Introduction

Causes - powered by Countable - provide millions of advocates an intuitive understanding of pending legislation and streamlines the communication process with lawmakers, enabling advocates to influence voting decisions effectively. Advocates can also sound off on issues of national, local, or personal importance: policy, news, campaigns, and more. 

As the only advocacy software to also run a community that consistently engages, Causes gives Countable a unique perspective. We get first-hand insights into what advocates think about and discuss, and we're passing these insights on to you. 

In this weeks policy pulse, we’ve gathered the latest bills advocates are talking about as well as highlighting comments from the advocates themselves.

BILL PASSED: Do You Support Cost of Living Benefits For Veterans? - Veteran's COLA Act - S.777

The Bill

S.777- Veteran's COLA Act

Bill Details

• Introduced by Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) on March 14, 2023
• Sen. Tester is the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman
• Committee: Senate - Veterans' Affairs
• Became law on June 14, 2023 - Public Law No: 118-6

Bill Overview 

• The bipartisan legislation is an annual procedure for Congress, but it is vital in ensuring that veterans' benefits keep pace with inflationary costs.
• As of Dec. 1, the bill increases the rate of compensation for veterans with service-related injuries and indemnity compensation for the family members of the survivors of specific service-related injuries.
• The bill increases amounts payable for clothing allowances for certain disabled veterans. Veterans can expect to see higher benefit payments starting in Jan. 2024.
• To stay informed, subscribe to the #VetResources newsletter.

What's in the bill?

A bipartisan bill to support veterans

• With costs of living rising, the bill provides compensation adjustments to support disabled veterans to meet their needs.

Brings benefits to the cost of living adjustment for Social Security

• The 2024 benefits will be equal to those applied to Social Security benefits, as determined by the Social Security Administration.

Benefits based on the Consumer Price Index

• The exact amount of next year's adjustment has not been determined.
• The Consumer Price Index (CPI) measures the average change in prices of goods and services due to inflation.
• The adjustment in Jan. 2023, for instance, which Veterans are currently receiving, saw an 8.7% increase over the year prior.

What advocates are saying:

BILL: Should We Fight Executive Overreach? - REINS Act of 2023 - H.R.277

The Bill

H.R.277 - The REINS ACT - The Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny Act of 2023

Bill Status

• Introduced by Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) on Jan. 11, 2023
• The lead sponsor is Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY)
• Committees: House- Judiciary; Rules; Budget
• House: Passed
• Senate: Received on June 20, 2023 - Not yet voted
• President: Not yet signed

Bill Overview

• The REINS Act would require congressional approval for any proposed federal agency rule with an economic impact of $100 million or more.
• It puts decision-making power in the hands of elected representatives and reclaims legislative power from unelected agencies. 
• The bill would preserve Congress’ authority to disapprove of a “nonmajor rule” through a joint resolution.

What's in the Bill?

Proposes that major regulations need Congress' approval

• When a federal agency proposes a major regulation, the bill says it will need to submit the regulation to Congress for approval.
• Both the House and the Senate would have to pass a joint resolution of approval. If the resolution fails, the regulation will not go into effect.

Places decision-making in the hands of elected representatives

• The act enhances democratic accountability and reduces regulatory overreach by executive-branch agencies.

Defines major rules

• The REINS Act defines a “major rule” as any federal rule or regulation that will have an annual effect on the economy exceeding $100 million.
• The designation will also apply to regulations that will lead to a major increase in prices for consumers, individual industries, government industries, or geographic regions.
• It will apply to regulations that have a significant negative impact on competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, or the ability of U.S.-based enterprises to compete with foreign-based enterprises.

What advocates are saying:

BILL: Should Kids Be Banned From Social Media? - The Protecting Kids on Social Media Act

The Bill

The Protecting Kids on Social Media Act

The Sponsors

• The bipartisan bill is sponsored by Sens. Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Chris Murphy (D-CT), and Katie Britt (R-AL).
• The sponsoring senators argue that the existing federal children's privacy law, COPPA, is too difficult to enforce.

Bill Overview

• The bipartisan bill would ban children under 13 from using popular social media sites and apps like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and more, effectively creating a national minimum age.
• Children would still be able to view content on the sites without logging in but would not be able to create accounts or interact with other users.
• Teens under 18 would need parental consent to utilize social media sites.
• The legislation would put in place an age verification scheme to make it harder for kids to bypass the restrictions.

What's in the bill?

Social media ban for children under 13

• The senators who have introduced the bill point to social media's role in the mental health crisis, having taken cues from legislation recently introduced in Arkansas and Utah.

Age verification system

• The bill seeks to establish a government-run age verification program that can verify children's ages and their parents' identities via third-party verification sites.
• The federal age verification program would be administered by the Department of Commerce and would, as of now, be voluntary.
• Tech companies could also create an in-house age verification system under the bill.

Parental permission required for teens 13-18

• The bill would require tech companies to get parents' explicit consent before creating accounts for teens under the age of 18.
• Parents would be allowed to monitor their teens' accounts.

Restrictions on targeted ads and content

• The tech companies would not be allowed to use the teens' personal information to target them with content or advertising. They would be able to provide limited recommendations, however, the specifics have not been unveiled yet in the draft copy of the bill. 

Addresses the teen mental health crisis

• A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study found that 42% of high school students surveyed experienced persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness over the last year, and experts believe this can be attributed to social media.
• Sen. Britt said:

"As adults, how many of you have struggled with what someone has posted on social media, or what someone has said or what someone has done?" 

What advocates are saying: