Iran China Accountability Act This bill prohibits the use of funds to enter into any negotiation with Iran regarding an Iran nuclear agreement until the President makes specified certifications concerning the actions of China and Iran. Specifically, the President must certify that China has ceased incarcerating Uyghur individuals in the Xinjiang region. Additionally, the President must certify that, among other actions, Iran has terminated all agreements involving the receipt of funds from China and all ties and transfer of cash to Iranian proxy forces, including Hamas. Further, any Iran nuclear agreement that the United States enters into must certify the destruction of any and all Iranian nuclear and missile capabilities, weapons, infrastructure, chemical weapons, and offensive cyber activity. Such agreement shall be deemed a treaty requiring advice and consent of the Senate.
Securing the Checkpoint Property Screening System (S-CPSS) Act of 2022 This bill establishes requirements related to the Checkpoint Property Screening System program, through which the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) procures and deploys computed tomography equipment for screening carry-on baggage at airport checkpoints. Specifically, the TSA must support small businesses with respect to research and development of technologies under consideration for the program. Additionally, the TSA must brief the appropriate congressional committees at specified intervals regarding planned procurement and deployment efforts of such equipment. If the TSA intends to make an award to a system that does not satisfy the program's key performance parameters, it shall brief such committees at least two weeks prior to any such award regarding why such award is necessary and in the best interest of national security and good government.
This resolution expresses the sense of the Senate that (1) for purposes of federal law, an individual's sex means the individual's biological sex at birth; and (2) distinctions between the sexes are justified in certain settings, laws, and policies.
Upholding the Inter-American Democratic Charter Act of 2022 This bill requires the Department of State to develop and implement a strategy to uphold and strengthen the Inter-American Democratic Charter, which states that the peoples of the Americas have a right to democracy and their governments have an obligation to promote and defend it. The charter was adopted in 2001 by the member states of the Organization of American States (OAS), which includes all 35 independent countries of the Western Hemisphere. The strategy must include plans to (1) strengthen the integrity of electoral processes in the Americas; (2) counter the spread and amplification of disinformation and misinformation in the Americas; and (3) address threats to democratic governance posed by corruption, criminality, and the malign activities of nondemocratic and non-OAS countries such as China and Russia.
The National Guard Promotion Improvement Act of 2022 addresses delays in federal approval of promotions for reserve officers in the Army and Air National Guard. It requires the Department of Defense to conduct a study on improving the promotion recognition process, including exploring technology solutions and best practices from state guards. The bill also mandates backdating promotions for officers affected by delays exceeding 60 days (not caused by the officer), adjusting the effective date to no later than 60 days after the National Guard Bureau received the promotion. Additionally, it establishes annual reporting to Congress on promotion delay metrics and progress toward reducing delays below 60 days.
Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take a series of actions relating to palliative-care training. Specifically, HHS must provide support for Palliative Care and Hospice Education Centers. The centers must improve the training of health professionals in palliative care and establish traineeships for individuals preparing for advanced-education nursing degrees, social-work degrees, or advanced degrees in physician-assistant studies in palliative care. HHS may provide support to medical schools, teaching hospitals, and graduate medical-education programs for training physicians who plan to teach palliative medicine. HHS must (1) provide Palliative Medicine and Hospice Academic Career Awards to individuals to promote their career development, (2) support entities that operate a Palliative Care and Hospice Education Center, (3) support individuals in specified fields who are pursuing an advanced degree in palliative care or related fields, and (4) award grants to nursing programs to train individuals in providing palliative care. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality must provide for a national education and awareness campaign to inform patients, families, and health professionals about the benefits of palliative care. The National Institutes of Health must expand national research programs in palliative care.
Small Business COVID Relief Act of 2022 This bill provides support for restaurants and other businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the bill provides additional funding for the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide grants to support the ongoing operations of eligible restaurants and similar establishments. The SBA must report weekly and biweekly information about grant applications, awards, and denials. Additionally, the bill funds grants to support other eligible businesses impacted by the pandemic, including gyms and fitness centers, minor league sports teams, businesses located near land ports of entry, businesses that provide and support live events, and businesses located in certain U.S. exclaves with limited accessibility. A business may receive a grant under only one program. The bill also establishes procedures for the SBA to implement and provide administrative support for these grant programs. The SBA must institute an oversight and audit plan to review the use of grants under these programs. Further, the bill provides additional funding for grants to support eligible transportation service providers. Finally, the bill designates the funding as emergency spending, which is exempt from discretionary spending limits.
This bill requires institutions of higher education (IHEs) to disclose information regarding gifts from and contracts with China-affiliated organizations. China-affiliated organization refers to any entity that receives support directly or indirectly from the Chinese government, including certain educational institutes or programs, think tanks, and business entities. Under current law, an IHE must disclose to the Department of Education (ED) a gift or contract from a foreign source that is valued at $250,000 or more, considered alone or in combination with all other gifts from or contracts with that foreign source in a calendar year. This bill establishes a special disclosure rule relating to China-affiliated organizations. Specifically, the bill requires an IHE to disclose a gift from or contract with a China-affiliated organization that is valued at $5,000 or more, considered alone or in combination with all other gifts from or contracts with that organization in a calendar year. Additionally, the bill requires an IHE that receives federal grants to annually file a report with ED that identifies any activities conducted pursuant to a contract or other agreement between the IHE and a China-affiliated organization, including any joint research or academic exchanges. Such a contract or other agreement must be made available on a publicly accessible website of the IHE.
HR 7837, the National Guard Promotion Improvement Act of 2022, addresses delays in Federal recognition of promotions for Army and Air National Guard reserve officers. It requires an independent study to review the promotion process and identify ways to reduce delays, mandates backdating promotions for officers affected by delays exceeding 60 days (unless caused by the officer), and establishes annual reporting requirements on processing times. The bill directly affects reserve commissioned officers in the Army and Air National Guard who face extended waits for Federal promotion approval. Key provisions include the study on best practices and IT solutions, automatic promotion date adjustments for eligible officers, and detailed annual reports tracking delay metrics to Congress.
Travel and Tourism Act This bill implements measures to support the U.S. travel and tourism industry. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Commerce to develop a 10-year travel and tourism strategy with annual goals for the number of international visitors to the United States and for travel and tourism commerce. Further, Commerce must develop and implement a COVID-19 pandemic recovery strategy to assist the recovery of the U.S. travel and tourism industry. The bill also provides statutory authority for the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, which shall advise Commerce on matters relating to the travel and tourism industry.
HRES 1131 is a resolution proposing to remove the January 13, 2021, impeachment of President Trump from the official congressional record, treating it as if it never occurred. It specifically targets the House resolution (H. Res. 24) that impeached Trump for "incitement of insurrection" following the January 6 Capitol riot. The resolution argues the impeachment lacked due process, omitted context about the 2020 election, and violated constitutional procedures by rushing the vote before Trump’s term ended. If passed, it would formally erase the impeachment from legislative history but would not affect Trump’s legal status or future eligibility for office. This is a symbolic procedural measure, not a binding law, and would not change the actual voting record or constitutional implications.
COVID-19 Home Safety Act of 2021 This bill requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission to report, and make available to the public, information about injuries and deaths from consumer products during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The report must be submitted every three months for the duration of the emergency.
