117th Congress - Major Legislation Signed into Law
Throughout the 117th Congress, Congressman Costa has succeeded in passing major legislation either as stand-alone bills or as language incorporated into moving legislation.
Bills Introduced that have Become Law
H.R.6023 - Multinational Species Conservation Funds Semipostal Stamp Reauthorization Act: Bipartisan legislation would require the United States Postal Service (USPS) to sell approximately 45 million Saving Vanishing Species Stamps left in stock to promote wildlife conservation.
H.R.3272 - Biodiesel, Renewable Diesel, and Alternative Fuels Extension Act: Legislation that would amend the Internal Revenue Code to extend and modify the tax credits for biodiesel, renewable diesel, and alternative fuels. This bill was signed into law as part of the Inflation Reduction Act.
H.R.2969 - Special Guerrilla Unit Veterans Service Recognition Expansion Act: Bipartisan legislation that expands eligibility for interment in national cemeteries to all Hmong and Lao citizens who fought in support of the United States during the Vietnam War. This bill was signed into law as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2022.
H.R.867 - High-Speed Rail Corridor Development Act: Legislation that would provide federal funding for federally designated high-speed rail corridors like California's High-Speed Rail project connecting San Francisco to Los Angeles via the San Joaquin Valley. Provisions from this bill were included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
Notable Co-Sponsored Legislation Signed into Law
Ocean Shipping Reform Act ensures shipping carriers treat American exporters fairly by accepting U.S. cargo after bringing imports into the country.
Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, legislation that will treat toxic exposures as a cost of war and expand access to earned benefits and healthcare through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Access to Baby Formula Act grants the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) the authority to waive certain requirements so that vulnerable families can continue purchasing safe infant formula with their WIC benefits during extenuating circumstances, such as a public health emergency or supply chain disruption.
Emmett Till Antilynching Act makes lynching a federal hate crime offense.
Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), modifies and reauthorizes through FY2026 programs and activities under the Violence Against Women Act that seek to prevent and respond to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. This bill was signed into law as part of the Fiscal Year 2022 Budget.
Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act establishes grants and requires other activities to improve mental and behavioral health among health care providers.
PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act implements a program and a policy related to service dog therapy for veterans.
Bulk Infant Formula to Retail Shelves Act temporarily lifts tariffs on safe imported ‘base powder,’ a key foundational component that is mixed with nutrients and other ingredients to make the formula that parents buy on store shelves or online, through the end of the year.
Homicide Victims' Families' Rights Act establishes a framework for immediate family members of a victim of murder under federal law to request a review of the victim's case file if the murder was committed more than three years prior, the murder was investigated by a federal law enforcement entity, all probative investigative leads have been exhausted, and no likely perpetrator has been identified.
The Harriet Tubman Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins emblematic of the legacy of Harriet Tubman as an abolitionist.
Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish and maintain three new centers of the Rural Access Network for Growth Enhancement (RANGE) Program in areas with interest from personnel and a need for additional mental health care for rural veterans.
A resolution to award posthumously a Congressional Gold Medal, in commemoration to the servicemembers who perished in Afghanistan on August 26, 2021, during the evacuation of citizens of the United States and Afghan allies at Hamid Karzai International Airport, and for other purposes.
Major Legislation Signed into Law
Inflation Reduction Act, historic legislation to lower kitchen table costs, create millions of good-paying jobs through the most significant action on climate in American history, and dramatically reduce the deficit.
Slashes prescription drug costs: For the first time ever empowers Medicare to negotiate the price of prescription drugs; prevents Big Pharma from unjustified price hikes in Medicare; and creates a new out-of-pocket cap for Part D drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries of $2,000 a year – as well as a $35 per month cap on co-pays for insulin.
Lower health care cost: Locking in lower health care premiums that save 13 million people an average of $800 a year, by extending ACA-enhanced subsidies for three more years.
Lower energy costs and delivers largest-ever climate action: Invests in domestic energy production and manufacturing, while reducing carbon emissions by roughly 40 percent by 2030 with historic investments in energy security and tackling the climate crisis.
Lower the deficit and reduces inflation: Makes a historic down payment on deficit reduction to fight inflation. According to 126 leading economists — including seven Nobel Prize winners, three former chairs of the Council of Economic Advisers, and two former Treasury Secretaries — this law “will fight inflation and lower costs for American families while setting the stage for strong, stable, and broadly-shared long-term economic growth.”
CHIPS and Science Act ensures the United States meets its capabilities to produce the most advanced chips at volume across the globe.
Lowers costs for American consumers: by making more critical CHIPS components here in America, helping to end the shortage of chips that has driven up the price of everything from cars to consumer goods.
Creates 100,000 new good-paying jobs: by building hi-tech manufacturing facilities here in America:
Ends our dangerous dependence on foreign manufacturers of chips:
Turbocharges American R&D: powering America’s preeminence in basic research and next-generation technologies.
HonoringourPACTAct expands healthcare to over 3.5 million veterans exposed to toxic substances during their military service. This is the first time in history that those suffering from exposure to burn pits and airborne hazards will receive healthcare benefits from the VA. In particular, it provides additional coverage to post-9/11 veterans, K2 veterans, and Vietnam veterans, including those who served in Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. Now millions of American veterans finally have access to the care and benefits they’ve earned and rightfully deserve.
The American Rescue Plan Act is a $1.9 trillion package to address the unprecedented coronavirus health and economic crisis. Its provisions focused on crushing the coronavirus, returning children safely to classrooms, getting COVID-19 vaccines to the American people, putting dollars into families’ pockets, and putting people back to work.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act makes a historic investment in improving our infrastructure, which will modernize our roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports, airports, broadband, and drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.
The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, a bipartisan, bicameral life-saving bill, is the most significant piece of gun violence prevention legislation in nearly 30 years. From suicide and domestic violence to gun violence in our cities and mass shooting, the bill creates commonsense gun safety regulations to tackle the problem from all angles.
The Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act strengthened the financing of pension plans, thereby ensuring workers would receive the benefits they worked throughout their careers for.
Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization (VAWA) makes key improvements to address gaps in current law, including making vital new investments in prevention, improving services for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, and sexual assault, and working to better protect Native American women. VAWA was included in H.R. 2471, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022, and was signed into law in March 2022 as part of that bill.
Ocean Shipping Reform Act lowers the costs of American consumers by cracking down on the exorbitant fees charged by international ocean shipping companies, which are then passed onto American consumers. The bill also cracks down on the ability of international shipping companies, when they have delivered Asian exports to our West Coast, to refuse to take American exports back to Asia, leaving with empty containers instead – which costs America’s farmers and ranchers.
Postal Reform Act of 2022 makes critical reforms that put the Postal Service on a much stronger financial footing. For example, it eliminates the requirement that the Postal Service pre-fund retiree health benefits for all current and retired employers for 75 years in the future, allowing the Postal Service to save $27 billion over 10 years.
Access To Baby Formula Act helped improve access to infant formula for vulnerable families who depend upon the WIC program during the infant formula shortage crisis.
Emmett Till Antilynching Act explicitly designates lynching as a hate crime under federal law for the first time. The bill is named in honor of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African American youth from Chicago who was lynched while visiting an uncle in Mississippi in 1955 after being accused of whistling at a white woman. Prior to this bill being signed, there was no federal law explicitly prohibiting lynching. The enactment of this bill corrected this historic injustice.
The Ending Importation of Russian Oil Act ended all importation of energy products from Russia into the United Statesin response to Russia’s unprovoked and brutal invasion of Ukraine.
Suspending Normal Trade Relations with Russia and Belarus Act suspended normal trade relations with Russia and Belarus in response to Russia’s unprovoked and brutal invasion of Ukraine. It also authorized the President to proclaim increases in the rates of duty applicable to products of Russia and Belarus.
Ukraine Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act, a bipartisan bill that bolsters Ukraine’s war-fighting capabilities and enhances lend-lease authorities available to President Biden. It also ensures that shipments of urgently needed weapons systems, ammunition, and military assistance in other forms arrive in Ukrainian hands faster and more seamlessly.
Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act allows sexual harassment and sexual assault survivors to elect to file a case in a court of law rather than be subject to forced arbitration provisions in cases involving sexual harassment or sexual assault, which deprive survivors of their rights.
COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act requires a designated officer or employee of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to facilitate the expedited review of hate crimes and reports of hate crimes.