FairTax Act of 2023 This bill imposes a national sales tax on the use or consumption in the United States of taxable property or services in lieu of the current income taxes, payroll taxes, and estate and gift taxes. The rate of the sales tax will be 23% in 2025, with adjustments to the rate in subsequent years. There are exemptions from the tax for used and intangible property; for property or services purchased for business, export, or investment purposes; and for state government functions. Under the bill, family members who are lawful U.S. residents receive a monthly sales tax rebate (Family Consumption Allowance) based upon criteria related to family size and poverty guidelines. The states have the responsibility for administering, collecting, and remitting the sales tax to the Treasury. Tax revenues are to be allocated among (1) the general revenue, (2) the old-age and survivors insurance trust fund, (3) the disability insurance trust fund, (4) the hospital insurance trust fund, and (5) the federal supplementary medical insurance trust fund. No funding is authorized for the operations of the Internal Revenue Service after FY2027. Finally, the bill terminates the national sales tax if the Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution (authorizing an income tax) is not repealed within seven years after the enactment of this bill.
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.
Freedom to Vote Act This bill addresses voter registration and voting access, election integrity and security, redistricting, and campaign finance. Specifically, the bill expands voter registration (e.g., automatic and same-day registration) and voting access (e.g., vote-by-mail and early voting). It also limits removing voters from voter rolls. Next, the bill establishes Election Day as a federal holiday. The bill declares that the right of a U.S. citizen to vote in any election for federal office shall not be denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense unless, at the time of the election, such individual is serving a felony sentence. The bill establishes certain federal criminal offenses related to voting. In particular, the bill establishes a new criminal offense for conduct (or attempted conduct) to corruptly hinder, interfere with, or prevent another person from registering to vote or helping someone register to vote. Additionally, the bill sets forth provisions related to election security, including by requiring states to conduct post-election audits for federal elections. The bill outlines criteria for congressional redistricting and generally prohibits mid-decade redistricting. The bill addresses campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals, requiring additional disclosure of campaign-related fundraising and spending, requiring additional disclaimers regarding certain political advertising, and establishing an alternative campaign funding system for certain federal offices.
Freedom to Vote Act This bill addresses voter registration and voting access, election integrity and security, redistricting, and campaign finance. Specifically, the bill expands voter registration (e.g., automatic and same-day registration) and voting access (e.g., vote-by-mail and early voting). It also limits removing voters from voter rolls. Next, the bill establishes Election Day as a federal holiday. The bill declares that the right of a U.S. citizen to vote in any election for federal office shall not be denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense unless, at the time of the election, such individual is serving a felony sentence. The bill establishes certain federal criminal offenses related to voting. In particular, the bill establishes a new criminal offense for conduct (or attempted conduct) to corruptly hinder, interfere with, or prevent another person from registering to vote or helping someone register to vote. Additionally, the bill sets forth provisions related to election security, including by requiring states to conduct post-election audits for federal elections. The bill outlines criteria for congressional redistricting and generally prohibits mid-decade redistricting. The bill addresses campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals, requiring additional disclosure of campaign-related fundraising and spending, requiring additional disclaimers regarding certain political advertising, and establishing an alternative campaign funding system for certain federal offices.
Chance to Compete Act of 2023 This bill modifies examination requirements and other components of the federal hiring process for positions in the competitive service. Specifically, the bill provides that a qualifying examination includes a résumé review that is conducted by a subject matter expert. Additionally, beginning two years after the bill's enactment, the bill prohibits examinations from consisting solely of a self-assessment from an automated examination, a résumé review that is not conducted by a subject matter expert, or any other method of assessing an applicant's experience or education; an agency may waive these requirements when necessary but must report any such waivers and may not use waivers to fill more than 10% of agency positions. Agencies may use subject matter experts to develop position-specific technical assessments that allow applicants to demonstrate job-related skills, abilities, and knowledge; assessments may include structured interviews, work-related exercises, procedures to measure career-related qualifications and interests, or other similar assessments. The bill also allows agencies to establish talent teams to support and improve hiring practices. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must create online platforms through which agencies may share and customize technical assessments and share the résumés of qualifying applicants. The OPM must also create online platforms with information about (1) the types of assessments used and hiring outcomes, (2) educational requirements for certain positions and related justifications, and (3) authorities and programs that support agency recruitment and retention.
Veteran Entrepreneurship Training Act of 2023 This bill provides statutory authority for the Boots to Business Program, which provides entrepreneurship training to individuals including veterans and active members of the Armed Forces, to be administered by the Small Business Administration.
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.
Post-Disaster Assistance Online Accountability Act This bill establishes a centralized location to publish information on disaster assistance provided by federal agencies. The Small Business Administration, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and any agencies providing disaster assistance must make available to the public on a quarterly basis information regarding (1) the total amount of assistance provided by the agency; (2) the amount provided that was expended or obligated; and (3) all projects or activities for which assistance was expended, obligated, or used.