United States · United States Congress · 24 February 2021
Air America Act of 2021 This bill establishes the service of Air America employees as qualifying service for purposes of the Civil Service Retirement System. (Air America was a government-owned airline that provided air transport for certain covert operations in Southeast Asia, including Laos and Vietnam, between 1950 and 1976.) The bill applies to U.S. citizens who were employees of Air America or another affiliated company, as specified, between January 1, 1950 and December 31, 1976. Benefit applications must be filed within two years of the date of enactment of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 23 February 2021
Modernizing Veterans' Health Care Eligibility Act This bill establishes the Commission on Eligibility to examine veterans' eligibility for health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The President must require the VA and other relevant agencies to implement recommendations set forth by the commission that are feasible, advisable, and can be implemented without further legislative action.
United States · United States Congress · 18 February 2021
Veterans Serving Veterans Act of 2021 This bill updates the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) current recruiting database by requiring the VA to maintain a single searchable database to be known as the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs Recruitment Database . With respect to vacant positions for critical jobs or mental health professionals, the database must list (1) the military occupational specialty or skill that corresponds to the position, and (2) each qualified member of the Armed Forces who may be recruited to fill the position before such qualified member has been discharged and released from active duty. Qualified members of the Armed Forces are those service members who (1) are being separated or recently separated from active duty, (2) elect to be listed in the database, and (3) have been determined by the VA to have a military occupational specialty. The database must list the following for each qualified member of the Armed Forces: name, contact information, expected discharge date, and military occupational specialty. The VA must implement direct hiring and appointment procedures for vacant database positions and may authorize relocation bonuses. The bill also requires the VA to train and certify veterans who served as basic health care technicians in the Armed Forces to work as VA intermediate care technicians.
United States · United States Congress · 18 February 2021
Veteran Suicide Prevention Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to complete a review of the deaths of all covered veterans who died by suicide during the five-year period preceding the enactment of this bill. Covered veterans are those who received VA hospital care or medical services during the five-year period preceding the death of the veteran. The VA shall report on the results of the review and make such report publicly available.
United States · United States Congress · 18 February 2021
This bill directs the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award of three Congressional Gold Medals to the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) and other law enforcement agencies that protected the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Following the award of these medals, one medal shall be given to the USCP, one medal shall be given to the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, and one medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution and displayed with a plaque listing all law enforcement agencies that participated in protecting the Capitol on January 6, 2021.
United States · United States Congress · 18 February 2021
Global War on Terrorism Memorial Location Act This bill authorizes the establishment of a National Global War on Terrorism Memorial in the area of the National Mall.
United States · United States Congress · 18 February 2021
Iran Hostages Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill requires the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal commemorating the bravery and endurance of the 53 hostages of the Iran Hostage Crisis. Following its award, the medal shall be given to the National Museum of American History of the Smithsonian Institution for display and research. The Department of the Treasury must strike duplicate medals in silver for presentation to a hostage (or the personal representative of a deceased hostage), and Treasury may also strike and sell duplicate medals in bronze.
United States · United States Congress · 15 February 2021
National World War II Memorial Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue up to 50,000 $5 coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins in commemoration of the National World War II Memorial in the District of Columbia. The design of the coins shall be emblematic of the memorial and the service and sacrifice of American soldiers and civilians during World War II. All surcharges received from the sale of such coins shall be paid to the Friends of the National World War II Memorial to support the National Park Service in maintaining and repairing the memorial, and for educational and commemorative programs.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2021
Law Enforcement Officers Equity Act This bill expands the definition of law enforcement officer under provisions of the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). Specifically, the bill expands the definition to include (1) federal employees whose duties encompass the investigation or apprehension of suspected or convicted criminals and who are authorized to carry a firearm; (2) Internal Revenue Service employees whose duties are primarily the collection of delinquent taxes and the securing of delinquent returns; (3) U.S. Postal Inspection Service employees; (4) Department of Veterans Affairs police officers; and (5) certain U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees who are seized-property specialists with duties relating to custody, management, and disposition of seized and forfeited property. The bill deems service performed by an incumbent law enforcement officer on or after the enactment date of this bill to be service performed as a law enforcement officer for retirement purposes. The past service of such incumbents shall be treated as service performed by a law enforcement officer for retirement purposes only if a written election is submitted to the Office of Personnel Management within five years after the enactment of this bill or before separation from government service, whichever is earlier. An incumbent who makes an election before the enactment of this bill may pay a deposit into the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund to cover prior service. A law enforcement officer shall not be subject to mandatory separation during the three-year period beginning on the enactment of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 5 February 2021
Rights for the Transportation Security Administration Workforce Act of 2021 or the Rights for the TSA Workforce Act of 2021 This bill modifies the workplace rights, protections, and benefits applicable to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) personnel. Specifically, the bill within 180 days, eliminates personnel authorities of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Transportation governing the conditions of employment for TSA employees, thus making TSA employees subject to the personnel management system applicable to other federal employees; sets forth transition rules that protect the pay rates, leave rights, and other rights of TSA employees; and requires DHS to consult with the labor organization certified by the Federal Labor Relations Authority to carry out the conversion of such positions. The bill also directs the TSA to consult with public and private entities associated with the Federal Air Marshal Service to address concerns regarding federal air marshals, including mental health and suicide rates; prohibits TSA employees from using or installing the social media video application TikTok on U.S. government-issued mobile devices; requires DHS to prioritize the hiring of veterans, including disabled veterans; and directs the TSA to ensure its employees are provided proper guidance regarding prevention and protections against the coronavirus (i.e., the virus that causes COVID-19).
United States · United States Congress · 4 February 2021
Employment Services and Jobs Parity Act This bill includes for purposes of the Federal Employment Service, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa.
United States · United States Congress · 2 February 2021
Ghost Army Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to award a Congressional Gold Medal to the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops and the 3133rd Signal Service Company, known as the Ghost Army , collectively, in recognition of its service during World War II.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2021
Northern Mariana Islands Legal Residents Relief Act of 2021 This bill expands eligibility for obtaining Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) Resident status, provides a path for holders of such status to obtain U.S. permanent resident status, and makes CNMI-only transitional workers eligible to receive government relief or assistance in connection with a declared emergency. CNMI Resident status was available to qualifying individuals who applied for such status between February 19, 2020, and August 17, 2020. Among other requirements, a qualifying individual must have (1) been lawfully present in the CNMI on certain dates, and (2) continually and lawfully resided in the CNMI from November 28, 2009, through June 25, 2019. The bill reopens the period for applying for such status for 180 days and authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to waive this deadline in certain instances. The bill allows additional classes of individuals to qualify for CNMI Resident status, including an individual who (1) was admitted as a transitional worker during FY2015 and each subsequent fiscal year through FY2018, (2) is a qualified investor, or (3) resided in the CNMI as a guest worker for certain periods and is currently a transitional worker. The bill also waives the continual residence requirement for certain individuals and allows an individual lawfully present on December 31, 2020, to qualify. A qualifying alien with CNMI Resident status may obtain U.S. permanent resident status after holding CNMI Resident status for five years or after this bill has been enacted for five years, whichever is later.
United States · United States Congress · 28 January 2021
Supplemental Security Income Equality Act This bill extends the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program to Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam. This is a federal program designed to help aged, blind, and disabled individuals with limited income and resources meet basic needs. When Congress created the SSI program in 1972, it excluded these territories. The Social Security Administration may waive or modify statutory requirements relating to the provision of benefits as necessary to adapt the SSI program to each territory. This bill also eliminates a limit on payments from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program and other Department of Health and Human Services programs to the territories.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2021
This resolution supports the naming of new or undedicated Department of Veterans Affairs facilities after women veterans and minority veterans to reflect the diversity of all who have served in the Armed Forces.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2021
Department of Veterans Affairs Creation of On-Site Treatment Systems Affording Veterans Improvements and Numerous General Safety Enhancements Act or the VA COST SAVINGS Enhancements Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to install and operate an on-site regulated medical waste treatment system at each VA facility that would benefit from such a system's cost savings. In order to identify which VA facilities would benefit, the VA must develop a uniform regulated medical waste cost analysis model to determine the cost savings associated with the use of an on-site regulated medical waste treatment system.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2021
Homeless Veterans with Children Reintegration Act This bill directs the Department of Labor to give homeless veterans with dependents service priority under homeless veterans reintegration programs.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
Restoring Resilient Reefs Act of 2021 This bill addresses the conservation and sustainability of coral reef ecosystems. Among other things, the bill reauthorizes through FY2024 and revises the Coral Reef Conservation Program; directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to provide block grants to states to support state coral reef management and restoration; requires NOAA to establish standards for the formation of partnerships among government and community members for the stewardship of coral reefs; provides statutory authority for the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force to lead, coordinate, and strengthen federal government actions to preserve, conserve, and restore coral reef ecosystems; requires the Department of the Interior to provide grants upon the declaration of a coral reef emergency to implement emergency plans; authorizes Interior to provide scientific expertise, technical assistance, and financial assistance for the conservation and restoration of coral reefs; and establishes a National Coral Reef Management Fellowship Program.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
Social Security Fairness Act of 2021 This bill repeals provisions that reduce Social Security benefits for individuals who receive other benefits, such as a pension from a state or local government. The bill eliminates the government pension offset , which in various instances reduces Social Security survivors' benefits for spouses, widows, and widowers who also receive government pensions of their own. The bill also eliminates the windfall elimination provision , which in some instances reduces Social Security benefits for individuals who also receive a pension or disability benefit from an employer that did not withhold Social Security taxes. These changes are effective for benefits payable after December 2021.
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2020
Compact Impact Fairness Act of 2020 This bill eliminates residency requirements for a citizen of the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, or Palau to be eligible to receive certain federal public benefits. (A citizen of one of these countries may stay and work in the United States as a nonresident alien without a visa. But as a nonresident alien, that individual is ineligible for most federal public benefits under current law.)
United States · United States Congress · 20 November 2020
This resolution recognizes that small businesses need our patronage in the face of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), and it celebrates small businesses by (1) acknowledging the importance of promoting a business-friendly environment for small business owners, (2) encouraging young entrepreneurs to pursue their passions and create more startup businesses, and (3) conveying appreciation for the ways small businesses support their communities and workers.
United States · United States Congress · 12 November 2020
This resolution supports the naming of new or undedicated Department of Veterans Affairs facilities after women veterans and minority veterans to reflect the diversity of all who have served in the Armed Forces.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2020
BUILDER Act of 2020 or the Building United States Infrastructure through Limited Delays and Efficient Reviews Act of 2020 This bill revises the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, including by establishing procedures for determining the level of review needed for proposed agency actions.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2020
This resolution celebrates the contributions of small businesses and entrepreneurs in every U.S. community and supports the designation of National Small Business Week. Further, it supports efforts to provide small businesses with aid and assistance through certain programs and initiatives.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2020
Reducing Veteran Homelessness Act of 2020 This bill modifies certain Department of Veterans Affairs programs and services for homeless veterans, including by increasing the per diem rate for grant recipients that provide services to homeless veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2020
I Am Vanessa Guillen Act of 2020 This bill addresses the response of the Department of Defense to sex-related offenses committed against members of the Armed Forces, including allowing a member to confidentially allege a complaint of sexual harassment to an individual outside the immediate chain of command of that member.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2020
This resolution declares that Congress and the President will have a duty to act in 2021 on the self-determination choice of the people of Puerto Rico if the territory's plebiscite chooses statehood. The resolution (1) recognizes that implementation legislation will need to include measures to phase-in the equal treatment of the territory and its residents in federal laws, and (2) states that such measures should implement equality for Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans as expeditiously as possible.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2020
Parity for HUBZone Appeals Act of 2020 This bill requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to authorize its Office of Hearings and Appeals (OHA) to decide all appeals from formal protest determinations in connection with the status of a HUBZone small business. A HUBZone small business is a small business in a historically underutilized business zone. Currently, HUBZone status appeals are the responsibility of the Office of Government Contracting and Business Development. The bill would place HUBZone status appeals within the purview of the OHA alongside other SBA programs such as the Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business program and the Women-Owned Small Business program.
United States · United States Congress · 28 August 2020
Insular Area Liquidity Act This bill requires each department or agency making a grant to an Insular Area (the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, or the Northern Mariana Islands) to provide the Insular Area with (1) not less than 50% of the grant funds through advanced payments, and (2) additional monitoring and technical assistance to manage the grant funds.
United States · United States Congress · 14 August 2020
Military Spouse Job Continuity Act of 20 20 This bill permits the spouse of a member of the Armed Forces (military spouse) who moves with such member to another state under a permanent change of station order a tax credit for up to $500 of qualified relicensing costs incurred by such spouse. The bill defines qualified relicensing costs as costs for a state license or certification to engage in the profession that such military spouse engaged in while residing in the former state.
United States · United States Congress · 14 August 2020
STEM Educator Awards Equity Act This bill increases from 108 to 110 the number of Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching the President must award each year. The awards are given to kindergarten through grade 12 school teachers of mathematics and science who have demonstrated outstanding teaching ability. In selecting teachers for an award, the President shall select at least one teacher each from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2020
REACH VET reporting Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to report on the Recovery Engagement and Coordination for Health—Veterans Enhanced Treatment (REACH VET) program to assess, among other elements, the impact of the program on rates of suicide among veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 27 July 2020
Boosting Long-term U.S. Engagement in the Pacific Act or BLUE Pacific Act This bill requires the establishment or expansion of various diplomacy and aid programs related to the Pacific Islands, which include the Cook Islands, Fiji, Palau, and Vanuatu. Provisions relating to security and law enforcement in the Pacific Islands include those requiring (1) the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security to expand cross-border maritime law enforcement operations; (2) the State Department to expand International Law Enforcement Academies coverage (the academies provide training to law enforcement agencies in other countries); and (3) the State Department to implement a strategy to combat transnational crime, such as cybercrime and sex trafficking. The bill also requires the implementation of development-related initiatives in the Pacific Islands, such as by requiring (1) the U.S. Trade Representative to implement a strategy to expand and diversify trade; (2) the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to implement a plan to increase the region's trade capacity; and (3) the USAID to implement programs to improve public health, education outcomes, and climate resilience. The bill also requires the development and implementation of programs related to press freedom in the Pacific Islands, such as a State Department strategy to strengthen the press and promote press freedom and a U.S. Agency for Global Media strategy to provide expanded media content.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2020
Paycheck Protection Small Business Forgiveness Act This bill modifies loan forgiveness under the Paycheck Protection Program established to support small businesses in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifically, the bill provides for automatic forgiveness of a paycheck protection loan that is not more than $150,000 if the recipient submits a one-page form. Such form must allow a recipient to submit specified demographc and expenditure information, and certain individuals (e.g., the President, the Vice President, or the head of an executive department) are not eligible for such forgiveness. Further, the bill prohibits any enforcement or other action against a lender relating to loan origination, forgiveness, or guarantee based on the lender's reliance on certifications or documentation submitted by a loan applicant or recipient.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2020
COVID-19 Benefits for Active Duty Servicemembers, the Reserve Components, and their Survivors Act of 2020 This bill establishes, for purposes of Department of Veterans Affairs benefits, a presumption of service-connection if COVID-19 symptoms manifest within a specified time period in individuals serving in the military or reserves during qualified periods of duty (i.e., active duty, training duty, or full-time National Guard duty). For individuals who become disabled or die as a result of COVID-19, it shall be presumed the individual became disabled or died during a qualified period of duty. An individual who was disabled or died due to COVID-19 and was on training duty or full-time National Guard duty shall be furnished death or disability benefits as if the individual were a veteran, without regard to whether such individual's duty period would constitute active military service.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2020
This resolution supports the designation of National Women's Suffrage Month. It also celebrates the 100th anniversary of the passage and ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which provided for women's suffrage.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2020
This bill expands the list of work-study activities that qualify for payment of work-study allowances under Department of Veterans Affairs rehabilitation, training, and education programs. Under the bill, the following activities carried out at the offices of Members of Congress qualify as work-study activities: the distribution of information to members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and their dependents concerning benefits and services; and the preparation and processing of documents, including those used to file veterans benefits claims.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2020
Drug-Free Communities Pandemic Relief Act This bill authorizes the Drug-Free Communities Support Program, subject to certain limitations, to waive matching funds requirements applicable to certain grants for reducing substance use among youth. Before waiving these requirements, the program must determine that a grantee is unable to raise funds because of the COVID-19 (i.e. coronavirus disease 2019) emergency. Currently, the Office of National Drug Control Policy administers this program, and community coalitions that receive the grants must match a specified percentage of the federal award amount with nonfederal funds, including in-kind contributions.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2020
VA Clinical Training in Evidence-based treatments And Military Culture Act of 2020 or the VA Clinical TEAM Culture Act of 2020 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish standards and requirements for the provision of mental health care by non-VA providers in the Veterans Community Care Program (VCCP). The established standards must be the same as the standards applicable to VA employees who provide mental health care. The VA must require non-VA mental health care providers to complete training courses on military culture, core competencies for health care professionals, suicide evaluation and management, post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, and military sexual trauma after the provider becomes approved under the VCCP. The VA must also (1) identify additional training areas for which to develop courses, and (2) require the non-VA providers to complete such courses.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2020
GI Internship Program Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish a program to match veterans who are entitled to educational assistance with internships to provide such veterans with work experience and marketable skills. The VA shall establish criteria that employers must meet to participate in the program. The following employers are excluded from participating in the program: (1) government agencies, (2) employers who cannot provide the VA with certain assurances, and (3) employers who have previously participated in the program and failed to abide by its requirements. The VA shall pay individuals who are full-time participants in such an internship the amount of educational assistance payable to those participating in a full-time apprenticeship or other on-job training programs. Interns shall be considered as employees of the VA, not the program employer, for purposes of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Additionally, each intern and employer shall provide the VA with a monthly certification that the intern worked at least 35 hours each week performing functions that provided the individual with valuable experience. The VA and the Department of Labor shall create and publicize a website to serve as a portal for the program. The VA shall (1) minimize the administrative burdens incurred by employers due to their participation in the program, and (2) ensure that employer participation is at no cost to the employer.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 2020
This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to establish and administer a DOD regional center for security studies for the Arctic, to be located in Alaska or Hawaii and known as the Ted Stevens Arctic Center for Security Studies.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2020
This bill requires the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study regarding women involuntarily separated or discharged from the Armed Forces due to pregnancy or parenthood during the period of 1951-1976.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2020
This resolution applauds free and fair elections in Tonga and encourages deepened U.S. cooperation with Tonga in areas of mutual interest. The resolution also recognizes Tonga's participation in multinational security forces and multilateral institutions.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2020
This resolution applauds free and fair elections in Fiji and encourages deepened U.S. cooperation with Fiji in areas of mutual interest. The resolution also recognizes Fiji's participation in multinational security forces and multilateral institutions.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2020
This resolution commends the subsistence of democratic institutions in Papua New Guinea and encourages deepened U.S. cooperation with Papua New Guinea in areas of mutual interest. The resolution also recognizes Papua New Guinea's participation in multinational organizations and applauds the country's multilateral efforts to ensure access to electricity throughout the region.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2020
Just and Unifying Solutions To Invigorate Communities Everywhere Act of 2020 or the JUSTICE Act This bill addresses policies and issues regarding policing practices and law enforcement accountability. The bill funds state and local grants, incentivizes state and local reporting on the use of certain policing practices, creates new federal offenses for certain misconduct, establishes a commission to study the conditions affecting Black men and boys, and establishes best practices and training requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2020
Veterans Economic Recovery Act of 2020 This bill addresses the employment and retraining of veterans, specifically during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency. The bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a program under which the VA must provide up to 12 months of nontransferable retraining assistance to up to 35,000 eligible veterans for the pursuit of a specified program of education. Under the bill, an eligible veteran is an individual who, among other requirements, is unemployed due to COVID-19. Veterans who receive retraining assistance may only use such assistance to pursue specified programs, including those designed to provide training for high-demand occupations. The Government Accountability Office must report on the outcomes and effectiveness of the retraining assistance program. The bill provides access to the National Directory of New Hires to the VA and the Department of Labor for the purpose of tracking the employment of veterans. The bill makes updates to the VA's High Technology Pilot Program, including by expanding the class of providers of high technology education programs. The bill reauthorizes and expands the program for the provision of off-base transition training for veterans and their spouses, including by requiring a preference for participation by states with economies significantly impacted by COVID-19. Finally, the bill implements a five-year grant program requiring the VA to make grants to organizations for the provision of transition assistance to members of the Armed Forces who are separated, retired, or discharged from the Armed Forces, and spouses of such members.
United States · United States Congress · 1 June 2020
SFC Heath Robinson Burn Pit Transparency Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to submit quarterly reports on veterans' burn pit exposure, and to inform veterans of the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry if a veteran presents at a medical facility for treatment related to exposure to toxic chemicals caused by open burn pits. A burn pit is an area used for burning solid waste in open air without equipment.
United States · United States Congress · 1 June 2020
Protecting Our Servicemembers' Care Act of 2020 This bill directs the Government Accountability Office to report on any lapses in a reservist's TRICARE coverage that occurred during the previous eight years and were caused by a change in duty status.
![Official portrait of Del. Radewagen, Aumua Amata Coleman [R-AS-At Large]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/r000600_200.jpg)