Gerald's Law Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide a burial and funeral allowance for a veteran who dies from a non-service-connected disability in a home or other setting at which the veteran was receiving VA hospice care (if such care was directly preceded by VA hospital or nursing home care).
NRCS Wetland Compliance and Appeals Reform Act This bill revises provisions related to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA), including by (1) revising the appeals process of the NRCS for wetland certification requests, (2) requiring USDA to establish oversight committees in each state that will oversee the appeals of wetland determinations, and (3) prohibiting the NRCS from acquiring any permanent easement.
Protecting Access for Hunters and Anglers Act of 2022 This bill bars the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture from prohibiting or regulating the use of lead ammunition or tackle on federal land or water that is under the jurisdiction of such departments and made available for hunting or fishing. The bill makes exceptions for specified existing regulations and where the applicable department determines that a decline in wildlife population at the specific unit of federal land or water is primarily caused by the use of lead in ammunition or tackle, based on the field data from such unit, and the state approves the regulations.
This joint resolution nullifies the final rule issued by the Council on Environmental Quality titled National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Regulations Revisions and published on April 20, 2022. The rule restores regulatory provisions issued under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) that were in effect before being modified in 2020 by the Update to the Regulations Implementing the Procedural Provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act rule.
Restoring Accountability in the Indian Health Service Act of 2022 This bill establishes a series of programs and requirements relating to recruitment and retention in the Indian Health Service, including provisions regarding pay, credentialing, and housing needs of workforce personnel.
CDFI Bond Guarantee Program Improvement Act of 2022 This bill permanently reauthorizes and otherwise revises the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Bond Guarantee Program. Specifically, the bill (1) reduces the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program minimum issuance amount from $100 million to $25 million, and (2) reduces the amount allowed to be held in a CDFI's relending account. (CDFIs are financial institutions serving low-income communities. Designation as a CDFI allows an institution to participate in programs such as the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program. The program provides financing to CDFIs through federal credit subsidies that allow CDFIs to issue bonds.)
Trucking Regulations Unduly Constricting Known Service-providers Act of 2022 or the TRUCKS Act of 2022 This bill revises requirements for obtaining a commercial driver's license. The bill allows states to exempt employees in certain agriculture-related industries and employees of state, local, and tribal governmental entities from entry-level driver training requirements to obtain a commercial driver's license. Additionally, a state may issue restricted commercial driver's licenses to owners and employees of certain small businesses, including those that employ not more than nine employees who hold a commercial driver's license as of the date on which the restricted commercial driver's license is issued.
Veterans Medical Mileage Adjustment Act of 2022 This bill increases the rate for beneficiary travel allowances based on mileage (from 41.5 cents to 45.5 cents per mile) for beneficiary travel to or from Department of Veterans Affairs facilities in connection with vocational rehabilitation, required counseling, or for the purpose of examination, treatment, or care.
Simplify Timelines and Assure Regulatory Transparency Act or the START Act This bill sets forth a variety of provisions to expedite the environmental review of energy projects, such as the Mountain Valley Pipeline project.
This resolution designates August 10, 2022, as Toxic Exposure Awareness Day to honor and recognize the contributions of members of the Armed Forces and veterans who were exposed to toxic substances. Additionally, the resolution encourages the Department of Veterans Affairs and veterans service organizations to conduct outreach and promote awareness of the resources available to those who were exposed to toxic substances.
