Bills Introduced
Employment
H.R. 3279 — Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY)/Financial Services (6/13/19) — A bill to require the Securities and Exchange Commission to establish a Diversity Advisory Group to study and make recommendations on strategies to increase gender, racial, and ethnic diversity among the members of the board of directors of issuers, to amend the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 to require issuers to make disclosures to shareholders with respect to gender, racial, and ethnic diversity, and for other purposes.
International
S. 1766 — Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME)/Foreign Relations (6/10/19) — A bill to implement policies to end preventable maternal, newborn, and child deaths globally.
S. 1777 — Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA)/Foreign Relations (6/11/19) — A bill to amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to include in the Annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices a section on conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence, and to amend the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act to authorize the president to impose economic sanctions and a visa ban on the leader of an organization that commits sexual or gender-based violence.
S. 1781 — Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)/Foreign Relations (6/11/19) — A bill to authorize appropriations for the Department of State for fiscal years 2020 through 2022 to provide assistance to El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras through a bilateral compact to increase protection of women and children in their homes and communities and reduce female homicides, domestic violence, and sexual assault.
H.R. 3212 — Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME)/Foreign Affairs, Judiciary (6/11/19) — A bill to amend the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 to include in the Annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices and section on conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence, and to amend the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act to authorize the president to impose economic sanctions and a visa band on the leader of an organization that commits sexual or gender-based violence.
Military
S. 1789 — Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)/Armed Services (6/11/19) — A bill to reform procedures for determinations on disposition of charges and the convening of courts-martial for certain offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3216 — Rep. Lori Trahan (D-MA)/Armed Services (6/11/19) — A bill to enhance efforts to prevent sexual assault in the Armed Forces, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3174 — Rep. Anthony Brown (D-MD)/Armed Services (6/10/19) — A bill to direct the secretary of Defense to include questions regarding supremacism, extremism, and racism in the workplace and equal opportunity, command climate, and workplace and gender relations surveys administered by the Office of People Analytics of the Department of Defense.
Miscellaneous
H.R. 3196 — Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX)/Science, Space, and Technology (6/11/19) — A bill to designate the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope as the “Vera Rubin Survey Telescope.”
S. Res. 249 — Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) (6/12/19) — A resolution commemorating the victory of the University of Maryland in the 2019 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Women’s Lacrosse Championship; considered and agreed to.
Reproductive Health
S. 1847 — Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA)/Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (6/13/19) — A bill to require group health plans and group or individual health insurance coverage to provide coverage for over-the-counter contraceptives.
H.R. 3296 — Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA)/Energy and Commerce; Education and Labor; Ways and Means (6/14/19) — A bill to require group health plans and group or individual health insurance coverage to provide coverage for over-the-counter contraceptives.
Veterans
H.R. 3189 — Rep. Susan Wild (D-PA)/Veterans’ Affairs (6/10/19) — A bill to direct the secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a partnership to provide legal services to women veterans, and for others purposes.
H.R. 3224 — Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA)/Veterans’ Affairs (6/12/19) — A bill to provide for increased access to Department of Veterans Affairs medical care for women veterans.
H. Res. 438 — Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ)/Oversight and Reform (6/12/19) — A resolution expressing support for the designation of June 12, 2019, as “Women Veterans Appreciation Day.”
Violence Against Women
S. 1853 — Sen. Tom Udall (D-NM)/Indian Affairs (6/13/19) — A bill to require federal law enforcement agencies to report on cases of missing or murdered Indians, and for other purposes.
H.R. 3284 — Rep. Mike Quigley (D-IL)/Judiciary (6/13/19) — A bill to require the attorney general to study whether an individual's history of domestic violence can be used to determine the likelihood of such individual committing a mass shooting.
*Chairwoman Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Congresswoman Jenniffer González-Colón (R-PR) introduced H.R. 3196, the “Vera Rubin Survey Telescope Designation Act.” H.R. 3196 would designate the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), a National Science Foundation and Department of Energy funded telescope that is currently under construction on a mountaintop site in northern Chile, as the “Vera Rubin Survey Telescope.”
Dr. Vera Rubin, a renowned astronomer and advocate for women in science, became the first woman to officially be granted permission to observe at the Palomar Observatory in 1965, which housed the world’s preeminent telescope of its time. She uncovered some of the first evidence of dark matter in 1970. This groundbreaking work changed the conventional view of the universe from one dominated by light to one dominated by dark matter.
While LSST data can be used by scientists to conduct a wide range of studies, the project’s primary science goals are to (1) study the nature of dark matter and dark energy, (2) catalogue asteroids and other objects in the solar system, (3) study how objects in the sky vary over time, and (4) study the structure and formation of the Milky Way galaxy.
“Motivated by her own battle to garner respect as a woman in a male-dominated field, Dr. Rubin worked tirelessly to encourage girls interested in astronomy to pursue their dreams,” said Chairwoman Johnson. “Dr. Rubin has a well-deserved place in history. As a tribute to the woman whose pioneering work made this pursuit possible, this bill would ensure that the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope bears her name.”
“Dr. Vera Rubin exemplifies the remarkable contributions women have long made to science,” said Rep. González-Colón. “She persevered despite gender-based discrimination and challenges, and is recognized as a groundbreaking scientist in the field of astronomy. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this bill, alongside Chairwoman Johnson. As a representative for many young girls and women who are either pursuing or interested in pursuing a career in STEM, I trust Dr. Rubin’s legacy will continue to inspire and encourage academic and professional interest of women in STEM.”
“We are pleased that the U.S. House of Representatives is considering legislation to rename the LSST the Vera Rubin Survey Telescope,” said Allan Rubin, David Rubin, and Karl Rubin. “We believe that this is a great way to honor our mother’s achievements in astronomy and her work for equal rights for women in science.”
Editor's Note: Text from the
Women's Congressional Policy Institute: Their mission is to bring women policymakers together across party lines to advance issues of importance to women and their families.
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