United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2021
District Court Judgeships Act of 2021 This bill requires the appointment of additional U.S. district court judges and converts certain temporary district court judgeships into permanent judgeships. Specifically, the bill requires the appointment of 203 district court judges in specified judicial districts in Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and West Virginia. Additionally, the bill converts certain temporary district court judgeships to permanent judgeships in specified judicial districts in Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Texas.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2021
National Discovery Trails Act This bill amends the National Trails System Act to include national discovery trails as part of the national trails system. Such trails (1) shall be extended, continuous, interstate trails located to provide for outstanding outdoor recreation and travel and to connect representative examples of America's trails and communities; (2) shall provide for the conservation and enjoyment of significant natural, cultural, and historic resources and be so located as to represent metropolitan, urban, rural, and back country regions of the Nation; and (3) may be designated on federal lands and, with the owner's consent, on nonfederal lands. The 6,000-mile American Discovery Trail extending from Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware, to Point Reyes National Seashore in California, splitting into northern and southern routes near Cincinnati, Ohio, and rejoining at Denver, Colorado, is designated as a national discovery trail. The bill sets forth requirements for designation of a trail as a national discovery trail. The appropriate federal department for each national discovery trail shall (1) administer the trail in cooperation with at least one competent trailwide volunteer-based organization; and (2) submit a comprehensive plan for the trail's protection, management, development, and use.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2021
Quiet Communities Act of 2021 This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency to reestablish an Office of Noise Abatement and Control to promote the development of local noise control programs, carry out research, and develop and disseminate educational materials, among other duties.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2021
Judiciary Accountability Act of 2021 This bill applies certain civil rights and employee protection laws to judicial branch employees. Specifically, the bill applies to judicial branch employees laws that prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation or gender identity), national origin, age, or disability. Further, the bill prohibits retaliation against whistleblowers within the judicial branch. Additionally, the bill establishes (1) the Commission on Judicial Integrity to oversee a program to prevent workplace misconduct; (2) the Office of Judicial Integrity to oversee confidential reporting systems regarding workplace misconduct, training programs on workplace behavior and bystander intervention, and other reporting initiatives regarding employee metrics and demographics; (3) the Special Counsel for Equal Employment Opportunity to investigate alleged workplace misconduct and complaints; and (4) the Office of Employee Advocacy to provide legal assistance, representation, and consultation to judicial employees. Finally, the bill establishes workplace discrimination, harassment, and retaliation as judicial misconduct.
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
Medicare Negotiation and Competitive Licensing Act of 2021 This bill establishes several requirements relating to the prices of prescription drugs. Specifically, the bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies regarding prices for drugs covered under Medicare. (Current law prohibits the CMS from doing so.) If the CMS is unable to negotiate the price of a drug, such drug is subject to competitive licensing in order to further its sale under health insurance programs, notwithstanding existing government-granted exclusivities. The negotiated prices also apply to other federal health care programs, private health insurance, and the uninsured; pharmacies that charge more than the negotiated price for uninsured individuals are subject to civil penalties. Manufacturers must also comply with specified reporting requirements relating to prices and licensing, subject to civil penalties. The bill also institutes an excise tax on drugs for which the price spikes beyond a certain limit, subject to specified exemptions, as well as on drugs for which the price exceeds the negotiated price.
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
Safe School Drinking Water Act This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency to establish a program to award grants to assist local educational agencies in installing and maintaining filtration stations (e.g., drinking fountains) at schools and child care programs.
United States · United States Congress · 29 July 2021
Honoring Family-Friendly Workplaces Act This bill establishes the family-friendly certification program that requires the Department of Labor to award certifications and recognize employers that implement certain policies such as (1) assisting employees with paying for adoption services, (2) providing paid family and sick leave, and (3) providing subsidies for child care and other employee support.
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 · 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
Nondebtor Release Prohibition Act of 2021 This bill addresses the release by bankruptcy courts of creditor or other third-party claims against non-debtors. Complex bankruptcies may involve third-party claims against non-debtors associated with the debtor, such as the debtor's officers, directors, or employees. Currently, in carrying out a bankruptcy plan, bankruptcy courts may release non-debtors from liability (there is a split in the judicial circuits regarding this practice). The bill generally prohibits a bankruptcy court from (1) releasing or modifying a non-debtor's liability through the approval of a bankruptcy plan or through an order, or (2) enjoining a judicial proceeding or other act to collect or otherwise enforce such a claim or cause of action against a non-debtor. However, the bill provides for the release of such liability if express consent is given by the third party. The bill also generally limits an order or decree to temporarily enjoin a proceeding against a non-debtor to 90 days. Additionally, the bill gives appellate jurisdiction to the appropriate U.S. court of appeals regarding an order or decree to temporarily enjoin or stay a proceeding against a non-debtor in a Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy case. Currently, U.S. district courts have appellate jurisdiction for these matters. Upon request of an interested party, and after notice and a hearing, the court shall dismiss a Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy case if the debtor was involved in certain restructuring activity that (1) had the intent or foreseeable effect of separating a debtor's assets from a debtor's liabilities and the debtor assuming or retaining such liabilities, and (2) occurred in the 10-year period prior to the filing of the bankruptcy petition.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2021
Refuge System Protection Act This bill authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ), at the request of the Department of the Interior, to bring in a district court a civil action against any individual or entity that destroys, causes the loss of, causes Interior to make risk mitigation efforts with respect to, or injures any resource that is within the boundaries any land or water that is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The bill also authorizes DOJ, at the request of Interior, to bring in a district court an in rem action against any instrumentality (e.g., a vessel, vehicle, or aircraft) that destroys, causes the loss of, causes Interior to make risk mitigation efforts with respect to, or injures any such system resource. Among others, it shall be an affirmative defense in either type of action that the destruction of, loss of, risk mitigation regarding, or injury to a system resource was caused by an otherwise legal act or omission that occurred outside the boundaries of the resource. In either type of action, the court may award response costs and damages.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2021
Performing Artist Tax Parity Act of 2021 This bill modifies the tax deduction for the expenses of performing artists (including commissions paid to managers or agents) to provide for a phaseout of such deduction for taxpayers whose adjusted gross income exceeds $100,000 ($200,000 for joint return filers). The $100,000 phaseout threshold is adjusted for inflation annually for taxable years beginning after 2021.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2021
Exposing Discrimination in Higher Education Act This bill requires the Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights to publish prominently on its website the names of the institutions of higher education (IHEs) that request, and the names of the IHEs that receive, religious exemptions from the prohibition on sex discrimination in federally funded education programs and activities. It also requires an IHE that requests, receives, exercises, or intends to exercise such a religious exemption to publish prominently on its website certain information with respect to such exemption.
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 · 27 July 2021
Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act This bill shortens the standard workweek under federal law from 40 hours to 32 hours over a three-year phase in period. It also requires specified overtime pay for workdays longer than eight hours.
United States · United States Congress · 26 July 2021
Let Immigrants Kickstart Employment Act of 2021 or the LIKE Act This bill establishes a new class of nonimmigrant visa (W visa) for qualifying start-up owners and essential employees (and the accompanying spouse or child of such aliens) and addresses related issues. Under this bill, a start-up is a U.S. entity that has lawfully conducted business and was formed in the five years preceding an application for a start-up owner visa. To be eligible for an initial visa as a start-up owner, an individual must (1) possess at least a 10% interest in the start-up; (2) play a central and active role in the start-up's management or operations; (3) possess knowledge, skills, or experience to substantially assist in the start-up's growth and success; and (4) provide evidence that the start-up has received certain investments, created jobs, or generated revenue. The holder of a nonimmigrant start-up owner visa may receive lawful permanent resident status upon meeting certain requirements, including by establishing that the start-up has created a certain number of jobs and has met certain revenue targets. To be eligible for a visa as an essential employee of a start-up, an individual must (1) have an offer of employment in an executive or managerial capacity at a start-up; and (2) possess knowledge, skills, or experience to substantially assist in the start-up's growth and success. The bill limits the number of employees on essential employee visas that a start-up may have.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2021
New York-New Jersey Watershed Protection Act This bill requires the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to establish the New York-New Jersey Watershed Restoration Program, a nonregulatory program, to coordinate restoration and protection activities among government entities and conservation partners throughout the watershed. The bill also establishes the New York-New Jersey Watershed Restoration Grant Program, a voluntary grant and technical assistance program, to provide competitive matching grants to certain entities to implement restoration and protection activities for the watershed.
United States · United States Congress · 22 July 2021
Close the Medigap Act of 2021 This bill (1) expands guaranteed issue rights with respect to Medigap policies (Medicare supplemental health insurance policies), (2) eliminates certain limitations on Medigap policies for newly eligible Medicare beneficiaries, and (3) modifies other provisions related to Medigap policies. (Guaranteed issue rights require that a policy be offered to any eligible applicant without regard to health status.)
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 · 21 July 2021
This resolution condemns acts of violence against Afghan women and girls and any effort to limit the ability of women and girls to participate in the civic affairs of Afghanistan. It also urges the President to ensure that Afghan women, youth, and other marginalized groups are meaningfully participating and engaging in all peace talks.
United States · United States Congress · 19 July 2021
Office for Access to Justice Establishment Act of 2021 This bill establishes the Office for Access to Justice within the Department of Justice (DOJ) to advise on matters relating to justice for low-income and other underrepresented people in the criminal and civil justice systems. Additionally, DOJ must establish a Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable to raise the awareness of executive branch agencies of the ways in which civil legal aid and indigent defense can help advance federal objectives, including those related to employment, family stability, housing, consumer protection, health services, and public safety.
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
Ending Homelessness Act of 2021 This bill expands the housing choice voucher program and provides assistance to homeless individuals and families. Specifically, the bill provides FY2022-2025 funding for the expansion of the housing choice voucher program for certain extremely low income families. Furthermore, beginning in FY2026, the bill creates and funds an entitlement to housing choice vouchers for certain extremely low income families. Eligibility for the entitlement expands annually, extending to low-income families by FY2030. The bill also reduces the geographic area used to calculate an area's fair market rent for purposes of voucher payment standards and prohibits the use of criminal history in determining eligibility for certain housing assistance. Additionally, the bill prohibits housing discrimination on the basis of a renter's source of income or a renter's veteran status. The bill also provides additional FY2022-FY2026 funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to assist the homeless, including to award emergency relief grants in jurisdictions with the highest need and award grants to provide outreach and coordinate services. Furthermore, the bill provides additional FY2022-FY2026 funding for the Housing Trust Fund, which provides affordable housing for extremely low-income and very low-income families. While this additional funding is available, HUD must ensure that priority for occupancy in assisted units is given to individuals and families who are homeless. Finally, the bill permanently reauthorizes certain homeless assistance grants and makes permanent the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2021
Housing is Infrastructure Act of 2021 This bill generally addresses housing affordability and infrastructure. The bill authorizes the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to provide grants, programs, and other support related to public housing, affordable housing preservation and construction, and mortgage access. The bill also establishes and funds the National Investment Authority (NIA) which must design, finance, and implement a strategy of long-term national economic growth and development. The NIA must select projects that coordinate investment of public and private capital in equitable, inclusive, and sustainable growth of the economy. Furthermore, the bill establishes the National Infrastructure Bank (NIB) to implement the strategy by engaging in credit market activities that support public and private investment in critical public infrastructure projects. The bill gives the NIA bond issuing authority and authorizes the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System to purchase these bonds. The Federal Reserve must lend funds on a short-term basis upon the request of the NIB and other subsidiaries. Additionally, the Department of the Treasury must provide for a line of credit not to exceed 100% of the NIA's total assets. Finally, the bill (1) authorizes HUD to provide support for fair housing organizations, and (2) requires consultation with a fair housing enforcement organization as part of an application for certain housing grants or funds.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2021
Access to Infertility Treatment and Care Act This bill requires private health insurance plans to cover (1) specified infertility treatments (e.g., in vitro fertilization), if the plan also covers obstetrical services; and (2) fertility preservation services for individuals who undergo medically necessary treatment that may cause impairment of fertility. Private health insurance plans must apply cost sharing for such services that does not exceed the amount for similar services covered by the plan. Further, plans are prohibited from (1) providing incentives for plan holders to forego infertility treatment, or (2) reducing the reimbursement rate to providers of such treatments. The bill also extends infertility treatment and fertility preservation coverage to Medicaid enrollees, federal employees, members of the military, and veterans.
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 · 16 July 2021
Downpayment Toward Equity Act of 2021 This bill establishes a grant program through the Department of Housing and Urban Development for states and other entities to provide qualifying assistance to certain first-time, first-generation home buyers in purchasing their first homes. Qualifying assistance includes assistance for mortgage down payments, mortgage closing costs, reduction of mortgage interest rates, subsidies for shared equity homes, or for certain preoccupancy modifications to a home to accommodate persons with disabilities. The bill also establishes grant requirements regarding home buyer income, types of housing, homeowner occupancy, types of mortgages, and home buyer counseling.
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 · 13 July 2021
Supporting Medicaid in the U.S. Territories Act of 2021 This bill extends, increases, and otherwise modifies Medicaid funding for U.S. territories. Specifically, the bill extends (1) the temporarily increased Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (i.e., federal matching rate), and (2) a higher cap on Medicaid funding. Such provisions apply to Puerto Rico through FY2026 and to other territories through FY2029. The bill also requires Puerto Rico to implement an asset verification program and to report on its ability to comply with certain reporting requirements, procurement standards, and other Medicaid program integrity measures.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2021
School Food Modernization Act This bill provides for loan guarantees and grants to support healthy meals under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. The bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to issue loan guarantees to local educational agencies (LEAs), school food authorities, tribal organizations, and other eligible entities to finance infrastructure improvements or equipment purchases to facilitate their provision of healthy meals through the school meal programs. USDA must also award competitive matching grants to assist LEAs, school food authorities, and tribal organizations in purchasing the durable equipment and infrastructure they need to serve healthier meals and improve food safety. USDA must give preference under both programs to applicants that demonstrate a substantial or disproportionate need for food service infrastructure or durable equipment, and shall establish fees for the loan guarantee program. In addition, USDA must award competitive matching grants to experienced third-party training institutions to provide school food service personnel with the training and technical assistance they need to (1) meet or exceed nutrition standards under the school meal programs, and (2) improve the efficacy and efficiency of the school meal programs.
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 · 6 July 2021
Women and Minorities in STEM Booster Act of 2021 This bill requires the National Science Foundation to award competitive grants to enable eligible entities to carry out the activities specified below in order to increase the participation of women and underrepresented minorities in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). An eligible entity that receives a grant shall use grant funds to carry out one or more of the following activities designed to increase the participation of women or minorities underrepresented in science and engineering, or both: online workshops, mentoring programs that partner STEM professionals with students, internships for undergraduate and graduate students in STEM fields, outreach programs providing elementary and secondary school students with opportunities to increase their exposure to STEM fields, and programs to increase the recruitment and retention of underrepresented faculty.
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
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 · 1 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 · 30 June 2021
Cameras in the Courtroom Act This bill requires the Supreme Court to permit television coverage of all open sessions of the Court unless it decides by majority vote that allowing such coverage in a particular case would violate the due process rights of any of the parties involved.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2021
Taskforce Recommending Improvements for Unaddressed Mental Perinatal & Postpartum Health for New Moms Act of 2021 or the TRIUMPH for New Moms Act of 2021 This bill temporarily establishes within the Department of Health and Human Services the Task Force on Maternal Mental Health. The task force must develop a national strategy for maternal mental health and report on best practices, policies, and programs to prevent, screen for, diagnose, treat, and reduce disparities in maternal mental health conditions. The report must identify opportunities for state- and local-level partnerships to address maternal mental health, and the task force must share those opportunities with state governors.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2021
Tenant Empowerment Act of 2021 This bill generally expands the rights of tenants in federally assisted housing. Specifically, the bill allows tenants to place rent in an escrow account in the event that a housing project is found to be in violation of certain housing standards; seek judicial enforcement of specified housing agreements; and access information related to a housing project, including the ownership, specified reports, and contracts. The bill also provides for continuing rental assistance payments for tenants if the property is in foreclosure.
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 · 25 June 2021
Tax-Free Pell Grant Act This bill excludes from gross income, for income tax purposes, any amount received as a federal Pell Grant. It also expands the definition of qualified tuition and related expenses under the American Opportunity and Lifetime Learning tax credit to include computer or peripheral equipment (up to a maximum of $1,000), child and dependent care expenses, and course materials.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2021
American Music Fairness Act This bill establishes that the copyright holder of a sound recording shall have the exclusive right to perform the sound recording through an audio transmission and addresses other related issues. (Currently, the public performance right only covers performances through a digital audio transmission in certain instances, which means that nonsubscription terrestrial radio stations generally do not have to secure a license to publicly perform a copyright-protected sound recording.) Under the bill, a nonsubscription broadcast transmission must have a license to publicly perform such sound recordings. The Copyright Royalty Board must periodically determine the royalty rates for such a license. When determining the rates, the board must base its decision on certain information presented by the parties, including the radio stations' effect on other streams of revenue related to the sound recordings. Terrestrial broadcast stations (and the owners of such stations) that fall below certain revenue thresholds may pay certain flat fees, instead of the board-established rate, for a license to publicly perform copyright-protected sound recordings.
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
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 · 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.
![Official portrait of Rep. Nadler, Jerrold [D-NY-12]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/n000002_200.jpg)