This resolution designates March 24, 2022, as National Women in Agriculture Day. It also recognizes the important role of women in agriculture as producers, educators, leaders, mentors, and more
Home-Based Telemental Health Care Act of 2022 This bill establishes a grant program to fund demonstration projects to provide mental health services to medically underserved individuals in rural areas or in the farming, fishing, and forestry industries. Specifically, the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth within the Health Resources and Services Administration must award grants to public or nonprofit telemental health provider networks to deliver, and evaluate the impact of, home-based telemental services for such individuals. The office must coordinate activities with the Rural Health Liaison of the Department of Agriculture.
Increasing Opportunities for Retail Investors Act This bill expands the exemptions from registration requirements applicable to companies offering or selling securities. In general, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) prohibits the offering or selling of securities unless the offering is registered with the SEC or it qualifies for an exemption. Specifically, the bill increases the annual offering limit applicable to the crowdfunding exemption from $1 million to $5 million. The bill also allows the SEC to increase through rulemaking the dollar threshold or limit applicable to other types of offerings, including offerings for small- and medium-sized companies. Additionally, the bill increases the offering limit applicable to small securities offerings and provides for adjustments to this limit in line with inflation.
This joint resolution nullifies the rule titled Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Updating Payment Parameters, Section 1332 Waiver Implementing Regulations, and Improving Health Insurance Markets for 2022 and Beyond , which was issued by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the Department of the Treasury on September 27, 2021. The rule expands the open enrollment period for individual health coverage and rescinds the previous interpretation of certain requirements relating to Section 1332 waivers (also known as State Innovation Waivers or State Relief and Empowerment Waivers).
Military Spouse Hiring Act This bill expands the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) to include the hiring of a qualified military spouse. (The WOTC permits employers who hire individuals who are members of a targeted group such as qualified veterans, ex-felons, or long-term unemployment recipients to claim a tax credit equal to a portion of the wages paid to those individuals.) A qualified military spouse is any individual who is certified by the designated local agency as being (as of the hiring date) a spouse of a member of the Armed Forces.
This resolution celebrates the successes of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women and the contributions they have made in the United States. The resolution also recognizes the importance of supporting equity, providing safety, and upholding the interests of these women.
Conservation Reserve Program Improvement Act of 2022 This bill revises the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) of the Farm Service Agency. The CRP is a land conservation program that provides an annual rental payment to farmers in exchange for farmers removing environmentally sensitive land from agricultural production and planting species that will improve environmental health and quality. Specifically, the bill establishes a continuous enrollment procedure for the conservation reserve of land that will be enrolled under the state acres for wildlife enhancement initiative; provides federal cost sharing payments for the establishment of grazing infrastructure on all CRP contracts and practices, if grazing is included in the conservation plan and addresses a resource concern; and increases the CRP annual rental payment limitation from $50,000 to $125,000.
Employee Rights Act This bill makes various changes with respect to the collective bargaining process and labor relations. For example, the bill permits an employer to refuse to collectively bargain with a union within 90 days prior to the expiration of a collective bargaining agreement if the employer receives evidence that the majority of the employees in the bargaining unit do not support the union. The bill requires support from a majority of the employees in the bargaining unit (not just a majority of the employees voting) when electing union representation. The bill also requires unions to provide bargaining unit employees with the right to vote by secret ballot, including when voting whether to engage in a strike or refusal to work. Further, union dues, fees, assessments, and other contributions may be used for only collective bargaining or contract administrative functions. Additionally, the bill establishes a process for nullifying executive orders that the Office of Management and Budget determines are likely to result in an employer ordering a plant closure or mass layoff.
Elizabeth Dole Home and Community Based Services for Veterans and Caregivers Act of 2022 or the Elizabeth Dole Home Care Act This bill addresses home care and caregiver programs for veterans.
This joint resolution nullifies the rule issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on February 3, 2021, that requires the use of face masks on planes, trains, buses, and other public conveyances and at transportation hubs to prevent the transmission of COVID-19.
