United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2021
Travel Mask Mandate Repeal Act of 2021 This bill prohibits federal agencies from mandating the use of masks or face coverings on planes, trains, buses, and other public conveyances and at transportation hubs to prevent the transmission of COVID-19. Specifically, the bill nullifies (1) the rule issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on January 29, 2021, that mandates such use of masks or face coverings; and (2) orders and directives of the Transportation Security Administration that relate to the CDC rule.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2021
IRS Customer Service Improvement Act This bill prohibits the use of official time for specified union activities by employees of the Internal Revenue Service during the period each year beginning on February 12 and ending on April 15.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2021
Promoting Secure 5G Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to instruct the U.S. Executive Director at each international financial institution (e.g., the International Monetary Fund or the International Finance Corporation) that it is U.S. policy to support institutional assistance with advanced wireless technologies only if they provide appropriate security for users, encourage assistance with infrastructure or policy reforms that facilitate the use of secure advanced wireless technologies, and cooperate with institutional member states to strengthen international support for such technologies.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2021
Semiquincentennial Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue $25.00 gold coins, $2.50 silver coins, 25 cent clad coins, and proof silver $2.50 coins in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the establishment of the United States. The designs of the coins shall be emblematic of the semiquincentennial anniversary of the establishment of the United States of America and celebrate 250 years of our nation. On each coin there shall be a designation of the value of the coin; an inscription of the years 1776-2026; and inscriptions of the words Liberty , In God We Trust , United States of America , and E Pluribus Unum . Treasury may issue coins under this bill only during the period beginning on January 1, 2026, and ending on December 31, 2026. All sales of coins issued shall include a surcharge as prescribed by this bill. All surcharges received by Treasury from the sale of such coins shall be paid to the America 250 Foundation to fund the restoration, rehabilitation, and interpretation of units of the U.S. National Park System and its related areas, as a legacy of the semiquincentennial commemoration.
United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2021
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provides essential protection for our country from foreign and domestic threats and that defunding DHS would be detrimental to our national security.
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
Holding SSA Employees Accountable Act This bill prohibits employees of the Social Security Administration who are convicted of certain offenses related to their official duties from further participating in federal annuity programs.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 2021
No Frivolous Application for Short-Barreled Shotguns Act or the NFA SBS Act This bill removes certain short-barreled shotguns from the definition of firearms for purposes of the National Firearms Act. It also eliminates the prohibition on the sale or transportation of such shotguns in interstate commerce and treats persons who acquire or possess a short-barreled shotgun as meeting the registration or licensing requirements for such shotguns where such requirements are determined by reference to the National Firearms Act. The bill preempts state or local laws that impose a tax or recordkeeping requirements on short-barreled shotguns. The Department of Justice must destroy records relating to the registration of shotguns described by this bill within one year after the enactment of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 2021
Veterans in Parks (VIP) Act This bill makes the America the Beautiful-National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass available, without charge, to members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and Gold Star Families. The pass covers the entrance fee and standard amenity recreation fee for all federal recreational lands and waters.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 2021
NEPA Accountability and Enforcement Act This bills establishes (1) deadlines for federal agencies to complete reviews of the environmental effects of proposed major federal actions, and (2) penalties for agencies that do not comply with these deadlines.
United States · United States Congress · 29 June 2021
National Statuary Hall Collection Policy Act This bill establishes an additional requirement for the replacement of a statue in National Statuary Hall. Currently, a state's request to replace a statue it has provided for display shall only be considered if (1) the request has been approved by the legislature and the governor of the state, and (2) the statue to be replaced has been displayed in the U.S. Capitol for at least 10 years as of the time the request is made. The bill adds the requirement that at least two-thirds of the Members of Congress who represent a requesting state approve any request to replace a statue in National Statuary Hall.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2021
No Taxpayer Funding for the Central American Minors Program Act This bill prohibits using federal funds to carry out the Central American Minors program, a Department of Homeland Security and Department of State program that reunites qualified children from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras with their parent who is lawfully present in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 28 June 2021
Restore the Rights of Property Owners under the Eviction Moratorium Issued by the CDC Act of 2021 This bill nullifies beginning on July 1, 2021, the emergency order (and any extensions of the order) issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on September 4, 2020, that restricted residential evictions during the COVID-19 emergency. It also prohibits the order from being reissued unless specifically authorized by law.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2021
Stop Inflationary Spending Act This bill requires the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to provide inflation projections for bills that Congress considers using the budget reconciliation process. Specifically, the CBO must estimate the impact on inflation that will occur from implementing each reconciliation bill, including the impact on inflation that will occur during each of the first five years after the enactment of the bill.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2021
Increasing Health Coverage through HRAs Act of 2021 This bill provides statutory authority for the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Health and Human Services rule dated June 20, 2019, which provides for the integration of health reimbursement arrangements and other account-based health plans with individual health insurance coverage or Medicare.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2021
Promotion and Expansion of Private Employee Ownership Act of 2021 This bill expands tax incentives and federal assistance for employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) that are sponsored by S corporations. The bill provides additional tax incentives for ESOPs by (1) extending to all domestic corporations, including S corporations, provisions allowing deferral of tax on gain from the sale of employer securities to an ESOP; and (2) allowing a tax deduction for 50% of the interest received by a bank on loans to S corporation-sponsored ESOPs for the purchase of employer securities. The Department of the Treasury must establish the S Corporation Employee Ownership Assistance Office to foster increased employee ownership of S corporations. The bill defines an ESOP business concern for purposes of the Small Business Act as a business concern that was eligible for a loan, preference, or other program under such Act before more than 49% of the business concern was acquired by an ESOP.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2021
Unnecessary Agency Regulations Reduction Act of 2021 This bill requires the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs to annually report a list of major rules (i.e., rules with a significant economic impact, cost to consumers, or adverse effects on competition) that it recommends should be consolidated or repealed because they are outdated, duplicative, or incur excessive compliance costs. Congress must review the list to determine, and recommend by joint resolution, any such rules to consolidate or repeal.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2021
Unclaimed Savings Bond Act of 2021 This bill establishes requirements and procedures for the Department of the Treasury to transfer ownership of certain matured, unredeemed savings bonds and related records to states.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2021
Aviation Funding Stability Act of 20 21 This bill provides continuing appropriations to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from the Airport and Airway Trust Fund if an appropriations bill for the FAA has not been enacted before a fiscal year begins or a joint resolution making continuing appropriations for the FAA is not in effect. The bill provides appropriations at the rate of operations that was provided for the prior fiscal year to continue programs, projects, and activities for which funds were provided in the preceding fiscal year.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2021
Second Amendment is Essential Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security to designate the business of importing, manufacturing, or dealing firearms, or importing or manufacturing ammunition, as a critical infrastructure sector. Additionally, the bill states that individuals who are employed by those entities are critical infrastructure workers. The term critical infrastructure means systems and assets, physical or virtual, so vital to the United States that the incapacity or destruction of such systems and assets would have a debilitating impact on security, national economic security, national public health and safety, or any combination of those matters.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2021
Stop Mandating Additional Requirements for Travel Act or the SMART Act This bill nullifies on July 4, 2021, the rule issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on January 29, 2021, that requires the use of face masks on planes, trains, buses, and other public conveyances and at transportation hubs to prevent the transmission of COVID-19.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2021
Countering Hizbollah in Lebanon's Military Act of 2021 This bill limits the use of security assistance funds for Lebanon until certain conditions are met. Specifically, 20% of funds appropriated or made available for such security assistance may not be obligated or expended until the President certifies to Congress that (1) the Lebanese Armed Forces have taken measurable steps to limit or expel Hezbollah-influenced military personnel that have significant influence over the Lebanese Armed Forces' policies or activities, (2) activities of the Lebanese Armed Forces to disarm Hezbollah demonstrate a serious commitment to fulfill United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701 calling for such disarmament, and (3) the Lebanese Armed Forces have not cooperated or partnered with Hezbollah during the last year. The President may waive the first two requirements if it is in U.S. national security interest to do so.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2021
Campus Free Speech Restoration Act This bill addresses expressive activities (e.g., peacefully assembling, distributing literature, or carrying signs) on college campuses. First, the bill generally prohibits a public institution of higher education (IHE) that participates in federal student-aid programs from restricting noncommercial expressive activities on campus. Further, the bill prohibits a public IHE from receiving federal funds if the Department of Education determines that the public IHE (1) maintains a policy that infringes upon the expressive rights of students; or (2) maintains or enforces time, place, or manner restrictions on expressive activities, except in limited circumstances. In addition, the bill prohibits retaliation against an individual because the individual reported or complained about restrictions on expressive activities or participated in an investigation or hearing. The bill also requires a private IHE that receives federal funds to provide students with its policies related to expressive rights. The bill also establishes a framework for investigating complaints and for IHEs to regain eligibility for federal funds.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2021
Brian A. Terry Memorial Eliminate the ATF Act This bill abolishes the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and transfers its authorities, functions, personnel, and assets to the Department of Justice (DOJ). It also transfers authorities, functions, personnel, and assets of the Department of the Treasury's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau to DOJ. Additionally, the bill establishes the Border Patrol Agent Killed in Action Trust Fund. Amounts in the fund shall be made available for purposes of (1) providing grants to the surviving spouse, child, or parent of a U.S. Border Patrol agent killed in the line of duty on or after December 1, 2009; and (2) awarding grants to states for establishing firearm safety programs.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2021
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should not waive intellectual property protections for COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, or other related innovations.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2021
General Secretary Act This bill prohibits the federal government from creating or disseminating documents that refer to China's head of state as anything other than General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party or General Secretary .
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2021
Ending Critical Race Theory in D.C. Public Schools Act This bill prohibits any employee of the District of Columbia Public Schools or the District of Columbia Public Charter Schools from compelling a teacher or student to adopt, affirm, adhere to, or profess ideas that promote race or sex stereotyping or scapegoating.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2021
World Deserves To Know Act This bill requires sanctions on certain members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and officials of Chinese health agencies. It also addresses related issues. The President must impose visa- and property-blocking sanctions on any foreign person who is a CCP official and who is knowingly responsible for or complicit in (1) the disappearances of whistleblowers and citizen journalists in China relating to COVID-19, or (2) limiting free speech and academic freedom in China relating to COVID-19. The President must also impose such sanctions on specified individuals who have leadership positions in China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention and China's National Health Commission (NHC). The authority to impose such sanctions shall end when the President certifies to Congress that an independent and unimpeded investigation into the potential origin of COVID-19 from the Wuhan Institute of Virology has taken place. The bill also bars federal funds and certain federal student assistance from going to institutions of higher education that enter into a contract with any element or China-based affiliate of the NHC. Federal funding to the National Academy of Sciences may not be used to enter into a contract with any element or China-based affiliate of the NHC. The Government Accountability Office must report to Congress a review of all funds that the National Institutes of Health have made available to the NHC since FY2010. This report must also be publicly available.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2021
H-2B Returning Worker Exception Act of 2021 This bill modifies the H-2B (temporary nonagricultural workers) nonimmigrant visa program, including by exempting certain workers from an annual numerical limit on such visas and requiring civil penalties for program violations. Under this bill, if a worker seeking a H-2B visa has been counted toward the 66,000 annual cap on such visas in one of the three preceding fiscal years, that worker shall not be counted against the cap again. Furthermore, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must impose a civil monetary penalty on an employer for (1) failing to meet requirements related to an H-2B visa petition, or (2) making a willful misrepresentation of material fact in such a petition. DHS must also ensure the establishment of an electronic platform (1) for employers to submit and request approval of an H-2B petition, and (2) to act as a single point of access for applicants and the relevant government agencies. The Department of Labor must maintain a publicly available online database of all job orders by H-2B employers. Furthermore, Labor may take certain actions to enforce program requirements, such as imposing penalties and seeking injunctions. The bill provides statutory authority for the current practice of limiting the program to workers who are nationals of countries approved by DHS. DHS may make exceptions to this limitation in individual cases if it is in the U.S. interest to do so. DHS shall select approved countries based on various factors, such as the rate of overstay by H-2B visa holders from each country.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2021
This bill provides for the award of Congressional Gold Medals to the U.S. Capitol Police and the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia in recognition of the law enforcement agencies that protect the U.S. Capitol.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2021
This bill prohibits the use of federal funds to require a member of the Armed Forces to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. The bill also prohibits adverse action (e.g., punishment) being taken against a member of the Armed Forces because the member refuses to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2021
Pro-Growth Budgeting Act This bill requires the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation to incorporate a macroeconomic impact analysis in their cost estimates for major legislation. The macroeconomic impact analysis (commonly referred to as dynamic scoring) must include the budgetary effects of changes in economic output, employment, capital stock, tax revenues, the sources of financing new outlays, the total debt of the federal government, international trade, international capital flows, and other macroeconomic variables resulting from the legislation.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2021
Firearm Due Process Protection Act This bill expands the grounds for pursuing judicial remedies related to certain firearm transfers. Additionally, the bill establishes procedural rules applicable to actions for judicial remedies. Current law authorizes judicial remedies for an individual who is erroneously denied a firearm (e.g., an individual is denied a firearm but the individual is eligible to receive or possess a firearm). This bill authorizes remedies for an individual who experiences an extended delay (i.e., a delay of more than 60 days) on a firearm transfer. Additionally, the bill requires an expedited hearing on an action for judicial remedies and places the burden of proof on the respondent to show by clear and convincing evidence that the individual was ineligible to receive or possess a firearm.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2021
Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption Act or the PRIME Act This bill expands the exemption of custom slaughtering of animals from federal inspection requirements. Under current law, the exemption applies if the meat is slaughtered for personal, household, guest, and employee uses. The bill expands the exemption to include meat that is slaughtered and prepared at a custom slaughter facility in accordance with the laws of the state where the facility is located; and prepared exclusively for distribution to household consumers in the state or restaurants, hotels, boarding houses, grocery stores, or other establishments in the state that either prepare meals served directly to consumers or offer meat and food products for sale directly to consumers in the state. The bill does not preempt any state law concerning (1) the slaughter of animals or the preparation of carcasses, parts thereof, meat and meat food products at a custom slaughter facility; or (2) the sale of meat or meat food products.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2021
Fair-Value Accounting and Budget Act This bill requires the Congressional Budget Office to provide certain fair-value estimates of federal loan and loan guarantee programs. Under the bill, the fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Fair-value estimates generally use private-market interest rates to estimate the cost of a loan program rather than rates based on Treasury securities.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2021
Eliminate Lavish Incentives To Electric Vehicles Act or the ELITE Vehicles Act This bill terminates the tax credit for new qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicles 30 days after this bill's enactment date. The credit is permanently repealed for taxable years beginning 1 year and 30 days after enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2021
Fair-Value Accounting and Budget Act This bill requires the Congressional Budget Office to provide certain fair-value estimates of federal loan and loan guarantee programs. Under the bill, the fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Fair-value estimates generally use private-market interest rates to estimate the cost of a loan program rather than rates based on Treasury securities.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2021
Children Have Opportunities in Classrooms Everywhere Act This bill allows tax-exempt distributions from qualified tuition programs (known as 529 plans) to be used for additional educational expenses in connection with elementary or secondary school. The bill also allows certain federal funds for elementary and secondary education to follow a student from a low-income household to the public school that the student attends or for tax-exempt educational expenses. Under current law, tax-exempt distributions in connection with elementary or secondary school are limited to tuition for a public, private, or religious school. The bill allows these distributions to be used additionally for curriculum and curricular materials, books or other instructional materials, online educational materials, tutoring or educational classes outside the home, testing fees, fees for dual enrollment in an institution of higher education, and educational therapies for students with disabilities. Distributions may also be used for tuition and the purposes above in connection with a home school (whether treated as a home school or a private school under state law). In addition, the bill directs state educational agencies to allocate grant funds to ensure the funding follows students to their public school or for other tax-exempt educational expenses outlined by the bill. Each state that carries out these allocations must establish a plan that allows the parent or guardian of an eligible child to apply for grant funds.
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2021
Emergency Resupply for IRON DOME Act of 2021 This bill requires the President to make all unexpended funding for assistance to Gaza available instead for grants to Israel for its Iron Dome short-range rocket defense system.
United States · United States Congress · 28 May 2021
Lymphedema Treatment Act This bill provides for Medicare coverage of lymphedema compression treatment items. Specifically, the bill provides for coverage of (1) standard and custom fitted gradient compression garments that are prescribed by a physician or other specified health care professional to treat lymphedema, and (2) other devices determined to be effective in the prevention or treatment of lymphedema.
United States · United States Congress · 28 May 2021
Protecting Our Wellbeing by Expanding Russian Sanctions Act or the POWERS Act This bill expands existing sanctions against foreign persons engaged in certain activities related to the Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream pipelines, two Russian pipelines that were constructed to supply natural gas to Europe. Currently, these sanctions apply to foreign persons that (1) provided pipe-laying vessels for the construction of either pipeline, (2) facilitated certain transactions for such vessels, (3) provided certain underwriting services or insurance for such vessels, or (4) provided certain services for such vessels or Nord Stream 2. Under this bill, these sanctions must also apply to any foreign person that engaged in any transaction with such sanctioned persons. The bill also reinstates any sanctions that were previously waived with respect to Nord Stream 2 AG (the company established to construct and operate the pipeline) or any of its corporate officers. Such reinstated sanctions may not be waived except by an act of Congress.
United States · United States Congress · 28 May 2021
Safeguarding United States Research Act This bill imposes certain reporting requirements on the sponsor of an F, M, or J (student or exchange visitor) visa and authorizes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to revoke such a visa in certain instances. It also expands disclosure requirements for applicants of federal research and development awards. The Department of State must require a sponsor of a J visa to report any change to the visa holder's primary field of study. The State Department and DHS shall require a sponsor of an F, M, or J visa to report when the visa holder is participating in a federally funded research program. DHS may review and revoke an F, M, or J visa in certain instances, such as finding that (1) the visa holder misrepresented an intention to pursue a field of study, or (2) the visa holder's participation in a federally funded research program poses a national security risk. The bill also imposes certain limits on the ability to appeal such a revocation decision. The bill also requires applications for federal research and development awards to disclose any in-kind contributions received by the applicant. Furthermore, if an applicant works for an institution that is required to file disclosures relating to the receipt of foreign gifts, the application for the federal award must include a certification that the applicant has provided the employing institution all the information necessary to comply with that disclosure requirement.
United States · United States Congress · 28 May 2021
Harlem Hellfighters Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to the 369th Infantry Regiment, commonly known as the Harlem Hellfighters, in recognition of their bravery and outstanding service during World War I.
United States · United States Congress · 28 May 2021
This concurrent resolution establishes the Joint Select Committee on the Events and Activities Surrounding China's Handling of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus to investigate and report to Congress and the executive branch specified information related to the coronavirus (i.e., the virus that causes COVID-19) pandemic. This report must include the origins and causes of the coronavirus; certain coronavirus-related policies, decisions, and activities by the government of China; accountability for policies, decisions, and activities related to influencing the World Health Organization's response to the coronavirus outbreak; vulnerabilities of the U.S. domestic and global supply chain to a global pandemic due to reliance on Chinese manufacturing; information related to lessons learned from China's handling of the coronavirus; and recommended actions the federal government should take in response to China's handling of the coronavirus.
United States · United States Congress · 28 May 2021
This resolution calls on the people of the United States to observe Memorial Day to honor the men and women who died in the pursuit of freedom and peace.