I 

118TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 626 

To advance commonsense policy priorities. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 30, 2023 

Mr. DESAULNIER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees 

on Ways and Means, Education and the Workforce, Science, Space, and 

Technology, Natural Resources, Transportation and Infrastructure, Oversight and Accountability, Financial Services, Agriculture, House Administration, the Judiciary, Small Business, Homeland Security, Rules, Ethics, 

the Budget, Foreign Affairs, Intelligence (Permanent Select), Armed 

Services, and Appropriations, for a period to be subsequently determined 

by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 

within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To advance commonsense policy priorities. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Breaking the Gridlock 

5 Act’’. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
2 

•HR 626 IH

1 TITLE I 

2 SEC. 101. FEDERAL TASK FORCE TO SUPPORT GRAND3 PARENTS RAISING GRANDCHILDREN. 

4 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established a Fed5 eral Task Force to Support Grandparents Raising Grand6 children (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Task Force’’). 

7 (b) OLDER RELATIVE CAREGIVER.—In this section, 

8 the term ‘‘older relative caregiver’’ has the meaning given 

9 the term under section 372(a)(3) of the National Family 

10 Caregiver Support (42 U.S.C. 3030s(a)(3)). 

11 (c) MEMBERSHIP.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Task Force shall be 

13 composed of the following members, or their des14 ignee: 

15 (A) The Secretary of Health and Human 

16 Services. 

17 (B) The Attorney General. 

18 (C) The Administrator of the Administra19 tion for Community Living. 

20 (D) The Director of the Centers for Dis21 ease Control and Prevention. 

22 (E) The Assistant Secretary for Mental 

23 Health and Substance Use. 

24 (F) The Assistant Secretary for the Ad25 ministration for Children and Families. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
3 

•HR 626 IH

1 (G) The Director of the Indian Health 

2 Service. 

3 (H) The Administrator of the Centers for 

4 Medicare & Medicaid Services. 

5 (I) The head of each Federal department, 

6 agency, or other governmental entity identified 

7 by the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

8 as having responsibilities, or administering pro9 grams, relating to the current health, edu10 cational, nutritional, and other needs and cur11 rent issues affecting older relative caregivers, 

12 including grandparents, raising children in their 

13 care. 

14 (J) A grandparent raising a grandchild or 

15 grandchildren as well as another older relative 

16 caregiver of children. 

17 (2) LEAD AGENCY.—The Department of Health 

18 and Human Services shall be the lead agency for the 

19 Task Force. 

20 (d) DUTIES.— 

21 (1) IN GENERAL.— 

22 (A) INFORMATION.—The Task Force shall 

23 identify, coordinate, and disseminate informa24 tion publicly about Federal information, re25 sources, and best practices available, on the 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
4 

•HR 626 IH

1 date of the determination, to help older relative 

2 caregivers, including grandparents, raising chil3 dren in their care, including those raising chil4 dren in their care as a result of the opioid cri5 sis, meet the health, educational, nutritional, 

6 and other needs of the children in their care as 

7 well as maintain their own physical and mental 

8 health and emotional well-being. 

9 (B) NATIVE AMERICANS.—In carrying out 

10 the duties described in subparagraph (A), the 

11 Task Force shall ensure that the needs of Na12 tive Americans (as defined in section 102 of the 

13 Older Americans Act of 1965 (42 U.S.C. 

14 3002)) are considered. 

15 (2) REPORT.— 

16 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 360 

17 days after the date of enactment of this Act, 

18 the Task Force shall submit a report to the 

19 Special Committee on Aging, the Committee on 

20 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and 

21 the Committee on Finance of the Senate and 

22 the Committee on Education and the Work23 force, the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 

24 and the Committee on Ways and Means of the 

25 House of Representatives that includes— 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
5 

•HR 626 IH

1 (i) best practices, resources, and other 

2 useful information for older relative care3 givers, including grandparents, raising chil4 dren in their care; and 

5 (ii) an identification of the gaps in 

6 needs of older relative caregivers, including 

7 grandparents, raising children in their 

8 care. 

9 (B) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than 4 

10 years after the date of enactment of this Act, 

11 the Task Force shall submit a final report to 

12 the Special Committee on Aging, the Committee 

13 on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, 

14 and the Committee on Finance of the Senate 

15 and the Committee on Education and the 

16 Workforce, the Committee on Energy and Com17 merce, and the Committee on Ways and Means 

18 of the House of Representatives that includes 

19 the final findings of the Task Force, rec20 ommendations for future actions to address 

21 issues faced by older relative caregivers, includ22 ing grandparents, raising children in their care, 

23 and any other useful information. 

24 (3) PROCESS FOR PUBLIC INPUT.—The Task 

25 Force shall establish a process for public input to inVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:48 Feb 23, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H626.IH H626

pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
6 

•HR 626 IH

1 form the identification of, and updates to, the best 

2 practices, resources, and other useful information 

3 and the gaps in needs described in paragraph (2), 

4 including a process for the public to submit rec5 ommendations to the Task Force and an opportunity 

6 for public comment. 

7 (e) SUNSET.—The Task Force shall terminate on the 

8 date that is 5 years after the date of enactment of this 

9 Act. 

10 (f) NONAPPLICABILITY OF FEDERAL ADVISORY COM11 MITTEE REQUIREMENTS.—The provisions of chapter 10 

12 of part I of title 5, United States Code, shall not apply 

13 to the Task Force. 

14 (g) FUNDING.—No additional funds are authorized 

15 to be appropriated to carry out this section. The Task 

16 Force shall be carried out with funds otherwise appro17 priated. 

18 TITLE II 

19 SEC. 201. MODIFICATION OF FINDINGS AND PURPOSE. 

20 (a) FINDINGS.—Section 2 of the Earthquake Haz21 ards Reduction Act of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 7701) is amend22 ed— 

23 (1) in paragraph (1)— 

24 (A) by inserting ‘‘, and the Commonwealth 

25 of Puerto Rico,’’ after ‘‘States’’; 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
7 

•HR 626 IH

1 (B) by inserting ‘‘Oregon,’’ after ‘‘New 

2 York,’’; and 

3 (C) by inserting ‘‘Tennessee,’’ after ‘‘South 

4 Carolina’’; 

5 (2) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘prediction 

6 techniques and’’; 

7 (3) by striking paragraph (4) and inserting the 

8 following: 

9 ‘‘(4) A well-funded seismological research pro10 gram could provide the scientific understanding 

11 needed to fully implement an effective earthquake 

12 early warning system.’’; 

13 (4) in paragraphs (6) and (7), by striking ‘‘life14 lines’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘lifeline 

15 infrastructure’’; and 

16 (5) by adding at the end the following: 

17 ‘‘(12) The built environment has generally been 

18 constructed and maintained to meet the needs of the 

19 users under normal conditions. When earthquakes 

20 occur, the built environment is generally designed to 

21 prevent severe injuries or loss of human life and is 

22 not expected to remain operational or able to recover 

23 under any specified schedule. 

24 ‘‘(13) The National Research Council published 

25 a study on reducing hazards and risks associated 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
8 

•HR 626 IH

1 with earthquakes based on the goals and objectives 

2 for achieving national earthquake resilience de3 scribed in the strategic plan entitled ‘Strategic Plan 

4 for the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction 

5 Program’. The study and an accompanying report 

6 called for work in 18 tasks focused on research, pre7 paredness, and mitigation and annual funding of ap8 proximately $300,000,000 per year for 20 years.’’. 

9 (b) PURPOSE.—Section 3 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 

10 7702) is amended— 

11 (1) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), in 

12 the first sentence, by inserting ‘‘and increase the re13 silience of communities’’ after ‘‘future earthquakes’’; 

14 (2) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘to individ15 uals and the communities’’ after ‘‘an earthquake’’; 

16 (3) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘in time of 

17 disaster’’ and inserting ‘‘to facilitate community18 wide post-earthquake recovery and in times of dis19 aster’’; 

20 (4) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘for predicting 

21 damaging earthquakes and’’; 

22 (5) in paragraph (4), by inserting ‘‘and plan23 ning’’ after ‘‘model building’’; and 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
9 

•HR 626 IH

1 (6) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘reconstruc2 tion’’ and inserting ‘‘re-occupancy, recovery, recon3 struction,’’. 

4 (c) DEFINITIONS.— 

5 (1) LIFELINE INFRASTRUCTURE.— 

6 (A) IN GENERAL.—Section 4(6) of such 

7 Act (42 U.S.C. 7703(6)) is amended by striking 

8 ‘‘lifelines’’ and inserting ‘‘lifeline infrastruc9 ture’’. 

10 (B) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Such Act 

11 (42 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.) is amended by striking 

12 ‘‘lifelines’’ each place it appears and inserting 

13 ‘‘lifeline infrastructure’’. 

14 (2) COMMUNITY RESILIENCE.—Section 4 of 

15 such Act (42 U.S.C. 7703) is amended by adding at 

16 the end the following: 

17 ‘‘(10) The term ‘community resilience’ means 

18 the ability of a community to prepare and plan for, 

19 absorb, recover from, and more successfully adapt to 

20 adverse seismic events.’’. 

21 SEC. 202. MODIFICATION OF NATIONAL EARTHQUAKE HAZ22 ARDS REDUCTION PROGRAM. 

23 (a) MODIFICATION OF PROGRAM ACTIVITIES.—Sub24 section (a)(2) of section 5 of the Earthquake Hazards Re25 duction Act of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 7704) is amended— 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
10 

•HR 626 IH

1 (1) in subparagraph (B)— 

2 (A) in clause (iii), by inserting ‘‘, commu3 nity resilience,’’ after ‘‘seismic risk’’; and 

4 (B) by adding at the end the following: 

5 ‘‘(iv) publishing a systematic set of 

6 maps of active faults and folds, lique7 faction susceptibility, susceptibility for 

8 earthquake induced landslides, and other 

9 seismically induced hazards; and’’; and 

10 (2) in subparagraph (D), by striking ‘‘develop, 

11 operate’’ and all that follows through ‘‘7708),’’ and 

12 inserting ‘‘continue the development of the Advanced 

13 National Seismic System, including earthquake early 

14 warning capabilities’’. 

15 (b) AMENDMENTS RELATING TO INTERAGENCY CO16 ORDINATING COMMITTEE ON EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS RE17 DUCTION.— 

18 (1) CLARIFICATION REGARDING MEMBER19 SHIP.—Subparagraph (B) of subsection (a)(3) of 

20 such section is amended, in the matter preceding 

21 clause (i), by striking ‘‘The committee’’ and insert22 ing ‘‘In addition to the Director, the committee’’. 

23 (2) REDUCTION IN MINIMUM FREQUENCY OF

24 MEETINGS OF INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COM25 MITTEE ON EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS REDUCTION.— 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
11 

•HR 626 IH

1 Subparagraph (C) of such subsection is amended by 

2 striking ‘‘not less than 3 times a year’’ and inserting 

3 ‘‘not less frequently than once each year’’. 

4 (3) EXPANSION OF DUTIES.—Subparagraph 

5 (D) of such subsection is amended to read as fol6 lows: 

7 ‘‘(D) DUTIES.— 

8 ‘‘(i) GENERAL DUTY.—The Inter9 agency Coordinating Committee shall over10 see the planning, management, and coordi11 nation of the Program. 

12 ‘‘(ii) SPECIFIC DUTIES.—The duties 

13 of the Interagency Coordinating Committee 

14 include the following: 

15 ‘‘(I) Developing, not later than 6 

16 months after the date of the enact17 ment of the National Earthquake 

18 Hazards Reduction Program Reau19 thorization Act of 2004 and updating 

20 periodically— 

21 ‘‘(aa) a strategic plan that 

22 establishes goals and priorities 

23 for the Program activities de24 scribed under subsection (a)(2); 

25 and 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
12 

•HR 626 IH

1 ‘‘(bb) a detailed manage2 ment plan to implement such 

3 strategic plan. 

4 ‘‘(II) Developing a coordinated 

5 interagency budget for the Program 

6 that will ensure appropriate balance 

7 among the Program activities de8 scribed under subsection (a)(2), and, 

9 in accordance with the plans devel10 oped under subclause (I), submitting 

11 such budget to the Director of the Of12 fice of Management and Budget at 

13 the time designated by the Director 

14 for agencies to submit biennial budg15 ets. 

16 ‘‘(III) Developing interagency 

17 memorandums of understanding with 

18 any relevant Federal agencies on data 

19 sharing and resource commitment in 

20 the event of an earthquake disaster. 

21 ‘‘(IV) Coordinating with the 

22 Interagency Coordinating Committee 

23 on Windstorm Impact Reduction and 

24 other natural hazards coordination 

25 committees as the Director determines 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
13 

•HR 626 IH

1 appropriate to share data and best 

2 practices. 

3 ‘‘(V) Coordinating with the Ad4 ministrator of the National Aero5 nautics and Space Administration and 

6 the Administrator of the National 

7 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra8 tion on data sharing and resource al9 location to ensure judicious use of 

10 Government resources and the free11 flowing exchange of information re12 lated to earthquakes. 

13 ‘‘(VI) Coordinating with the Sec14 retary of Agriculture and the Sec15 retary of the Interior on the use of 

16 public lands for earthquake moni17 toring and research stations, and re18 lated data collection. 

19 ‘‘(VII) Coordinating with the 

20 Secretary of Transportation and the 

21 Secretary of Housing and Urban De22 velopment on the effects of earth23 quakes on transportation and housing 

24 stocks. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
14 

•HR 626 IH

1 ‘‘(iii) ASSISTANCE FROM SECRETARY

2 OF AGRICULTURE AND SECRETARY OF THE

3 INTERIOR.—To the extent practicable, the 

4 Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary 

5 of the Interior shall expedite any request 

6 for a permit to use public land under 

7 clause (ii)(VI).’’. 

8 (4) REDUCTION IN FREQUENCY OF REPORTING

9 BY INTERAGENCY COORDINATING COMMITTEE ON

10 EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS REDUCTION.— 

11 (A) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (a)(4) of 

12 such section is amended— 

13 (i) in the paragraph heading, by strik14 ing ‘‘ANNUAL’’ and inserting ‘‘BIENNIAL’’; 

15 (ii) by redesignating subparagraphs 

16 (A) through (F) as clauses (i) through (vi), 

17 respectively, and adjusting the indentation 

18 of the margin of such clauses, as so redes19 ignated, two ems to the right; 

20 (iii) in clause (v), as so redesignated, 

21 by striking ‘‘; and’’ and inserting a semi22 colon; 

23 (iv) in clause (vi), as so redesignated, 

24 by striking the period at the end and in25 serting ‘‘; and’’; 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
15 

•HR 626 IH

1 (v) by inserting after clause (vi), as so 

2 redesignated, the following: 

3 ‘‘(vii) a statement regarding whether 

4 the Administrator of the Federal Emer5 gency Management Agency has lowered or 

6 waived the cost share requirement for as7 sistance provided under subsection 

8 (b)(2)(A)(i).’’; 

9 (vi) in the matter preceding clause (i), 

10 as so redesignated, by striking ‘‘The Inter11 agency’’ and all that follows through ‘‘Sen12 ate’’ and inserting the following: 

13 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not less frequently 

14 than once every two years, the Interagency Co15 ordinating Committee shall submit to the Com16 mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor17 tation, the Committee on Energy and Natural 

18 Resources, and the Committee on Homeland 

19 Security and Governmental Affairs of the Sen20 ate and the Committee on Science, Space, and 

21 Technology, the Committee on Energy and 

22 Commerce, the Committee on Natural Re23 sources, and the Committee on Homeland Secu24 rity of the House of Representatives a report on 

25 the Program’’; and 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
16 

•HR 626 IH

1 (vii) by adding at the end the fol2 lowing: 

3 ‘‘(B) SUPPORT FOR PREPARATION OF RE4 PORT.—Each head of a Program agency shall 

5 submit to the Director of the National Institute 

6 of Standards and Technology such information 

7 as the Director may request for the preparation 

8 of a report under subparagraph (A) not later 

9 than 90 days after the date on which the Direc10 tor requests such information.’’. 

11 (B) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments 

12 made by subparagraph (A) shall take effect on 

13 the first day of the first fiscal year beginning 

14 after the date of the enactment of this Act. 

15 (c) MODIFICATION OF RESPONSIBILITIES OF NA16 TIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY.— 

17 Subsection (b) of such section is amended— 

18 (1) in paragraph (1)— 

19 (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘and 

20 constructing,’’ and inserting ‘‘constructing, 

21 evaluating, and retrofitting’’; and 

22 (B) in subparagraph (D), by inserting 

23 ‘‘provide new and’’ after ‘‘research to’’; and 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
17 

•HR 626 IH

1 (2) in paragraph (5), in the matter preceding 

2 subparagraph (A), in the first sentence, by inserting 

3 ‘‘community resilience through’’ after ‘‘improve’’. 

4 (d) MODIFICATION OF RESPONSIBILITIES OF FED5 ERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY.—Paragraph 

6 (2) of subsection (b) of such section is amended to read 

7 as follows: 

8 ‘‘(2) DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY; 

9 FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY.— 

10 ‘‘(A) PROGRAM RESPONSIBILITIES.—The 

11 Administrator of the Federal Emergency Man12 agement Agency— 

13 ‘‘(i) shall operate a program of grants 

14 and assistance to enable States to develop 

15 mitigation, preparedness, and response 

16 plans, purchase necessary instrumentation, 

17 prepare inventories and conduct seismic 

18 safety inspections of critical structures and 

19 lifeline infrastructure, update building, 

20 land use planning, and zoning codes and 

21 ordinances to enhance seismic safety, in22 crease earthquake awareness and edu23 cation, and provide assistance to multi24 State groups for such purposes; 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
18 

•HR 626 IH

1 ‘‘(ii) shall support the implementation 

2 of a comprehensive earthquake education, 

3 outreach, and public awareness program, 

4 including development of materials and 

5 their wide dissemination to all appropriate 

6 audiences and support public access to lo7 cality-specific information that may assist 

8 the public in preparing for, mitigating 

9 against, responding to and recovering from 

10 earthquakes and related disasters; 

11 ‘‘(iii) shall, in conjunction with the 

12 Director of the National Institute of 

13 Standards and Technology, other Federal 

14 agencies, and private sector groups, use re15 search results to support the preparation, 

16 maintenance, and wide dissemination of 

17 seismic resistant design guidance and re18 lated information on building codes, stand19 ards, and practices for new and existing 

20 buildings, structures, and lifeline infra21 structure, aid in the development of per22 formance-based design guidelines and 

23 methodologies, and support model codes 

24 that are cost effective and affordable in 

25 order to promote better practices within 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
19 

•HR 626 IH

1 the design and construction industry and 

2 reduce losses from earthquakes; 

3 ‘‘(iv) shall enter into cooperative 

4 agreements or contracts with States and 

5 local jurisdictions and other Federal agen6 cies to establish demonstration projects on 

7 earthquake hazard mitigation, to link 

8 earthquake research and mitigation efforts 

9 with emergency management programs, or 

10 to prepare educational materials for na11 tional distribution; and 

12 ‘‘(v) shall support the Director of the 

13 National Institute of Standards and Tech14 nology in the completion of programmatic 

15 goals. 

16 ‘‘(B) STATE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM CRI17 TERIA.—In order to qualify for assistance 

18 under subparagraph (A)(i), a State must— 

19 ‘‘(i) demonstrate that the assistance 

20 will result in enhanced seismic safety in 

21 the State; 

22 ‘‘(ii) provide 25 percent of the costs of 

23 the activities for which assistance is being 

24 given, except that the Administrator may 

25 lower or waive the cost-share requirement 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
20 

•HR 626 IH

1 for these activities for a small impover2 ished community, as defined in section 203 

3 of the Disaster Relief Act of 1974 (42 

4 U.S.C. 5133(a)); and 

5 ‘‘(iii) meet such other requirements as 

6 the Administrator shall prescribe.’’. 

7 (e) MODIFICATION OF RESPONSIBILITIES OF UNITED

8 STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.—Subsection (b)(3) of such 

9 section is amended— 

10 (1) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), 

11 in the first sentence— 

12 (A) by inserting ‘‘report on significant do13 mestic and international earthquakes and’’ after 

14 ‘‘Survey shall’’; and 

15 (B) by striking ‘‘predictions.’’ and insert16 ing ‘‘forecasts.’’; 

17 (2) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘pre18 dictions, including aftershock advisories’’ and insert19 ing ‘‘alerts and early warnings’’; 

20 (3) by striking subparagraph (D) and inserting 

21 the following: 

22 ‘‘(D) issue when necessary and feasible, 

23 and notify the Administrator of the Federal 

24 Emergency Management Agency, the Director 

25 of the National Institute of Standards and 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
21 

•HR 626 IH

1 Technology, and State and local officials, an 

2 alert and an earthquake warning;’’; 

3 (4) in subparagraph (E), in the matter pre4 ceding clause (i), by striking ‘‘using’’ and inserting 

5 ‘‘including’’; 

6 (5) in subparagraph (I), by striking ‘‘; and’’ 

7 and inserting a semicolon; 

8 (6) in subparagraph (J)— 

9 (A) by inserting ‘‘and data’’ after ‘‘hazard 

10 maps’’; and 

11 (B) by striking the period at the end and 

12 inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

13 (7) by adding at the end the following: 

14 ‘‘(K) support the Director of the National 

15 Institute of Standards and Technology in the 

16 completion of programmatic goals.’’. 

17 (f) MODIFICATION OF RESPONSIBILITIES OF NA18 TIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION.—Subsection (b)(4) of 

19 such section is amended— 

20 (1) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ‘‘, State 

21 agencies, State geological surveys,’’ after ‘‘con22 sortia’’; 

23 (2) in subparagraph (C), by inserting ‘‘to sup24 port applied science in the production of a systemVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:48 Feb 23, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00021 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H626.IH H626

pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
22 

•HR 626 IH

1 atic series of earthquake-related geologic hazard 

2 maps, and’’ after ‘‘Survey’’; 

3 (3) in subparagraph (D), by striking ‘‘large4 scale experimental and computational facilities of the 

5 George E. Brown Jr. Network for Earthquake Engi6 neering Simulation and other institutions engaged in 

7 research and the implementation of the National 

8 Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program’’ and in9 serting ‘‘experimental and computational facilities’’; 

10 (4) in subparagraph (G), by striking ‘‘; and’’ 

11 and inserting a semicolon; 

12 (5) in subparagraph (H), by striking the period 

13 at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; 

14 (6) by adding at the end the following: 

15 ‘‘(I) support the Director of the National 

16 Institute of Standards and Technology in the 

17 completion of programmatic goals.’’; 

18 (7) by redesignating subparagraphs (A) through 

19 (I) as clauses (i) through (ix), respectively, and in20 denting such clauses accordingly; 

21 (8) in the matter before clause (i), as redesig22 nated by paragraph (7), in the first sentence, by 

23 striking ‘‘The National Science Foundation’’ and in24 serting the following: 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
23 

•HR 626 IH

1 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—The National Science 

2 Foundation’’; and 

3 (9) by adding at the end the following: 

4 ‘‘(B) IDENTIFICATION OF FUNDING.—The 

5 National Science Foundation shall— 

6 ‘‘(i) to the extent practicable, note in 

7 any notice of Program funding or other 

8 funding possibilities under the Program 

9 that the funds are part of the Program; 

10 ‘‘(ii) to the extent practicable, track 

11 the awarding of Federal funds through the 

12 Program; and 

13 ‘‘(iii) not less frequently than once 

14 every 2 years, submit to the director of the 

15 Program a report specifying the amount of 

16 Federal funds awarded to conduct research 

17 that enhances the understanding of earth18 quake science.’’. 

19 SEC. 203. REVIEW OF THE NATIONAL EARTHQUAKE HAZ20 ARD REDUCTION PROGRAM. 

21 (a) IN GENERAL.—As soon as practicable, but not 

22 later than such date as is necessary for the Comptroller 

23 General of the United States to submit the report required 

24 by subsection (c) in accordance with such subsection, the 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
24 

•HR 626 IH

1 Comptroller General shall complete a review of Federal 

2 earthquake hazard risk reduction efforts. 

3 (b) ELEMENTS.—The review conducted under sub4 section (a) shall include the following: 

5 (1) A comprehensive assessment of— 

6 (A) the extent to which the United States 

7 Geological Survey has identified the risks and 

8 hazards to the United States posed by earth9 quakes, including risks and hazards resulting 

10 from tsunamis and landslides that are gen11 erated by earthquakes; 

12 (B) the efforts of the Federal Emergency 

13 Management Agency and the National Institute 

14 of Standards and Technology to improve the re15 silience of the United States to earthquakes and 

16 to identify important gaps in the resilience of 

17 the United States to earthquakes; 

18 (C) the progress made by the National In19 stitute of Standards and Technology and the 

20 Interagency Coordinating Committee (as de21 fined in section 4 the Earthquake Hazards Re22 duction Act of 1977 of the Earthquake Hazards 

23 Reduction Act of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 7703)) to co24 ordinate effectively the budget and activities of 

25 the Program agencies (as defined in such secVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:48 Feb 23, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00024 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H626.IH H626

pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
25 

•HR 626 IH

1 tion 4) in advancing the plans and goals of the 

2 Program (as defined in such section 4) and how 

3 coordination among the Program agencies may 

4 be improved; 

5 (D) the extent to which the results of re6 search in earthquake risk and hazards reduc7 tion supported by the National Science Founda8 tion during the 40 years of the Program has 

9 been effectively disseminated to Federal, State, 

10 local, and private sector stakeholders; and 

11 (E) the extent to which the research done 

12 during the 40 years of the Program has been 

13 applied to both public and private earthquake 

14 risk and hazards reduction. 

15 (2) Recommendations to improve the Program 

16 and the resiliency of the United States to earth17 quake risks. 

18 (c) REPORT.—As soon as practicable, but not later 

19 than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, 

20 the Comptroller General shall submit to the Committee 

21 on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, the Com22 mittee on Energy and Natural Resources, and the Com23 mittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

24 of the Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, and 

25 Technology, the Committee on Natural Resources, and the 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
26 

•HR 626 IH

1 Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Rep2 resentatives a report on the findings of the Comptroller 

3 General with respect to the review completed under sub4 section (a). 

5 SEC. 204. SEISMIC STANDARDS. 

6 Section 8 of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act 

7 of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 7705b) is amended to read as follows: 

8 ‘‘SEC. 8. SEISMIC STANDARDS. 

9 ‘‘(a) ASSESSMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS.—Not 

10 later than December 1, 2023, the Director of the National 

11 Institute of Standards and Technology and the Adminis12 trator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency 

13 shall jointly convene a committee of experts from Federal 

14 agencies, nongovernmental organizations, private sector 

15 entities, disaster management professional associations, 

16 engineering professional associations, and professional 

17 construction and homebuilding industry associations, to 

18 assess and recommend options for improving the built en19 vironment and critical infrastructure to reflect perform20 ance goals stated in terms of post-earthquake reoccupancy 

21 and functional recovery time. 

22 ‘‘(b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than June 

23 30, 2024, the committee convened under paragraph (1) 

24 shall submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

25 Transportation, the Committee on Energy and Natural 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
27 

•HR 626 IH

1 Resources, and the Committee on Homeland Security and 

2 Governmental Affairs of the Senate and the Committee 

3 on Science, Space, and Technology, the Committee on 

4 Natural Resources, and the Committee on Homeland Se5 curity of the House of Representatives a report on rec6 ommended options for improving the built environment 

7 and critical infrastructure to reflect performance goals 

8 stated in terms of post-earthquake reoccupancy and func9 tional recovery time.’’. 

10 SEC. 205. MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR ADVANCED NATIONAL 

11 SEISMIC SYSTEM. 

12 (a) PLAN REQUIRED.—Not later than 1 year after 

13 the date of the enactment of this Act, the United States 

14 Geological Survey shall submit to Congress a 5-year man15 agement plan for the continued operation of the Advanced 

16 National Seismic System. 

17 (b) ELEMENTS.—The plan required by subsection (a) 

18 shall include the following: 

19 (1) Strategies to continue the development of 

20 an earthquake early warning system. 

21 (2) A mechanism for securing the participation 

22 of State and regional level earthquake monitoring 

23 entities, including those defunded by the Advanced 

24 National Seismic System in the last five years. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
28 

•HR 626 IH

1 (3) A plan to encourage and support the inte2 gration of geodetic and geospatial data products into 

3 earthquake monitoring in regions experiencing large 

4 earthquakes. 

5 (4) A plan to identify and evaluate existing 

6 data sets available across commercial, civil, and de7 fense entities to determine if there are additional 

8 data sources to inform the development and deploy9 ment of the Advanced National Seismic System and 

10 an earthquake early warning system. 

11 (5) A plan to ensure that there is an active, 

12 geographically diverse, management and advisory 

13 structure for the Advanced National Seismic Sys14 tem. 

15 SEC. 206. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

16 Section 12 of the Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act 

17 of 1977 (42 U.S.C. 7706) is amended— 

18 (1) in subsection (a)(8)— 

19 (A) in subparagraph (I), by striking ‘‘and’’ 

20 at the end; 

21 (B) in subparagraph (J), by adding ‘‘and’’ 

22 at the end; and 

23 (C) by inserting before the language fol24 lowing subparagraph (J) the following: 

25 ‘‘(K) $8,758,000 for fiscal year 2024,’’; 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
29 

•HR 626 IH

1 (2) in subsection (b)(2)— 

2 (A) in subparagraph (I), by striking ‘‘; 

3 and’’ and inserting a semicolon; 

4 (B) in subparagraph (J), by striking the 

5 period at the end and inserting a semicolon; 

6 and 

7 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

8 ‘‘(K) $83,403,000 for fiscal year 2024, of 

9 which not less than $30,000,000 shall be made 

10 available for completion of the Advanced Na11 tional Seismic System established under section 

12 7707 of this title.’’; 

13 (3) in subsection (c)(2)— 

14 (A) in subparagraph (I), by striking ‘‘and’’ 

15 at the end; 

16 (B) in subparagraph (J), by striking the 

17 period at the end and inserting a semicolon; 

18 and 

19 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

20 ‘‘(K) $54,000,000 for fiscal year 2024.’’; 

21 and 

22 (4) in subsection (d)(2)— 

23 (A) in subparagraph (I), by striking ‘‘and’’ 

24 at the end; 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
30 

•HR 626 IH

1 (B) in subparagraph (J), by striking the 

2 period at the end and inserting ‘‘, and’’; and 

3 (C) by inserting before the language fol4 lowing subparagraph (J) the following: 

5 ‘‘(K) $5,900,000 for fiscal year 2023,’’. 

6 SEC. 207. TECHNICAL CORRECTIONS. 

7 (a) CORRECTION OF TITLE OF ADMINISTRATOR OF

8 THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY.— 

9 The Earthquake Hazards Reduction Act of 1977 (42 

10 U.S.C. 7701 et seq.) is amended— 

11 (1) in section 5 (42 U.S.C. 7704)— 

12 (A) in subsection (a)(3)(B), as amended by 

13 section 202(b)(1) of this Act— 

14 (i) in the matter preceding clause (i), 

15 by striking ‘‘the directors of’’; 

16 (ii) in clause (i), by inserting ‘‘the Ad17 ministrator of’’ before ‘‘the’’; and 

18 (iii) in clauses (ii) through (v), by in19 serting ‘‘the Director of’’ before ‘‘the’’ each 

20 place it appears; and 

21 (B) in subsection (b)(3)(C), as amended by 

22 section 202(e), by striking ‘‘Director of the 

23 Federal’’ and inserting ‘‘Administrator of the 

24 Federal’’; and 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
31 

•HR 626 IH

1 (2) in section 9 (42 U.S.C. 7705c), by striking 

2 ‘‘Director of the Agency’’ and inserting ‘‘Adminis3 trator of the Federal Emergency Management Agen4 cy’’ each place it appears. 

5 (b) REFERENCES TO THE ADVANCED NATIONAL

6 SEISMIC SYSTEM.—Such Act is amended— 

7 (1) in section 13 (42 U.S.C. 7707), in the sec8 tion heading, by striking ‘‘ADVANCED NATIONAL

9 SEISMIC RESEARCH AND MONITORING SYS10 TEM’’ and inserting ‘‘ADVANCED NATIONAL SEIS11 MIC SYSTEM’’; and 

12 (2) by striking ‘‘Advanced National Seismic Re13 search and Monitoring System’’ each place it ap14 pears and inserting ‘‘Advanced National Seismic 

15 System’’. 

16 (c) INCORRECT CROSS-REFERENCES.—Paragraph 

17 (4) of section 5(a) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 7704(a)), as 

18 amended by section 202(b)(4)(A) of this Act, is amend19 ed— 

20 (1) in clauses (i) and (ii) of subparagraph (A), 

21 as redesignated by such section 3(b)(4)(A), by strik22 ing ‘‘subparagraph (3)(A)’’ both places it appears 

23 and inserting ‘‘paragraph (3)(D)(i)(I)’’; and 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
32 

•HR 626 IH

1 (2) in clause (iii), as so redesignated, by strik2 ing ‘‘under (3)(A)’’ and inserting ‘‘under paragraph 

3 (3)(D)(i)(I)’’. 

4 TITLE III 

5 SEC. 301. RENAMING. 

6 (a) SHORT TITLE.—Section 1 of the Stop Trading 

7 on Congressional Knowledge Act of 2012 is amended by 

8 striking ‘‘Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act 

9 of 2012’’ and inserting ‘‘Representative Louise McIntosh 

10 Slaughter Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge 

11 Act’’. 

12 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 103(i)(2) 

13 of the Ethics in Government Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. App. 

14 103(i)(2)) is amended by striking ‘‘Stop Trading on Con15 gressional Knowledge Act of 2012’’ and inserting 

16 ‘‘STOCK Act’’. 

17 TITLE IV 

18 SEC. 401. MATURITY FOR LOANS WITH REMAINING BAL19 ANCE AFTER APPLICATION OF FORGIVENESS. 

20 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 7(a)(36)(K)(ii) of the 

21 Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(a)(36)) is amended 

22 by inserting ‘‘minimum maturity of 5 years and a’’ before 

23 ‘‘maximum maturity’’. 

24 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE; APPLICABILITY.—The amend25 ment made by this section shall take effect on the date 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
33 

•HR 626 IH

1 of the enactment of this Act and shall apply to any loan 

2 made pursuant to section 7(a)(36) of the Small Business 

3 Act (15 U.S.C. 636(a)(36)) on or after such date. Nothing 

4 in this Act, the CARES Act (Public Law 116–136), or 

5 the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care En6 hancement Act (Public Law 116–139) shall be construed 

7 to prohibit lenders and borrowers from mutually agreeing 

8 to modify the maturity terms of a covered loan described 

9 in subparagraph (K) of such section to conform with re10 quirements of this section. 

11 TITLE V 

12 SEC. 501. RESTORATION OF AMOUNTS IMPROPERLY WITH13 HELD FOR TAX PURPOSES FROM SEVERANCE 

14 PAYMENTS TO VETERANS WITH COMBAT-RE15 LATED INJURIES. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 

17 date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense 

18 shall— 

19 (1) identify— 

20 (A) the severance payments— 

21 (i) that the Secretary paid after Janu22 ary 17, 1991; 

23 (ii) that the Secretary computed 

24 under section 1212 of title 10, United 

25 States Code; 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
34 

•HR 626 IH

1 (iii) that were not considered gross in2 come pursuant to section 104(a)(4) of the 

3 Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and 

4 (iv) from which the Secretary withheld 

5 amounts for tax purposes; and 

6 (B) the individuals to whom such sever7 ance payments were made; and 

8 (2) with respect to each person identified under 

9 paragraph (1)(B), provide— 

10 (A) notice of— 

11 (i) the amount of severance payments 

12 in paragraph (1)(A) which were improperly 

13 withheld for tax purposes; and 

14 (ii) such other information determined 

15 to be necessary by the Secretary of the 

16 Treasury to carry out the purposes of this 

17 section; and 

18 (B) instructions for filing amended tax re19 turns to recover the amounts improperly with20 held for tax purposes. 

21 (b) EXTENSION OF LIMITATION ON TIME FOR CRED22 IT OR REFUND.— 

23 (1) PERIOD FOR FILING CLAIM.—If a claim for 

24 credit or refund under section 6511(a) of the Inter25 nal Revenue Code of 1986 relates to a specified 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
35 

•HR 626 IH

1 overpayment, the 3-year period of limitation pre2 scribed by such subsection shall not expire before 

3 the date which is 1 year after the date the informa4 tion return described in subsection (a)(2) is pro5 vided. The allowable amount of credit or refund of 

6 a specified overpayment shall be determined without 

7 regard to the amount of tax paid within the period 

8 provided in section 6511(b)(2). 

9 (2) SPECIFIED OVERPAYMENT.—For purposes 

10 of paragraph (1), the term ‘‘specified overpayment’’ 

11 means an overpayment attributable to a severance 

12 payment described in subsection (a)(1). 

13 TITLE VI 

14 SEC. 601. NONPROFIT SECURITY GRANT PROGRAM. 

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle A of title XX of the 

16 Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 601 et seq.) 

17 is amended by adding at the end the following new section: 

18 ‘‘SEC. 2009. NONPROFIT SECURITY GRANT PROGRAM. 

19 ‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the 

20 Department a program to be known as the ‘Nonprofit Se21 curity Grant Program’ (in this section referred to as the 

22 ‘Program’). Under the Program, the Secretary, acting 

23 through the Administrator, shall make grants to eligible 

24 nonprofit organizations described in subsection (b), 

25 through the State in which such organizations are located, 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
36 

•HR 626 IH

1 for target hardening and other security enhancements to 

2 protect against terrorist attacks. 

3 ‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE RECIPIENTS.—Eligible nonprofit or4 ganizations described in this subsection (a) are organiza5 tions that are— 

6 ‘‘(1) described in section 501(c)(3) of the Inter7 nal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax 

8 under section 501(a) of such Code; and 

9 ‘‘(2) determined to be at risk of a terrorist at10 tack by the Administrator. 

11 ‘‘(c) PERMITTED USES.—The recipient of a grant 

12 under this section may use such grant for any of the fol13 lowing uses: 

14 ‘‘(1) Target hardening activities, including 

15 physical security enhancement equipment and in16 spection and screening systems. 

17 ‘‘(2) Fees for security training relating to phys18 ical security and cybersecurity, target hardening, 

19 terrorism awareness, and employee awareness. 

20 ‘‘(3) Any other appropriate activity, including 

21 cybersecurity resilience activities, as determined by 

22 the Administrator. 

23 ‘‘(d) PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE.—The Adminis24 trator shall make funds provided under this section availVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:48 Feb 23, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00036 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H626.IH H626

pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
37 

•HR 626 IH

1 able for use by a recipient of a grant for a period of not 

2 less than 36 months. 

3 ‘‘(e) REPORT.—The Administrator shall for fiscal 

4 year 2024 submit to the Committee on Homeland Security 

5 of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 

6 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Sen7 ate a report containing information on the expenditure by 

8 each grant recipient of grant funds made under this sec9 tion. 

10 ‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

11 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 

12 appropriated to carry out this section $75,000,000 

13 for fiscal year 2024. 

14 ‘‘(2) SPECIFICATION.—Of the amounts author15 ized to be appropriated pursuant to paragraph (1)— 

16 ‘‘(A) $50,000,000 is authorized for eligible 

17 recipients located in jurisdictions that receive 

18 funding under section 2003; and 

19 ‘‘(B) $25,000,000 is authorized for eligible 

20 recipients in jurisdictions not receiving funding 

21 under section 2003.’’. 

22 (b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Subsection (a) of 

23 section 2002 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 

24 U.S.C. 603) is amended by striking ‘‘sections 2003 and 

25 2004’’ and inserting ‘‘sections 2003, 2004, and 2009’’. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
38 

•HR 626 IH

1 (c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of contents 

2 in section 1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is 

3 amended by inserting after the item relating to section 

4 2008 the following new item: 

‘‘Sec. 2009. Nonprofit security grant program.’’. 

5 TITLE VII 

6 SEC. 701. STUDY. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after the 

8 date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 

9 of the United States shall— 

10 (1) complete a study that— 

11 (A) reviews what actions Federal agencies 

12 have taken to help to address barriers to par13 ticipation in federally funded cancer clinical 

14 trials by populations that have been tradition15 ally underrepresented in such trials, and identi16 fies challenges, if any, in implementing such ac17 tions; and 

18 (B) identifies additional actions that can 

19 be taken by Federal agencies to address bar20 riers to participation in federally funded cancer 

21 clinical trials by populations that have been tra22 ditionally underrepresented in such trials; and 

23 (2) submit a report to the Congress on the re24 sults of such study, including recommendations on 

25 potential changes in practices and policies to imVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:48 Feb 23, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00038 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H626.IH H626

pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
39 

•HR 626 IH

1 prove participation in such trials by such popu2 lations. 

3 (b) INCLUSION OF CLINICAL TRIALS.—The study 

4 under subsection (a)(1) shall include review of cancer clin5 ical trials that are largely funded by Federal agencies. 

6 TITLE VIII 

7 SEC. 801. REGIONAL STRATEGY TO ADDRESS THE THREAT 

8 POSED BY BOKO HARAM. 

9 (a) STRATEGY REQUIRED.— 

10 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 

11 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Sec12 retary of State and the Secretary of Defense shall 

13 jointly develop and submit to the appropriate com14 mittees of Congress a five-year strategy to help en15 able the Government of Nigeria, members of the 

16 Multinational Joint Task Force to Combat Boko 

17 Haram (MNJTF) authorized by the African Union, 

18 and relevant partners to counter the regional threat 

19 of Boko Haram and assist the Government of Nige20 ria and its neighbors to accept and address legiti21 mate grievances of vulnerable populations in areas 

22 affected by Boko Haram. 

23 (2) ELEMENTS.—At a minimum, the strategy 

24 must address the following elements: 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
40 

•HR 626 IH

1 (A) Enhance, pursuant to existing authori2 ties and restrictions, the institutional capacity, 

3 including military capabilities, of the Govern4 ment of Nigeria and partner nations in the re5 gion, as appropriate, to counter the threat 

6 posed by Boko Haram. 

7 (B) Provide humanitarian support to civil8 ian populations impacted by Boko Haram’s ac9 tivity. 

10 (C) Specific activities through which the 

11 United States Government intends to improve 

12 and enhance the capacity of Multinational Joint 

13 Task Force to Combat Boko Haram partner 

14 nations to investigate and prosecute human 

15 rights abuses by security forces and promote re16 spect for the rule of law within the military. 

17 (D) A means for assisting Nigeria, and as 

18 appropriate, Multinational Joint Task Force to 

19 Combat Boko Haram nations, to counter vio20 lent extremism, including efforts to address un21 derlying societal factors shown to contribute to 

22 the ability of Boko Haram to radicalize and re23 cruit individuals. 

24 (E) A plan to strengthen and promote the 

25 rule of law, including by improving the capacity 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
41 

•HR 626 IH

1 of the civilian police and judicial system in Ni2 geria, enhancing public safety, and responding 

3 to crime (including gender-based violence), 

4 while respecting human rights and strength5 ening accountability measures, including meas6 ures to prevent corruption. 

7 (F) Strengthen the long-term capacity of 

8 the Government of Nigeria to enhance security 

9 for schools such that children are safer and 

10 girls seeking an education are better protected, 

11 and to combat gender-based violence and gen12 der inequality. 

13 (G) Identify and develop mechanisms for 

14 coordinating the implementation of the strategy 

15 across the inter-agency and with the Govern16 ment of Nigeria, regional partners, and other 

17 relevant foreign partners. 

18 (H) Identify the resources required to 

19 achieve the strategy’s objectives. 

20 (b) ASSESSMENT.—The Director of National Intel21 ligence shall submit, to the appropriate committees of 

22 Congress, an assessment regarding— 

23 (1) the willingness and capability of the Govern24 ment of Nigeria and regional partners to implement 

25 the strategy developed under subsection (a), includVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:48 Feb 23, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00041 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H626.IH H626

pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
42 

•HR 626 IH

1 ing the capability gaps, if any, of the Government 

2 and military forces of Nigeria that would need to be 

3 addressed to enable the Government of Nigeria and 

4 the governments of its partner countries in the re5 gion— 

6 (A) to counter the threat of Boko Haram; 

7 and 

8 (B) to address the legitimate grievances of 

9 vulnerable populations in areas affected by 

10 Boko Haram; and 

11 (2) significant United States intelligence gaps 

12 concerning Boko Haram or on the willingness and 

13 capacity of the Government of Nigeria and regional 

14 partners to implement the strategy developed under 

15 subsection (a). 

16 (c) SENSE OF CONGRESS.—It is the sense of Con17 gress that lack of economic opportunity and access to edu18 cation, justice, and other social services contributes to the 

19 ability of Boko Haram to radicalize and recruit individ20 uals. 

21 (d) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CONGRESS DE22 FINED.—In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate commit23 tees of Congress’’ means— 

24 (1) the Committee on Armed Services, the 

25 Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
43 

•HR 626 IH

1 Appropriations, and the Select Committee on Intel2 ligence of the Senate; and 

3 (2) the Committee on Armed Services, the 

4 Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on 

5 Appropriations, and the Permanent Select Com6 mittee on Intelligence of the House of Representa7 tives. 

8 TITLE IX 

9 SEC. 901. HEARINGS. 

10 (a) IN GENERAL.—Each standing committee of the 

11 House of Representatives shall hold a hearing on the im12 plementation of this Act within one year of enactment. 

13 (b) EXERCISE OF RULEMAKING AUTHORITY.—Sub14 section (a) is enacted— 

15 (1) as an exercise of rulemaking power of the 

16 House of Representatives, and, as such, shall be con17 sidered as part of the rules of the House, and such 

18 rules shall supersede any other rule of the House 

19 only to the extent that rule is inconsistent therewith; 

20 and 

21 (2) with full recognition of the constitutional 

22 right of either House to change such rules (so far 

23 as relating to the procedure in such House) at any 

24 time, in the same manner, and to the same extent 

25 as in the case of any other rule of the House. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
44 

•HR 626 IH

1 TITLE X 

2 SEC. 1001. SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS. 

3 The following sums are hereby appropriated, out of 

4 any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, 

5 for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2023, and for 

6 other purposes, namely: 

7 DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN 

8 SERVICES 

9 HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

10 RURAL HEALTH

11 For an additional amount for the Telehealth Re12 source Center of the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy 

13 of the Office for the Advancement of Telehealth, to pro14 vide assistance with respect to technical, legal, regulatory 

15 service delivery or other related barriers to the develop16 ment of telehealth technologies for skilled nursing facilities 

17 (as defined in section 1819 of the Social Security Act) and 

18 nursing facilities (as defined in section 1919 of such Act), 

19 $5,000,000 to remain available through September 30, 

20 2024. 

21 TITLE XI 

22 SEC. 1101. CODE OF OFFICIAL CONDUCT. 

23 In rule XXIII of the Rules of the House of Rep24 resentatives strike clause 20 and insert the following: 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
45 

•HR 626 IH

1 ‘‘20. A Member, Delegate, Resident Commissioner, 

2 officer, or employee of the House may not, directly or indi3 rectly, take any actions to prevent any individual from or 

4 retaliate against any individual for providing truthful in5 formation to the Committee on Ethics, the Office of Con6 gressional Ethics, the Office of Congressional Workplace 

7 Rights, or any law enforcement official, provided that the 

8 disclosure of such information is not otherwise prohibited 

9 by law or House rules.’’. 

10 TITLE XII 

11 SEC. 1201. DETERMINATION OF BUDGETARY EFFECTS. 

12 The budgetary effects of this Act, for the purpose of 

13 complying with the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010, 

14 shall be determined by reference to the latest statement 

15 titled ‘‘Budgetary Effects of PAYGO Legislation’’ for this 

16 Act, submitted for printing in the Congressional Record 

17 by the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, pro18 vided that such statement has been submitted prior to the 

19 vote on passage. 

Æ 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB