking the Marine Corps' 250th anniversary in 2025. It authorizes three coin types: $5 gold coins (max 50,000), $1 silver coins (max 400,000), and half-dollar coins (max 750,000), with surcharges of $35, $10, and $5 respectively. The surcharge proceeds will fund the Marine Corps Heritage Center's educational programs, with no net cost to taxpayers as the Treasury must recover all minting costs through the surcharges. The coins can only be issued during 2025, and the Treasury must ensure all costs are covered before distributing funds to the Heritage Foundation.
The CADETS Act (S. 467) modifies the Student Incentive Payment Program at State maritime academies by requiring students to meet the Navy Reserve's age requirement for enlistment or commission at the time of graduation, rather than at the time of enrollment. This change directly affects students enrolled in State maritime academies who seek financial incentives to support their education. The bill updates the eligibility criteria in 46 U.S.C. § 51509 to align graduation-age requirements with Navy Reserve standards. It ensures students qualify for payments only if they are eligible to join the Navy Reserve immediately after completing their studies.
Dr. Joanne Smith Memorial Rehabilitation Innovation Centers Act of 2022 This act directs the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to publish and biennially update a list of all rehabilitation innovation centers. The act defines rehabilitation innovation centers as rehabilitation facilities that (1) hold specified federal research and training designations for traumatic brain injury or spinal cord injury research, and (2) serve at least a certain number of Medicare patients. The CMS may waive such criteria as it deems appropriate.
National Heritage Area Act This act establishes a National Heritage Area System. The Department of the Interior may provide technical and financial assistance to local coordinating entities to support the establishment, development, and continuity of such areas. The National Heritage Area System shall be composed of each National Heritage Area, National Heritage Corridor, National Heritage Canalway, Cultural Heritage Corridor, National Heritage Route, and National Heritage Partnership designated by Congress before or on enactment of this act; and each National Heritage Area designated by Congress after enactment of this act. A National Heritage Area shall not be considered to be a unit of the National Park System nor subject to the authorities applicable to such units. Interior may carry out or review a study to assess the suitability and feasibility of each proposed heritage area for designation as a National Heritage Area. Interior must review and certify whether the proposed area meets specified requirements, including that it has natural, historic, and cultural resources that represent distinctive aspects of the heritage of the United States. An area shall be designated as a National Heritage Area only by an act of Congress. Interior shall conduct studies to assess the suitability and feasibility of designating specified areas in Hawaii as the Kaena Point National Heritage Area and in Virginia and North Carolina as the Great Dismal Swamp National Heritage Area. The act also (1) establishes or extends specified National Heritage Areas, (2) redesignates the America's Agricultural Heritage Partnership in Iowa as the Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area, and (3) extends the deadline for the management plans for certain heritage areas.
Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act of 2022 This act requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to ensure that rates and charges for payphone services or other calling devices, including advanced (e.g., audio or video) communications services in correctional institutions, are just and reasonable. When promulgating regulations or otherwise implementing this act, the FCC (1) may use industry-wide average costs related to providing telephone and advanced communications services, and (2) must consider costs for safety and security measures related to providing communications services in correctional facilities.
Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2021 This act provides for the posthumous presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal in commemoration of Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley. After it is awarded, the medal shall be given to the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Iran Hostages Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to the 53 hostages of the Iran Hostage Crisis (November 4, 1979-January 21, 1981) in recognition of their bravery and endurance throughout their captivity.
21st Century President Act This act revises the definition of immediate family for purposes of a criminal offense involving a threat to kill, kidnap, or inflict bodily harm on a former President or a member of the immediate family of a former President. Specifically, it replaces gender-specific references to a former President's wife and widow with the gender-neutral terms spouse and surviving spouse .
