United States · United States Congress · 10 August 2021
Affordable Pricing for Taxpayer-Funded Prescription Drugs Act of 2021 This bill requires companies that receive federal funding for research (or a license of the rights to a patent or regulatory test data) for a biomedical product or service to agree to set reasonable prices for the resulting biomedical product or service. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must determine a reasonable price based on a formula that ensures the U.S. price for the product or service is not more than the median price for the product or service in Canada and six other reference countries with, based on specified criteria, large economies and high incomes. Companies entering these agreements also must report to HHS certain financial information related to the biomedical product or service involved.
United States · United States Congress · 6 August 2021
U.S.A. Beef Act This bill modifies label requirements for meat food products of cattle. Specifically, the bill prohibits the label of cattle meat or a meat food product of cattle from bearing the phrase Product of U.S.A. unless such meat or meat food product is exclusively derived from one or more cattle born, raised, and slaughtered in the United States. The requirement does not apply to cattle meat or a meat food product of cattle that is intended and offered for export to a foreign country.
United States · United States Congress · 6 August 2021
Helping Kids Cope Act of 2021 This bill provides funding through FY2026 to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for grants to enhance access to and provider training in pediatric behavioral health care. Specifically, HRSA must award grants to pediatricians, children's hospitals, and other providers to support pediatric behavioral health integration and coordination within communities. Grant-funded activities may include hiring community navigators to assist families in accessing appropriate services, incorporating behavioral health services in pediatric practices, and delivering services via telehealth. In addition, HRSA must award grants to children's hospitals to expand training for providers in the pediatric behavioral health workforce.
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
This resolution recognizes the 75th anniversary of the Fulbright Program, which promotes international goodwill through the exchange of students in the fields of education, culture, and science.
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
Foreign Extortion Prevention Act This bill establishes a federal criminal offense involving bribery by foreign officials. Specifically, the bill makes it a crime for foreign officials to demand or accept anything of value personally or for another person or a nongovernmental entity to influence the performance of an official act or otherwise confer an improper advantage. The bill explicitly grants extraterritorial jurisdiction over the offense. A violation is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to 15 years, or both. Finally, the bill establishes a Victims of Kleptocracy Fund in the Treasury and directs fines and penalties for violations to be deposited into the fund for anti-corruption initiatives.
United States · United States Congress · 28 July 2021
Improving Access for Afghan Refugees Act This bill requires the Department of State to provide priority refugee status to eligible habitual residents of Afghanistan. To be eligible for such priority status, a habitual resident of Afghanistan must also be a national of Afghanistan or stateless. Such an individual shall receive priority refugee status if the individual (1) has suffered persecution or has a well-founded fear of persecution and worked in a specified field that makes the individual a target of persecution on account of race, religion, or other characteristics; (2) was employed for at least one year in Afghanistan by U.S.-based media or nongovernmental entities or an entity that received a contract or grant from the U.S. government; or (3) is the beneficiary of a visa petition sponsored by a relative who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. The State Department may also provide priority status to other groups of individuals who are nationals and residents of Afghanistan. Certain annual numerical limits on refugee admissions shall not apply to individuals who receive priority status under this bill. For refugee applications under this bill, the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security shall ensure that all steps in the approval process in the U.S. government's control are completed within six months of an application's submission, with exceptions for cases that need more time to address national security concerns.
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 · 22 July 2021
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 226 North Main Street in Roseville, Ohio, as the "Ronald E. Rosser Post Office."
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
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 102 West Main Street in New Albany, Ohio, as the "Congressman Samuel L. Devine Post Office."
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2021
United States Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act of 2021 This bill establishes restrictions on businesses that relocate call centers or redirect customer service calls to locations outside the United States. Specifically, a business must notify the Department of Labor that it intends to move its customer service call center overseas and Labor must maintain a publicly available list of such businesses. Subject to narrow exceptions, a business appearing on such list is ineligible to receive federal grants or guaranteed loans for five years after the business is added to the list. Further, agencies must condition the awarding of government contracts on the requirement that any call center activity pursuant to the contract must be performed in the United States. Additionally, the bill requires call center employees to disclose their physical location at the beginning of each call initiated or received, unless all employees of the business participating in the communication are located in the United States, among other exceptions.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2021
Revealing and Explaining Visa Exclusions for Accountability and Legitimacy Act or the REVEAL Act This bill authorizes the Department of State to publicly disclose the identity of an alien who has been denied admission into the United States because that alien's entry would pose potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences. The State Department may also reveal the grounds that it relied on to make such a determination. The President must annually report to Congress a list of individuals denied a visa on such foreign policy grounds and another list of the instances when the State Department chose to not publicly disclose the identity of such an individual.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2021
Veterans' Agricultural Apprenticeship Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture to establish a program to make direct loans to farmers and ranchers who will provide mentorship and apprenticeship opportunities for veterans who have not previously operated a farm or ranch. The Government Accountability Office must report on the effectiveness of the program in assisting veterans in becoming farmers and ranchers.
United States · United States Congress · 20 July 2021
Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2022 This bill provides FY2022 appropriations for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works projects, the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation, the Department of Energy (DOE), and independent agencies such as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The bill provides appropriations for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works projects, including for Investigations, Construction, Mississippi River and Tributaries, Operation and Maintenance, the Regulatory Program, the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program, Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies, Expenses, the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works, and the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Program. The bill provides appropriations to the Department of the Interior for the Central Utah Project and the Bureau of Reclamation. The bill provides appropriations to DOE for Energy Programs, including Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response; Electricity; Nuclear Energy; Fossil Energy And Carbon Management; Naval Petroleum and Oil Shale Reserves; the Strategic Petroleum Reserve; the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve; the Energy Information Administration; Non-Defense Environmental Cleanup; the Uranium Enrichment Decontamination and Decommissioning Fund; Science; Nuclear Waste Disposal; Technology Transitions; Clean Energy Demonstrations; the Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy; the Title 17 Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program; the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program; the Tribal Energy Loan Guarantee Program; Indian Energy Policy And Programs; Departmental Administration; and the Office of the Inspector General. The bill also provides appropriations to DOE for Atomic Energy Defense Activities of the National Nuclear Security Administration, Environmental and Other Defense Activities, and the Power Marketing Administrations. The bill provides appropriations to several independent agencies, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The bill also sets forth requirements and restrictions for using funds provided by this and other appropriations acts.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2021
Daniel Anderl Judicial Security and Privacy Act of 2021 This bill generally prohibits federal agencies and private businesses from publicly posting the personally identifiable information (e.g., home addresses) of federal judges and their immediate family members. It also (1) requires information to be removed upon written request from the federal judge concerned, (2) prohibits data brokers from purchasing or selling such information, and (3) establishes programs to protect such information at the state and local level and to enhance security for judges.
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
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
Year-Round Fuel Choice Act of 2021 This bill amends the Clean Air Act to address the limitations on Reid vapor pressure (a measure of gasoline's volatility) that are placed on gasoline during the summer ozone season. The bill applies the Reid vapor pressure requirements that are applicable to gasoline blended with 10% ethanol (E10) to gasoline blended with more than 10% ethanol. Thus, the waiver given to E10 gasoline, which allows an increase in the Reid Vapor Pressure volatility, is extended to gasoline blended with more than 10% ethanol.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2021
Preserving Rules Ordered for The Entities Covered Through 340B Act of 2021 or the PROTECT 340B Act of 2021 This bill prohibits pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and health insurance plans from discriminating against health providers participating in the 340B drug pricing program, including pharmacies contracted with such providers to dispense 340B drugs. The 340B program allows certain providers to receive covered outpatient drugs at reduced prices from manufacturers. Specifically, PBMs and insurance plans may not reimburse 340B participants at a lower rate than other entities not participating in the program; impose differing terms (such as fees, charge-backs, or audits) on 340B participants; interfere with an individual's choice to receive drugs from a 340B participant; require 340B participants to identify which drugs fall within the program; or refuse to contract with a 340B participant on the basis that they utilize the program. Violations of this bill are subject to a civil penalty of not more than $5,000 per violation per day. These prohibitions also apply to prescription drug (Part D) sponsors under Medicare. The bill also provides for a process to prevent duplicate 340B drug discounts to states under Medicaid.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2021
This resolution expresses support for the designation of Journeyman Lineworkers Recognition Day. (A journeyman lineworker is a person who builds and maintains electrical power systems.)
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2021
Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2021 This bill requires states to direct their local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish policies that prevent and prohibit bullying and harassment of elementary and secondary school students. In particular, these policies must prohibit bullying and harassment based on race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or religion. Further, LEAs must provide (1) students, parents, and educational professionals with annual notice of the conduct prohibited in their disciplinary policies; (2) students and parents with grievance procedures that target such conduct; and (3) the public with annual data on the incidence and frequency of that conduct at the school and LEA level. The Department of Education must conduct and report on an independent biennial evaluation of programs and policies to combat bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools. The National Center for Education Statistics must collect state data to determine the incidence and frequency of the conduct prohibited by LEA disciplinary policies.
United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2021
Openness in Political Expenditures Now Act or the OPEN Act This bill requires each corporation that submits regular and periodic reports to shareholders to (1) include information about certain political activities during the time period covered by the report, and (2) provide copies of reports disclosing political activities to the Federal Election Commission. The bill also prohibits an organization from obtaining tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code if its expenditures on covered political activities exceed certain thresholds in a taxable year.
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
Minks in Narrowly Kept Spaces are Superspreaders Act or the MINKS are Superspreaders Act This bill makes it unlawful to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase American mink ( Neovison vison ) raised in captivity for fur production, whether dead or alive.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 2021
Fair COLA for Seniors Act This bill bases cost-of-living adjustments for certain benefits available through federal and military retirement programs, Social Security, and specified programs for veterans on a price index that tracks the spending patterns of older consumers. The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the Department of Labor must publish that price index on a monthly basis.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 2021
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 · 24 June 2021
Golden Visa Accountability Act This bill requires the Department of State to establish and maintain a database containing information about investor visa denials due to the applicant's involvement in corruption or serious human rights abuses. (Generally, the United States offers immigrant visas to qualified individuals who invest in the United States and create a certain number of full-time jobs.) Initially, the database must include records related to such denials of U.S. investor visas. The bill also requires the State Department to eventually expand the database to include records of such denials of investor visas in other countries. The State Department shall prioritize including records from European Union countries and from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. The State Department may admit a foreign country to be part of the database if the State Department determines (1) that country will be honest and forthcoming with its records, and (2) that country's investor visa program is at risk of abuse by corrupt foreign officials.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2021
Veterans Visa and Protection Act of 2021 This bill provides permanent resident status and citizenship eligibility to certain noncitizen veterans and addresses related issues. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must establish a program that allows (1) eligible noncitizen veterans outside of the United States to be admitted as permanent residents, and (2) eligible noncitizen veterans in the United States to obtain permanent resident status. Generally, an eligible noncitizen veteran under this bill is one who was not removed from the United States for certain crimes related to violence or national security. DHS may waive these eligibility requirements for humanitarian, family unity, public interest, or exceptional military service reasons. A noncitizen veteran who obtains permanent resident status under this bill shall be eligible for (1) naturalization through service in the Armed Forces, and (2) military and veterans benefits as if they had not been removed (or ordered removed) from the United States. For a noncitizen veteran in removal proceedings or subject to a final removal order, the Department of Justice (DOJ) must determine whether the veteran is eligible for permanent resident status under this bill. If the veteran is eligible, DOJ must adjust the veteran's status. The bill also protects noncitizen veterans or service members from being removed from the United States unless the veteran has been convicted of a crime of violence.
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
Expanding Health Care Options for Early Retirees Act This bill establishes a Medicare buy-in option for certain qualifying first responders. Specifically, the bill allows first responders aged 50 to 64 to enroll in Medicare if they are retired or otherwise separated from service due to a disability. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must determine enrollment periods and set premiums for the buy-in option established under the bill, in accordance with specified requirements. The CMS must also award grants to states and nonprofit organizations for outreach and enrollment activities relating to the buy-in option.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2021
Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act of 20 21 This bill prohibits commercial conversion therapy, which is a practice or treatment designed to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity or otherwise change behaviors, thoughts, or expressions related to gender or sexual attraction. This prohibition does not apply to treatment that assists an individual undergoing a gender transition or facilitates identity exploration and development.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2021
Minor League Baseball Relief Act This bill establishes a program for the relief of certain minor league baseball clubs and independent professional baseball clubs that experienced large business losses. The bill provides funding for the Small Business Administration to make grants to such clubs that experienced decreases in gross revenue in 2020 of at least 75%, as measured against revenues in 2019 (or, if revenues were negatively affected by a natural disaster or weather disruption in 2019, by the average of revenues over the prior three-year period). The source of funding for the grants shall be funds appropriated under enacted COVID-19 relief legislation that have not been obligated and are no longer being used to carry out activities authorized under those laws. Grant amounts provided to any club may not exceed $10 million.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2021
Saving Hazardous And Declining Environments Act or the SHADE Act This bill requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development to award grants for government entities and nonprofit organizations to plant trees in low-income communities and in communities meeting designated minority or limited English-proficiency thresholds.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2021
Saving America's Pollinators Act of 2021 This bill addresses the use of certain pesticides and the health and status of native bees and other pollinators. First, the bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a Pollinator Protection Board to develop an independent review process for pesticides that pose a threat to pollinators and their habitats. All active ingredients and pesticide products that contain one or more specified neonicotinoid pesticides must be deemed to generally cause unreasonable adverse effects to the environment. Under the bill, the registration of all uses of neonicotinoid pesticides must be immediately and permanently canceled. The EPA must revoke any tolerance or exemption that allows the presence of a neonicotinoid pesticide, or any pesticide chemical residue that results from neonicotinoid pesticide use, in or on food. The continued sale or use of existing stocks of neonicotinoid pesticides is prohibited, and the EPA may not register any such pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. The bill requires the Department of the Interior, the EPA, and the Department of Agriculture to coordinate monitoring activities and report on the health and population status of native bees and other pollinators. Finally, a state or federal agency may be granted an exemption to use neonicotinoid pesticides if the board votes that use of the pesticide is warranted (1) in an emergency situation to avert significant risk to threatened or endangered species, (2) to quarantine invasive species, or (3) to protect public health.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2021
Closing the Meal Gap Act of 202 1 This bill revises the requirements for calculating Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. The bill increases the minimum SNAP benefit and requires benefits to be calculated using the value of a low-cost food plan. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) must determine the requirements for the low-cost food plan, which is the diet required to feed a family of four, consisting of a man and a woman 19-50 years of age, a child 6-8 years of age, and a child 9-11 years of age. USDA must (1) reevaluate and publish the market baskets of the plan by January 1, 2027, and every five years thereafter, based on current food prices, food composition data, consumption patterns, and dietary guidance; and (2) make adjustments to the plan to account for household size, changes in the cost of the diet, and the costs of food in specified areas. The bill modifies the requirements for calculating household income to determine SNAP eligibility by (1) authorizing a standard medical expense deduction for households containing an elderly or disabled member, and (2) eliminating the cap on the excess shelter expense deduction. The bill eliminates certain work requirements for SNAP. The requirements apply to able-bodied adults who are ages 18-49 and have no dependent children. The bill allows Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands to participate in SNAP. Currently, the three territories receive block grants instead of participating in SNAP.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2021
Reducing Hereditary Cancer Act of 2021 This bill provides for Medicare coverage of germline mutation testing for individuals with a personal or family history of a hereditary cancer gene mutation or suspected history of hereditary cancer, as well as for associated coverage of risk-reducing surgeries and screenings.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2021
School Infrastructure Modernization Act of 2021 This bill allows rehabilitation expenditures for public school buildings to qualify for the rehabilitation tax credit during a specified five-year period.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2021
Vanessa Guillén Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act This bill modifies the process and policy related to the disposition of charges and convening of courts-martial for certain sexual assault cases and other specified offenses under the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). Among other elements, the bill provides that the determinations on the preferral, disposition, and referral of charges for specified offenses under the UCMJ must be made by a commissioned officer of the Armed Forces who is designated as a court-martial convening authority (in grade O-6 or higher) and who is available for detail as trial counsel, has significant trial experience, and is outside the chain of command of the member subject to the charges.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2021
Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2021 or the Honoring our PACT Act of 2021 This bill addresses health care, presumption of service-connection, research, resources, and other matters related to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during military service. The bill provides eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical care to veterans who (1) participated in a toxic exposure risk activity (a qualifying activity that requires a corresponding entry in the Individual Longitudinal Exposure Record), or (2) served in specified locations on specified dates. The bill establishes within the VA the Formal Advisory Committee on Toxic Exposure, the Science Review Board, and the Working Group to assist with the various procedures in establishing or removing presumptions of service-connection. The bill modifies or establishes the presumption of service-connection for certain conditions or purposes for various groups of veterans. Among other requirements, the VA must provide a veteran with a medical examination regarding the nexus between a disability and toxic exposure risk activity if a veteran submits a disability compensation claim for a service-connected disability with insufficient evidence, incorporate a clinical questionnaire to help determine potential toxic exposures as part of the initial screening conducted for veterans with a VA primary care provider, establish a registry for current or past members of the Armed Forces who may have been exposed to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances due to the environmental release of aqueous film-forming foam at a Department of Defense location, and establish and maintain the Fort McClellan Health Registry.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2021
Work Without Worry Act This bill modifies eligibility for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits for individuals who have a disability that began before age 22. Under current law, these individuals may obtain SSDI benefits based on the work record of a retired, disabled, or deceased parent. However, an individual with earnings after age 22 that exceed a specified monetary limit (i.e., constitute substantial gainful activity) permanently loses eligibility for such benefits. This bill allows individuals to retain eligibility for such benefits regardless of the amount of earnings after age 22. Additionally, individuals who apply for SSDI benefits on a parent's record and also independently qualify for Social Security benefits on their own record will receive the larger of the two benefit amounts.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2021
Local Journalism Sustainability Act This bill allows individual and business taxpayers tax credits for the support of local newspapers and media. Specifically, individual taxpayers may claim an income tax credit up to $250 for a local newspaper subscription. The bill also allows local newspaper employers a payroll tax credit for wages paid to an employee for service as a local news journalist and certain small businesses a tax credit for local newspaper and media advertising expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2021
This resolution recognizes the historical significance to the nation of Juneteenth Independence Day (commemorating the end of slavery in the United States).
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2021
Foreign Corruption Accountability Act This bill temporarily authorizes the President to impose visa-blocking sanctions against any foreign person that engages in public corruption activities (e.g., soliciting or accepting bribes or engaging in extortion) against the United States. The President may terminate the sanctions by making a determination that the person (1) is no longer engaged in (or has taken significant verifiable steps to cease) the sanctionable conduct, or (2) will not knowingly engage in sanctionable conduct in the future. In addition, the President may also terminate the sanctions if it is in U.S. national security interests. The President must notify Congress at least 15 days before terminating the sanctions. The President must annually report to Congress on the imposition and termination of sanctions on foreign persons for engaging in public corruption. The authority to impose the sanctions terminates six years after this bill's enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2021
Restaurant Revitalization Fund Replenishment Act of 2021 This bill provides an additional $60 billion in FY2021 for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, which was established to support restaurants and other food and beverage purveyors in response to COVID-19.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2021
Supplemental Security Income Restoration Act of 2021 This bill modifies eligibility for, and other components of, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, including by (1) increasing applicable income and resource limits used to determine SSI eligibility, (2) equalizing treatment of married couples when both spouses receive SSI as compared to two unmarried individuals, and (3) eliminating the penalty on SSI applicants or recipients who transfer resources to another individual for less than fair market value.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2021
Justice for Victims of Kleptocracy Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Justice to publish and regularly update its website with an accounting of property that is forfeited to the United States as a result of foreign government corruption. It also expresses the sense of Congress that recovered assets shall be returned for the benefit of the people harmed by the corruption.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2021
Women's Health Protection Act of 2021 This bill prohibits governmental restrictions on the provision of, and access to, abortion services. Specifically, governments may not limit a provider's ability to prescribe certain drugs, offer abortion services via telemedicine, or immediately provide abortion services when the provider determines a delay risks the patient's health. Furthermore, governments may not require a provider to perform unnecessary medical procedures, provide medically inaccurate information, comply with credentialing or other conditions that do not apply to providers whose services are medically comparable to abortions, or carry out all services connected to an abortion. In addition, governments may not (1) require patients to make medically unnecessary in-person visits before receiving abortion services or disclose their reasons for obtaining such services, or (2) prohibit abortion services before fetal viability or after fetal viability when a provider determines the pregnancy risks the patient's life or health. The bill also prohibits other governmental measures that are similar to the bill's specified restrictions or that otherwise single out and impede access to abortion services, unless a government demonstrates that the measure significantly advances the safety of abortion services or health of patients and cannot be achieved through less restrictive means. The Department of Justice, individuals, or providers may bring a lawsuit to enforce this bill, and states are not immune from suits for violations. The bill applies to restrictions imposed both prior and subsequent to the bill's enactment.