Chisholm National Historic Trail and Western National Historic Trail Designation Act This bill designates (1) the Chisholm National Historic Trail, and (2) the Western National Historic Trail. The Department of the Interior shall administer any portion of these trails that is located on nonfederal land only (1) with the voluntary consent of the owner of the nonfederal land, and (2) if the portion qualifies for certification as a component of the applicable trail. The approval by an owner of applicable nonfederal land of a certification agreement shall satisfy the voluntary consent requirement. A certification agreement may be terminated at any time. The establishment of these trails does not authorize any person to enter private property without the consent of the private property's owner. Interior may accept a donation of land or an interest in land for these trails, with specified exceptions. Land or an interest in land may not be acquired for these trails by eminent domain or condemnation.
Providing for Life Act of 2023 This bill revises various programs and supports for families and children related to taxes, health, and other benefits. First, the bill increases the child tax credit to a maximum of $3,500 per child ($4,500 per child under the age of six) and makes permanent the increased income threshold over which the credit phases out. The bill further eliminates the federal deduction for certain state and local taxes (SALT deduction) and makes the adoption tax credit refundable. The bill allows parents to use a portion of their Social Security benefits for up to three months of paid parental leave after the birth or adoption of a child. Additionally, the bill requires Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients to cooperate with states in establishing child support orders. It also provides additional workforce training for noncustodial parents with child support obligations. States must establish requirements for the biological father of a child to pay, at the mother's request, at least 50% of reasonable out-of-pocket medical expenses associated with the mother's pregnancy and delivery. The bill requires institutions of higher education to provide students with certain information about the resources and services (excluding abortion services) available to pregnant students. Additionally, the bill provides grants for community-based maternal mentoring programs and for pregnancy resource centers that do not provide abortions; requires the Department of Health and Human Services to publish a website with specified pregnancy-related information; and extends from one to two years the postpartum benefit eligibility period under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
Emergency Savings Accounts Act of 2023 This bill allows an individual taxpayer occupying a residence a deduction from gross income for up to $5,000 of amounts paid into such taxpayer's emergency savings account. The bill defines emergency savings account as an account established exclusively to pay the qualified disaster and public health emergency expenses of the account beneficiary. The bill defines qualified disaster and public health emergency expenses as disaster mitigation expenses, disaster recovery expenses, public health emergency expenses, and unemployment-related expenses.
Small Business Emergency Savings Accounts Act of 2023 This bill allows a new tax deduction from gross income for amounts paid into a small business emergency savings account. Such savings accounts are established exclusively to pay the qualified disaster and public health emergency expenses of the account beneficiary. The bill defines qualified disaster and public health emergency expenses as disaster loss replacement expenses, disaster recovery operations expenses, and public health emergency expenses.
Western Wildfire Support Act of 2023 This bill establishes activities to address wildfires. The bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of the Interior to establish spatial fire management plans before the end of FY2026. The bill establishes accounts in the Treasury for addressing wildfires, a program to train and certify citizens who wish to be able to volunteer to assist USDA or Interior during a wildland fire incident, a program to award grants to eligible states or units of local government to acquire slip-on tank and pump units for a surge capacity of resources for fire suppression, the Theodore Roosevelt Genius Prize for the management of wildfire-related invasive species, and the Management of Wildfire-Related Invasive Species Technology Advisory Board. The bill also requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to reimburse a state or federal agency for the costs of wildfire suppression as a result of a fire caused by DOD activity, requires the Joint Fire Science Program to work with unmanned aircraft test ranges to carry out research and development of unmanned aircraft system fire applications, requires federal and state disaster preparedness programs to include postdisaster assistance, and authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide funding to a state agency to establish and operate a website to provide information relating to postfire recovery funding and resources to a community or an individual impacted by a wildland fire.
Secure the Border Act of 2023 This bill addresses issues regarding immigration and border security, including by imposing limits to asylum eligibility. For example, the bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to resume activities to construct a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border; provides statutory authorization for Operation Stonegarden, which provides grants to law enforcement agencies for certain border security operations; prohibits DHS from processing the entry of non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) arriving between ports of entry; limits asylum eligibility to non-U.S. nationals who arrive in the United States at a port of entry; authorizes the removal of a non-U.S. national to a country other than that individual's country of nationality or last lawful habitual residence, whereas currently this type of removal may only be to a country that has an agreement with the United States for such removal; expands the types of crimes that may make an individual ineligible for asylum, such as a conviction for driving while intoxicated causing another person's serious bodily injury or death; authorizes DHS to suspend the introduction of certain non-U.S. nationals at an international border if DHS determines that the suspension is necessary to achieve operational control of that border; prohibits states from imposing licensing requirements on immigration detention facilities used to detain minors; authorizes immigration officers to permit an unaccompanied alien child to withdraw their application for admission into the United States even if the child is unable to make an independent decision to withdraw the application; imposes additional penalties for overstaying a visa; and requires DHS to create an electronic employment eligibility confirmation system modeled after the E-Verify system and requires all employers to use the system.
VA Clinician Appreciation, Recruitment, Education, Expansion, and Retention Support (CAREERS) Act of 2023 This bill addresses Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) personnel matters and the training, recruitment, and retention of VA health care employees. Among other requirements, the VA must expand various staff training efforts and programs; comply with certain notification and staffing requirements when a VA medical center director is on detail; prescribe a system of pay for individuals appointed as directors of medical centers and directors of Veterans Integrated Service Networks; and establish a consolidated annual leave account for certain VA employees with restored leave during 2020, 2021, and 2022. The bill also authorizes the VA to waive pay limitations for employees of the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) who are performing mission critical work; increases the maximum amount of incentive pay for pharmacist executives; modifies the special pay authority for nurse executives and the administration of pay for VA physicians, podiatrists, optometrists, and dentists; authorizes a waiver of certain licensure requirements for psychologists and mental health counselors in certain circumstances; requires the Inspector General of the VA to study and report on the use of direct hire authority, the contributions made by the use of such authority, and any vulnerabilities or inconsistencies with respect to the use of such authority; includes VA police officers as law enforcement officers for purposes of the federal retirement system; and requires the Government Accountability Office to report on human resources modernization conducted by the VHA.
Preventing Opportunistic Returns on Trades and Futures by Officials, Leadership, and Individuals in Office Act or the PORTFOLIO Act This bill generally prohibits federal employees and officials from owning or trading in synthetic assets (i.e., tokenized derivatives). It also establishes financial disclosure requirements with respect to cryptocurrency. Specifically, the bill prohibits federal employees, Members of Congress, the President, and Vice President from owning or trading investments in a security, a commodity, a future, cryptocurrency, or any comparable economic interest acquired through synthetic means, such as through a derivative. Such investments must be divested through gift or donation, cashing out, or a qualified blind trust. The appropriate ethics office may grant temporary exemptions in certain situations, such as for preexisting complex financial arrangements from which investments cannot be withdrawn, and may assess fees for violations. The Department of Justice may also bring civil actions for violations. The bill also (1) incorporates cryptocurrency and other digital assets into current financial disclosure requirements; (2) modifies the categories and timelines for financial disclosures; and (3) requires agencies, ethics offices, and the Department of Justice to regularly report on violations of this bill and other related requirements.