United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2021
Flood Resiliency and Taxpayer Savings Act of 2021 This bill requires federal agencies to take specified actions to evaluate and mitigate the risk of floods to federally funded projects. Specifically, the bill directs federal agencies to evaluate the potential for flooding throughout the planned lifetime or duration of a federally funded project to reduce the risk of financial and property losses and prevent the disruption of critical services during floods. Further, federal agencies must consider certain data and information (e.g., the most recent flood insurance rate map published by the Federal Emergency Management Agency) when evaluating whether a federally funded project is in a floodplain. If the agency determines the data and information are not adequate for understanding the flood risks to the project, then the agency must use an alternative design standard outlined by the bill. Finally, the bill directs the Federal Interagency Floodplain Management Task Force to issue guidelines for federal agencies related to flood risk management.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2021
Health Force, Resilience Force, and Jobs to Fight COVID-19 Act of 2021 This bill establishes and expands programs to bring on individuals to perform public health functions, such as contact tracing and vaccine administration, to respond to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency and meet future public health needs. The bill provides funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish a Health Force. The funds are designated as an emergency requirement, which exempts the funds from discretionary spending limits and other budget enforcement rules. To establish the force, the CDC must award grants within 30 days to state, tribal, territorial, and local governments and community health centers to recruit and train individuals for roles in public health and health care. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must hire and train additional individuals for its Cadre of On-Call Response/Recovery Employees. These employees may be detailed to certain federal agencies or to state, local, or tribal governments to support response efforts related to COVID-19 or other disasters or emergencies.
United States · United States Congress · 25 January 2021
Health Care Fairness for Military Families Act of 2021 This bill modifies the extension of dependent coverage under TRICARE by allowing a dependent under the age of 26 to be covered without an additional premium. Additionally, the bill authorizes such coverage of dependents without a premium regardless of whether they are eligible to enroll in an employer sponsored plan.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2021
This joint resolution eliminates the deadline for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, which prohibits discrimination based on sex. The amendment was proposed to the states in House Joint Resolution 208 of the 92nd Congress, as agreed to in the Senate on March 22, 1972. The amendment shall be part of the Constitution whenever ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2021
Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2021 This bill provides for coverage of marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor services under Medicare. It also excludes such services from the skilled nursing facility prospective payment system, and authorizes marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors to develop discharge plans for post-hospital services.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2021
Improving Social Determinants of Health Act of 2021 This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish a program to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequities by, for example, coordinating activities across the CDC. As part of the program, the CDC must award grants to eligible organizations to build capacity to address social determinants of health. The CDC shall provide for an independent evaluation of certain grants and report findings to Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2021
Access Technology Affordability Act of 2021 This bill allows a refundable tax credit equal to the amounts paid for qualified access technology for use by a blind individual who is the taxpayer, the taxpayer's spouse, or a dependent of the taxpayer. Qualified access technology is hardware, software, or other information technology with the primary function of converting or adapting information that is visually represented into forms or formats useable by blind individuals. The credit is limited to (1) costs that are not compensated by insurance or otherwise, and (2) an aggregate amount of $2,000 per blind individual in any period of three consecutive taxable years. The credit must be adjusted for inflation after 2021 and terminates after 2026.
United States · United States Congress · 21 January 2021
Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act of 2021 This bill modifies the funding rules and provides financial assistance for certain pension plans that are underfunded or insolvent. First, the bill expands the authority of, and provides funding for, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) to provide special partition assistance to a multiemployer pension plan that is insolvent or at risk of insolvency. The bill expands eligibility for partition assistance, provides funding for a plan to reach a projected funded ratio of 80% over a 30-year period, and does not require a plan to repay such assistance. The bill further permits a multiemployer pension plan to elect to retain its funding zone status from the previous year for either (1) the first plan year beginning during the period from March 1, 2020, through February 28, 2021; or (2) the next succeeding plan year, as designated by the plan sponsor. A plan may also extend by five years the funding improvement or rehabilitation period if the plan is designated as in endangered or critical status for a plan year beginning in 2020 or 2021. A plan in critical and declining status may not suspend payment of plan benefits. Additionally, the bill adjusts the minimum funding standards for a multiemployer pension plan to account for investment losses and other losses related to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic and modifies the PBGC guarantee formula to increase the maximum potential benefits under a multiemployer pension plan. Finally, the bill makes changes with respect to single employer pension plans, including revising the amortization rules and extending and modifying the pension funding stabilization percentages.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2021
Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2021 This bill establishes new requirements to expand the availability of information on domestic terrorism, as well as the relationship between domestic terrorism and hate crimes. It authorizes domestic terrorism components within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to monitor, analyze, investigate, and prosecute domestic terrorism. The domestic terrorism components of DHS, DOJ, and the FBI must jointly report on domestic terrorism, including white-supremacist-related incidents or attempted incidents. DHS, DOJ, and the FBI must review the anti-terrorism training and resource programs of their agencies that are provided to federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies. It creates an interagency task force to analyze and combat white supremacist and neo-Nazi infiltration of the uniformed services and federal law enforcement agencies. Finally, it directs the FBI to assign a special agent or hate crimes liaison to each field office to investigate hate crimes incidents with a nexus to domestic terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 19 January 2021
Health Care Affordability Act of 2021 This bill revises the tax credit for health care premium assistance to expand the eligibility of low-income taxpayers for such credit and reduce the cost of health care premiums.
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 · 19 January 2021
Jobs to Fight COVID-19 Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Labor to award grants to states and other governmental and native American entities to (1) support the recruitment, placement, and training of—and provide employment to—certain individuals seeking employment in COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) contact tracing and pandemic response positions; and (2) assist with the transition to new employment or education and training of these individuals in preparation for and upon termination of such employment. The employees must be paid at least the required prevailing wage and fringe benefit rates. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services and state, local, tribal, and territorial health departments, must establish and implement a national evidence-based system for COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, surveillance, containment, and mitigation. The CDC shall also award grants or contracts to these entities for such activities and to public entities to implement multilingual and culturally appropriate COVID-19 awareness campaigns.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2021
This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous award of a Congressional Gold Medal to commemorate Glen Doherty, Tyrone Woods, J. Christopher Stevens, and Sean Smith, four Americans killed in the September 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. (Stevens was the U.S. Ambassador to Libya at the time, Smith was an officer in the Foreign Service, and Doherty and Woods were both government contractors and former Navy SEALs.) After the medal has been awarded, it shall be given to the Central Intelligence Agency Museum.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2021
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should ensure that the U.S. Postal Service is not privatized and remains an independent establishment of the federal government.
United States · United States Congress · 12 January 2021
This resolution honors Officers Brian Sicknick and Howard Liebengood of the U.S. Capitol Police, and it commends the bravery and service demonstrated by officers of the U.S. Capitol Police, the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, and the other law enforcement agencies and protective entities that assisted in responding to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2021
Big Cat Public Safety Act This bill revises requirements governing the trade of big cats (i.e., species of lion, tiger, leopard, cheetah, jaguar, or cougar or any hybrid of such species). Specifically, it revises restrictions on the possession and exhibition of big cats, including to restrict direct contact between the public and big cats.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2021
Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act This bill prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs from requiring payment from a veteran for any contraceptive item that is required to be covered by health insurance plans without a cost-sharing requirement.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2021
This resolution impeaches President Donald John Trump for high crimes and misdemeanors. Specifically, the resolution sets forth an article of impeachment stating that President Trump incited an insurrection against the government of the United States. The article states that prior to the joint session of Congress held on January 6, 2021, to count the votes of the electoral college, President Trump repeatedly issued false statements asserting that the presidential election results were fraudulent and should not be accepted by the American people or certified by state or federal officials; shortly before the joint session commenced, President Trump reiterated false claims to a crowd near the White House and willfully made statements to the crowd that encouraged and foreseeably resulted in lawless action at the Capitol; members of the crowd, incited by President Trump, unlawfully breached and vandalized the Capitol and engaged in other violent, destructive, and seditious acts, including the killing of a law enforcement officer; President Trump's conduct on January 6, 2021, followed his prior efforts to subvert and obstruct the certification of the presidential election, which included a threatening phone call to the Secretary of State of Georgia on January 2, 2021; President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of government, threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of government; and by such conduct, President Trump warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold U.S. office.
United States · United States Congress · 11 January 2021
This resolution calls upon Vice President Michael R. Pence (1) to immediately use his powers under section 4 of the Twenty-fifth Amendment to convene and mobilize the principal officers of the executive departments to declare that the President is unable to successfully discharge the duties and powers of his office, and (2) to transmit to the President pro tempore of the Senate and the Speaker of the House notice that he will be immediately assuming the powers and duties of the office as Acting President.
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 · 4 January 2021
Emmett Till Antilynching Act This bill specifies that an offense involving lynching is a hate crime act. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a prison term, a fine, or both.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
Washington, D.C. Admission Act This bill provides for admission into the United States of the state of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth, composed of most of the territory of the District of Columbia. The commonwealth shall be admitted to the Union on an equal footing with the other states. The Mayor of the District of Columbia shall issue a proclamation for the first elections to Congress of two Senators and one Representative of the commonwealth. The bill applies current District laws to the commonwealth and continues pending judicial proceedings. The commonwealth (1) shall consist of all District territory, with specified exclusions for federal buildings and monuments, including the principal federal monuments, the White House, the Capitol Building, the U.S. Supreme Court Building, and the federal executive, legislative, and judicial office buildings located adjacent to the Mall and the Capitol Building; and (2) may not impose taxes on federal property except as Congress permits. District territory excluded from the commonwealth shall be known as the Capital and shall be the seat of the federal government. The bill maintains the federal government's authority over military lands and specified other property. The bill provides for expedited consideration of a joint resolution repealing the Twenty-third Amendment to the Constitution, which provides for the appointment of electors of the President and Vice President. The bill continues certain federal authorities and responsibilities, including regarding employee benefits, agencies, courts, and college tuition assistance, until the commonwealth certifies that it is prepared to take over the authorities and responsibilities. The bill establishes the Statehood Transition Commission to advise the President, Congress, and District and commonwealth leaders on the transition.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act This bill establishes the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans. The commission shall examine slavery and discrimination in the colonies and the United States from 1619 to the present and recommend appropriate remedies. The commission shall identify (1) the role of the federal and state governments in supporting the institution of slavery, (2) forms of discrimination in the public and private sectors against freed slaves and their descendants, and (3) lingering negative effects of slavery on living African Americans and society.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
For the People Act of 2021 This bill addresses voter access, election integrity and security, campaign finance, and ethics for the three branches of government. Specifically, the bill expands voter registration (e.g., automatic and same-day registration) and voting access (e.g., vote-by-mail and early voting). It also limits removing voters from voter rolls. The bill requires states to establish independent redistricting commissions to carry out congressional redistricting. Additionally, the bill sets forth provisions related to election security, including sharing intelligence information with state election officials, supporting states in securing their election systems, developing a national strategy to protect U.S. democratic institutions, establishing in the legislative branch the National Commission to Protect United States Democratic Institutions, and other provisions to improve the cybersecurity of election systems. Further, the bill addresses campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals, requiring additional disclosure of campaign-related fundraising and spending, requiring additional disclaimers regarding certain political advertising, and establishing an alternative campaign funding system for certain federal offices. The bill addresses ethics in all three branches of government, including by requiring a code of conduct for Supreme Court Justices, prohibiting Members of the House from serving on the board of a for-profit entity, and establishing additional conflict-of-interest and ethics provisions for federal employees and the White House. The bill requires the President, the Vice President, and certain candidates for those offices to disclose 10 years of tax returns.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
Preventing Future Pandemics Act of 2021 This bill establishes measures to address global public health risks posed by wildlife markets, which are commercial markets that sell or slaughter wildlife for human consumption as food or medicine in communities where alternative nutritional or protein sources are available. Specifically, the bill prohibits importing, exporting, purchasing, or selling live wild animals in the United States for human consumption as food or medicine. The Department of the Interior must hire, train, and deploy at least 50 new U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service law enforcement attachés around the world, and the U.S. Agency for International Development must increase specified activities to address the threats and causes of zoonotic (animal-to-human transmission) disease outbreaks. Additionally, the United States must work with other United Nations member states to urge a global ban on commercial wildlife markets and enforcement of laws to end wildlife trafficking. Further, the President may impose sanctions against a foreign country or foreign nationals that the Department of State has determined are taking certain actions that enable or facilitate commercial wildlife markets. Among other reports required by the bill, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine must conduct a study and submit a report that includes an evaluation of (1) the impact that consumption of terrestrial wildlife as food or medicine has on the transmission of novel viral and other pathogens, (2) the role of consuming terrestrial wildlife as food or medicine in the transmission of microbes from animals to humans, and (3) the conditions at live wildlife markets that lead to this transmission.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment authorizing Congress and the states to set reasonable limits on the raising and spending of money by candidates and others to influence elections. The amendment grants Congress and the states the power to implement and enforce this amendment by legislation. They are allowed to distinguish between natural persons and corporations or other artificial entities created by law, including by prohibiting such entities from spending money to influence elections.
United States · United States Congress · 4 January 2021
Federal Death Penalty Abolition Act of 2021 This bill prohibits the imposition of a death penalty sentence for a violation of federal law. It eliminates statutory authority for the death penalty as a sentencing option for federal offenses. It also requires a person who was sentenced to death before enactment of this bill to be resentenced.
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2020
Home Office Deduction Act of 2020 This bill allows a tax deduction for the trade or business expenses of employees during the period beginning on March 13, 2020, and ending on December 31, 2021.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2020
Transatlantic Telecommunications Security Act This bill directs the Department of State and other federal agencies to help Central and Eastern European countries improve the security of their telecommunications networks. A project located in a Central or Eastern European country shall be eligible for assistance if it (1) improves telecommunications networks; (2) is inclusive, transparent, economically viable, sustainable, supplied only with secure equipment and services, and compliant with international standards and laws; (3) does not use equipment or services from China or replaces such equipment or services; and (4) enhances telecommunications market integration across the Central or Eastern European region that is secure against malign actors. To support eligible projects, the State Department shall provide diplomatic and political support and shall also encourage international financial institutions to provide investment support. The U.S. Trade and Development Agency, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, and other specified federal agencies shall also provide project support, such as feasibility studies and finance-related support, as necessary.
United States · United States Congress · 24 November 2020
Pandemic Accommodation to Support Students Act or the PASS Act This bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to extend certain temporary relief related to federal student loans. Specifically, the bill extends to September 30, 2021, the suspension of payments and interest due on Federal Direct Loans and Federal Family Education Loans that are held by ED. Further, ED must carry out a program, beginning on August 1, 2021, to provide at least six notices to borrowers that normal payment obligations will resume.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2020
Keeping All Students Safe Act This bill prohibits the use of seclusion and limits the use of physical restraint in schools and Head Start programs that receive federal funding. It also establishes enforcement provisions, including a private right of action for a student who has been subjected to unlawful seclusion or restraint, and creates a grant program for state educational agencies to implement the procedures required by the bill.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2020
Sets forth the rule for consideration of the bill (H.R. 8294) to amend the National Apprenticeship Act and expand the national apprenticeship system to include apprenticeships, youth apprenticeships, and pre-apprenticeship registered under such Act, to promote the furtherance of labor standards necessary to safeguard the welfare of apprentices.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2020
Expanded Telehealth Access Act This bill permanently allows audiologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and other providers designated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide telehealth services under Medicare, and includes specified related services as eligible Medicare telehealth services. Currently, the CMS is authorized to waive requirements for Medicare telehealth services during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), and it has done so to allow all providers that are otherwise eligible to furnish in-person services under Medicare to also furnish telehealth services.
United States · United States Congress · 12 November 2020
Innovation Centers Acceleration Act This bill provides a program to advance economic development by designating nine cities as innovation centers—increasing funding for research and development—and providing and modifying certain related grants. It also establishes the Innovation Center Selection Committee to designate these cities. The innovation center designation entitles participating cities—and the businesses, research institutions, and other organizations that operate within them—to various federal funding and benefits for research activities, business and workforce development, and transportation infrastructure projects. These benefits include expanding various tax credits and incentives for businesses. The bill also makes it easier for those businesses to access loans and other financial instruments to raise capital. In addition, the bill establishes a grant program for local and tribal governments that partner with innovation centers to develop and preserve affordable housing. It also modifies existing grants, loans, and other programs that support transportation infrastructure to specifically target initiatives in innovation centers.
United States · United States Congress · 5 November 2020
Telehealth Modernization Act This bill modifies requirements relating to coverage of telehealth services under Medicare. Specifically, the bill extends certain flexibilities that were initially authorized during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Among other things, the bill allows (1) rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers to serve as the distant site (i.e., the location of the health care practitioner); (2) the home of a beneficiary to serve as the originating site (i.e., the location of the beneficiary) for all services (rather than for only certain services); and (3) all types of practitioners to furnish telehealth services, as determined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2020
Holding Providers Harmless From Medicare Cuts During COVID-19 Act of 2020 This bill temporarily increases payments to providers under Medicare medical services. Specifically, the bill provides an additional payment for certain services in 2021 and 2022 if the otherwise applicable payment is less than what it would have been in 2020. The bill applies to services that are payable under the physician fee schedule, excluding specified outpatient evaluation and management services.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2020
Veterans Community Care Fairness Act This bill requires covered veterans to submit a notification of the care or services they received within 30 days of being admitted for emergency care under the Veterans Community Care Program as a condition for authorization of such care by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Covered veterans are those who are enrolled in the VA health care system or those who are not enrolled but are eligible for care due to a service-connected disability.
United States · United States Congress · 30 October 2020
Family Friendly Schools Act This bill establishes a pilot program to implement policies at elementary schools that align the school day with the work day. It also establishes a grant program as a supplement to the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program to support programs and activities during summer recess. Specifically, the bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to award five-year grants to local educational agencies for establishing policies at 500 elementary schools that align the school day with the work day. ED must report to Congress at the three-year mark and at the conclusion of the five-year grant period on best practices and recommendations for aligning school and work schedules, and for strengthening partnerships between schools and community resources. In addition, the bill requires ED to carry out a supplemental grant program to establish or expand community learning center summer programs.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2020
Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission Reauthorization Act This bill extends the authority for the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission through FY2034.
United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2020
Save Education Jobs Act This bill establishes through FY2030 the Education Jobs Fund, from which the Department of Education (ED) must award grants to state educational agencies and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to retain and create education jobs. ED must also provide grants to outlying areas and the Bureau of Indian Education. Specifically, LEAs must use subgrants for compensation and benefits to retain existing employees, rehire former employees, and hire new employees. Further, subgrants may be used for certain activities such as training and professional development, providing salary increases to cover extended days or school years to make up for lost instructional time due to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), and developing teacher leadership roles in high-need schools. The bill prohibits the use of subgrants for certain activities, such as funding voucher programs, tax-credit scholarships, or education savings accounts.
United States · United States Congress · 23 October 2020
Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act This bill establishes grant programs to address neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), and contains other related provisions. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall award grants to eligible entities to support research on and facilitate access to investigational drugs that diagnose or treat ALS. The Food and Drug Administration shall award grants to public and private entities to cover the costs of research and development of drugs that diagnose or treat ALS and other severely debilitating neurodegenerative diseases. HHS shall also establish the Collaborative for Neurodegenerative Diseases, which shall support the development and regulatory approval of drugs that address ALS and other rare neurodegenerative diseases.
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2020
Mental Health Justice Act of 2020 This bill creates a grant program for states and local governments to train and dispatch mental health professionals to respond, instead of law enforcement officers, to emergencies that involve people with behavioral health needs. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) must manage the program in consultation with the Department of Justice (DOJ). SAMHSA may cancel grants that increase incarceration or institutionalization. Grantees must use funds for purposes including de-escalation and anti-racism training. The Department of Health and Human Services and the DOJ must evaluate this program.
United States · United States Congress · 16 October 2020
Emergency Social Security COLA for 2021 Act This bill applies a 3% cost-of-living increase to Social Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income payable in calendar year 2021. The bill also disregards this increase for purposes of determining an individual's eligibility for federally funded, means-tested programs.
United States · United States Congress · 9 October 2020
Managing American Knowledge and Equipment to Prevent Pandemic Emergencies Act or the MAKE PPE Act This bill addresses federal planning and coordination related to production and distribution of personal protective equipment and other critical nonpharmaceutical supplies during public health emergencies. It also supports efforts to expand domestic manufacturing and production of the materials and incorporates inventory management of the materials in existing grants for community and hospital preparedness. The bill specifically directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to develop the capacity to coordinate these activities. In addition, FEMA, the Executive Office of the President, and the Department of Health and Human Services must jointly develop, in consultation with relevant federal partners, a protocol for federal procurement and distribution of equipment and supplies during emergencies. They must report to Congress on this protocol. FEMA must also establish the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response to coordinate, and develop a strategy related to, the procurement and distribution of critical materials. Among other tasks, the office must set up a data repository to track the demand for these materials. With respect to expanding domestic production, the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs must, subject to some exceptions and waivers, purchase critical nonpharmaceutical materials that are produced domestically. Additionally, the National Institutes of Standards and Technology must award grants for U.S. manufacturers to expand domestic production capacity of critical materials and for entities to develop educational materials to aid the public in making temporary masks and other equipment.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2020
This resolution honors Yitzhak Rabin for his service to the Israeli people and extends the sympathy and condolences of the House of Representatives to his family and the people of Israel on the 25th anniversary of his death. Further, it expresses support for (1) the close ties and special relationship between the United States and Israel; (2) community leaders and government officials who work to encourage coexistence and cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians; and (3) a negotiated, two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2020
Preventing Future Pandemics Act of 2020 This bill establishes measures to address global public health risks posed by wildlife markets, which are commercial markets that sell or slaughter wildlife for human consumption as food or medicine in communities where alternative nutritional or protein sources are available. Specifically, the bill prohibits importing, exporting, purchasing, or selling live wild animals in the United States for human consumption as food or medicine. The Department of the Interior must hire, train, and deploy at least 50 new U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service law enforcement attachés around the world, and the U.S. Agency for International Development must increase specified activities to address the threats and causes of zoonotic (animal-to-human transmission) disease outbreaks. Additionally, the United States must work with other United Nations member states to urge a global ban on commercial wildlife markets and enforcement of laws to end wildlife trafficking. Further, the President may impose sanctions against a foreign country or foreign nationals that the Department of State has determined are taking certain actions that enable or facilitate commercial wildlife markets. Among other reports required by the bill, the State Department must conduct a study and submit a report that includes an evaluation of (1) the impact that consumption of terrestrial wildlife as food or medicine has on the transmission of novel viral and other pathogens, (2) the role of consuming terrestrial wildlife as food or medicine in the transmission of microbes from animals to humans, and (3) the conditions at live wildlife markets that lead to this transmission.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2020
Culture, Arts, Libraries, and Museums Emergency Relief Act of 2020 or the CALMER Act of 2020 This bill appropriates additional amounts for (1) the National Endowment For the Arts, (2) the National Endowment for the Humanities, and (3) the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Specifically, the funds shall be used to expand digital network access, to purchase tablets and other internet-enabled devices, to provide technical support services, to assist museums with operational expenses, to develop and share distance learning content, and for pandemic recovery planning and implementation. The bill (1) eliminates the $300 limitation on the tax deduction for the charitable contributions of nonitemizing taxpayers and extends such deduction through 2021, (2) extends the modification of the limitation on the tax deduction for charitable contributions through 2021, (3) exempts tax-exempt charitable organizations from payment of employment taxes in 2020, (4) extends eligibility for the Main Street Lending Program to tax-exempt organizations, and (5) extends eligibility for the Paycheck Protection Program to all tax-exempt charitable organizations.
![Official portrait of Rep. Morelle, Joseph D. [D-NY-25]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/67ffc962f22eaf56065817bb_200.jpg)