United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2021
Taiwan Preclearance Act This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to report to Congress on various issues, including (1) a plan for establishing a U.S. Customs and Border Protection preclearance facility in the Indo-Pacific region; (2) an analysis of the feasibility and advisability of establishing a preclearance facility in Taiwan; and (3) an assessment of the impact that a preclearance facility will have on trade, tourism, and the security partnership between Taiwan and the United States. (Preclearance facilities are stations in designated foreign airports that inspect travelers prior to boarding U.S.-bound flights.)
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2021
Telehealth Extension Act of 2021 This bill expands and otherwise modifies coverage of telehealth services under Medicare. Specifically, the bill permanently (1) removes geographic restrictions on originating sites (i.e., the location of the beneficiary), (2) allows the home of the beneficiary to serve as the originating site for all services, and (3) allows federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics to serve as the distant site (i.e., the location of the health care practitioner). The bill also extends any Medicare telehealth flexibilities that were granted during the COVID-19 public health emergency until two years after the emergency ends and generally allows such flexibilities to be granted during any public health emergency. In addition, the bill (1) allows for Medicare payment of outpatient critical access hospital services consisting of telehealth behavioral therapy until two years after the COVID-19 public health emergency ends; and (2) after the emergency ends, conditions payment for certain high-cost laboratory tests and durable medical equipment that are ordered via telehealth on at least one in-person visit during the preceding six-month period.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2021
Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act or the HALT Fentanyl Act This bill places fentanyl-related substances as a class into schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. A schedule I controlled substance is a drug, substance, or chemical that has a high potential for abuse; has no currently accepted medical value; and is subject to regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal penalties under the Controlled Substances Act. Additionally, the bill establishes a new, alternative registration process for schedule I research that is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services or the Department of Veterans Affairs or that is conducted under an investigative new drug exemption from the Food and Drug Administration. The bill also makes several other changes to registration requirements for conducting research with controlled substances, including permitting a single registration for related research sites in certain circumstances, waiving the requirement for a new inspection in certain situations, and allowing a registered researcher to perform certain manufacturing activities with small quantities of a substance without obtaining a manufacturing registration.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2021
National Liberty Memorial Preservation Act This bill extends through FY2027 the authority of the National Mall Liberty Fund D.C. to establish a memorial on eligible federal land to honor the slaves and free Black persons who served as soldiers and sailors or provided civilian assistance during the American Revolution.
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2021
Preventing Animal Abuse and Waste Act of 2021 or the PAAW Act of 2021 This bill prohibits the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) from conducting or supporting research that causes significant pain or distress to a dog. The bill also requires reporting about the use of dogs in research studies. First, the National Institutes of Health must report on ongoing or prospective research conducted or supported by NIAID that causes significant pain or distress to a dog and the amount of funds obligated for such research. Second, NIAID must report on efforts to phase out the use of dogs in the research it conducts or supports.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2021
Opioid Quota Openness, Transparency, and Awareness Act of 2021 or the Opioid QuOTA Act of 2021 This bill requires the Drug Enforcement Administration to make publicly available on its website certain information regarding opioid procurement quotas. The term opioid procurement quota means the maximum quantity of opioid analgesics that a registered manufacturer may procure.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2021
Access to Rare Indications Act of 2021 This bill provides for coverage under the Medicare prescription drug benefit, Medicaid, and private health insurance of certain drugs that are used to treat rare diseases or conditions (i.e., diseases or conditions that affect 200,000 or fewer individuals). Such drugs must be supported by peer-reviewed research or medical experts and must not have been reviewed unfavorably in specified compendia or used in a way that conflicts with approved labels.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2021
Community Bank Relief Act of 2021 This bill requires banking agencies to set the community bank leverage ratio between 8% and 8.5% for calendar years 2022, 2023, and 2024 for community banks seeking to satisfy simplified capital adequacy requirements. Currently, banking agencies are statutorily required to set the rate between 8% and 10% through rulemaking. Under current regulations, the rate will increase from 8.5% to 9% on January 1, 2022.
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2021
Employee Retention Tax Credit Reinstatement Act This bill provides for a reinstatement of the employee retention tax credit through 2021. The credit was established to compensate employers whose businesses were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic for wages paid to their employees.
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2021
Protect American Taxpayer Dollars from Illegal Immigration Act This bill prohibits expending federal funds for legal settlements to individuals who violated certain laws relating to the proper time and place to enter the United States, if the settlement pertains to claims based solely on the lawful detention of such an individual as part of a family unit after the individual's entry into the United States at the southern border after January 20, 2017.
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2021
Public Safety Enhancement Act of 2021 This bill reauthorizes through FY2026 the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant program. Additionally, the bill requires a certain amount of funds made available under the COPS grant program to be used for the hiring and retention of law enforcement officers.
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2021
Veteran Affairs Home Loan Guaranty Resiliency And Concurrency Enhancement Act of 2021 or the VA Home Loan GRACE Act of 2021 This bill modifies provisions related to the Department of Veterans Affairs home loan program, including by establishing a penalty for knowingly making a false certification for a loan under the program.
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2021
This resolution reaffirms that it is U.S. policy to support the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Moldova. The resolution supports the Strategic Dialogue between the United States and Moldova as a means to strengthen their relations and enhance the reforms already being undertaken by Moldova. The resolution reaffirms the importance of free, fair, and transparent elections in Moldova. The resolution affirms Moldova's right to determine its own partnerships and its right to associate with the European Union or any regional organization. The resolution calls upon the government of Russia to fulfill its commitments made at the Istanbul summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in 1999, withdraw its military forces and munitions from Moldova, refrain from issuing economic threats or exerting pressure against Moldova, and cease any and all actions that support separatist movements within Moldova. The resolution supports efforts to resolve the Transnistria conflict through a comprehensive settlement that secures Moldova's sovereignty and territorial integrity, while providing a special status for the Transnistrian region within Moldova. Finally, this resolution affirms that lasting stability and security in Moldova is a key priority for the United States and can only be achieved if the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Moldova and all other European countries are respected.
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2021
This resolution reaffirms unequivocal support for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) as an alliance founded on democratic principles. The resolution also calls on the President to use the voice and vote of the United States to adopt a new Strategic Concept for NATO that is clear about its support for shared democratic values and committed to enhancing NATO's capacity to strengthen democratic institutions within NATO member, partner, and aspirant countries. Finally, the resolution calls on the President to use the voice and vote of the United States to establish a Center for Democratic Resilience within NATO headquarters.
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2021
Making Advances Kinetic Education, Research, and Skills Act or the MAKERS Act This bill directs the National Science Foundation to award competitive grants to institutions of higher education or their consortia to support the research and development of makerspaces to assist in the formation of a workforce capable of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Makerspaces are community spaces that (1) provide access to tools, technology, and knowledge for learners and entrepreneurs; (2) result in prototyping or creation of physical goods, interdisciplinary learning, and educational innovation; and (3) support the development of educational opportunities for personal growth, workforce training, and early stage business ventures. Grants may be used for (1) research on the effectiveness of makerspaces in engaging students and the community in STEM skills and in teaching and learning, (2) the compilation and dissemination of best practices on the use of makerspaces for STEM learning and workforce preparedness, and (3) equipment to achieve such purposes. Funds furnished through a grant may not be used for the construction of a building or facility to hold a makerspace unless such construction is necessary for safety reasons or the use of relevant equipment.
United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2021
Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act of 2021 or the HELP Act of 2021 This bill extends through FY2035 the special duty-free rules for Haiti. It also extends through December 19, 2035, the duty-free treatment provided for apparel articles assembled in Haiti and imported from Haiti or the Dominican Republic.
United States · United States Congress · 1 December 2021
This bill revises enforcement provisions under the Animal Welfare Act (AWA), including by directing inspectors to confiscate or destroy in a humane manner animals found to be suffering physical or psychological harm as a result of failure to comply with the AWA.
United States · United States Congress · 30 November 2021
Stop Iranian Drones Act This bill expands existing provisions requiring sanctions against individuals or entities that provide certain types of weapons to Iran. Specifically, the bill modifies the provisions by adding unmanned combat aerial vehicles to the list of weapons covered by the sanctions.
United States · United States Congress · 23 November 2021
Strengthening the Office of Personnel Management Act This bill provides statutory authority for the mission of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), establishes the Chief Management Officer and the OPM Advisory Committee on Human Capital Management, and specifies additional requirements for the appointment of the OPM Director and the removal of the OPM Director or Deputy Director.
United States · United States Congress · 23 November 2021
Compacts, Access, and Responsible Expansion for Mental Health Professionals Act or the C.A.R.E. for Mental Health Professionals Act This bill establishes a grant program to promote interstate licensure compacts for mental health professionals. These are licensure agreements enacted by two or more states to mutually recognize the licenses of counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists, or pediatric mental health professionals. The Health Resources and Services Administration must award grants to interstate compact commissions or professional licensing boards. Recipients may use grants for projects to (1) incentivize mental health professionals to practice in states with interstate licensure compacts, and (2) develop or maintain interstate compact commissions.
United States · United States Congress · 23 November 2021
Healthcare Extension and Accessibility for Developmentally disabled and Underserved Population Act of 2021 or the HEADs UP Act of 2021 This bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to support health centers that provide services for individuals with developmental disabilities, including dental care. Grant recipients must provide specialized treatment to individuals with developmental disabilities as necessary. The bill also provides statutory authority for HHS to designate individuals with developmental disabilities as health-professional shortage population groups for the purposes of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC). The NHSC provides scholarships and student loan repayment awards to eligible providers who agree to work with designated populations or in areas that face shortages of primary care, dental care, and mental health care providers.
United States · United States Congress · 19 November 2021
Wildlife Conservation and Anti-Trafficking Act of 2021 This bill sets forth provisions relating to wildlife conservation, anti-trafficking and poaching, and illegal fishing. Specifically, the bill directs the Departments of Justice, the Interior, Commerce, State, and the Treasury to develop a plan of action for awards to whistleblowers of violations of laws applicable to wildlife trafficking; directs Interior to carry out the International Wildlife Conservation Program to, among other things, address global conservation threats and combat wildlife trafficking and poaching; provides funding for the conservation of certain endangered species; authorizes Interior, in consultation with the State Department, to station not less than one U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officer in the primary diplomatic or consular post of the United States in a focus country or country of concern (i.e., countries engaging in wildlife trafficking); and directs Commerce to make amounts available for illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing enforcement. The bill also modifies the federal criminal code to make wildlife trafficking and illegal fishing predicates with respect to the enforcement of certain criminal offenses, including racketeering and money laundering.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2021
Benjamin Berell Ferencz Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Benjamin Berell Ferencz in recognition of his service to the United States and the international community during the post-World War II Nuremberg trials and his lifelong advocacy for international criminal justice and the rule of law.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2021
Keep Food Containers Safe from PFAS Act of 2021 This bill prohibits food packaging that contains intentionally added PFAS (i.e., a perfluoroalkyl substance or a polyfluoroalkyl substance that is man-made with at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom).
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2021
Promoting Advancement Through Transit Help to College Act or the PATH to College Act This bill authorizes grants for improving transit connections for students at institutions of higher education, such as by adding transit stops within walking distance of a campus or subsidizing transit costs for students. The Department of Transportation may award the grants to partnerships of public transit providers and one or more community colleges, historically Black colleges and universities, tribal colleges and universities, and other minority-serving institutions.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2021
This resolution encourages people around the world to work to achieve the goal of zero new HIV transmissions, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS-related deaths, in order to end the HIV epidemic in the United States and around the world by 2030. The resolution supports continued funding for prevention, care and treatment services, and research programs for communities impacted by HIV and people living with HIV in the United States and globally. The resolution supports continued leadership by the United States in domestic, bilateral, multilateral, and private sector efforts to fight HIV. Finally, the resolution urges other members of the international community to sustain and scale up their support for and financial contributions to efforts around the world to combat HIV.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2021
This bill prohibits the Small Business Administration from directly making a loan under the 7(a) Program, which authorizes loans and loan guaranties to small businesses that meet certain requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2021
This resolution urges all U.S. government officials to decline invitations to the XXIV Olympic Winter Games and XIII Paralympic Winter Games as part of an official diplomatic delegation unless the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee move the XXIV Olympic Winter Games and XIII Paralympic Winter Games to a city under the jurisdiction of a government that is not committing mass atrocities, or the Department of State has certified that the Chinese Communist Party has stopped committing acts of genocide and that the perpetrators have accounted for their crimes. The resolution also encourages the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee to develop a framework for reprimanding or disqualifying host cities and the countries in which they are located if their governments are actively committing mass atrocities.
United States · United States Congress · 18 November 2021
Work Act This bill requires the Department of Labor to establish within the Employment and Training Administration an Employee Ownership and Participation Initiative to promote employee ownership and participation in business decision-making. It also establishes a program, which may include grants for outreach, technical assistance, and training, to encourage new and existing state programs to foster employee ownership and participation in business decision-making.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2021
Upholding the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Law Act of 2021 This bill prohibits using federal funds to establish any diplomatic facility in Jerusalem other than the U.S. Embassy to Israel.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2021
Cures 2.0 Act This bill addresses pandemic preparedness and public health issues, caregiver and patient engagement, drug development, insurance coverage, and biomedical research. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must undertake research and other activities concerning COVID-19 and develop a strategy for future pandemics and declared emergencies. Additionally, the bill specifies actions to combat antimicrobial resistance. HHS may award grants for caregiver training. The bill also addresses diversity in clinical trials, collecting patient experience data during clinical trials, and coverage for care related to participation in specified clinical trials. The bill modifies the timeframe and requires additional guidance relating to expedited approval of certain breakthrough drugs, devices, or products. It also establishes two intercenter institutes within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) focused on particular diseases that meet specified criteria. The bill also addresses (1) coverage in Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program for telehealth, genetic and genomic testing, and other services; (2) electronic prescribing standards for Medicare drug benefits; and (3) access to Medicare and Medicaid claims data by certain registries. Furthermore, the bill prohibits the use of geographic tracking or biometrics in Medicaid electronic visit verification systems. The bill establishes the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) within the National Institutes of Health to accelerate biomedical research and innovation through grants, contracts, cash prizes, and other means. The FDA may work with ARPA-H to expedite the development of medical products through specified activities.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2021
Protect Our Workers Act of 2021 This bill requires the Army Corps of Engineers to provide to each Corps district clarifying, uniform guidance with respect to prevailing wage requirements for its contractors and subcontractors. This guidance must conform with the Department of Labor's regulations, policies, and guidance with respect to the proper implementation and enforcement of the Davis-Bacon Act and other related acts; direct Corps districts to investigate worker complaints and third-party complaints within 30 days of the date of filing; and instruct Corps districts that certified payroll reports submitted by contractors and subcontractors and the information contained therein shall be publicly available and are not exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2021
This joint resolution nullifies a Department of Labor emergency temporary standard for preventing the transmission of COVID-19 in employment settings. Under the standard issued on November 5, 2021, employers with 100 or more employees must require their onsite employees to either be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing.
United States · United States Congress · 17 November 2021
Traveling Exotic Animal and Public Safety Protection Act of 2021 This bill prohibits the use of exotic or wild animals in performances of a traveling animal act, such as a circus, carnival, or parade. The prohibition does not apply to zoos, aquariums, research facilities, wildlife sanctuaries, and other entities. The prohibition also does not apply to domestic animals or farm animals.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2021
PFAS Definition Improvement Act This bill broadens the definition of perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS, in relation to the reporting requirement under the Toxic Substances Control Act. PFAS are man-made and may have adverse human health effects. A variety of products contain the compounds, such as nonstick cookware or weatherproof clothing. Specifically, the bill provides that PFAS include those substances that contain at least one fully fluorinated carbon atom.
United States · United States Congress · 16 November 2021
IDEA Full Funding Act This bill provides permanent, mandatory funding for the grant program that assists states and outlying areas in providing special education and related services to children with disabilities.
United States · United States Congress · 12 November 2021
Improving Patient Access to Care and Treatment Act This bill increases the number of days—from 14 to 60—within which a practitioner must administer certain narcotic drugs (e.g., buprenorphine) to a patient for maintenance or detoxification treatment (i.e., substance use disorder treatment) after receiving the drugs from a pharmacy.
United States · United States Congress · 12 November 2021
This bill sets forth provisions to establish (1) vessel speed restrictions to reduce injuries to marine mammals, and (2) a variety of new programs to protect marine mammals.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2021
Wounded Warrior Access Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish and maintain a secure, internet-based website to enable a claimant or their representative to make records requests related to VA claims and benefits. Requests for records must specify in which format the copy is desired. The VA must notify a requester within 10 days that their request has been received and must fulfill the request within 120 days.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2021
Empowering States to Protect Seniors from Bad Actors Act This bill reauthorizes through FY2028 and otherwise revises the Senior Investor Protection Grant Program. The bill moves the program from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to the Securities and Exchange Commission, establishes a task force to oversee the program, and eliminates certain grant eligibility requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2021
This resolution supports the designation of National Microtia and Atresia Awareness Day. Microtia is a congenital condition affecting the outer ear; it is often accompanied by aural atresia (the absence or closure of the external ear canal resulting in hearing loss).
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2021
Early Childhood Nutrition Improvement Act This bill makes various changes to the Child and Adult Care Food Program, which reimburses child care centers, day care homes, and other sites for meals and snacks provided to low-income individuals. Among these changes, the bill authorizes reimbursements for an additional meal or snack provided to children who are in care for at least eight hours, allows certain child care centers to certify their eligibility on an annual (rather than a monthly) basis, and establishes an advisory committee to make recommendations to reduce unnecessary recordkeeping requirements for program participants.
United States · United States Congress · 9 November 2021
This resolution supports the designation of National School Psychology Week and recognizes the contributions of school psychologists to the success of students in schools across the United States.
![Official portrait of Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/116_rp_pa_1_fitzpatrick_brian_200.jpg)