September 2020 Monthly Legislative Wrap-Up

H.R.561 the Protecting Business Opportunities for Veterans Act of 2019 amends title 38, United States Code, to improve the oversight of contracts awarded by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans.
Sponsored by Rep. Jack Bergman
Update: Legislation passed both chambers of Congress

H.R.1702 the Free Veterans from Fees Act waives the application fee for any special use permit for veterans’ special events at war memorials on land administered by the National Park Service in the District of Columbia and its environs.
Sponsored by Rep. Greg Steube
Update: Legislation passed the House of Representatives

H.R.3659 Danny’s Law establishes an Anti-Bullying Roundtable to study bullying in elementary and secondary schools in the United States.
Sponsored by Rep. Max Rose
Update: Legislation passed the House of Representatives

H.R.4990 the Election Technology Research Act of 2020 directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Science Foundation to carry out research and other activities to promote the security and modernization of voting systems.
Sponsored by Rep. Mikie Sherrill
Update: Legislation passed the House of Representatives

H.R.6168 the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2020 increases, effective as of December 1, 2020, the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans.
Sponsored by Rep. Elaine Luria
Update: Legislation passed both chambers of Congress

H.R.8147 the TREAT Act directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to expand an existing pilot program, and to establish a new pilot program, related to complementary and integrative health services for veterans.
Sponsored by Rep. Conor Lamb

H.R.8148 the VA DATA Act amends title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter into contracts for statistical analyses and data evaluation.
Sponsored by Rep. Conor Lamb

H.R.8149 the VA Precision Medicine Act directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out an initiative to identify and validate brain and mental health biomarkers among veterans.
Sponsored by Rep. Conor Lamb

H.R.8172 the VA Research Technology Act directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to use accredited commercial institutional review boards to review research proposal protocols of the Department, and to establish an Office of Research Reviews in the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sponsored by Rep. Elaine Luria

H.R.8220 the Global Learning Loss Assessment Act of 2020 directs the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development to submit to Congress a report on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global basic education programs.
Sponsored by Rep. Chrissy Houlahan

H.R.8293 the Teacher, Principal, and Leader Residency Access Act ensures that Federal work-study funding is available for students enrolled in residency programs for teachers, principals, or school leaders.
Sponsored by Rep. Jason Crow

H.R.8386 amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to provide for the eligibility of rural community response pilot programs for funding under the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Grant Program.
Sponsored by Rep. Conor Lamb

H.R.8415 the Restoring Education Access for Student Veterans Act provides for the continuation of certain educational assistance benefits during the COVID-19 emergency.
Sponsored by Rep. Gil Cisneros
Original Co-Sponsor: Rep. Jack Bergman

H.R.8426 the Protecting Apprenticeship Training for Veterans Act provides for modified requirements relating to apprenticeship and on-job training programs during the COVID-19 emergency under the educational assistance programs of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sponsored by Rep. Conor Lamb
Original Co-Sponsor: Rep. Gil Cisneros

H.R.8427 the Ensuring Phone and Internet Access for SNAP Recipients Act of 2020 provides for certain reports on enrollment in the Lifeline program.
Sponsored by Rep. Elaine Luria

H.R.8435 the HOV Lanes for Heroes Act allows certain veterans to use high occupancy vehicle lanes, including toll lanes.
Sponsored by Rep. Max Rose

H.R.8449 the Veterans’ Sentinel Act directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to collect and analyze data regarding suicides and attempted suicides by veterans on the property of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sponsored by Rep. Jason Crow

H.R.8144 the VA Mental Health Staffing Act directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress a plan to address staffing of mental health providers of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Original Co-Sponsor: Rep. Greg Steube

H.R.8173 the VA High Altitude and Suicide Research Act directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct a study on the connection between living at high altitude and suicide risk factors among veterans.
Original Co-Sponsor: Rep. Gil Cisneros

H.R.8195 names the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic, located at 400 College Drive, Middleburg, Florida, the “A.K. Baker VA Clinic.”
Original Co-Sponsors: Rep. Brian Mast, Rep. Greg Steube, and Rep. Michael Waltz

H.R.8207 the Justice for Servicemembers Act of 2020 amends title 38, United States Code, to clarify the scope of procedural rights of members of the uniformed services with respect to their employment and reemployment rights.
Original Co-Sponsor: Rep. Jared Golden

H.R.8223 the Cyber Essentials Act amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 promotes evidence-based controls for defending against common cybersecurity threats and cybersecurity risks.
Original Co-Sponsor: Rep. Mike Gallagher

H.R.8229 the Parity for HUBZone Appeals Act of 2020 requires the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to issue a rule authorizing the Office of Hearings and Appeals to decide appeals relating to the status of HUBZone business concerns.
Original Co-Sponsor: Rep. Chrissy Houlahan

H.R.8230 the Integrating New Technologies to Empower Law Enforcement at Our Borders Act requires the Department of Homeland Security to develop a comprehensive plan to identify, deploy, and integrate emerging technologies to achieve greater situational awareness along the northern and southern borders of the United States.
Original Co-Sponsor: Rep. Van Taylor

H.R.8237 the Protecting the Employment Rights of Servicemembers Act amends title 38, United States Code, to clarify the scope of procedural rights of members of the uniformed services with respect to their employment and reemployment rights.
Original Co-Sponsor: Rep. Jared Golden

H.R.8242 the National Women’s Hall of Fame Commemorative Coin Act of 2020 requires the Secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in recognition and celebration of the National Women’s Hall of Fame.
Original Co-Sponsor: Rep. Max Rose

H.R.8257 the Transparency for Wounded Warriors Act amends title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide to a member of the uniformed services who is denied a traumatic injury protection claim under Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance certain information related to that denial.
Original Co-Sponsor: Rep. Jack Bergman

H.R.8259 prohibits Russian participation in the G7.
Original Co-Sponsor: Rep. Adam Kinzinger

H.R.8266 the FEMA Assistance Relief Act of 2020 modifies the Federal cost share of certain emergency assistance provided under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, to modify the activities eligible for assistance under the emergency declaration issued by the President on March 13, 2020, relating to COVID-19.
Original Co-Sponsors: Rep. Salud Carbajal and Rep. Jimmy Panetta

H.R.8270 the I am Vanessa Guillen Act of 2020 amends title 10, United States Code, to improve the responses of the Department of Defense to sex-related offenses.
Original Co-Sponsors: Rep. Gil Cisneros, Rep. Jason Crow, Rep. Jimmy Panetta, Rep. Max Rose, and Rep. Mikie Sherrill

H.R.8274 the Dairy Pricing and Policy Commission Act of 2020 directs the Secretary of Agriculture to establish the Dairy Pricing and Policy Commission.
Original Co-Sponsor: Rep. Mike Gallagher

H.R.8275 the Reducing Veteran Homelessness Act of 2020 amends title 38, United States Code, and the Honoring America’s Veterans and Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012, to make certain enhancements to grants and agreements between the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and entities that provide services to homeless veterans.
Original Co-Sponsors: Rep. Jack Bergman and Rep. Greg Steube

H.R.8304 the SCAM PAC Act prohibits the disbursement of funds to entities owned or controlled by individuals with executive or managerial authority over the operations of political committees.
Original Co-Sponsor: Rep. Mike Gallagher

H.R.8305 the Fostering Accountability, Integrity, Trust, and Honor (FAITH) in Congress Act provides that Members of Congress shall not be paid if Congress has not approved a concurrent resolution on the budget and passed the regular appropriations bills on a timely basis, eliminates automatic pay adjustments for Members of Congress, prohibits the use of funds provided for the official travel expenses of Members of Congress and other officers and employees of the legislative branch for first-class airline accommodations, establishes a lifetime ban on lobbying by former Members of Congress, prohibits the consideration in the House of Representatives of measures lacking demonstrable bipartisan support, and prohibits the consideration in the House of Representatives of any legislation containing an earmark.
Original Co-Sponsor: Rep. Max Rose

H.R.8325 the Operation Feed Our Kids Act​ amends the Families First Coronavirus Response Act to extend National School Lunch Program requirement waivers addressing COVID-19.
Original Co-Sponsor: Rep. Don Bacon

H.R.8330 the No Surprise Bills for New Moms Act amends the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for certain health coverage of newborns.
Original Co-Sponsor: Rep. Gil Cisneros

H.R.8340 designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 4110 Bluebonnet Drive in Stafford, Texas, as the “Leonard Scarcella Post Office Building”.
Original Co-Sponsor: Rep. Van Taylor

H.R.8346 the Academic Research Protection Act protects federally-funded academic research from undue foreign influences and threats by better informing the academic and research communities about such influences and threats.
Original Co-Sponsor: Rep. Chrissy Houlahan

H.R.8354 the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative Act of 2020 establishes the Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative within the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.
Original Co-Sponsor: Rep. Van Taylor

H.R.8402 directs the Joint Committee on the Library to obtain a statue of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and to place the statue in the United States Capitol in National Statuary Hall.
Original Co-Sponsors: Rep. Salud Carbajal, Rep. Jason Crow, and Rep. Max Rose

H.R.8425 designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 430 South Knowles Avenue in New Richmond, Wisconsin, as the “Captain Robert C. Harmon and Private John R. Peirson Post Office Building”.
Original Co-Sponsor: Rep. Mike Gallagher

H.R.8428 the Hong Kong People’s Freedom and Choice Act of 2020 provides for temporary protected status for residents of Hong Kong.
Original Co-Sponsors: Rep. Adam Kinzinger and Rep. Van Taylor

H.R.8438 the Belarus Democracy, Human Rights and Sovereignty Act of 2020 reauthorizes the Belarus Democracy Act of 2004.
Original Co-Sponsor: Rep. Adam Kinzinger

H.R.8453 designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 5302 Galveston Road in Houston, Texas, as the “Vanessa Guillén Post Office Building”.
Original Co-Sponsor: Rep. Van Taylor