Policy Corner: July 22, 2022
Categories: Policy Corner Archives
House Passes Six FY 2023 Spending Bills
On Wednesday, July 20, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 8294, a package of six fiscal year 2023 federal funding bills for the Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and Related Agencies; Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and Related Agencies; Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies; Financial Services and General Government; Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies; and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies. The 2023 funding for HUD includes 140,000 new housing vouchers targeted to individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness and approximately 5,600 new units for seniors and persons with disabilities. Funding for the Department of Agriculture includes $195 billion for both discretionary programs funded on an annual basis and mandatory programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
House Committee Advances the Long COVID-19 Cognitive Research Act
The House of Representatives has placed the “Brycen Gray and Ben Price COVID–19 Cognitive Research Act,” H.R. 7180, on the calendar for consideration next week. The bill was reported favorably by the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology on July 15. Introduced by Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (R-Ohio) in March, the bill directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to award competitive, merit-reviewed grants to eligible entities, including through the RAPID funding mechanism, to support interdisciplinary research on the disruption of regular cognitive processes associated with both short-term and long-term COVID-19 infections, including with respect to children and adolescents. No later than 45 days after the enactment of this bill, the NSF shall enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study and produce a report on the disruption of cognitive processes associated with COVID-19 infection.
The legislation is named after Ben Price and Brycen Gray who lost their lives to neurological illnesses that may have been triggered by COVID-19 even though they had no history of mental illness prior to becoming infected by this deadly virus.
DOT Releases Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights Act
The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has released a Bill of Rights for airline passengers with disabilities, outlining the rights of air travelers with disabilities under the Air Carrier Access Act. This living documents applies to all flights of U.S. airlines, and flights to and from the U.S. from foreign airlines. The Bill of Rights applies to individuals with a disability which is defined as persons with a physical or mental impairment that permanently or temporarily impacts a major life activity such as walking, hearing, or breathing. DOT views this as a living document that will be continually edited and updated, and will help airlines comply with federal law.