United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2021
Clean Corridors Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Transportation to award grants to certain governmental entities and planning organizations to install electric vehicle charging infrastructure and hydrogen fueling infrastructure along designated alternative fuel corridors.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2021
Stephanie Tubbs Jones Uterine Fibroid Research and Education Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to expand research on, and take other actions to address, uterine fibroids. These are muscular tumors that grow in the wall of the uterus and may cause pain, heavy menstrual bleeding, and reproductive issues. In coordination with the National Institutes of Health and appropriate federal agencies, HHS must undertake research activities on uterine fibroids. In addition, HHS must establish a database of services furnished to individuals diagnosed with uterine fibroids under Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program and must develop a report on federal and state expenditures for such services. Additionally, HHS must disseminate information on uterine fibroids to the public and to health care providers, including information on the elevated risk for minority women and available treatments.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2021
Huntington's Disease Disability Insurance Access Act of 2021 This bill expedites payment of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits and eligibility for Medicare coverage for those with Huntington's disease. This is an inherited disorder that causes brain cells to die, including in areas of the brain that help to control voluntary movement. Specifically, the bill eliminates the 5-month waiting period for SSDI benefits and the subsequent 24-month waiting period for Medicare coverage for individuals with Huntington's disease. Under current law, individuals generally must wait five months after the onset of disability to begin receiving SSDI benefits and an additional 24 months to become eligible for Medicare.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2021
American Dream Employment Act of 2021 This bill establishes that, for the purposes of eligibility to be an officer or employee of an office of Congress, an individual shall be treated as a U.S. citizen if that individual has (1) employment authorization under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, (2) employment authorization under a grant of deferred enforced departure, or (3) temporary protected status. (Generally, these programs and statuses allow eligible aliens to remain and work in the United States.)
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2021
Medicare for All Act of 2021 This bill establishes a national health insurance program that is administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Among other requirements, the program must (1) cover all U.S. residents; (2) provide for automatic enrollment of individuals upon birth or residency in the United States; and (3) cover items and services that are medically necessary or appropriate to maintain health or to diagnose, treat, or rehabilitate a health condition, including hospital services, prescription drugs, mental health and substance abuse treatment, dental and vision services, and long-term care. The bill prohibits cost-sharing (e.g., deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments) and other charges for covered services. Additionally, private health insurers and employers may only offer coverage that is supplemental to, and not duplicative of, benefits provided under the program. Health insurance exchanges and specified federal health programs terminate upon program implementation. However, the program does not affect coverage provided through the Department of Veterans Affairs or the Indian Health Service. The bill also establishes a series of implementing provisions relating to (1) health care provider participation; (2) HHS administration; and (3) payments and costs, including the requirement that HHS negotiate prices for prescription drugs. Individuals who are age 18 or younger, age 55 or older, or already enrolled in Medicare may enroll in the program starting one year after enactment of this bill; other individuals may buy into the program at this time. The program must be fully implemented two years after enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2021
VA Employee Fairness Act of 2021 This bill repeals provisions excluding any matter or question concerning professional conduct or competence; peer review; or the establishment, determination, or adjustment of employee compensation from the applicability of collective bargaining rights for Veterans Health Administration employees.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2021
Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act This bill requires private health insurance plans to cover diagnosis and treatment of congenital anomalies and birth defects, such as reconstructive services and items. Coverage must include services and items that functionally improve, repair, or restore any body part that is medically necessary for normal bodily functions or appearance, as determined by the treating physician. Coverage limits and cost-sharing requirements for such services and items may not be more restrictive than those applicable to all medical and surgical benefits under the plan.
United States · United States Congress · 12 March 2021
Save Oak Flat Act This bill repeals the requirement for the Department of Agriculture to convey the 2,422 acres of Forest System land located in Tonto National Forest in Pinal County, Arizona, known as Oak Flat, to Resolution Copper Mining, LLC, in exchange for various parcels of land owned by Resolution Copper. Oak Flat is withdrawn from (1) entry, appropriation, or disposal under the public land laws; (2) location, entry, and patent under the mining laws; and (3) disposition under all laws pertaining to mineral and geothermal leasing or mineral materials.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2021
Harriet Tubman Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins emblematic of the legacy of Harriet Tubman as an abolitionist. The Secretary may issue coins under this bill only during the period of January 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024. All surcharges received by Treasury from the sale of such coins must be paid equally to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, and The Harriet Tubman Home, Inc. in Auburn, New York, for the purpose of accomplishing and advancing their missions.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2021
Assault Weapons Ban of 2021 This bill makes it a crime to knowingly import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon (SAW) or large capacity ammunition feeding device (LCAFD). The prohibition does not apply to a firearm that is (1) manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action; (2) permanently inoperable; (3) an antique; or (4) a rifle or shotgun specifically identified by make and model. The bill also exempts from the prohibition the following, with respect to a SAW or LCAFD: importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession related to certain law enforcement efforts, or authorized tests or experiments; importation, sale, transfer, or possession related to securing nuclear materials; and possession by a retired law enforcement officer. The bill permits continued possession, sale, or transfer of a grandfathered SAW, which must be securely stored. A licensed gun dealer must conduct a background check prior to the sale or transfer of a grandfathered SAW between private parties. The bill permits continued possession of, but prohibits sale or transfer of, a grandfathered LCAFD. Newly manufactured LCAFDs must display serial number identification. Newly manufactured SAWs and LCAFDs must display the date of manufacture. The bill also allows a state or local government to use Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds to compensate individuals who surrender a SAW or LCAFD under a buy-back program.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2021
Leading Infrastructure For Tomorrow’s America Act or the LIFT America Act This bill establishes several programs and incentives to modernize the nation's communications, drinking water, energy, transportation, health care, and other related infrastructure. For example, the bill provides incentives to make broadband internet more accessible and affordable. It also establishes grants to implement next generation 9-1-1 services. In addition, it supports drinking water programs, including the drinking water state revolving fund program. Further, it provides grants to treat perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances (commonly referred to as PFAS) in drinking water and to replace lead service lines. The bill establishes a variety of programs to support clean energy infrastructure and address climate change, including efforts to (1) modernize the electric grid and make it more resilient, efficient, and secure; (2) increase energy efficiency in buildings; and (3) support renewable energy infrastructure. Further, it provides incentives for vehicle infrastructure, such as incentives to develop infrastructure for electric vehicles and grants to reduce air pollution at ports by electrifying port infrastructure. Additionally, the bill establishes grants and programs for health care infrastructure, including by providing support for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, laboratories, and state, local, tribal, and territorial health departments. Finally, the bill reauthorizes grant programs to remediate brownfield sites (i.e., sites contaminated with hazardous substances) through FY2026.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2021
Hate Crimes Commission Act of 2021 This bill establishes the United States Commission on Hate Crimes. The commission must investigate and report on whether hate crimes have increased; factors that contributed to an increase in hate crimes, if one is determined to exist; policies or actions by law enforcement agencies to reduce the commission of hate crimes; the impact of underreporting on hate crimes statistics and prevention; and successful community bias prevention responses.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2021
COVID - 19 Hate Crimes Act This bill requires a designated officer or employee of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to facilitate the expedited review of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) hate crimes and reports of COVID-19 hate crimes. It defines COVID-19 hate crime as a violent crime that is motivated by two things: (1) the actual or perceived characteristic (e.g., race or ethnicity) of any person, and (2) the actual or perceived relationship to the spread of COVID-19 of any person because of that characteristic. The bill requires DOJ to issue guidance for state and local law enforcement agencies on (1) the establishment of online hate crime reporting processes and the availability of online reporting in multiple languages, and (2) the expansion of culturally competent education campaigns. Additionally, DOJ and the Department of Health and Human Services must issue guidance on best practices for mitigating racially discriminatory language in describing the COVID-19 pandemic.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2021
Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act This bill reauthorizes through FY2026, revises, and establishes grants and activities to promote access to broadband internet and other telecommunication services. The bill addresses digital equity and inclusion through grants and by requiring studies on barriers to adoption of broadband services and related matters. The bill addresses broadband affordability and access. It (1) reauthorizes and expands various programs that subsidize or otherwise support broadband services for eligible households, schools and libraries, and tribal lands and populations; and (2) establishes a program for expanding broadband service for underserved areas and community support organizations (e.g., schools and religious organizations). Additionally, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must award grants and take other actions to expand programs that verify an individual's eligibility for subsidized services. The bill addresses broadband data collection, disclosure, and sharing. The FCC must (1) issue rules regarding the collection of pricing data and labels that disclose information about broadband plans to consumers, and (2) collaborate and share data with federal agencies and other stakeholders. The bill makes financing (e.g., low-interest loans) available to communities and public-private partnerships for broadband infrastructure investments. Additionally, the Department of Transportation must require states to install conduits for broadband cables as part of certain highway projects. The bill also sets up a task force on nationwide dig once requirements (i.e., policies or practices to minimize excavations of highway rights-of-way when installing telecommunications infrastructure). Further, the bill preempts state laws that prohibit certain telecommunications service providers (e.g., public providers) from providing high-speed broadband services.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2021
Funding for Aviation Screeners and Threat Elimination Restoration Act or the FASTER Act This bill repeals the requirement that a portion of aviation security service fees collected from passengers be credited as offsetting receipts and deposited in the general fund of the Treasury. It requires such fees to be deposited into a separate account in the Treasury for expenditure to pay only the costs of activities and services for which the fee is imposed (i.e., aviation security screening).
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2021
Digital Equity Act of 2021 This bill requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to establish grant programs for promoting digital equity, supporting digital inclusion activities, and building capacity for state-led efforts to increase adoption of broadband by their residents. Specifically, the bill establishes the State Digital Equity Capacity Grant Program to make distributions to states based on their populations, demographics, and availability and adoption of broadband. The bill also establishes the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program for supporting efforts to achieve digital equity, promote digital inclusion, and stimulate adoption of broadband.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2021
This resolution recognizes the forthcoming centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. The resolution acknowledges the historical significance of this event as one of the largest single instances of state-sanctioned violence against Black people in American history; honors the lives and legacies of the estimated 300 Black individuals who were killed during the massacre and the nearly 9,000 who were left homeless and penniless; condemns efforts to cover up the truth and shield the white community, especially government officials, from accountability; condemns the continued legacy of racism and white supremacy against Black people in the United States, particularly in the form of police brutality; encourages education about the massacre, the history of white supremacy that fueled the massacre, and subsequent attempts to deny or cover up the massacre, in all elementary and secondary education settings and in institutions of higher education; and recognizes the commitment of Congress to acknowledge and learn from the history of racism and racial violence to reverse the legacy of white supremacy and fight for racial justice.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2021
Choosing Our Own Lives Over Fast Firearms Act or the COOL OFF Act This bill establishes a three-day waiting period for certain handgun transfers. Specifically, the bill makes it unlawful for a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer to sell or transfer a handgun to an unlicensed individual unless three business days have elapsed since the licensee initiated a background check. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, up to one year in prison, or both. Additionally, the bill makes it unlawful for an unlicensed individual to receive a handgun from another unlicensed individual unless at least three business days have elapsed since the recipient most recently offered to take possession of the handgun. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, up to five years in prison, or both. The three-day waiting period does not apply to certain handgun transfers, such as for a loan between spouses for a lawful purpose.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2021
Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act This bill designates specified National Forest System lands, National Park System lands, and public lands in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming as wilderness and as components or additions to existing components of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) must accept donations of leases or permits authorizing grazing on specified public or National Forest System lands. The bill also designates (1) specified federal lands as biological connecting corridors and as special corridor management areas; (2) segments of specified rivers and creeks in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System; and (3) specified areas as wildland recovery areas. USDA shall develop a wildland recovery plan for each recovery area. A panel of independent scientists shall study roadless lands greater than 1,000 acres that are within the National Forest System in the Wild Rockies bioregion in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, or Wyoming and that are not designated as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System for their role in maintaining biological diversity in the Northern Rockies and as part of the overall forest reserve system. Any new road construction or reconstruction or timber harvest is prohibited in those lands after the evaluation without an act of Congress. Oil or gas leasing, mining, or other development which impairs the natural and roadless qualities of the land is also prohibited.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2021
Broadband Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2021 This bill requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to make financing available for the construction and deployment of broadband infrastructure through a broadband infrastructure finance and innovation program. Specifically, the bill provides a means for communities and public-private partnerships to apply for low-interest secured loans, lines of credit, or loan guarantees to finance broadband infrastructure investments. The bill requires biennial reports on the financial performance of projects carried out with program assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2021
Connect America Act of 2021 This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission to establish a funding program to expand broadband access for unserved areas, areas with low-tier or mid-tier service, and unserved anchor institutions (e.g., schools or libraries). The program shall consist of both national systems of competitive bidding and grants of specified amounts to states. An area with low-tier service is an area where at least 90% of the population has access to broadband service with speeds between 25-100 megabits per second (mbps). An area with mid-tier service is an area where at least 90% of the population has access to broadband service with speeds between 100 mbps and 1 gigabit per second. Priority must be given to projects that would expand access to broadband service in areas where at least 90% of the population has no access to broadband service or to service with speeds of at least 25 mbps.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2021
This bill requires that the provision of Wi-Fi access on school buses be made eligible for support under the E-Rate program, which allots broadband discounts to schools and libraries.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2021
This resolution honors the essential staff of the U.S. Capitol complex, recognizes and thanks them for their invaluable contributions, and commits to better protecting them.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2021
Abortion is Health Care Everywhere Act of 2021 This bill authorizes the use of certain foreign assistance funds to provide comprehensive reproductive health care services in developing countries, including abortion services, training, and equipment.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2021
Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2021 This bill modifies and reauthorizes through FY2026 programs and activities under the Violence Against Women Act that seek to prevent and respond to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking. The bill also authorizes new programs, makes changes to federal firearms laws, and establishes new protections to promote housing stability and economic security for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2021
Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act This bill establishes grants and requires other activities to improve mental and behavioral health and prevent burnout among health care providers. Specifically, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must award grants to train health care providers on suicide prevention, other behavioral health issues, and strategies to improve well-being; and establish or expand programs to promote mental and behavioral health among health care providers involved with COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) response efforts. HHS must also study and develop policy recommendations on preventing burnout and improving mental and behavioral health among health care providers, removing barriers to accessing care and treatment, and identifying strategies to promote resiliency. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must conduct a campaign to encourage health care providers to seek support and treatment for mental and behavioral health concerns.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2021
Community Broadband Act of 2021 This bill prohibits states from blocking the provision of broadband by public providers, public-private partnership providers, or cooperatively organized providers. Further, public providers and state or local entities participating in a partnership must administer applicable ordinances and rules without discrimination against competing private providers.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2021
Capitol Remembrance Act This bill requires the Architect of the Capitol (AOC) to design and install in a prominent location in the U.S. Capitol a permanent exhibit that depicts the January 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. To the extent possible, the AOC must preserve property that was damaged during the attack and include it in the exhibit. The AOC must also include (1) existing photographic records relating to the attack; and (2) a plaque to honor the U.S. Capitol Police and other law enforcement agencies that protected the Capitol, the individuals who died or sustained injuries to protect the Capitol, and the staff who helped restore the Capitol complex after the attack.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2021
Postal Employee Appeal Rights Amendments Act This bill extends federal employee protections against adverse personnel actions, including the right to appeal such actions to the Merit Systems Protection Board, to additional categories of employees at the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Specifically, it extends such protections to any officer or employee of the USPS who is not represented by a bargaining representative and is in a supervisory, professional, technical, clerical, administrative, or managerial position covered by the Executive and Administrative Schedule.
United States · United States Congress · 8 March 2021
Postal Supervisors and Managers Fairness Act of 2021 This bill modifies procedures for negotiating pay and benefits of supervisory and other managerial personnel of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). At least 60 days before the expiration of a pay decision, the USPS must propose to the supervisors' organization any changes in pay policies, pay schedules, or fringe benefit programs for members of such organization. Not later than 60 days after the USPS agrees to a collective bargaining agreement that affects the pay or benefits of supervisors or managers who are members of the supervisors' organization, the USPS shall provide a proposal regarding such matters to the organization. The bill makes binding the decision of the fact-finding panel appointed by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service in the event of an impasse between the USPS and a supervisors' organization over proposed changes in pay and benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2021
George Floyd Law Enforcement Trust and Integrity Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to take specified steps to address accreditation standards, management operations, and misconduct of law enforcement. Specifically, it requires DOJ to develop uniform accreditation standards for law enforcement agencies and adopt policies and procedures to encourage law enforcement agencies to pursue accreditation. It authorizes DOJ to make grants to law enforcement agencies to obtain accreditation from certified organizations. The bill authorizes DOJ to make grants for studying law enforcement agency management and operations standards and developing pilot programs to address law enforcement misconduct. DOJ must study the prevalence and effect of any law, rule, or procedure that allows a law enforcement officer to delay the investigation and prosecution of complaints of law enforcement misconduct. The bill also establishes the Task Force on Law Enforcement Oversight to coordinate the detection and referral of complaints of alleged law enforcement misconduct. Law enforcement agencies must report data regarding practices on traffic violation stops, pedestrian stops, frisk and body searches, and use of deadly force. Finally, DOJ must create a medallion for survivors of each law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty and memorialized on the wall of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial.
United States · United States Congress · 3 March 2021
Build America's Libraries Act This bill establishes and provides funds through FY2024 for the Build America's Libraries Fund, from which the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) must allocate funding to states and, through them, need-based grants to libraries to make long-term improvements to library facilities. The IMLS must also award grants to Indian tribes and organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians. Specifically, the bill requires each state that receives an allocation, and each library that receives a grant, to carry out certain activities to improve library facilities. These activities include constructing and renovating library facilities, investing in infrastructure projects to improve internet access and connectivity, improving indoor air quality, and making facilities accessible to individuals with disabilities. The bill also outlines administrative and oversight provisions, including by requiring library projects to use iron and steel products that are produced in the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2021
Ending Taxpayer Welfare for Oil and Gas Companies Act of 2021 This bill addresses royalties related to the development of federal energy resources. Among other requirements, the bill increases the onshore royalty rates for new oil, gas, and coal leases; increases onshore rental rates for oil and gas leasing; modifies the current onshore oil and gas minimum bid from $2 to $5 and requires it to be adjusted every four years for inflation; and increases inspection fees and penalties on oil and gas operators.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2021
Climate Leadership and Environmental Action for our Nation’s Future Act or the CLEAN Future Act This bill creates requirements and incentives to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. The bill establishes an interim goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to at least 50% below 2005 levels by 2030 as well as a national goal to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Each federal agency must develop a plan to achieve the goals. Beginning in 2023, retail electricity suppliers must provide an increasing percentage of electricity that is generated without the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere (zero-emission electricity). By 2035, the suppliers must provide 100% zero-emission electricity or demonstrate alternative means of compliance. For example, the suppliers may buy credits under a trading program that allows entities to buy, sell, and trade credits to demonstrate compliance. The bill also establishes a variety of requirements, programs, and incentives to reduce or eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by modernizing the electric grid and supporting clean energy microgrids; increasing the use of renewable energy and advanced nuclear power technologies; increasing energy efficiency in buildings, homes, and appliances; supporting clean transportation, including electric vehicles and related charging infrastructure; issuing greenhouse gas standards for certain vehicles, engines, and aircraft; promoting manufacturing and industrial decarbonization, including through buy-clean programs; supporting environmental justice efforts; and reducing methane, plastics, and super pollutants.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2021
Puerto Rico Statehood Admission Act This bill establishes a process for the admission of Puerto Rico into the union as a state, on an equal footing with all other states, based on a majority vote of the people of Puerto Rico.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2021
Cost of Police Misconduct Act of 2021 This bill establishes a framework to collect and publish data on allegations of misconduct by law enforcement officers at the federal, state, and local levels. Specifically, the bill requires federal law enforcement agencies to report data to the Department of Justice (DOJ) about allegations of misconduct by federal law enforcement officers and amounts paid as judgments or settlements with respect to the allegations. State and local law enforcement agencies must report substantially similar data to DOJ to receive a full allocation of funds under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program. The bill directs DOJ to release annual summaries of the data and create and maintain an online database with the reported data. The bill also directs the Government Accountability Office to report on costs and other issues related to law enforcement misconduct.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2021
Undetectable Firearms Modernization Act This bill revises the federal statutory framework regulating the manufacture, possession, sale, import, shipment, delivery, receipt, or transfer of undetectable firearms. Current law requires firearms to be detectable by walk-through metal detectors after the removal of grips, stocks, and magazines. Specifically, firearms must be as detectable as a security exemplar (i.e., a piece of stainless steel that is 3.7 ounces and in a shape resembling a handgun). There are exceptions, including for firearms manufactured for or sold to U.S. military or intelligence agencies. This bill requires firearms to contain detectable material after the removal of all parts other than major components. It defines detectable material as material that produces a magnetic field equivalent to that produced by 3.7 ounces of stainless steel. The bill also revises and broadens the exceptions to include firearms (1) received by, in the possession of, or under the control of the United States; or (2) produced pursuant to a contract with the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 2 March 2021
Rural Wind Energy Modernization and Extension Act of 2021 This bill expands the energy tax credit to include qualified distributed wind energy property. The bill defines qualified distributed wind energy property to include property that uses one or more wind turbines used to produce electricity in a single project with a total nameplate capacity not exceeding 10 megawatts.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2021
Peace Corps Reauthorization Act of 2021 This bill reauthorizes through FY2025 and modifies operations of the Peace Corps. Changes include expanding benefits and services for volunteers by increasing the readjustment allowance paid to volunteers when their service terminates and providing statutory authority for an executive order that grants returned volunteers noncompetitive eligibility for federal civil-service positions. Additionally, the bill entitles returned volunteers to three months of health care benefits (and a three-month extension at the volunteer's expense). The Peace Corps must also provide volunteers with (1) information about enrolling in U.S. health plans no more than 30 days prior to service termination, (2) adequate access to menstrual products, and (3) mental health care during and after service. The bill also includes provisions to address involuntary termination of Peace Corps service in emergencies or otherwise through no fault of the volunteer, including by expediting re-enrollment of involuntarily terminated volunteers. The Peace Corps must also provide adequate support to insure volunteers' safety and must coordinate with the Department of State to periodically update agreements and plans concerning the security of Peace Corps volunteers and staff abroad. The bill also modifies the Peace Corps National Advisory Council's membership and functions, expands whistleblower protections for volunteers, increases the rate of pay that applies to a volunteer's workers compensation claim, and requires a focus on leveraging the internet in Peace Corps programs. Furthermore, the bill requires reporting on (1) Peace Corps operations in the Pacific Islands, and (2) the provision of mental health services to volunteers.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2021
Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 This bill establishes new background check requirements for firearm transfers between private parties (i.e., unlicensed individuals). Specifically, it prohibits a firearm transfer between private parties unless a licensed gun dealer, manufacturer, or importer first takes possession of the firearm to conduct a background check. The prohibition does not apply to certain firearm transfers, such as a gift between spouses in good faith.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2021
Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021 This bill revises background check requirements applicable to proposed firearm transfers from a federal firearms licensee (e.g., a licensed gun dealer) to an unlicensed person. Specifically, it increases the amount of time, from 3 business days to a minimum of 10 business days, that a federal firearms licensee must wait to receive a completed background check prior to transferring a firearm to an unlicensed person. (This type of transaction is often referred to as a default proceed transaction.) If a submitted background check remains incomplete after 10 business days, then the prospective purchaser may submit a petition for a final firearms eligibility determination. If an additional 10 days elapse without a final determination, then the federal firearms licensee may transfer the firearm to the prospective purchaser.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2021
Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers for Veterans Therapy Act or the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act This bill implements a program and a policy related to service dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a five-year pilot program to assess the effectiveness of addressing post-deployment mental health and post-traumatic stress disorder through a method where veterans train service dogs for veterans with disabilities. The bill also authorizes the VA to provide service dogs to veterans with mental illnesses, regardless of whether they have a mobility impairment.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2021
Coastal and Ocean Acidification Stressors and Threats Research Act of 2021 or the COAST Research Act of 2021 This bill addresses the effects of ocean and coastal acidification on marine organisms and ecosystems. Specifically, the bill reauthorizes through FY2026 and revises the Ocean Acidification Program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the ocean acidification grant program of the National Science Foundation. The bill expands those programs, as well as the ocean acidification activities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), to include efforts to research and monitor the effects of coastal acidification.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2021
Alzheimer's Caregiver Support Act This bill authorizes grants to expand training and support services for families and caregivers of individuals living with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. The Department of Health and Human Services may award these grants to community organizations and health care and social service providers.
United States · United States Congress · 1 March 2021
This bill requires the Joint Committee on the Library to obtain, and the Architect of the Capitol to permanently install in the U.S. Capitol or on the U.S. Capitol Grounds, a monument honoring Associate Justice of the Supreme Court Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2021
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment declaring that women shall have equal rights in the United States and every place subject to its jurisdiction. The amendment prohibits the United States or any state from denying or abridging equal rights under the law on account of sex.
United States · United States Congress · 26 February 2021
This resolution expresses the support of the House of Representatives for the designation of Desert Storm Veterans Day to honor and recognize the contributions of the veterans who served in Operation Desert Storm. The resolution also encourages state and local governments to designate a Desert Storm Veterans Day. The resolution supports the expeditious handling of claims by the Department of Veterans Affairs for Desert Storm veterans and urges that these veterans continue to receive high quality medical treatment for ailments associated with their service in Desert Storm.