[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 71 (Thursday, April 27, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1420-S1422]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

      By Mr. THUNE (for himself and Ms. Collins):
  S. 1337. A bill to temporarily prohibit the hiring of additional 
Internal Revenue Service employees until a certain level of taxpayer 
services have improved, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Finance.
  Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1337

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

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Increase Reliable Services 
     Now Act''.

     SEC. 2. TEMPORARY PROHIBITION ON ADDITIONAL TAX ENFORCEMENT 
                   PERSONNEL.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provisions of 
     law, the Internal Revenue Service may not hire any person for 
     the purpose of conducting enforcement activities during the 
     period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act and 
     ending on the first date after such date on which--
       (1) the Internal Revenue Service has maintained, for 6 
     consecutive months--
       (A) a level of access for accounts management phone lines 
     of not less than 90 percent; and
       (B) an average speed of answering enterprise-wide calls in 
     4 minutes or less; and
       (2) not less than 90 percent of the regular employees of 
     the Internal Revenue Service perform work in person at their 
     job sites.
       (b) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
       (1) Enforcement activities.--The term ``enforcement 
     activities'' means activities described in section 
     10301(a)(1)(A)(ii) of Public Law 117-169.
       (2) Level of access.--The term ``level of access'' means a 
     telephone performance measure that reflects overall taxpayer 
     call demand and Internal Revenue Service assistance and is 
     calculated by dividing--
       (A) the sum of assistor calls answered and the automated 
     calls answered; by
       (B) the total dialed number attempts (not including any 
     dialed number attempts after hours).

     SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON USE OF ADDITIONAL INTERNAL REVENUE 
                   SERVICE FUNDS FOR TAXPAYER AUDITS.

       Section 10301(a)(1)((A)(ii) of Public Law 117-169 is 
     amended by inserting before the period at the end the 
     following: ``: Provided further, That the Internal Revenue 
     Service shall not audit taxpayers with taxable incomes below 
     $400,000 at a greater rate than such taxpayers were audited 
     for the most recent taxable year beginning before the date of 
     the enactment of this Act''.

     SEC. 4. TEMPORARY PROHIBITION ON INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE 
                   HIRING.

       (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provisions of 
     law, the Internal Revenue Service may not hire any person 
     (other than for activities related to return processing and 
     call center operations) during the period beginning on the 
     date of the enactment of this Act and ending on the first 
     date after such date on which the Internal Revenue Service 
     meets the requirements of subsection (b).
       (b) Requirements.--The requirements specified in this 
     subsection are the following:
       (1) With respect to the completion of processing original 
     and amended tax returns, the completion of processing 
     suspended tax returns, and the resolution of accounts 
     management cases, the Internal Revenue Service has an 
     aggregate inventory not in excess of 5,000,000 items as of 
     the close of any calendar quarter.
       (2) With respect to tax returns eligible for a refund, 
     refunds are issued to taxpayers on average within six weeks 
     or less of the receipt of the return.

     SEC. 5. REPORTS.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 7 days after the last day 
     of each calendar quarter beginning during the applicable 
     period, the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, in consultation 
     with the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, 
     shall submit to the appropriate Congressional committees 
     report on--
       (1) the level of access for accounts management phone lines 
     for each month during such calendar quarter;
       (2) the average speed of answering enterprise-wide calls 
     for each month during such calendar quarter;
       (3) the percentage of regular employees of the Internal 
     Revenue Service that perform work in person at their job 
     sites during such calendar quarter;
       (4) the aggregate inventory of unprocessed original and 
     amended tax returns, unprocessed suspended tax returns, and 
     unresolved

[[Page S1421]]

     accounts management cases as of the last day of the calendar 
     quarter; and
       (5) with respect to tax returns eligible for a refund, the 
     average length of time between receipt of a tax return and 
     the issuance of a refund.
       (b) Applicable Period.--For purposes of this section, the 
     term ``applicable period'' means the period beginning with 
     the first calendar quarter beginning after the date of the 
     enactment of this Act and ending with the first calendar 
     quarter in which the Internal Revenue Service--
       (1) has met the requirements under paragraphs (1) and (2) 
     of section 2(a); and
       (2) has met the requirements of section 4(b).
       (c) Appropriate Congressional Committees.--For purposes of 
     this section, the term ``appropriate Congressional 
     committees'' means--
       (1) the Committee on Finance of the Senate;
       (2) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
       (3) the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of 
     Representatives; and
       (4) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
     Representatives.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. REED (for himself, Mr. Casey, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Van Hollen, 
        Mr. Wyden, Ms. Stabenow, Mr. Merkley, and Mr. Heinrich):
  S. 1341. A bill to reauthorize title II of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Health, Education, 
Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. REED. Madam President, it is time for a national investment in 
building a strong and resilient educator pipeline to ensure that all 
schools have the diverse, profession-ready teachers, principals, 
librarians, counselors, and other specialized instructional support 
personnel they need to support student development and academic 
achievement. Today, along with Senators Casey, Lujan, Van Hollen, 
Wyden, Stabenow, Merkley, and Heinrich, I am reintroducing the 
EDUCATORS for America Act to provide the blueprint for building this 
pipeline. I am pleased that Representative Alma Adams is introducing a 
companion bill in the other body.
  For years, we have seen declines in enrollment in educator 
preparation programs. Now in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools 
are facing pervasive staffing shortages. An Education Week survey found 
that 40 percent of school district leaders and principals describe the 
shortages as ``severe'' or ``very severe.'' The National Association of 
Secondary School Principals reported that nearly 4 out of 10 principals 
expect to leave the profession in the next 3 years. We cannot afford to 
neglect the educator pipeline any longer.
  As we work to replenish the ranks of our educators, we also have the 
opportunity to advance diversity in the profession. Multiple studies 
have shown that racial diversity can provide significant benefits to 
students. However, the gap between the demographic makeup of the 
student body and the education profession has been widening. Even 
though over 50 percent of students are people of color, a 2022 
Department of Education report showed that 80 percent of public-school 
teachers identified as White, a figure that has barely changed since 
2000.
  The EDUCATORS for America Act calls for a $1 billion annual 
investment in the educator pipeline, divided evenly between State 
capacity building and direct support for educator preparation programs 
and partnerships with high-need school districts. It addresses the full 
scope of educator workforce development, including early outreach and 
career exploration, financial assistance, and wraparound supports for 
those pursuing education careers. It supports clinical preparation for 
teachers, principals, and other educators, as well as fostering faculty 
development, all with a focus on ensuring equity and diversity.
  The EDUCATORS for America Act will also reduce financiq] barriers to 
pursuing careers in education. The legislation will double the value of 
the TEACH-- Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher 
Education-- grant to $8,000 per year and provide greater flexibility 
for meeting service requirements. It forgives loans for teachers, 
principals, and early childhood educators in high need schools after 5 
years of service, and it establishes a new monthly credit for all other 
educators that will allow them to earn loan forgiveness as they serve 
instead of being forced to wait a decade before receiving any benefit.
  The EDUCATORS for America Act reflects input from stakeholders across 
the field about what is needed to recruit, prepare, and support 
educators. To date, more than 50 organizations have endorsed it.
  The Nation's outlook for the future is tied to the strength of the 
education profession. Our economic prosperity, the health of our 
democracy and civic society, and our ability to meet the challenges of 
climate change and the information age depend on our students having 
access to well-prepared and supported educators who reflect the 
diversity of the students they serve.
  Today, the profession is in crisis. It is time to act. I urge my 
colleagues to cosponsor the EDUCATORS for America Act and work with me 
to see that it is enacted into law.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. PADILLA (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Durbin, Mr. 
        Booker, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Markey, Mrs. Murray, Ms. Hirono, 
        Ms. Warren, and Mr. Sanders):
  S. 1343. A bill to amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to alter 
the definition of ``conviction'', and for other purposes; to the 
Committee on the Judiciary.
  Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I rise to introduce the Fair 
Adjudications for Immigrants Act.
  This legislation would ensure that immigrants with criminal 
convictions do not face barriers to naturalization and experience 
unfair removals after their convictions have been dismissed, expunged, 
or pardoned by a Federal or State locality.
  The Fair Adjudications for Immigrants Act is important in ensuring 
immigrants are not unjustly treated after receiving a criminal charge 
that never resulted in a conviction or after a previous conviction no 
longer stands.
  Specifically, this bill would ensure that immigrants whose 
convictions have been overturned are not penalized when they are no 
longer considered valid in the court of conviction or for sentences 
that have been fully suspended by the sentencing court.
  By redefining the term ``conviction'' in the Immigration and 
Nationality Act, this legislation also clarifies that any adjudication 
that is appealable or in which the court has issued a judicial 
recommendation against removal or probation without judgment will not 
count as a conviction.
  The bill would apply retroactively to any conviction, adjudication, 
or judgement entered before, on, or after the enactment of this bill. 
Finally, it establishes that an immigrant cannot be removed on the 
basis of a conviction if the sentencing court issues a recommendation 
against removal to the Secretary of Homeland Security.
  Under current law, rather than having access to many rehabilitative 
measures that are afforded in the criminal justice system, immigrants 
with dismissed criminal charges, suspended sentences, or criminal 
convictions that are no longer considered valid in the court of 
conviction still face severe consequences in the immigration court 
system.
  Some of the immigration consequences that immigrants can face include 
unjust removals, mandatory detention, and barriers to naturalization.
  It is imperative that we resolve this disparity between immigration 
and criminal law to prevent those immigrants with dismissed criminal 
charges or with convictions that are no longer considered valid in the 
court of conviction from continuing to face punitive immigration 
consequences.
                                 ______
                                 
      By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Wyden, Mr. 
        Whitehouse, and Mr. Booker):
  S. 1353. A bill to amend section 455(m) of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965 in order to allow adjunct faculty members to qualify for public 
service loan forgiveness; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions.
  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1353

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

[[Page S1422]]

  


     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Adjunct Faculty Loan 
     Fairness Act of 2023''.

     SEC. 2. LOAN FORGIVENESS FOR ADJUNCT FACULTY.

       Section 455(m)(3)(B)(ii) of the Higher Education Act of 
     1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087e(m)(3)(B)(ii)) is amended--
       (1) by striking ``teaching as'' and inserting the 
     following: ``teaching--

       ``(I) as'';

       (2) by striking ``, foreign language faculty, and part-time 
     faculty at community colleges), as determined by the 
     Secretary.'' and inserting ``and foreign language faculty), 
     as determined by the Secretary; or''; and
       (3) by adding at the end the following:

       ``(II) at an institution of higher education (as defined in 
     section 101(a)), a postsecondary vocational institution (as 
     defined in section 102(c)), or a Tribal College or University 
     (as defined in section 316(b)), in non-tenured track 
     employment as an adjunct or contingent faculty, teacher, or 
     lecturer who--

       ``(aa) teaches--
       ``(AA) not less than 9 credit hours per semester, 6 credit 
     hours per trimester, or 18 credit hours per calendar year; or
       ``(BB) not less than a total of 30 hours per week, as 
     determined by multiplying each credit or contact hour taught 
     per week by 3.35 (or a larger number, if determined 
     appropriate by the Secretary); and
       ``(bb) is not employed on a full-time basis by any other 
     employer.''.

                          ____________________