Obtaining National and Secure Homeland Operations for Rare Earth Manufacturing Act of 2023 or the ONSHORE Manufacturing Act of 2023 This bill sets forth provisions to support secure supply chains of rare earth elements. A rare earth element means a natural element associated with (1) the metallic element scandium, with atomic number 21; (2) the metallic element yttrium, with atomic number 39; or (3) any of the series of 15 metallic elements between lanthanum, with atomic number 57, and lutetium, with atomic number 71, on the periodic table. The Department of Energy (DOE) must establish a program that provides financial assistance for facilities located in the United States that produce finished rare earth products from purified rare earth elements. Financial assistance may be provided to (1) construct such facilities, (2) support workforce development for the facilities, or (3) support site development and technological upgrade for facilities. The Department of the Treasury may establish the Minerals Security Partnership Fund to support the development and adoption of a secure supply chain for rare earth elements. DOE must also establish an initiative with educational, workforce training, and apprenticeship programs relating to advanced rare earth element mining, separation, processing, metallurgy, and advanced equipment maintenance capabilities. In addition, the President must develop a plan of action for using the authorities available under the Defense Production Act of 1950 to establish or enhance a domestic production capability for finished rare earth products and related technologies.
Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2023 This bill expands various labor protections related to employees' rights to organize and collectively bargain in the workplace. Among other things, it (1) revises the definitions of employee, supervisor, and employer to broaden the scope of individuals covered by the fair labor standards; (2) permits labor organizations to encourage participation of union members in strikes initiated by employees represented by a different labor organization (i.e., secondary strikes); and (3) prohibits employers from bringing claims against unions that conduct such secondary strikes. The bill also allows collective bargaining agreements to require all employees represented by the bargaining unit to contribute fees to the labor organization for the cost of such representation, notwithstanding a state law to the contrary; and expands unfair labor practices to include prohibitions against replacement of, or discrimination against, workers who participate in strikes. The bill makes it an unfair labor practice to require or coerce employees to attend employer meetings designed to discourage union membership and prohibits employers from entering into agreements with employees under which employees waive the right to pursue or a join collective or class-action litigation. The bill further prohibits employers from taking adverse actions against an employee, including employees with management responsibilities, in response to that employee participating in protected activities related to the enforcement of the prohibitions against unfair labor practices (i.e., whistleblower protections). Such protected activities include providing information about a potential violation to an enforcement agency, participating in an enforcement proceeding, initiating a proceeding concerning an alleged violation or assisting in such a proceeding, or refusing to participate in an activity the employee reasonably believes is a violation of labor laws. Finally, the bill addresses the procedures for union representation elections, provides employees with the ability to vote in such elections remotely by telephone or the internet, modifies the protections against unfair labor practices that result in serious economic harm, and establishes penalties and permits injunctive relief against entities that fail to comply with National Labor Relations Board orders.
Settlement Agreement Information Database Act of 2023 This bill requires executive agencies to submit information regarding settlement agreements to a public database. Specifically, an agency must submit information regarding any settlement agreement (including a consent decree) entered into by the agency related to an alleged violation of federal law. If an agency determines that information regarding an agreement must remain confidential to protect the public interest, the agency must publish an explanation of why the information is confidential.
Legal Workforce Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to create an electronic employment eligibility confirmation system modeled after and to replace the E-Verify system, which allows employers and recruiters to verify the immigration status of individuals. The bill also mandates the use of such a system, where currently only some employers, such as those with federal contracts, are required to use E-Verify. The bill specifies documents that can establish an individual's identity and employment authorization. During the period starting when a job offer is made until three business days after hiring, the individual must attest to his or her employment authorization, and the employer or recruiter must attest that it has examined the individual's required documents. Employers shall reverify certain types of employees who were not previously verified using E-verify. The Social Security Administration shall notify employees if their Social Security number has been used multiple times in an unusual manner. DHS shall establish programs for blocking and suspending misused numbers. Employers that are required to use the verification system shall not be liable for any employment-related action based on a good-faith reliance on the information from the system. The bill establishes a phased-in participation deadline for different categories of employers, including agricultural employers. The bill increases civil penalties related to hiring individuals without work authorization. It also preempts state laws relating to hiring and employment eligibility verification, but states may use their authority of business licensing to penalize employers for failing to comply with the bill's provisions.
Permitting for Mining Needs Act of 2023 This bill expedites the review of mining projects on federal lands and limits judicial review of mining projects. For example, the bill expands the federal permitting and review processes under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act for critical minerals. Under the act, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service, to the maximum extent practicable, must complete the federal permitting and review processes related to critical mineral mines on federal lands with maximum efficiency and effectiveness. This bill expands this process to include all minerals as defined by the bill, not only critical minerals. The bill also establishes deadlines for completing the review of mining projects under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. In addition, the bill also expands the meaning of covered projects under the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act to include (1) certain mineral production projects, and (2) certain actions taken by the Department of Defense. Such projects qualify for expedited environmental review. It also establishes requirements to expedite the review or authorization of certain mineral projects, such as (1) mineral exploration activities with a surface disturbance of no more than five acres of public lands, (2) ancillary mining activities, and (3) uranium projects. Finally, the bill limits judicial review of a permit, license, or approval issued by a lead agency for a mining project by requiring the filing of claims within a certain time period.
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.
Lifting Local Communities Act This bill specifies that government entities may not discriminate against religious organizations when awarding federal funds for social services programs (i.e., government programs that provide services for low-income individuals and communities, such as child care, transportation, employment, housing, and meal services). Specifically, religious organizations are eligible to apply for and receive federal funds to provide services for social services programs on the same basis as private, nonreligious organizations. Additionally, government entities may not discriminate against private organizations on the basis of religion when selecting funding recipients. Organizations that receive federal funds for social services programs may not discriminate against individuals on the basis of religion when providing services. If an individual objects to the character or affiliation of a private organization that is providing a service as part of a social services program, government entities must provide the individual with reasonable alternatives. Religious organizations may bring civil actions against entities for violations.
Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act or the HALT Fentanyl Act This bill places fentanyl-related substances as a class into schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. A schedule I controlled substance is a drug, substance, or chemical that has a high potential for abuse; has no currently accepted medical value; and is subject to regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal penalties under the Controlled Substances Act. Additionally, the bill establishes a new, alternative registration process for schedule I research that is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services or the Department of Veterans Affairs or that is conducted under an investigative new drug exemption from the Food and Drug Administration. The bill also makes several other changes to registration requirements for conducting research with controlled substances, including permitting a single registration for related research sites in certain circumstances, waiving the requirement for a new inspection in certain situations, and allowing a registered researcher to perform certain manufacturing activities with small quantities of a substance without obtaining a manufacturing registration.