Report on Grant Consolidation Authority for Puerto Rico ActThis bill requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report to Congress regarding the consolidation of certain grant programs currently available to insular areas and the suitability of such consolidation for Puerto Rico. (At present, such consolidation allows insular areas to apply for a consolidated grant in lieu of filing an individual application for each eligible grant program.)Further, any official of Puerto Rico from whom the GAO seeks information for purposes of that report must promptly and comprehensively respond to such request for information.
A bill to establish a grant program within the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention to award grants to States that require the recording of all child welfare forensic interviews with children and adults, and for other purposes.
First Responder Identification of Emergency Needs in Disaster Situations or the FRIENDS Act This bill directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to submit a report that describes select state and local programs and policies related to the preparedness and protection of first responders, which may include information on the degree to which such programs and policies include consideration of the presence of a first responder's family in an area impacted by a terrorist attack, the availability of personal protective equipment for first responders, and the availability of home Medkits for first responders and their families for biological incident response. The GAO may provide information (1) in a format that delineates high risk urban areas from rural communities; and (2) on the degree to which the selected state and local programs and policies were developed or are being executed with funding from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including grants from the State Homeland Security Grant Program or the Urban Area Security Initiative. DHS shall consider the report's findings and assess its applicability for federal first responders.
TRICARE Equality Act This bill addresses the administration of Department of Defense (DOD) health care programs and benefits in Puerto Rico. Specifically, the bill requires DOD to treat the administration of TRICARE Prime availability in Puerto Rico in a similar manner as a state. The bill also requires DOD to ensure that, in providing travel and transportation allowances related to specialty medical treatment, individuals located in Puerto Rico are eligible to receive such allowances. The Federal Electronic Health Record Modernization Office must coordinate with the Department of Health of Puerto Rico to share health information through the Joint Health Information Exchange.
Reporting Accountability and Abuse Prevention Act of 2023 This bill requires recipients of grants for family planning services to demonstrate their compliance with state and local laws that mandate reporting of child abuse, human trafficking, or other mistreatment. If a grantee does not comply, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must first work with the grantee to remedy violations. For subsequent violations, the bill directs HHS to recoup funds received by the grantee. It also bars the grantee from receiving family planning funds for 36 months.
Puerto Rico Nutrition Assistance Fairness Act This bill sets out a process to enable Puerto Rico to participate as a state in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Under current law, a state receives SNAP funding based on the number of participating households in the state whereas Puerto Rico receives a block grant to fund its nutrition assistance program. The bill requires Puerto Rico to submit to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) a plan of operation to transition away from the consolidated block grant program to SNAP. USDA must provide appropriate training and technical assistance to enable Puerto Rico to formulate such plan.