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![Official portrait of Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/116_rp_mn_4_mccollum_betty_200.jpg)
United States · Official source
7,129 records where Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2021
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 10 Broadway Street West, in Akeley, Minnesota, as the "Neal Kenneth Todd Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2021
Restoring Justice for Workers Act This bill prohibits predispute arbitration agreements that require arbitration of an employment dispute. It allows a postdispute arbitration agreement if the employee enters into it voluntarily without coercion and is informed in writing of rights and protections under such agreement. An employer may not retaliate against an employee for refusing to enter into an agreement for arbitrating an employment dispute.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2021
This resolution encourages law enforcement departments to use the National Night Out as an opportunity to improve relationships with the communities they serve.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2021
Migratory Bird Protection Act of 2021 This bill prohibits the incidental taking (e.g., capturing or killing) of migratory birds by commercial activities unless the activity is authorized under a permit or is identified as posing de minimis risk to migratory birds. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) must regulate such incidental taking, including by (1) issuing general permits for certain industries, (2) creating a mitigation fee for any incidental taking of migratory birds, and (3) identifying categories of de minimis risk activities that are exempt from liability for the taking of migratory birds. In addition, the USFWS must establish and maintain a research program (1) to evaluate the impacts of commercial activities on birds, (2) to evaluate the effectiveness of best management practices and technologies to avoid or minimize such impacts, and (3) to develop new or improved best management practices and technologies.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2021
Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act This bill provides rights and protections for domestic workers (e.g., housekeepers, nannies, caretakers, personal assistants, and chauffeurs), including pay and leave rights, and health and safety protections. Specifically, the bill repeals the exemption of domestic live-in employees from certain minimum wage and maximum hour requirements. Employers must provide written notice of termination and provide at least 30 days of lodging and two weeks of severance pay to terminated live-in employees. Live-in employees also must be provided with reasonable access to telephone and internet service during their employment. The bill requires employers to provide domestic workers with a written agreement covering wages, sick leave, benefits, and other matters. Further, domestic workers may request and be granted changes to work schedules due to personal events. The bill also provides domestic workers with certain privacy rights, extends to domestic workers protections against discrimination in employment, and increases the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for certain Medicaid-funded medical services provided by domestic workers. The Department of Labor must (1) award grants for a domestic worker national hotline for reporting emergencies, training on hazards facing domestic workers, and workforce investment activities for domestic workers; and (2) establish a Domestic Worker Wage and Standards Board to investigate standards in the domestic workers industry. Labor must publish online a document that describes the rights and protections for domestic workers under this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2021
Protecting Renters from Evictions Act of 2021 This bill extends through December 31, 2021, the order issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention titled Temporary Halt in Residential Evictions To Prevent the Further Spread of COVID–19 and published on September 4, 2020.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2021
Supreme Court Ethics Act This bill establishes a new statutory requirement for the Judicial Conference of the United States to issue a judicial code of conduct for judges and justices of U.S. courts, including Justices of the Supreme Court. Currently, the Judicial Conference issues a code of conduct for judges of U.S. courts (but not for Justices of the Supreme Court).
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2021
This resolution urges the United States to protect the human rights of unhoused individuals, to establish regulations and enforcement tools to protect unhoused individuals from violations of civil and human rights, and to establish blanket legal protections for third parties providing goods or services to unhoused individuals. The resolution also urges the United States to establish a process to award appropriate damages, attorney's fees, and costs to a prevailing plaintiff in an action alleging a violation of the human and civil rights of unhoused individuals. Relatedly, the resolution urges the United States to allow the court in such an action to consider housing status and apply leniency in compiling records, receipts, and documentation from those plaintiffs. The resolution also expresses the intention of the House of Representatives to address the unhoused crisis in the United States by providing funding and imposing requirements on the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Health and Human Services.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2021
Refuge From Cruel Trapping Act of 2021 This bill prohibits, with specified exceptions, the use or possession of body-gripping traps in the National Wildlife Refuge System. The bill imposes on persons who possess or use such traps in the system (1) for a first offense, a civil fine of up to $500 for each body-gripping trap possessed or used; and (2) for subsequent offenses, a civil fine of up to $1,000 for each body-gripping trap possessed or used, imprisonment for up to 180 days, or both such a civil fine and imprisonment. The bill makes any body-gripping traps that are possessed or used in violation of this bill, and any wildlife captured by the use of such traps, including the pelts and raw fur, subject to civil forfeiture. Persons found to be in violation of such prohibition shall pay all associated court costs.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2021
This resolution (1) commits to advancing policies that will end roadway fatalities by 2050, and (2) calls on Congress and the Department of Transportation to commit to working together to achieve zero roadway fatalities by the year 2050.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2021
Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act of 2021 This bill sets out programs and otherwise directs the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to carry out activities to prevent and treat malnutrition globally. Specifically, the USAID must leverage resources to address malnutrition through the Global Nutrition Coordination Plan (an interagency effort to strengthen the impact of U.S. investments in nutrition) and its role on the board of directors of the International Development Finance Corporation. The USAID must also select countries based on specified malnutrition-related indicators for purposes of targeting malnutrition prevention and treatment programs and update the selection within five years. Additionally, the USAID may establish the Nutrition Leadership Council to coordinate activities to prevent and treat malnutrition across the agency; target resources and nutrition interventions to the populations most susceptible to severe malnutrition and otherwise support efforts to prevent and treat malnutrition globally; and coordinate activities among partner countries, United Nations agencies, civil society, private sector actors, and others to, for example, build capacity in partner countries to sustain nutrition interventions. The bill also requires the USAID to provide to Congress an implementation plan and annual reports concerning its programs for treating and preventing malnutrition. The bill's provisions terminate seven years after its enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2021
Eleanor Smith Inclusive Home Design Act of 2021 This bill requires certain newly constructed, federally assisted housing, including single-family homes and town houses, to contain at least one level that complies with specified minimum standards of accessibility for individuals with disabilities. An aggrieved person may commence a civil action with respect to a violation of this requirement.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2021
Securing Universal Communications Connectivity to Ensure Students Succeed Act or the SUCCESS Act This bill provides additional funding for the Emergency Connectivity Fund, which supports remote learning during the COVID-19 emergency period by covering reasonable costs of laptop and tablet computers, Wi-Fi hotspots, modems, routers, and broadband connectivity purchases for off-campus use by students, school staff, and library patrons.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2021
This resolution supports the designation of a Muslim-American Heritage Month. The resolution also honors the contributions and integral role of Muslim Americans in the economy, culture, and identity of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2021
Bioeconomy Research and Development Act of 2021 This bill directs the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to implement a National Engineering Biology Research and Development Initiative to advance societal well-being, national security, sustainability, and economic productivity and competitiveness. Among other activities, the initiative must include sustained support for research centers, individual investigators, technologies, and training. The initiative shall include outreach to primarily undergraduate and minority-serving institutions about initiative opportunities, and shall encourage the development of research collaborations between research-intensive universities and such institutions. The OSTP shall designate an interagency committee to coordinate initiative activities as appropriate. The interagency committee shall submit triennial reports to Congress through FY2028 in support of the initiative. The National Science Foundation (NSF) shall seek to enter into an agreement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to conduct a review of, and make recommendations with respect to, the ethical, legal, environmental, safety, security, and other appropriate societal issues related to engineering biology research and development. The NSF, National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency, and Department of Health and Human Services shall carry out related activities as part of the initiative.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2021
Green New Deal for Public Schools Act of 2021 This bill provides environmental and educational resources to public elementary and secondary schools and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to provide climate capital facilities grants to eligible entities (e.g., public schools and BIE schools). Grant recipients must use these funds to construct new, or convert existing facilities into, healthy zero-carbon schools. Healthy zero-carbon school refers to a school with highly energy-efficient facilities that produce or procure sufficient carbon-free and pollution-free renewable energy to meet the school's needs. Next, the bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to award resource block grants to qualified local educational agencies (LEAs) to hire and retain educators and support staff in high-need schools. ED must award grants to eligible consortia of LEAs for educational equity planning and implementation. In addition, ED must establish the Climate Change Resiliency Program to increase the resiliency of public and BIE schools during climate change-related events, natural disasters, and public health crises. Further, ED must establish a related grant program for state educational agencies. Grant recipients must use these funds for certain activities (e.g., green infrastructure projects). The bill establishes the Office of Sustainable Schools within ED to (1) administer the resource block grant and educational equity grant programs, and (2) coordinate with DOE and the White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy on climate capital facilities grants and the Climate Change Resiliency Program.
United States · United States Congress · 15 July 2021
Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2022 This bill provides FY2022 appropriations to the Department of Defense (DOD) for military activities. (The bill excludes military construction, military family housing, civil works projects of the Army Corps of Engineers, and nuclear warheads, which are all considered in other appropriations bills.) Within the DOD budget, the bill provides appropriations for Military Personnel; Operation and Maintenance; Procurement; Research, Development, Test and Evaluation; and Revolving and Management Funds. The bill provides appropriations for Other Department of Defense Programs, including the Defense Health Program, Chemical Agents and Munitions Destruction, Drug Interdiction and Counter-Drug Activities, and the Office of the Inspector General. In addition, the bill provides appropriations for Related Agencies, including (1) the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System Fund, and (2) the Intelligence Community Management Account. The bill also sets forth requirements and restrictions for using funds provided by this and other appropriations acts.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2021
Gun Theft Prevention Act This bill makes various changes to federal firearms laws related to detecting and deterring the theft of firearms from federally licensed gun dealers. Among the changes, the bill establishes security requirements for gun dealers; background check requirements for employees of gun dealers; inspection requirements for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and reporting requirements for individual gun owners.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2021
Farm System Reform Act of 2021 This bill places a moratorium on large concentrated animal feeding operations; requires country-of-origin labeling for beef, pork, and dairy products; and otherwise revises provisions related to the marketing of livestock, poultry, and meat.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2021
Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalaniana'ole Protecting Family Legacies Act This joint resolution consents to the Hawaii legislature's amendments to the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act. In 2017, the Hawaii legislature reduced the minimum Native Hawaiian blood quantum required for an individual to inherit a homestead lease under the act.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2021
This resolution expresses support for the designation of Journeyman Lineworkers Recognition Day. (A journeyman lineworker is a person who builds and maintains electrical power systems.)
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2021
Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2021 This bill requires states to direct their local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish policies that prevent and prohibit bullying and harassment of elementary and secondary school students. In particular, these policies must prohibit bullying and harassment based on race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or religion. Further, LEAs must provide (1) students, parents, and educational professionals with annual notice of the conduct prohibited in their disciplinary policies; (2) students and parents with grievance procedures that target such conduct; and (3) the public with annual data on the incidence and frequency of that conduct at the school and LEA level. The Department of Education must conduct and report on an independent biennial evaluation of programs and policies to combat bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools. The National Center for Education Statistics must collect state data to determine the incidence and frequency of the conduct prohibited by LEA disciplinary policies.
United States · United States Congress · 2 July 2021
This bill authorizes the Department of the Interior to take land into trust for all federally recognized Indian tribes. Specifically, the bill applies the Indian Reorganization Act to all federally recognized Indian tribes, regardless of when a tribe became recognized. The amendments made by this bill are retroactively effective as if included in the Indian Reorganization Act. This effectively overrules the Supreme Court's decision in Carcieri v. Salazar, which held that Interior could not take land into trust for a specified tribe because that tribe had not been under federal jurisdiction when the Indian Reorganization Act was enacted in 1934.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 2021
CARA 3.0 Act of 2021 This bill addresses substance use disorders by expanding access to treatment and recovery services, providing for housing protections, and requiring other activities. Specifically, the bill reauthorizes, establishes, and expands support for treatment and recovery services. This includes increasing access to treatment in the criminal justice system and other settings and for particular populations, such as pregnant and postpartum individuals and youth and young adults. Additionally, the bill expands Medicare and Medicaid coverage for treatment, including by expanding telehealth access to medication to treat substance use disorders. The bill also temporarily requires that non-opioid pain treatment options be reimbursed separately, instead of on a packaged basis, under Medicare. As a condition of receiving certain federal funding, states must mandate the use of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) by prescribers and dispensers and impose additional PDMP requirements. Moreover, prescribers of potentially addictive drugs must complete continuing education requirements. The bill also revises the registration process for providers who prescribe certain medications to treat substance use disorders, including by eliminating the provider's patient limit for such medications. In addition, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration must carry out activities to promote access to high-quality recovery housing. The bill also sets out protections for individuals with substance use disorders who live in, or apply to live in, federally assisted housing. Furthermore, the bill requires other activities to address substance use, such as support for workforce education and training; public awareness campaigns and similar outreach; and research on prevention strategies, insurance coverage, and treatment modalities.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 2021
Original Slavery Remembrance Day Resolution of 2021 This resolution supports the designation of a Slavery Remembrance Day and condemns slavery and its progenies.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 2021
Fair COLA for Seniors Act This bill bases cost-of-living adjustments for certain benefits available through federal and military retirement programs, Social Security, and specified programs for veterans on a price index that tracks the spending patterns of older consumers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor must publish that price index on a monthly basis.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 2021
Excellence in Mental Health and Addiction Treatment Act of 2021 This bill increases the number of states that may participate in two-year Medicaid demonstration programs that improve access to community mental health services. It also provides for additional grants to certified community behavioral health clinics.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 2021
Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act of 2021 This bill provides for Medicare coverage of dental, vision, and hearing care. Coverage includes (1) routine dental cleanings and exams, basic and major dental services, emergency dental care, and dentures; (2) routine eye exams, eyeglasses, and contact lenses; and (3) routine hearing exams, hearing aids, and exams for hearing aids. With respect to such care, the bill establishes special payment rules, limitations, and coinsurance requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2021
Healthy Dog Importation Act This bill imposes requirements on the importation of live dogs. Specifically, the bill prohibits the importation of a live dog into the United States unless the Department of Agriculture (USDA) determines the dog (1) is in good health, (2) has received all necessary vaccinations and demonstrated negative test results as evidenced by a certificate from a licensed veterinarian, and (3) is officially identified by a permanent method approved by USDA. Additionally, dogs entering the United States for transfer must be at least six months of age and accompanied by a USDA permit. Transfer is defined as a change of ownership or control of an imported dog to another person, including by sale, adoption, exchange, or donation. USDA must provide an exception to any requirements under the bill for dogs that are transferred for (1) research purposes; (2) veterinary treatment under certain conditions, including appropriate quarantining; or (3) lawful importation into the state of Hawaii if the dog is not transported out of Hawaii for resale at less than six months of age. USDA also has enforcement authority under the bill.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2021
This resolution condemns legislation that discriminates against the transgender and nonbinary community and violence against that community.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2021
The People's Response Act This bill establishes multiple grant programs and requirements to promote qualified approaches to community safety. These are programs or services that are disconnected from carceral institutions (e.g., law enforcement, child welfare services, and immigration enforcement). Specifically, the bill establishes the Division of Community Safety within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to administer the grants and carry out related activities. These include grants for community-based organizations to support qualified approaches to community safety, such as unarmed first responder agencies and 9-1-1 diversion programs; neighborhood-level interventions, including safe passage to school and violence interruption programs; behavioral health treatment, nutrition support, and other public health programs; housing security programs; and programs for youth and families, survivors of violence, and individuals exiting incarceration or criminal supervision. Additionally, the division must administer grants pertaining to qualified approaches for community safety for state and local governments and hiring and training first responders. The bill also establishes an advisory board to oversee the division's activities. Membership on the board must reflect the racial, ethnic, and other demographic diversities of the United States. The board must also include members who have personal experience with the criminal justice system. Furthermore, HHS must set up (1) a federal health response unit to respond to any public health emergency, assist with qualified approaches to community safety, and provide resources for safe and inclusive schools; and (2) an interagency task force to promote qualified approaches to community safety across federal programs.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2021
Mississippi River Restoration and Resilience Initiative Act or the MRRRI Act This bill establishes the Mississippi River Restoration and Resilience Initiative to protect and restore the Mississippi River Corridor. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must establish the initiative and the Mississippi River National Program Office to carry out the initiative. The office must (1) coordinate agency actions to protect and restore the Mississippi River Corridor; (2) develop, implement, and update the initiative, actionable goals, and an action plan required by the bill; (3) make updates and information available on a public website; and (4) submit annual reports to Congress. Additionally, the bill outlines the focus areas that each project carried out under the initiative must address, such as improving water quality and protecting wildlife habitat. The office may make grants to certain nonfederal entities to carry out eligible projects. The bill directs the EPA to include the initiative as a separate budget line item in its annual budget submission. Next, the bill directs the Department of the Interior to coordinate with the office to establish four Mississippi River Corridor research centers within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). These research centers must, among other duties, conduct scientific research on the focus areas of the initiative. The bill also directs the USGS to host a science forum to share current science and identify data gaps related to the ecological health of the Mississippi River Corridor. The USGS must, within two years of the forum, develop a science plan for the initiative.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2021
Amend the Code for Marriage Equality Act of 2021 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, the Social Security Act (SSAct), and other federal laws to replace (1) references to wife or husband with references to spouse , and (2) references to husband and wife or husband or wife with references to married couple or married person. For purposes of federal laws or regulations, marriage is defined as a legal union between two people as spouses. The bill eliminates a definition of spouse that refers only to a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife. Requirements concerning compensation to a surviving wife after the disability or death of a person employed at a military, air, or naval base outside the United States are revised to make surviving spouses eligible for such compensation. The bill makes similar revisions to the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 and the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977. The bill revises title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance) of the SSAct to consolidate separate provisions for a wife's insurance benefits and a husband's insurance benefits into a single standard for a spouse's insurance benefits. Criminal penalties that currently apply to persons who threaten to kill, kidnap, or inflict bodily harm upon a former President's wife or widow are revised to apply to threats made to a former President's spouse or surviving spouse.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2021
This resolution expresses support for (1) equal rights and protections for all people, regardless of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity; and (2) the designation of LGBTQ Equality Day on June 26 to commemorate Supreme Court decisions handed down on that day in 2003, 2013, and 2015. The resolution also acknowledges the need for further legislation to ensure that people in the United States are free from all forms of discrimination on the basis of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2021
LGBTQ Data Inclusion Act This bill requires federal agencies that collect information through a survey that includes demographic data (where subjects self-report information or a proxy provides information about the subject or responds for all persons in a household) to review existing data sets to determine in which data sets information about sexual orientation and gender identity is not included, and to assess needed changes in survey methods related to asking questions on sexual orientation and gender identity. Agencies that publish reports relying on survey demographic data must include information on sexual orientation and gender identity.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2021
Even Playing Field Act This bill addresses pay equity for amateur athletes and other personnel. It allows recognition, or continued recognition, of a national governing body of an amateur sports organization only if it provides equal investment, promotional support, working conditions (including staff support and facilities and equipment for training and competition), and wages and other compensation to all amateur athletes, without discrimination based on sex. National governing bodies must report periodically to Congress regarding pay equity. Each report shall include (1) the median compensation for amateur athletes, coaches, trainers, managers, administrators, and officials, disaggregated by race, gender, and employment category; and (2) the minimum and maximum compensation paid to such personnel, disaggregated by race, gender, and employment category.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2021
Break the Cycle of Violence Act This bill establishes federal grant programs and related entities to support violence intervention initiatives. Specifically, the bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants for coordinated community violence intervention initiatives in communities disproportionately impacted by homicides and community violence. HHS must also establish several related entities, including an Office of Community Violence Intervention to administer programs and activities related to violence intervention; the Community Violence Intervention Advisory Committee to advise and assist the office and HHS; and the National Community Violence Response Center to provide training and technical assistance, coordinate research, and develop data collection policies. Additionally, the bill directs the Department of Labor to award grants for job training and workforce programs in communities disproportionately affected by gun violence to connect youth ages 16 to 24 to in-demand occupations.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2021
Better Care Better Jobs Act This bill establishes programs and provides funds for state Medicaid programs to improve home- and community-based services (HCBS), such as home health care, personal care, case management, and rehabilitative services. Specifically, the bill provides funds for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to award planning grants, develop quality measures, and provide technical assistance to states regarding specified HCBS improvements, particularly with respect to access, utilization, and the associated workforce. The bill also increases the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (i.e., federal matching rate) for HCBS in states that develop plans and meet specified benchmarks for improvements. The bill also makes permanent (1) the Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration Program (a grant program to help states increase the use of HCBS for long-term care and decrease the use of institutional care), and (2) certain provisions regarding Medicaid eligibility that protect against spousal impoverishment for recipients of HCBS.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2021
Advancing FASD Research, Services, and Prevention Act or the FASD Respect Act This bill expands and establishes programs for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). Specifically, it directs the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health, the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, and the Health Resources and Services Administration to carry out and coordinate research, surveillance, and related activities to diagnose, prevent, and treat FASD. Furthermore, the bill establishes various grant programs to support FASD coalitions and develop systems of care; provide services for individuals affected by FASD and other conditions related to prenatal substance exposure; identify and implement best practices for educating children with FASD; and establish centers for excellence to build relevant capacity for preventing, treating, and responding to the needs of individuals with FASD. The bill also directs the Department of Education and the Department of Justice to develop and disseminate trainings and best practices related to FASD in schools and correctional facilities, respectively.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2021
Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act of 20 21 This bill prohibits commercial conversion therapy, which is a practice or treatment designed to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity or otherwise change behaviors, thoughts, or expressions related to gender or sexual attraction. This prohibition does not apply to treatment that assists an individual undergoing a gender transition or facilitates identity exploration and development.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2021
Honoring Organizations Nationally for Ethics, Sustainability, and Trust Act or the HONEST Enterprise Act This bill establishes the Compassionate Capitalist Award to be presented to organizations that substantially benefit the well-being of their employees, stakeholders, and communities with respect to the areas of environmental stewardship, governance, social responsibility, and worker empowerment. The bill also establishes the Compassionate Capitalist Award Fund in the Department of the Treasury—composed of application fees charged to submit an application for the award and any gifts that the Department of Commerce may solicit for this purpose—to carry out the bill's provisions.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2021
Saving America's Pollinators Act of 2021 This bill addresses the use of certain pesticides and the health and status of native bees and other pollinators. First, the bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a Pollinator Protection Board to develop an independent review process for pesticides that pose a threat to pollinators and their habitats. All active ingredients and pesticide products that contain one or more specified neonicotinoid pesticides must be deemed to generally cause unreasonable adverse effects to the environment. Under the bill, the registration of all uses of neonicotinoid pesticides must be immediately and permanently canceled. The EPA must revoke any tolerance or exemption that allows the presence of a neonicotinoid pesticide, or any pesticide chemical residue that results from neonicotinoid pesticide use, in or on food. The continued sale or use of existing stocks of neonicotinoid pesticides is prohibited, and the EPA may not register any such pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. The bill requires the Department of the Interior, the EPA, and the Department of Agriculture to coordinate monitoring activities and report on the health and population status of native bees and other pollinators. Finally, a state or federal agency may be granted an exemption to use neonicotinoid pesticides if the board votes that use of the pesticide is warranted (1) in an emergency situation to avert significant risk to threatened or endangered species, (2) to quarantine invasive species, or (3) to protect public health.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2021
Vanessa Guillén Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act This bill modifies the process and policy related to the disposition of charges and convening of courts-martial for certain sexual assault cases and other specified offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Among other elements, the bill provides that the determinations on the preferral, disposition, and referral of charges for specified offenses under the UCMJ must be made by a commissioned officer of the Armed Forces who is designated as a court-martial convening authority (in grade O-6 or higher) and who is available for detail as trial counsel, has significant trial experience, and is outside the chain of command of the member subject to the charges.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2021
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that (1) lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA+) rights are human rights and protected by the U.S. Constitution; (2) LGBTQIA+ Pride Month should be celebrated; and (3) all Americans should be treated equally regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2021
Telemental Health Care Access Act of 2021 This bill eliminates certain restrictions relating to Medicare coverage of mental health services that are provided through telehealth. Current law allows for coverage of such services regardless of the geographic location of the originating site (i.e., the location of the beneficiary) after the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, as long as the beneficiary previously received in-person services and continues to receive in-person services at specified intervals. The bill eliminates these in-person requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2021
Protect Older Job Applicants Act or the POJA Act This bill prohibits employers from limiting, segregating, or classifying job applicants based on an applicant's age.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2021
This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that prohibits slavery and involuntary servitude as a criminal punishment.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2021
Averting Loss of Life and Injury by Expediting SIVs Act of 2021 or the Allies Act of 2021 This bill increases the number of special immigrant visas available to qualified Afghan nationals who worked for the U.S. government or a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) mission in Afghanistan. The bill also relaxes certain qualifications for such visas. Specifically, this bill makes available an additional 8,000 visas for principal aliens under this special visa program, to be available until all such visas have been issued. (The numerical limitations in this program apply only to the principal alien who applies for the visa, not to any spouse or child who may accompany the principal alien.) The bill also eliminates a requirement for each applicant to submit a credible sworn statement describing the threat the applicant faces in Afghanistan due to their employment with the U.S. government or a NATO mission. Furthermore, for an applicant qualifying for a visa by performing duties for U.S. military personnel stationed with a NATO mission, this bill eliminates a requirement that the duties performed qualify as sensitive and trusted duties.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2021
Disarm Hate Act The bill expands the categories of persons who are prohibited from receiving or possessing a firearm. Specifically, it prohibits firearm sale or transfer to and receipt, possession, shipment, or transport by a person (1) who has been convicted of a misdemeanor hate crime, or (2) who has received an enhanced hate crime misdemeanor sentence.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2021
Local Journalism Sustainability Act This bill allows individual and business taxpayers tax credits for the support of local newspapers and media. Specifically, individual taxpayers may claim an income tax credit up to $250 for a local newspaper subscription. The bill also allows local newspaper employers a payroll tax credit for wages paid to an employee for service as a local news journalist and certain small businesses a tax credit for local newspaper and media advertising expenses.