United States · United States Congress · 27 October 2021
Cady Housh and Gemesha Thomas Student Suicide Prevention Act of 2021 This bill reauthorizes through FY2028, and otherwise revises, grants administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to support youth suicide early-intervention and prevention strategies. Specifically, the bill requires SAMHSA to award a portion of such grants for statewide training programs on emotional well-being, mental health, and suicide awareness and prevention for elementary and secondary school students and staff.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2021
Customer Non-Discrimination Act This bill prohibits discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity with respect to public accommodations and facilities. Specifically, the bill defines and includes sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity among the prohibited categories of discrimination or segregation. The bill expands the definition of public accommodations to include places or establishments that provide (1) exhibitions, recreation, exercise, amusement, gatherings, or displays; (2) goods, services, or programs; and (3) transportation services. Protections against discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin shall include protections against discrimination based on (1) an association with another person who is a member of such a protected class; or (2) a perception or belief, even if inaccurate, that an individual is a member of such a protected class. The bill prohibits the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 from providing a claim, defense, or basis for challenging such protections. The bill prohibits an individual from being denied access to a shared facility, including a restroom, a locker room, and a dressing room, that is in accordance with the individual's gender identity. The bill also prohibits the provision of less favorable treatment with respect to pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions as compared to other physical conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2021
Social Security 2100: A Sacred Trust This bill makes changes to Social Security benefits, taxes, and other aspects of the program, including by raising the primary insurance amount, increasing the maximum taxable earnings that are subject to Social Security payroll taxes, and requiring Social Security account statements to be mailed unless the individual recipient opts for electronic delivery.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2021
Original National Domestic Violence Awareness Month Resolution of 2021 This resolution supports the goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Further, it expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should continue to raise awareness of and support programs to end domestic violence.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2021
Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 20 21 This bill provides minimum collective bargaining rights and procedures for public employees and prohibits strikes by certain public safety workers. The Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) shall determine for each state whether the laws of such state substantially provide for each of the minimum standard collective bargaining rights and procedures specified by this bill, including the right of public employees and supervisory employees to self-organize, form or join a labor organization, or collectively bargain. The FLRA must issue rules and take actions to establish and administer bargaining rights and procedures for those states that do not substantially provide for them. No employers, emergency services employees, or law enforcement officers may engage in a lockout, strike, or any other organized job action that is likely to result in a measurable disruption of the delivery of emergency or public safety services. Furthermore, no labor organization may be the cause of a violation of such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2021
State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act This bill allows states, tribes, territories, and localities to use certain COVID-19 relief funds for new categories of spending, including for natural disasters and infrastructure projects. It also makes changes to expenditure deadlines and other aspects of this funding. Specifically, recipients may use funds for emergency relief from natural disasters and associated negative economic impacts of natural disasters. In addition, recipients may use a portion of their COVID-19 relief funds for designated infrastructure projects, such as nationally significant freight and highway projects. Furthermore, the bill allows recipients to expend COVID-19 relief funds on these types of infrastructure projects until September 30, 2026. Under current law, recipients must expend the funds by December 31, 2024. Other changes in the bill include (1) modifying eligibility and allocation requirements for funding set aside for counties and Indian tribes that are near public lands, (2) allowing Indian tribes an additional year to expend their COVID-19 relief funds, and (3) establishing a process for government entities to decline COVID-19 relief funds and requiring any declined funds to be used to reduce the federal deficit.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2021
This resolution condemns Iran's state-sponsored persecution of its Baha'i minority and its continued violation of the international covenants on human rights. Further, it calls on Iran to immediately release all imprisoned or detained Baha'is, and it urges the President and the Department of State to impose sanctions on Iranian officials and others who are responsible for serious human rights abuses, including abuses against Iran's Baha'i community.
United States · United States Congress · 21 October 2021
Servicemembers and Veterans Empowerment and Support Act of 2021 This bill modifies and implements policies and procedures related to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care and benefits for veterans who have experienced military sexual trauma (MST), which is generally defined as physical assault of a sexual nature, battery of a sexual nature, or sexual harassment that occurred while the veteran was serving in the military. The VA must revise its regulations to update the definition of MST to include matters relating to technological abuse. In the case of any veteran who claims that a covered mental health condition (e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder) based on MST was incurred or aggravated by active service, the VA must accept specified diagnoses and evidence as proof of service-connection. The VA may not deny a veteran's claim of compensation for a covered mental health condition based on MST without first (1) advising the veteran that nonmilitary evidence and behavioral evidence may constitute credible corroborating evidence, and (2) allowing the veteran an opportunity to furnish the corroborating evidence or advise the VA of potential sources of such evidence. The Veterans Benefits Administration must conduct an annual special focus review on the accuracy of the processing of claims for disability compensation for disabilities relating to MST. Additionally, the bill (1) expands access to mental health care at VA facilities for survivors of MST, and (2) requires the VA and the Government Accountability Office to report on access to such care for MST survivors.
United States · United States Congress · 21 October 2021
Fairness for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2021 This bill modifies the payment methodology and coinsurance amount for outpatient critical access hospital services under Medicare. Currently, the payment rate for such services is 101% of reasonable costs; the coinsurance amount for such services is 20% of the applicable charges. The bill modifies this methodology so as to base the 20% coinsurance amount on the fee schedule under the Medicare outpatient prospective payment system.
United States · United States Congress · 21 October 2021
Higher Education Mental Health Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Education to establish an Advisory Commission on Serving and Supporting Students with Mental Health Disabilities in Institutions of Higher Education. The commission must conduct a study and report on services available to students with mental health disabilities in institutions of higher education (IHEs) and the effectiveness of such services in supporting these students; the impact of policies and procedures, such as reasonable accommodation and disciplinary policies, that help or hinder the goal of providing equal opportunity to these students; the use of protected health information of these students by IHEs; the impact of providing mental health services on a student's academic performance, well-being, and ability to complete college; conclusions on the major challenges facing these students; and recommendations to improve the overall education, retention, and graduation of these students.
United States · United States Congress · 21 October 2021
This concurrent resolution recognizes the disparity between wages paid to Latina women, and its impact on women, families, and the nation and reaffirms Congress' commitment to supporting equal pay and to narrowing the gender wage gap.
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2021
This resolution supports the designation of National Dyslexia Awareness Month and calls on Congress, schools, and educational agencies to recognize that dyslexia has significant educational implications that must be addressed.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 2021
Justice for ALS Veterans Act of 2021 This bill extends increased dependency and indemnity compensation to the surviving spouse of a veteran who dies from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease) regardless of how long the veteran had such disease prior to death. Under current law, such compensation is paid for a service-connected disability that was rated totally disabling for a continuous period of at least eight years immediately preceding death. For purposes of this bill, a surviving spouse is a person who was married to the veteran for a continuous period of eight years or longer prior to the veteran's death.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 2021
Behavioral Health Crisis Services Expansion Act This bill establishes requirements, expands health insurance coverage, and directs other activities to support the provision of behavioral health crisis services along a continuum of care. Specifically, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must establish standards for a behavioral health crisis continuum of care that health care providers and communities may use in responding to individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis. This continuum of care must include 24-7 crisis hotlines, emergency treatment, stabilization services, and other specified components. In addition, the bill expands health insurance coverage for behavioral health crisis services. It also expands the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant to assist states and territories with developing the infrastructure to provide crisis response services. Furthermore, HHS, in consultation with the Department of Justice, must convene an expert panel to make recommendations concerning training for emergency services dispatchers and crisis call center personnel to respond appropriately to individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 2021
This resolution expresses the House of Representatives' support for the celebration of Filipino American History Month as a testament to the advancement of Filipino Americans and a time to renew efforts toward researching and examining the history of Filipino Americans to give all people of the United States an opportunity to learn about their contributions.
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 2021
College Student Hunger Act of 20 21 This bill expands the eligibility of students at institutions of higher education to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP eligibility for students is expanded to include certain low-income students who (1) are employed a minimum of 10 hours per week (currently 20 hours) during the regular school year, (2) are eligible for a federal Pell Grant, (3) have an expected family contribution equal to zero, or (4) are independent. Additionally, the bill directs the Department of Education to provide notification to certain students regarding their eligibility for SNAP benefits, the Inspector General of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to conduct an audit of the operations of the Food and Nutrition Service to examine the procedures and outreach practices used by the service to provide to states information about the eligibility of students at institutions of higher education for participation in the program, USDA to update its state outreach plan guidance, and USDA to implement projects to decrease student hunger at institutions of higher education and to reduce barriers to college students fully utilizing SNAP benefits at these institutions.
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 2021
PrEP Assistance Program Act This bill establishes a grant program to provide pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and related services to individuals at no cost. PrEP is medication given to individuals at risk of HIV to reduce their likelihood of contracting the virus. The Department of Health and Human Services must award the grants to state, tribal, and local governments; certain health clinics; and community-based organizations.
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 2021
Arts Education for All Act This bill expands arts education and programming for children in early education, K-12 students, and juveniles and adults in the criminal justice system. Specifically, the bill allows Child Care and Development Block Grant funding to be used for additional activities, including arts programming. Additionally, the bill addresses arts programming in elementary and secondary schools by directing each state educational agency to include information on arts programming in its state plan, including how it will integrate arts education instruction into the curriculum and increase the number of arts teachers in schools; requiring state report cards to include information on arts courses; requiring local educational agency (LEA) plans to describe how the LEA will encourage the use of arts education to improve student achievement; and allowing certain funds to be used for professional development for arts teachers. The bill directs the National Center for Education Research to carry out research on the use of arts and arts education in elementary and secondary schools, including in low-performing schools. Further, the National Center for Education Statistics must compile data on arts education. The National Assessment of Educational Progress must include a specified arts assessment. The bill requires a state's juvenile justice and delinquency plan to describe how the state will coordinate services and activities for juvenile justice and delinquency prevention with arts agencies and arts organizations. Additionally, grants for adult offender reentry demonstration projects may be used for facilitating arts education.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2021
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3900 Crown Road Southwest in Atlanta, Georgia, as the "John R. Lewis Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2021
Early Hearing Detection and Intervention Act of 2021 This bill reauthorizes through FY2026 various activities carried out by the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders that support screening and early intervention services for newborns, infants, and young children who are deaf or hard of hearing.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2021
Indian Programs Advance Appropriations Act of 2021 This bill authorizes advance appropriations for several covered appropriations accounts of (1) the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education within the Department of the Interior, and (2) the Indian Health Service within the Department of Health and Human Services. The advance appropriations provide new budget authority that first becomes available for the first fiscal year after the budget year. The covered accounts within the Bureau of Indian Affairs are (1) Operation of Indian Programs, (2) Contract Support Costs, (3) the Indian Guaranteed Loan Program, (4) Construction, and (5) Payments for Tribal Leases. The covered accounts within the Bureau of Indian Education are (1) Operation of Indian Education Programs, and (2) Education Construction. The covered accounts within the Indian Health Service are (1) Indian Health Services, (2) Contract Support Costs, (3) Payments for Tribal Leases, and (4) Indian Health Facilities. The bill also requires the President's budget and the supporting documents submitted to Congress to include detailed estimates related to the advance appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2021
Indian Health Service Advance Appropriations Act This bill authorizes advance appropriations for the following Indian Health Service appropriations accounts: Indian Health Services, Indian Health Facilities, Contract Support Costs, and Payments for Tribal Leases. The advance appropriations provide new budget authority that first becomes available in the first fiscal year after the budget year. The bill requires the President's budget request to include information on estimates for the advance appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2021
Reducing Waste in National Parks Act This bill directs the National Park Service to establish a program for the National Park System to reduce disposable plastic products and, if applicable, eliminate the sale and distribution of disposable plastic products. Each regional office of the National Park Service must eliminate the sale of water in disposable plastic products and the sale and distribution of other disposable plastic products after consideration of several specified factors (e.g., the costs and benefits to overall operations). Each regional office must develop a proactive visitor education strategy to address visitor expectations of water availability and explain the rationale for the program and its implementation.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2021
Stabilizing Medicare Access to Rehabilitation and Therapy Act or the SMART Act This bill modifies the application of a certain Medicare payment methodology for outpatient physical therapy services and outpatient occupational therapy services that are furnished by a therapy assistant. Under current law, effective January 1, 2022, payment for such services is 85% of the otherwise applicable rate. The bill delays this effective date by one year and excludes services that are furnished in rural or medically underserved areas from this payment methodology. The bill also specifies that supervision requirements for outpatient physical therapy services that are furnished through private practice may not be more stringent for purposes of Medicare coverage than under state law.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2021
Stillbirth Health Improvement and Education for Autumn Act of 2021 or the SHINE for Autumn Act of 2021 This bill authorizes grants and establishes other programs to improve data collection on stillbirths. Specifically, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may award grants for surveillance and data collection on stillbirths, and HHS must issue guidelines for health departments and vital statistics units concerning the collection of stillbirth data. HHS must also develop educational awareness materials about stillbirths and make them publicly available. Furthermore, HHS must implement a fellowship program to provide postgraduate training in perinatal autopsy pathology and otherwise support research on stillbirths and fetal autopsies. The bill also requires the Surgeon General to issue a report with educational guidelines on stillbirths and stillbirth risk factors.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2021
Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act This bill establishes the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the United States and sets forth its powers, duties, and membership. Among other duties, the commission must investigate the impacts and ongoing effects of the Indian Boarding School Policies (federal policies under which American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children were forcibly removed from their family homes and placed in boarding schools). Further, the commission must develop recommendations on ways to (1) protect unmarked graves and accompanying land protections; (2) support repatriation and identify the tribal nations from which children were taken; and (3) discontinue the removal of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children from their families and tribal communities by state social service departments, foster care agencies, and adoption agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2021
Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2021 or the PAST Act of 2021 This bill addresses the practice of soring horses. The soring of horses includes various actions taken on horses' limbs to produce higher gaits that may cause pain, distress, inflammation, or lameness. Specifically, the bill expands soring regulation and enforcement at horse shows, exhibitions, sales, and auctions, including by establishing a new system for inspecting horses for soring. In addition, the bill increases penalties for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2021
Federal Employees Civil Relief Act This bill establishes a framework to temporarily suspend certain judicial and administrative proceedings against a federal employee or contractor during a shutdown (i.e., any period in which there is more than a 24-hour lapse in appropriations affecting any federal agency or department). A federal worker who is furloughed or required to work without pay during a shutdown may apply to a court for a temporary stay, postponement, or suspension of any payment of rent, mortgage, tax, fine, penalty, insurance premium, student loan repayment, or other civil obligation or liability that the worker or individual owes or would owe during the duration of the shutdown. The Department of Justice many commence a civil action against any person who engages in (1) a pattern or practice of violating the requirements of this bill, or (2) a violation that raises an issue of significant public importance. A person aggrieved by a violation of this bill's requirements may also bring a private right of action.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2021
Housing Opportunities to Mitigate Expenses for Services for our Veterans Act of 2021 or the HOMES for our Veterans Act of 2021 This bill removes certain funding limitations on grants that assist eligible entities in establishing or modifying programs to furnish outreach, rehabilitative services, vocational counseling and training, and transitional housing assistance to homeless veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2021
Furthering Opioid Services, Training, and Education Resources Act or the FOSTER Act This bill reauthorizes through FY2026 and expands the scope of grants available for states and Indian tribes to address the opioid crisis. Specifically, the bill allows the use of grant funds for workforce recruitment and training, health care services, and foster and adoptive parent recruitment and training to support opioid abuse prevention and treatment services for children and caregivers, kinship care families, and kinship caregivers.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2021
Bringing Regulatory Advances Into Neuroscience Act of 2021 or the BRAIN Act of 2021 This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to establish the Neuroscience Center of Excellence. The center must develop and implement processes to coordinate FDA activities related to a major disease area or areas affecting the brain or central nervous system. The FDA must also establish and maintain the Neuroscience Translation Working Group to advise the center. If the FDA terminates the center, the working group shall advise the FDA.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2021
Outdoors for All Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior to establish an outdoor recreation legacy partnership grant program under which Interior may award grants to states, certain political subdivisions of a state, special purpose districts, Indian tribes, or Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian communities or organizations. Funds must be used for projects to (1) acquire land and water for parks and other outdoor recreation purposes in qualifying areas, and (2) develop new or renovate existing outdoor recreation facilities that provide outdoor recreation opportunities to the public in qualifying areas. A qualifying area is an area that has a population of 30,000 or more in the most recent census, or that is administered by an Indian tribe or an Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian community organization. Interior shall give priority to projects that create or significantly enhance access to park and recreational opportunities in an urban neighborhood or community, engage and empower underserved communities and youth, provide opportunities for employment or job training for youth or underserved communities, establish or expand public-private partnerships, and take advantage of coordination among various levels of government.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2021
Save our Stages Extension Act This bill extends to March 11, 2023, the time frame during which Shuttered Venue Operators Grant recipients may use grant funds to cover their expenses. These grants provide funds to certain types of entities in the arts and entertainment industry affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, a recipient may use such funds to cover expenses incurred between March 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021.
United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2021
Meaningful Access to Federal Health Plan Claims Data Act of 2021 This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to establish a program that allows clinician-led clinical data registries to access Medicare claims data for purposes of research, quality of care measurement, and reporting. (Clinician-led clinical data registries are data repositories operated by clinician organizations and that collect information about particular diseases and related medical procedures and therapies.) The new program must allow for various types of data queries, including provider, state, and nationwide claims data. Such data may be used for public reports about provider performance, specified nonpublic analyses (e.g., medical research), and fee-based data services. Registries must apply to the CMS for access. Additionally, registries and their authorized users must enter into data use agreements and are subject to monetary penalties for breaching such agreements. The bill also allows for Medicare coverage of new and emerging items and services for purposes of evidence collection in relation to such items and services.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2021
This resolution honors Gibraltar's contribution to advancing U.S. security interests in the Mediterranean region and expresses support for the people of Gibraltar.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2021
Medically Tailored Home-Delivered Meals Demonstration Pilot Act of 2021 This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to establish a demonstration program to allow hospitals to provide medically tailored, home-delivered meals to Medicare beneficiaries who have a diet-impacted disease (e.g., kidney disease) and have daily living limitations. Participating hospitals must (1) retain a physician, registered dietitian or nutrition professional, or clinical social worker to screen, monitor, and coordinate services for individuals who receive meals through the program; and (2) contract with experienced organizations for meal delivery. Hospitals may choose to also provide meals to an individual's primary caregiver or to a dependent under the age of 18 who resides in the same household.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2021
Veterans Jobs Opportunity Act This bill allows a new business-related tax credit for the start-up expenses of a veteran-owned small business in an underserved community. The allowable amount of such credit is 15% of start-up expenditures that do not exceed $50,000. To be eligible for the credit, the small business must (1) be owned and controlled by one or more veterans or their spouses, and (2) have its principal place of business in an underserved community. An underserved community is any area located within (1) a HUBZone (as defined by the Small Business Act), (2) an empowerment zone or an enterprise community, (3) an area of low income or moderate income (as recognized by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council), or (4) a county with persistent poverty (as classified by the Economic Research Service of the Department of Agriculture).
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2021
Military Suicide Prevention in the 21st Century Act This bill requires the Department of Defense to carry out a two-year pilot program to program suicide prevention resources onto smart devices issued to members of the Armed Forces and to provide training on these resources.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2021
NOAA Weather Radio Modernization Act of 2021 or the NWR Modernization Act of 2021 This bill provides for the expansion of, and upgrades to, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio All Hazards network (NWR). NOAA shall expand coverage of NWR and ensure its reliability by maintaining support for existing systems serving areas not covered by cellular service or having poor quality cellular service; ensuring consistent maintenance of, and timely repairs to, broadcast towers and antennas; and enhancing the ability to amplify Non-Weather Emergency Messages via NWR as necessary. NOAA shall provide upgrades to NWR to ensure its capabilities and coverage remain valuable to the public. In carrying out specified objectives for the provision of such upgrades, NOAA must prioritize practices, capabilities, and technologies most capable of making real-time warning information and broadcasts available online. NOAA shall complete an assessment of access to NWR.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2021
Radiation Exposure Compensation Act Amendments of 2021 This bill expands two programs that compensate individuals who were exposed to radiation during certain nuclear testing or uranium mining and subsequently developed medical conditions, including cancers. First, the bill expands and extends a program that compensates individuals who were exposed to radiation from atmospheric nuclear testing or other sources and subsequently developed specified cancers. Under current law, this program compensates individuals who were present in a designated geographic area during a period of nuclear testing and certain individuals employed in uranium mining. The bill expands the designated areas to include Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, and Guam and additional areas in Arizona, Nevada, and Utah; makes more individuals who worked in uranium mining eligible for the program; increases the amount of compensation awarded to and provides medical benefits for eligible claimants; and extends for 19 years following the bill's enactment the fund that supports this program and the statute of limitations for filing claims (currently, the program terminates on July 10, 2022). Second, the bill makes certain individuals employed in uranium mines or mills eligible for a program that compensates workers, including Department of Energy employees and contractors, for illnesses caused by occupational exposure to radiation and hazardous substances during development and testing of the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile. The bill also establishes a grant program in the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences for institutions of higher education to study the epidemiological impacts of uranium mining and milling among individuals without occupational exposure.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2021
Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act of 2021 This bill addresses harassment at institutions of higher education (IHEs). Specifically, the bill requires each IHE to include in its annual security report a statement of policy regarding harassment on the basis of a student's actual or perceived race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth, a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth, and a sex stereotype), disability, or religion. In addition, the Department of Education may award grants to IHEs to initiate, expand, or improve programs to (1) prevent the harassment of students; (2) provide counseling or redress services to students who have been harassed or accused of subjecting other students to harassment; or (3) educate and train students, faculty, or staff to prevent harassment or address harassment if it occurs.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2021
Protecting Our Democracy Act This bill addresses issues involving (1) abuses of presidential power; (2) checks and balances, accountability, and transparency; and (3) foreign interference in elections. Specifically, regarding abuses of presidential power, the bill requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the President to submit to Congress specified materials relating to certain pardons, prohibits self-pardons by the President, suspends the statute of limitations for federal offenses committed by a sitting President or Vice President, prohibits the acceptance of foreign or domestic emoluments, and sets forth provisions regarding Office of Government Ethics and Office of Special Counsel jurisdiction and enforcement authority. To address checks and balances, accountability, and transparency, the bill authorizes specified actions to enforce congressional subpoenas, imposes limits on presidential declarations of emergencies, requires DOJ to maintain a log of specified communications between it and the White House, requires cause for removal of inspectors general, increases whistleblower protections, requires a candidate for President or Vice President to submit to the Federal Election Commission a copy of the individual's income tax returns for the 10 most recent taxable years, and establishes penalties for political appointees who engage in prohibited political activities. To protect against foreign interference in elections, the bill requires federal campaign reporting of foreign contacts, requires federal campaigns to establish a foreign contacts compliance policy, and specifies that foreign donations to political campaigns and candidates of nonpublic information relating to a candidate are prohibited.
United States · United States Congress · 20 September 2021
This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to conduct outreach to build awareness among former members of the Armed Forces of the process established for the review of discharge characterizations related to sexual orientation (i.e., on the basis of Don't Ask, Don't Tell or a similar policy). DOD must also provide for specified relief for former members of the Armed Forces who were impacted by the discharge characterizations and ensure that DOD oral historians review related facts and receive testimony from affected individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2021
This resolution expresses that the House of Representatives supports the goals of researching new interventions to prevent and treat malaria and encourages continued leadership by the United States to ensure that service member health is not jeopardized by vector-borne disease. The resolution also supports sustained or enhanced efforts to ensure that once malaria is eliminated in a country it does not return.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2021
Animal Freedom from Testing, Experiments, and Research Act of 2021 or the AFTER Act of 2021 This bill requires federal research facilities to facilitate the adoption or nonlaboratory placement of certain warm-blooded animals (e.g., dogs, cats, monkeys, guinea pigs, hamsters, and rabbits) with animal rescue organizations, animal sanctuaries, animal shelters, or individuals. In order to be adopted or placed, the animals must (1) no longer be needed for research; (2) be suitable for release; (3) not be birds, rats, or mice.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2021
This bill reauthorizes through FY2026 certain activities under the Impact Aid Program. The program provides funding to local educational agencies that have lost property tax revenue due to the presence of tax-exempt federal property or to those that have experienced increased expenditures due to enrollment of federally connected children (e.g., children living on Indian lands or military bases).
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2021
Supporting Early-childhood Educators' Deductions Act or the SEED Act This bill expands the tax deduction for the expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers to include early childhood educators.