Rep. Daniel Webster

This act directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous award of a Congressional Gold Medal to commemorate Glen Doherty, Tyrone Woods, J. Christopher Stevens, and Sean Smith, four Americans killed in the September 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. (Stevens was the U.S. Ambassador to Libya at the time, Smith was an officer in the Foreign Service, and Doherty and Woods were both government contractors and former Navy SEALs.) After the medal has been awarded, it shall be given to the Central Intelligence Agency Museum.

Uyghur Human Rights Sanctions Review Act This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to determine whether specified Chinese entities (1) are responsible for serious human rights abuses against Uyghurs or certain other predominantly Muslim ethnic groups, and (2) meet the criteria for the imposition of certain sanctions.

Sunshine Protection Act of 2021 This bill makes daylight savings time the new, permanent standard time. States with areas exempt from daylight savings time may choose the standard time for those areas.

Restoring Resilient Reefs Act of 2021 This bill addresses the conservation and sustainability of coral reef ecosystems. Among other things, the bill reauthorizes through FY2024 and revises the Coral Reef Conservation Program; directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to provide block grants to states to support state coral reef management and restoration; requires NOAA to establish standards for the formation of partnerships among government and community members for the stewardship of coral reefs; provides statutory authority for the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force to lead, coordinate, and strengthen federal government actions to preserve, conserve, and restore coral reef ecosystems; requires the Department of the Interior to provide grants upon the declaration of a coral reef emergency to implement emergency plans; authorizes Interior to provide scientific expertise, technical assistance, and financial assistance for the conservation and restoration of coral reefs; and establishes a National Coral Reef Management Fellowship Program.

This joint resolution nullifies the interim final rule issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) titled Reproductive Health Services and published on September 9, 2022. The rule authorizes the VA to provide certain abortion-related care to veterans. The rule also applies to such care provided to beneficiaries covered under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA).

Improving Government for America's Taxpayers Act This bill requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO), in its annual report to Congress, to consolidate matters for congressional consideration into one report, organized by policy topic, and to identify congressional oversight actions that can help agencies implement unimplemented priority recommendations. The GAO is also required to publish the above information and publish any known costs of unimplemented priority recommendations.

This bill prohibits the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration from issuing an interim or final rule that includes an area closure in the South Atlantic for species managed under the Snapper-Grouper Fishery Management Plan until (1) the South Atlantic Great Red Snapper Count study is complete, and (2) the data related to such study is integrated into the South Atlantic red snapper research track and operational stock assessment.

Small Project Efficient and Effective Disaster Recovery Act or the SPEED Recovery Act This act increases to $1 million the threshold for eligibility for assistance for what qualifies as a small project under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, thereby allowing more recovery projects to proceed under simplified procedures. The threshold must be reviewed every three years. The Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security must conduct an audit, and report to Congress, on whether there has been waste and abuse as a result of the change in the threshold.

Lymphedema Treatment Act This bill provides for Medicare coverage of lymphedema compression treatment items. Specifically, the bill provides for coverage of standard and custom fitted gradient compression garments and other approved items that are prescribed by a physician or other specified health care professional to treat lymphedema.

Maddy summaryHRES 1183 is a non-binding House resolution condemning domestic terrorist violence targeting religious organizations and pregnancy support groups. It specifically references multiple recent incidents of vandalism and arson against such facilities - including pregnancy centers and churches - occurring after the leak of a Supreme Court abortion decision. The resolution urges the Department of Justice, FBI, and National Security Council to investigate and prosecute these attacks and update domestic terrorism strategies to prevent future violence. As a symbolic measure, it does not create new laws but formally expresses the House’s stance against targeting these groups.