Michael Bennet

Empower Charter School Educators to Lead Act

This bill makes changes to the Charter Schools Program (CSP), which authorizes competitive grants to state entities (e.g., state educational agencies and state charter school boards) to support high-quality charter schools.

Specifically, the bill allows state entities to use up to 5% of their CSP grant funds to make pre-charter planning subgrants to certain prospective charter applicants.

The bill specifies that state entities may also (1) fund a revolving loan fund or similar mechanisms for expenses prior to an eligible applicant receiving reimbursement, and (2) provide assistance to eligible applicants in locating and accessing a charter school facility.

Under the current CSP, state entities must use at least 7% of their CSP grant funds to provide technical assistance to eligible applicants and authorized public chartering agencies. The bill instead allows state entities to use not more than 10% of these funds for technical assistance.

Additionally, under the current CSP, state entities may not use more than 3% of CSP grant funds for administrative costs. This bill raises the cap to 5%.

Broadband Grant Tax Treatment Act

This bill excludes from gross income (for federal tax purposes) certain grants received for broadband deployment.

As background, contributions of capital to a corporation generally are not taxable income. However, under an exception enacted in 2017 by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, grants from a government or civic organization are not contributions to capital and, thus, treated as taxable income. Prior to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) considered certain grants from a government or civic organization contributions of capital and, thus, not taxable income.

The bill specifically excludes from gross income grants received for broadband deployment from the

• National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment Program;

• NTIA State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program;

• NTIA Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program;

• NTIA Enabling Middle Mile Broadband Infrastructure Program;

• Department of Agriculture ReConnect Program;

• Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds and the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund; and

• NTIA Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program and the Broadband Infrastructure Program.

The bill also requires the IRS to issue guidance on the exclusion from gross income of such grants.

The bill applies to funds received in tax years ending after March 11, 2021.

Taiwan Assurance Implementation Act

This bill expands an existing requirement for the Department of State to review and report on its guidance to federal agencies on the U.S.-Taiwan relationship. (The U.S.-Taiwan relationship has been unofficial since 1979, when the United States established diplomatic relations with China and broke them with Taiwan.)

Current law requires the State Department to conduct a one-time review of its guidance governing relations with Taiwan and report to Congress on this review. Under this bill, the State Department must review that guidance, reissue it, and report to Congress every five years while the guidance is in effect.

The reports to Congress must (1) describe the results of the guidance review and any changes to it resulting from implementation of a law that encourages engagement between Taiwanese and U.S. officials; (2) describe how the guidance takes into account certain considerations, such as the sense of Congress that Taiwan is governed by a representative government peacefully constituted through free and fair elections; and (3) identify self-imposed restrictions on relations with Taiwan that the State Department has lifted in its most recent guidance update.

This resolution recognizes the significance of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month as an important time to celebrate the significant contributions of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders to the history of the United States.

This resolution honors the contributions of small businesses in the United States and supports the designation of National Small Business Week.

Assault Weapons Ban of 2025

This bill makes it a crime to knowingly import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon (SAW) or large capacity ammunition feeding device (LCAFD).

The prohibition does not apply to a firearm that is (1) manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action, except for certain shotguns; (2) permanently inoperable; (3) an antique; (4) only capable of firing rimfire ammunition; or (5) a rifle or shotgun specifically identified by make and model.

The bill also exempts from the prohibition the following, with respect to a SAW or LCAFD:

• importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession related to certain law enforcement efforts, or authorized tests or experiments;

• importation, sale, transfer, or possession related to securing nuclear materials; and

• possession by a retired law enforcement officer.

The bill permits continued possession, sale, or transfer of a grandfathered SAW, which must be securely stored. A licensed gun dealer must conduct a background check prior to the sale or transfer of a grandfathered SAW between private parties.

The bill permits continued possession of, but prohibits sale or transfer of, a grandfathered LCAFD.

Newly manufactured LCAFDs must display serial number identification. Newly manufactured SAWs and LCAFDs must display the date of manufacture.

The bill also allows a state or local government to use Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds to compensate individuals who surrender a SAW or LCAFD under a buy-back program.

Equality Act

This bill prohibits discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity with respect to businesses, employment, housing, federally funded programs, and other settings.

Specifically, the bill expands Title II and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to prohibit public accommodations and federally funded programs, respectively, from discriminating based on sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. It also includes stores, transit services, recreational facilities, and establishments that provide health care, accounting, or legal services as public accommodations under Title II.

The bill also expands Title IV (desegregation of public schools) and Title VII (employment discrimination) to specifically include sexual orientation and gender identity. (The Supreme Court held in Bostock v. Clayton County that Title VII's prohibition of employment discrimination based on sex also prohibits employment discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.)

The bill similarly expands the Fair Housing Act (discrimination in public and private housing) to include sexual orientation and gender identity. It also prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity by creditors and with respect to jury selection.

The bill defines sex for purposes of the aforementioned provisions to include sex stereotypes, pregnancy, childbirth, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics.

Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2025 or the CONNECT for Health Act of 2025

This bill expands coverage of telehealth services under Medicare.

Among other provisions, the bill

• permanently removes geographic restrictions on originating sites (i.e., the location of the beneficiary) and allows the home of the beneficiary to serve as the originating site for all services;

• permanently allows federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics to serve as the distant site (i.e., the location of the health care practitioner); and

• allows the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to generally waive coverage restrictions during any public health emergency.

Additionally, the CMS must post certain information about the effects of Medicare telehealth services on its website, including information about utilization, costs, and the outcome of services. The CMS must also (1) provide resources to health care professionals about the requirements for furnishing telehealth services under Medicare, including with respect to payment, patient privacy, and support for underserved populations; and (2) ensure certain quality measures are applied to telehealth services.