December 6

This week in MORE POWER:

The Intimate Content Takedown
Relief After Disaster
Reauthorizing Second Chances
For the MOMS
Veterans for Housing Adjustments

The Intimate Content Takedown

The Senate passed a bipartisan bill to criminalize the non-consensual disclosure of sexually explicit content. The Tools to Address Known Exploitation by Immobilizing Technological Deepfakes on Websites and Networks, or TAKE IT DOWN, Act, covers both traditional content – real photos or videos shared without permission –and artificially generated/manipulated content, commonly known as "deepfakes," which use advanced AI to create realistic but false depictions of individuals in intimate scenarios. The bill sets especially harsh consequences in cases involving minors. Additionally, it mandates online platforms to take the offending content down, requiring the original content and all duplicates be removed within 48 hours. The bill is headed to the House.

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Relief After Disaster

The Senate passed the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act, which aims to provide tax relief for individuals affected by certain federal disasters, specifically addressing the financial impacts of wildfires and the East Palestine train derailment. It would do so by making any compensation received for losses or damages from qualified disasters exempt from gross income. Exempting compensation from gross income means that individuals who receive relief payments for disaster-related losses, like from wildfires, won't have to pay taxes on that compensation. Supporters of the bill say that this will allow Americans affected by disasters to recover more easily. The House has already passed this bill, so it is now going to President Biden’s desk.

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Reauthorizing Second Chances

The Senate passed the Second Chance Reauthorization Act, which would reauthorize several programs through 2029 that help formerly incarcerated people as they re-enter society. These include programs for substance use treatment, providing housing services, and career training. Additionally, this bill would add new services, such as peer recovery support and overdose education, as well as programs that would evaluate the educational methods used in prisons and jails. The hope is that these programs will make adjusting to life outside of prison or jail easier, leading fewer people to struggle and become incarcerated again. This bipartisan bill is now going to the House.

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For the MOMS

The Senate passed the Connected Maternal Online Monitoring (MOM) Act, which aims to improve the health of pregnant and postpartum women by addressing gaps in Medicaid coverage for remote health monitoring devices like blood pressure cuffs and glucose monitors. It would do so by requiring the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to identify barriers to coverage of these devices and report their findings to Congress. The report may include recommendations to address these barriers. CMS would update resources, including Medicaid telehealth toolkits — guides used by state Medicaid programs to implement and expand telehealth services — to help states improve maternal health and reduce complications. The bill is heading to the House now.

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Veterans Housing Adjustments

The House passed the Disabled Veterans Housing Support Act this week, which is designed to make housing programs more accessible for veterans with disabilities. It ensures that compensation received for injuries or disabilities caused by military service is excluded from a veteran's income when determining whether they qualify for assistance under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. Additionally, the bill will make the Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on how disability compensation is considered in all Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) programs, especially if it finds that the compensation is interfering with veterans’ ability to qualify for housing programs. This bill is now going to the Senate.

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What Congress Passed

H.R.5103 FISHES Act

H.R.6395 Recognizing the Importance of Critical Minerals in Healthcare Act

H.R.6843 To expand the boundaries of the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area to include Lafourche Parish, Louisiana.

H.R.7177 To amend title 28, United States Code, to consolidate certain divisions in the Northern District of Alabama.

H.R.7316 To make improvements in the enactment of title 54, United States Code, into a positive law title and to correct related technical errors.

H.R.7324 To make improvements in the enactment of title 41, United States Code, into a positive law title and to improve the Code.

H.R.7326 To amend chapters 4, 10, and 131 of title 5, United States Code, as necessary to keep those chapters current and to correct related technical errors.

H.R.7332 Utah State Parks Adjustment Act

H.R.7339 To make revisions in title 51, United States Code, as necessary to keep the title current, and to make technical amendments to improve the United States Code.

H.R.7341 To make technical amendments to title 49, United States Code, as necessary to improve the Code.

H.R.7872 Colorado River Salinity Control Fix Act

H.R.8666 To amend title 28, United States Code, to authorize holding court for the Central Division of Utah in Moab and Monticello.

H.R.9151 Protecting American Industry and Labor from International Trade Crimes Act

H.R.9563 Protecting Americans from Russian Litigation Act

H.R.390 Maurice D. Hinchey Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area Enhancement Act

H.R.1695 Strengthening Agency Management and Oversight of Software Assets Act

H.R.6751 Roberto Clemente Commemorative Coin Act

H.R.7480 Disabled Veterans Housing Support Act

H.R.8219 Lahaina National Heritage Area Study Act

H.R.9566 Source code Harmonization And Reuse in Information Technology (SHARE IT) Act

S.91 Forgotten Heroes of the Holocaust Congressional Gold Medal Act