United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2021
National Center for the Advancement of Aviation Act of 202 1 This bill establishes the National Center for the Advancement of Aviation to serve as a national independent forum to facilitate collaboration and cooperation between aviation and aerospace stakeholders to support and promote civil and military aviation and aerospace. The center must perform the following duties support the development of aviation and aerospace education curricula; support the professional development of educators using such curricula; promote aviation and aerospace employment opportunities; support Armed Forces personnel seeking to transition to a career in civil aviation or an aerospace-related field through outreach, training, apprenticeships, or other means; serve as a central repository for publicly available economic data, safety data, and research efforts related to the aviation and aerospace sectors; and serve as a forum, through symposiums, conferences, and other means as appropriate, for cross-disciplinary collaboration among aviation and aerospace stakeholders. Additionally, the center may issue grants to organizations that have experience in, and knowledge of, creating, developing, and delivering or updating (1) high school aviation curricula; or (2) aviation curricula used at institutions of higher education, secondary educations institutions, or by technical training and vocational schools.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2021
Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture Act This bill establishes a Commission to Study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture. The commission must (1) report recommendations for a plan of action for the establishment and maintenance of a National Museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture in the District of Columbia; (2) develop a fundraising plan to support the establishment, operation, and maintenance of the museum through public contributions; (3) obtain an independent review of this fundraising plan, including an analysis of the resources necessary to fund the construction of the museum and its operations and maintenance in perpetuity without reliance on federal funds; and (4) submit a legislative plan of action to establish and construct the museum. The commission may convene a national conference relating to the museum.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2021
Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act This bill establishes grant programs to address neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), and contains other related provisions. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall award grants to eligible entities to facilitate patients' access to investigational drugs that diagnose or treat ALS. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shall award grants to public and private entities to cover the costs of research and development of drugs that diagnose or treat ALS and other severely debilitating neurodegenerative diseases. HHS shall also establish the Public-Private Partnership for Neurodegenerative Diseases between the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, and at least one eligible entity (generally, an institution of higher education or a nonprofit organization). The partnership shall support the development and regulatory review of drugs that address ALS and other rare neurodegenerative diseases. The FDA shall publish on its website a five-year action plan for fostering the development of drugs that improve or extend the lives of people living with rare neurodegenerative diseases.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2021
Primary and Behavioral Health Care Access Act of 202 1 This bill requires private health insurance plans to cover, without cost sharing, three primary care visits and three behavioral health care visits during a plan year.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2021
John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act This bill prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or religion in the provision of child welfare programs and services by entities receiving federal funding. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must provide technical assistance to help states follow this requirement, including (1) guidance for bringing state laws into compliance, (2) developing training to increase cultural competency related to social identity, and (3) training for judges and attorneys involved in child welfare cases, among other supports. Additionally, HHS must establish the National Resource Center on Safety, Well-Being, Placement Stability, and Permanency for LGBTQ Children and Youth Involved with Child Welfare Services to provide training, technical assistance, and guidance to applicable state and local agencies and service providers. Further, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act may not be the basis for challenging the application or enforcement of this bill. The Government Accountability Office must study and report on states' compliance with the requirements of the bill no later than three years after enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2021
Keeping All Students Safe Act This bill prohibits the use of seclusion and limits the use of physical restraint in schools and Head Start programs that receive federal funding. Specifically, the bill prohibits the use of seclusion, which is the involuntary confinement of a student alone in a room or area from which the student is physically prevented from leaving. The term does not include a time out, which may involve separating the student from others in a non-locked setting. The bill prohibits the use of mechanical or chemical restraints or physical restraints that restrict breathing or are life threatening. The bill outlines the requirements for the use of physical restraint, including that the student's behavior must pose an imminent danger of serious physical injury to the student or other individual. Each state must ensure that a sufficient number of program personnel are trained and certified by a state-approved crisis intervention training program. Additionally, each program must establish procedures to follow after an incident involving physical restraint. Further, the bill establishes enforcement provisions, including a private right of action for a student who has been subjected to unlawful seclusion or restraint. The Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services must withhold payments from a program for unlawful seclusion or restraint. Finally, the bill requires each state educational agency (SEA) to establish, implement, and enforce policies and procedures required by the bill. It also creates a grant program to assist SEAs with these activities.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2021
Stop Child Hunger Act of 2021 This bill establishes a permanent program and provides funds for electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards to cover meals for children during extended school closures. Specifically, the Department of Agriculture must establish a program to provide EBT cards to cover meals for children who are enrolled in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program when a school is closed, operating remotely, or a combination of both for a period of five days or more. Cards may be used to purchase food from approved retailers under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
United States · United States Congress · 25 May 2021
Reporting Instances of Non-authorized Grift Act of 2021 or the RING Act of 2021 This bill requires creditors to establish a hotline for assisting consumers who are 50 years of age or older to resolve billing errors and mitigate fraud.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2021
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment providing that the rights protected by the Constitution are the rights of natural persons only. Artificial entities, such as corporations, shall have no rights under the Constitution and are subject to regulation. The amendment requires federal, state, and local government to (1) regulate, limit, or prohibit election contributions and expenditures, including a candidate's own contributions and expenditures; and (2) require that any permissible contributions and expenditures be publicly disclosed. The judiciary is prohibited from construing the spending of money to influence elections to be speech under the First Amendment, and the amendment shall not be construed to abridge the freedom of the press.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2021
Increasing Community Access to Resiliency Grants Act of 2021 This bill directs the National and Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish and regularly update a publicly available website that includes hyperlinks to all grants administered by NOAA and hyperlinks to other federal agencies that offer similar grants to assist state, tribal, and local governments with resiliency, adaptation, and mitigation of climate change and sea level rise; and for each such grant, the contact information for an individual who can offer assistance to such governments. NOAA shall conduct outreach activities to inform state, tribal, and local governments of the resiliency, adaptation, and mitigation grants.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2021
Congressional and Executive Foreign Lobbying Ban Act This bill prohibits any individual from registering or otherwise serving as the agent of a foreign principal if the individual at any time served as a Member of Congress, a senior political appointee, or a general or flag officer of the Armed Forces.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2021
Caring for Survivors Act of 2021 This bill increases the monthly rate of dependency and indemnity compensation payable to surviving spouses through the Department of Veterans Affairs. The bill also adjusts the amount payable to surviving spouses and children of veterans who were rated as totally disabled for a period of less than 10 years before their death.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2021
Lonnie Kilpatrick Central Pacific Relief Act This bill provides a presumption of service-connection for diseases associated with exposure to certain herbicide agents to veterans who served on (1) Guam or American Samoa, or in the territorial waters thereof, between January 9, 1962, and July 31, 1980; or (2) Johnston Atoll or a ship that went to Johnston Atoll between January 1, 1972, and September 30, 1977. Under a presumption of service-connection, specific diseases diagnosed in certain veterans are presumed to have been caused by the circumstances of their military service. Health care benefits and disability compensation may then be awarded. Additionally, the bill expands eligibility for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care to veterans with a disability associated with exposure to certain herbicides during specified times of military service on Guam, American Samoa, or Johnston Atoll.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2021
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to designate one week per year as Battle Buddy Check Week for the purposes of organizing outreach events and educating veterans on how to conduct peer wellness checks. The VA shall ensure that the Veterans Crisis Line has a plan for handling the potential increase in calls that may occur during such week.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2021
Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act This bill requires the Department of State to report to Congress on various issues relating to North Korea. Specifically, the State Department must report to Congress a review of the restrictions on travel by U.S. nationals to North Korea, including whether such restrictions should be adjusted to allow travel to North Korea to attend a commemoration of a relative. The State Department must also report to Congress a clear roadmap for achieving permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.
United States · United States Congress · 20 May 2021
Jobs, On-the-Job 'Earn-While-You-Learn' Training, and Apprenticeships for Young African Americans Act This bill makes changes to the national apprenticeship system aimed at promoting diversity. Specifically, the bill establishes the Diversity and Inclusion Administrator in the Office Apprenticeship within the Office of Employment and Training Administration at the Department of Labor, requires every apprenticeship program that registers or renews an apprenticeship with the Office of Apprenticeship to submit a plan to increase participation by individuals who are African American, and requires the Diversity and Inclusion Administrator to award grants to create or expand diversity in registered apprenticeship programs.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2021
Save America’s Forgotten Equines Act of 2021 or the SAFE Act of 2021 This bill prohibits the transporting, receiving, possessing, purchasing, selling, or donation by a person of an equine (e.g., horse) that the person has reason to believe will be slaughtered for human consumption.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2021
SOS: Sustaining Outpatient Services Act This bill allows for payment under the Medicare prospective payment system for hospital outpatient department services of certain items and services that are furnished at off-campus outpatient departments. Specifically, the bill allows for payment of items and services for which payments to physician specialists (under the Medicare physician fee schedule) did not exceed $2 million during the previous year.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2021
Enhanced Whistleblower Engagement Act This bill modifies requirements with respect to whistleblower protections for employees of an office of inspector general (OIG). The bill specifies that the whistleblower protection coordinator in each OIG shall educate that office's employees on specified matters, including prohibitions against retaliation for protected disclosures and rights and remedies against such retaliation. The bill also specifies that best practices developed by the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency shall include best practices for the handling and consideration of protected disclosures and allegations of reprisal that are internal to an OIG.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2021
Institutional Grants for New Infrastructure, Technology, and Education for HBCU Excellence Act or the IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act This bill establishes a grant program to support long-term improvements of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and graduate programs at HBCUs. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to award grants to HBCUs to improve campus facilities. A recipient must use grant funds for certain activities, such as constructing or renovating facilities, carrying out major repairs, and strengthening the safety and security of a campus. Any new construction, modernization, or renovation projects must meet building code and energy and water conservation requirements. Further, HBCUs must seek to procure contracts from certain small businesses, including those owned and controlled by veterans and service-disabled veterans. The bill prohibits the use of grant funds for specified activities, including for the payment of routine and predictable maintenance costs, minor repairs, and utility bills. The Government Accountability Office must study the implementation of the grant program. The bill also requires ED to repay the outstanding balance of principal, interest, fees, and costs and any related reimbursements for certain capital financing loans.
United States · United States Congress · 18 May 2021
This resolution expresses support for the designation of National CASA/GAL Volunteers Day to commend the work of court-appointed special advocate (CASA) and guardian ad litem (GAL) volunteers.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2021
United States Postal Service Shipping Equity Act This bill authorizes the mailing of alcoholic beverages by certain entities in accordance with the delivery requirements otherwise applicable to a privately carried shipment. The authorization applies to an entity (including a winery, brewery, beverage distilled spirits plant, or other wholesaler, distributer, importer, or retailer of alcoholic beverages) that has registered with, obtained a permit from, or obtained approval of an application from the Department of the Treasury. The bill directs the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to prescribe regulations (1) requiring direct delivery to a duly authorized agent at a postal facility or to the addressee, who must be at least 21 years of age and present a valid, government-issued photo identification at the time of delivery; (2) prohibiting such alcoholic beverages from being for resale or any other commercial purpose; and (3) requiring such entity to certify that the mailing is not in violation of applicable laws or regulations and to provide other information as directed by the USPS. The U.S. district courts shall have jurisdiction to render judgment upon any claim brought by a state, local, or tribal government against the USPS of a violation of state, local, or tribal law regarding the sale, mailing, transportation, or importation of alcoholic beverages into any U.S. state, territory, or district. The USPS shall not be liable for interest prior to judgment or for punitive damages.
United States · United States Congress · 17 May 2021
This resolution expresses support for the designation of DIPG Awareness Day. DIPG is diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, a terminal childhood brain cancer.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2021
Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act of 2021 This bill establishes several requirements and standards relating to prior authorization processes under Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. Specifically, MA plans must (1) establish an electronic prior authorization program that meets specified standards, including the ability to provide real-time decisions in response to requests for items and services that are routinely approved; (2) annually publish specified prior authorization information, including the percentage of requests approved and the average response time; and (3) meet other standards, as set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, relating to the quality and timeliness of prior authorization determinations.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2021
Temporary Family Visitation Act This bill establishes a new nonimmigrant visa classification for an alien temporarily entering the United States to visit a relative who is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. The maximum period of stay for a family visitor visa shall be 90 days. An alien seeking such a visa must have health insurance for the duration of the stay. An alien who holds such a visa may not change to another nonimmigrant visa classification except in certain limited instances. If an alien has been approved for a family-based immigrant visa and is waiting for one to become available, the alien may obtain a family visitor visa if the alien meets the eligibility requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2021
Metastatic Breast Cancer Access to Care Act This bill expedites payment of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits and eligibility for Medicare coverage for those with metastatic breast cancer (i.e., breast cancer that has spread to other sites in the body). 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 metastatic breast cancer. 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 · 13 May 2021
I am Vanessa Guillén Act of 2021 This bill addresses the policies and procedures of the Department of Defense (DOD) for cases or allegations of sex-related offenses.
United States · United States Congress · 13 May 2021
This bill increases the applicable threshold amount for heads of household in 2021 to $150,000 for purposes of the income phaseout in the child tax credit (thus making it equal to the threshold amount for married individuals filing joint tax returns).
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2021
Captive Primate Safety Act This bill limits the trade and possession of nonhuman primates. For example, the bill prohibits most individuals from owning a nonhuman primate as a pet.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2021
Nurse Staffing Standards for Patient Safety and Quality Care Act of 2021 This bill requires hospitals to implement and submit to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) a staffing plan that complies with specified minimum nurse-to-patient ratios by unit. Hospitals must post a notice regarding nurse-to-patient ratios in each unit and maintain records of actual ratios for each shift in each unit. The bill also requires hospitals to follow certain procedures regarding how ratios are determined and other staff are prohibited from performing nurse functions unless specifically authorized within a state's scope of practice rules, among other requirements. HHS must adjust Medicare payments to hospitals to cover additional costs attributable to compliance with these ratios. Nurses may object to, or refuse to participate in, an assignment if it would violate minimum ratios or if they are not prepared by education or experience to fulfill the assignment without compromising the safety of a patient or jeopardizing their nurse's license. Hospitals may not (1) take adverse actions against a nurse based on the nurse's reasonable refusal to accept an assignment; or (2) discriminate against individuals for good faith complaints relating to the care, services, or conditions of the hospital or related facilities. HHS may impose civil monetary penalties on hospitals violating the ratio requirements and must publish the names of such hospitals. The bill provides stipends to the nurse workforce loan repayment and scholarship program and expands the nurse retention grant program to include nurse preceptorship and mentorship projects.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2021
Small Business Child Care Investment Act This bill deems certain nonprofit child care providers to be small business concerns so that they may participate in loan programs administered by the Small Business Administration.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2021
Fair and Open Skies Act This bill prohibits the Department of Transportation (DOT) from issuing a foreign air carrier permit or an exemption from certain air carrier certificate requirements under the United States-European Union Air Transport Agreement of April 2007, unless DOT finds that issuing the permit or exemption would be consistent with Article 17 bis of the agreement, which provides that opportunities created by the agreement do not undermine labor standards or the labor-related rights and principles contained in the laws of the respective parties to the agreement; and imposes conditions on the permit or exemption necessary to ensure compliance with Article 17 bis . The bill modifies policy considerations relating to air carrier certificates to require DOT to consider preventing entry into U.S. markets by flag of convenience carriers (i.e., foreign air carriers established in a country other the home country of their majority owner in order to avoid regulations of the home country) and preventing the undermining of labor standards. In carrying out such air carrier certificate requirements, DOT must consider preventing entry of flag of convenience carriers into U.S. markets as being in the public interest and consistent with public convenience and necessity for safety in air transportation and air commerce. In formulating U.S. international air transportation policy relating to the elimination of discrimination and unfair competition, the Department of State and DOT must include in their considerations the undermining of labor standards.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2021
Longshore and Harbor Workers' COVID-19 Compensation Act of 2021 This bill establishes a conclusive presumption that certain workers diagnosed with COVID-19 are entitled to workers' compensation benefits under the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act (LHWCA). It also provides funding to reimburse employers for costs associated with LHWCA benefits related to COVID-19. The LHWCA provides for medical, disability, and survivor benefits for specified private-sector maritime workers. The presumption applies to workers who were diagnosed with COVID-19 between January 27, 2020, and January 27, 2023, and who, during the incubation period, faced a risk of COVID-19 exposure while carrying out job duties. In addition, the bill establishes and provides funding for the Longshore COVID-19 Fund to reimburse employers for costs related to such COVID-19 claims. To be reimbursed, employers must comply with applicable safety and health guidance to prevent occupational exposure to COVID-19.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2021
Postal Service Reform Act of 2021 This bill addresses the finances and operations of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). The bill requires the Office of Personnel Management to establish the Postal Service Health Benefits Program for USPS employees and retirees and provides for coordinated enrollment of retirees under this program and Medicare. The bill repeals the requirement that the USPS annually prepay future retirement health benefits. Additionally, the USPS may establish a program to enter into agreements with an agency of any state government, local government, or tribal government, and with other government agencies, to provide certain nonpostal products and services that reasonably contribute to the costs of the USPS and meet other specified criteria. The USPS must develop and maintain a publicly available dashboard to track service performance and must report regularly on its operations and financial condition. The Postal Regulatory Commission must annually submit to the USPS a budget of its expenses. It must also conduct a study to identify the causes and effects of postal inefficiencies relating to flats (e.g., large envelopes). The USPS Office of Inspector General shall perform oversight of the Postal Regulatory Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2021
Safe Interactions Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to nonprofit disability organizations to develop training programs for law enforcement officers who may encounter individuals with disabilities.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2021
Untraceable Firearms Act of 2021 This bill establishes a federal statutory framework to regulate the manufacture, sale, offer to sell, transfer, purchase, and receipt of ghost guns (i.e., guns without serial numbers). Additionally, the bill revises the federal statutory framework regulating the manufacture, possession, sale, import, shipment, delivery, receipt, and transfer of undetectable firearms. Among the revisions, the bill defines undetectable firearm as a firearm without a major component wholly made of detectable material.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2021
Universal School Meals Program Act of 2021 This bill revises requirements under the food and nutrition programs of the Department of Agriculture, such as the school lunch and breakfast programs. For example, the bill permanently provides free meals to all school children regardless of income. The bill increases the reimbursement rate for school food authorities participating in the food and nutrition programs. The bill also prohibits school food authorities from (1) physically segregating or otherwise discriminating against any child participating in the free breakfast program, or (2) overtly identifying a child participating in the program with a special token or announcement. Additionally, the bill expands the summer food service program by making all children eligible for participation in the program. Further, the bill revises eligibility determinations for measuring poverty to include runaway or homeless youth, foster children, migratory children, and children participating in specified programs (e.g., Head Start).
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2021
Equity in Neuroscience and Alzheimer's Clinical Trials Act of 2021 or the ENACT Act of 2021 This bill sets out activities and requirements to increase the participation of underrepresented populations in research and clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Specifically, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) must establish and provide technical assistance to Alzheimer's research centers located in areas with higher concentrations of minority groups. These centers must establish diagnostic and treatment clinics designed to serve minority, rural, and other underserved populations; operate clinical trials; and carry out public outreach to encourage members of minority populations to participate in clinical trials and research. Additionally, the NIA must disseminate information to members of minority populations about participating in clinical trials and take other actions to enhance diversity with respect to the Alzheimer's research that it conducts or supports. The bill also directs the NIA to increase diversity among Alzheimer's researchers by encouraging the participation of individuals who are from groups that are underrepresented in clinical, behavioral, and social sciences.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2021
Green Transportation Act This bill incorporates greenhouse gas emission reduction in various transportation-related planning activities and programs. Specifically, states and metropolitan planning organizations must address greenhouse gas emission reductions and certain other issues (e.g., public health and climate change) in long-range and other planning related to highways and public transportation. The bill also makes reducing carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation system a national goal of the Federal-aid Highway Program. The Department of Transportation (DOT) must establish applicable performance measures and standards related to that goal. Additionally, states and metropolitan planning organizations may use certain funding available through the National Highway Trust Fund to develop standardized models and methodologies to measure and monitor transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. DOT must collect and organize such models and methodologies in a publicly available clearinghouse and report about them to Congress. Further, DOT must establish a program to fund projects that support the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from the surface transportation system. As part of this program, DOT must annually evaluate carbon dioxide emissions on public roads and evaluate states' progress in reducing emissions.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2021
Military Child Care Expansion Act of 2021 This bill modifies and implements policies to update child care facilities and administration at the Department of Defense (DOD). Specifically, the bill removes certain requirements for members of the Armed Forces to receive funding for an in-home child care provider under the DOD pilot program that provides financial assistance to such members who pay for in-home child care. The bill also allows DOD to expand the pilot program to additional locations (currently it is authorized for five). DOD must establish a 10-year pilot program to expand access to child care for members of the Armed Forces by entering into agreements with public or private child care facilities or development centers. Under the bill, DOD must determine the (1) root causes contributing to poor or failing facility conditions at its child development centers, and (2) total cost to improve the conditions of such centers. The Government Accountability Office must review the determinations and make recommendations on how to improve DOD child development center conditions. Lastly, DOD must utilize its existing authority to carry out minor military construction projects to construct child development centers.
United States · United States Congress · 11 May 2021
Servicemember Parental Leave Equity Act This bill modifies Department of Defense parental leave provisions for members of the Armed Forces. Specifically, the bill increases parental leave for primary caregivers to 18 weeks (currently 12) following the birth of a child and to 12 weeks (currently 6) following the adoption of a child. The bill increases parental leave for a secondary caregiver from 21 days to 12 weeks in connection with the birth or adoption of a child. Primary or secondary caregivers of a long-term foster child are authorized to take up to 12 weeks of leave in connection with such placement. Parental leave for a primary or secondary caregiver for a birth, adoption, or foster child placement may be taken in more than one increment. For primary caregivers, the leave must be utilized within one year of the event. The bill authorizes up to 12 weeks of leave to certain service members who would have been secondary caregivers but for a miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant death. The following activities required of an active-duty member within a 12-month postpartum period must have the approval of a health care provider and be at the election of the member or in the interest of national security: (1) an order of temporary duty overnight travel or to participate in physically demanding field training exercises, (2) meeting of body composition standards, or (3) passing a physical fitness test. The bill also reduces the service commitment required for participation in the Career Intermission Program.
United States · United States Congress · 7 May 2021
Raise the Age Act This bill establishes new restrictions on the sale or transfer of certain semiautomatic firearms to individuals under 21 years of age. Specifically, this bill makes it unlawful for a licensed gun dealer, importer, manufacturer, or collector to sell or deliver a semiautomatic center-fire rifle that has (or has the capacity to accept) an ammunition feeding device with a capacity of more than five rounds to an individual who the licensee knows or has reasonable cause to believe is under age 21. The prohibition does not apply if the individual under age 21 is a full-time law enforcement officer or active-duty member of the Armed Forces. The bill also requires the Federal Bureau of Investigation to report on the operation of its public access line, including a description of information sharing protocols and recommendations for improving such protocols.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2021
Whistleblower Protection Improvement Act of 2021 This bill establishes, modifies, and expands certain whistleblower protections for federal employees, including with respect to petitions to Congress, whistleblower identity, and protected disclosures. For example, the bill prohibits personnel action against employees who exercise their right to petition or furnish information to Congress and specifically precludes the President, Members of Congress, members of the uniformed services, and other federal employees from interfering with this right. It also generally prohibits employees from disclosing the identity of whistleblowers to individuals outside of the government. Employees may request corrective action from the Merit Systems Protection Board with respect to such prohibited practices and may file an action in court if the board does not render a final decision within 180 days of a request. The bill also expands the list of recipients to whom an employee may make a protected disclosure to include a supervisor in the employee's direct chain of command. It also includes personnel actions involving furloughs of more than 14 days but less than 30 days, and furloughs of 13 days or less that are not due to funding lapses, as appealable adverse actions that are subject to certain procedural requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2021
Naomi Schwartz Safe Parking Program Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Housing and Urban Development to establish a grant program for safe parking programs operated by local governments, tribes, nonprofit organizations, and certain organizations that assist the homeless. Safe parking programs provide homeless individuals living in vehicles with (1) a safe place to park overnight to facilitate a transition to stable housing, and (2) services including rehousing assistance and case management.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2021
Military Spouse Hiring Act This bill expands the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) to include the hiring of a qualified military spouse. (The WOTC permits employers who hire individuals who are members of a targeted group such as qualified veterans, ex-felons, or long-term unemployment recipients to claim a tax credit equal to a portion of the wages paid to those individuals.) A qualified military spouse is any individual who is certified by the designated local agency as being (as of the hiring date) a spouse of a member of the Armed Forces.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2021
Vietnam Human Rights Act This bill requires actions related to human rights in Vietnam and addresses related issues. The Department of State must assist eligible individuals and entities working to secure the release of political and religious prisoners in Vietnam. The Office of Internet Freedom within the U.S. Agency for Global Media and the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor within the State Department shall prioritize (1) the immediate distribution of censorship circumvention tools for computers and smartphones in Vietnam; and (2) projects to ensure the safety and privacy of bloggers, journalists, and human rights defenders in Vietnam. Foreign assistance may not be used to assist any unit of the Vietnamese government engaged in cyberespionage activities. The State Department may establish programs to (1) monitor and halt sex trafficking of women from Vietnam and other Asian countries, and (2) address Vietnam's growing sex-ratio disparity. The bill also requires various reports to Congress, including reports on (1) persons subject to U.S. sanctions for human rights violations in Vietnam, (2) a strategy to promote internet freedom in Vietnam, and (3) cyberespionage activities sanctioned by the Vietnamese government targeting Vietnamese dissidents and human rights advocates living outside of Vietnam.
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2021
Accountability for Acting Officials Act This bill makes a series of changes with respect to the appointment, tenure, and qualifications of acting officials of executive agencies. Among other things, the bill specifies that, for a position that requires an appointment by the President (by and with the advice and consent of the Senate), the first assistant to the office may temporarily fill the position only if the individual has been the first assistant for at least 30 days during the preceding year; an officer or employee of the agency who is directed by the President to temporarily fill the position may only do so if the officer or employee has served at the agency for at least the entire preceding year (rather than 90 days); and an individual who is a presidential appointee and is directed by the President to temporarily fill the position, including an acting Inspector General, must possess the requisite qualifications for the position as provided by law or regulation. The bill also limits the tenure of acting heads of agencies to no more than 120 days (rather than 210 days).
United States · United States Congress · 4 May 2021
End Speculative Oil and Gas Leasing Act of 2021 This bill specifies requirements for the leasing of oil and gas resources on federal lands. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), with respect to certain federal land that is covered by a reasonably foreseeable development scenario (i.e., a long-term projection of oil and gas development) shall not offer the land for lease until such scenario includes an assessment of the land's oil and gas potential that specifically identifies the potential for all acres subject to decisions on availability for leasing. If certain federal land that is otherwise available for leasing of oil and gas resources is not covered by a reasonably foreseeable development scenario, the BLM shall complete such a scenario in accordance with the requirements and factors described in this bill. In general, the BLM shall not offer for lease certain federal land otherwise available for leasing of oil and gas resources if such land is designated in the applicable reasonably foreseeable development scenario as having low or no potential for the development of oil or gas resources. However, the bill provides for a variance process. With respect to each of these requirements, exceptions apply for federal land that is leased for the purpose of preventing oil or gas drainage or that meets specified requirements related to size and proximity to an oil- or gas-producing well.
![Official portrait of Rep. Porter, Katie [D-CA-47]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/p000618_200.jpg)