United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2021
Impact Aid Infrastructure Act This bill authorizes additional Impact Aid construction grants for FY2022. These grants provide infrastructure assistance 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 · 24 March 2021
American Cures Act This bill permanently funds several federal agencies and programs that perform biomedical research. The bill provides specified funding for the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Defense health program, and the Department of Veterans Affairs medical and prosthetics research program. The bill exempts the funding from sequestration, which is a process of automatic, usually across-the-board spending reductions under which budgetary resources are permanently cancelled to enforce specific budget policy goals. It also exempts the budgetary effects of the funding from the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (PAYGO) and the Senate PAYGO rule.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2021
American Innovation Act This bill provides permanent funding for the National Science Foundation, the Office of Science at the Department of Energy, the Department of Defense science and technology programs, the scientific and technical research and services of the National Institute of Standards and Technology at the Department of Commerce, and the Science Mission Directorate at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The bill exempts such funding from being sequestered under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2021
No Junk Plans Act This bill nullifies a rule by the Department of Treasury, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Health and Human Services regarding short-term, limited-duration health insurance plans. Short-term, limited-duration health insurance plans are plans that may only offer coverage for a limited amount of time under law and that are exempt from the market requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (e.g., coverage of individuals with preexisting conditions). The rule increases the maximum authorized duration of such plans from less than 3 months (including renewals) to an initial maximum duration of less than 12 months (with a total duration of up to 36 months, including renewals). The rule took effect October 2, 2018.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2021
This resolution condemns and denounces all forms of anti-Asian sentiment, including those related to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), and calls on federal law enforcement officials, working with state and local agencies, to take specified steps. The resolution calls on federal officials to expeditiously investigate and document all credible reports of hate crimes, harassment, bullying, and threats against the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities; the Attorney General to work with state and local agencies and Asian American and Pacific Islander community-based organizations to prevent discrimination and to expand culturally competent and linguistically appropriate education campaigns on public reporting of hate crimes; and the Department of Health and Human Services to issue guidance describing best practices to mitigate racially discriminatory language in describing the pandemic. The resolution recommits the United States to serving as a model for the world in building a more inclusive, diverse, and tolerant society by (1) prioritizing language access and inclusivity in communication practices, and (2) combating misinformation and discrimination that puts Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders at risk.
United States · United States Congress · 24 March 2021
This resolution celebrates the successes and contributions of Latinas in the United States and recognizes the changes still to be made to ensure that Latinas can realize their full potential as equal members of society.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2021
Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act of 2021 or the SAFE Banking Act of 2021 This bill generally prohibits a federal banking regulator from penalizing a depository institution for providing banking services to a legitimate cannabis-related business. Prohibited penalties include terminating or limiting the deposit insurance or share insurance of a depository institution solely because the institution provides financial services to a legitimate cannabis-related business and prohibiting or otherwise discouraging a depository institution from offering financial services to such a business. Additionally, proceeds from a transaction involving activities of a legitimate cannabis-related business are not considered proceeds from unlawful activity. Proceeds from unlawful activity are subject to anti-money laundering laws. Furthermore, a depository institution is not, under federal law, liable or subject to asset forfeiture for providing a loan or other financial services to a legitimate cannabis-related business. The bill also provides that a federal banking agency may not request or order a depository institution to terminate a customer account unless (1) the agency has a valid reason for doing so, and (2) that reason is not based solely on reputation risk. Valid reasons for terminating an account include threats to national security and involvement in terrorist financing, including state sponsorship of terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2021
Modernizing Access to our Public Land Act or the MAPLand Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior, the Forest Service, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to jointly develop and adopt interagency standards to ensure compatibility and interoperability among federal databases for the collection and dissemination of outdoor recreation data related to federal lands. Interior, the Forest Service, and the Corps of Engineers must digitize and publish geographic information system mapping data that includes federal interests, including easements and rights-of-way, in private land; status information as to whether roads and trails are open or closed; the dates on which roads and trails are seasonally opened and closed; the types of vehicles that are allowed on each segment of roads and trails; the boundaries of areas where hunting or recreational shooting is regulated or closed; and the boundaries of any portion of a body of water that is closed to entry, is closed to watercraft, or has horsepower limitations for watercraft.
United States · United States Congress · 23 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 how to establish online hate crime reporting processes in multiple languages and how to expand 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 · 23 March 2021
Toxic Exposure in the American Military Act or the TEAM Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to expand health care, benefits, and resources for veterans with conditions related to exposure to toxic substances. Specifically, the bill expands eligibility for VA hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care to include veterans who (1) were exposed to toxic substances, radiation, or other conditions, and were awarded certain medals (e.g., the Armed Forces Service Medal); (2) are eligible for inclusion in the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry; or (3) have been identified by the Department of Defense to have been possibly exposed during service to an open burn pit, toxic substance, or specified hazardous sites. (A burn pit is an area used for burning solid waste in open air without equipment.) The bill establishes a presumption of service-connection for diseases associated with exposure to certain toxic substances and that become manifest within a certain time period; the VA must specify such diseases and requirements through regulations. Under a presumption of service-connection, specific conditions 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. The bill also requires the VA to take specified actions to (1) evaluate scientific evidence regarding associations between diseases and exposure to toxic substances; (2) train its health care personnel on identifying, treating, and assessing illnesses related to such exposure; and (3) provide resources to veterans exposed to toxic substances.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2021
Data Care Act of 20 21 This bill imposes various duties on online service providers with respect to their handling of individual-identifying data that can be reasonably linked to a specific user. Specifically, online service providers have a duty to (1) reasonably secure such data from unauthorized access, (2) refrain from using such data in a way that will result in reasonably foreseeable harm to the end user, and (3) not disclose such data to another party unless that party is also bound by the duties established in this bill. The bill authorizes the Federal Trade Commission and specified state officials to take enforcement actions with respect to breaches of such duties.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2021
Freedom To Invest in Tomorrow's Workforce Act This bill allows the use of funds in a qualified tuition program (commonly known as a 529 account) to pay for expenses associated with obtaining or maintaining recognized postsecondary credentials.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2021
Survivors' Access to Supportive Care Act or SASCA This bill sets out programs and requirements to address access and quality issues related to sexual-assault examinations. Specifically, the bill establishes training and technical assistance programs for health care providers on conducting sexual-assault examinations and treating survivors of sexual assault, including in rural and tribal settings; grants for states to assess the availability of trained providers to perform sexual-assault examinations; and a task force to assist state-level efforts to improve medical forensic evidence collection related to sexual assault. The bill also requires institutions of higher education to provide information about the availability of sexual-assault examinations to survivors of sexual assault. Additionally, hospitals and specified components of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must report on access and quality issues concerning sexual-assault examinations and related services. Furthermore, HHS must address access to, and the quality of, trained health care providers who conduct sexual-assault examinations in the National Quality Strategy. This is a national effort to align public-sector and private-sector stakeholders to achieve better health and health care.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2021
Fair Accountability and Innovative Research Drug Pricing Act of 20 21 This bill requires manufacturers to report about certain price increases for prescription drugs and biological products with a wholesale cost of at least $100 per month. Such reports must include, among other information (1) the percentage price increase, (2) a justification for such increase, (3) the price history of the drug, (4) the total cost to develop the drug, and (5) the total revenue and net profit generated from the drug.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2021
Affordable and Safe Prescription Drug Importation Act This bill allows expanded importation of eligible prescription drugs and addresses related issues. Current law allows the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to authorize the importation of certain eligible prescription drugs from Canada if HHS certifies to Congress that doing so would pose no additional risk to public health and safety and would result in significant cost savings for consumers. The bill removes this certification requirement and requires HHS to issue regulations that permit the importation of qualifying prescription drugs from Canada. After a certain amount of time, HHS may authorize importation from certain other countries if it determines that importation from Canada has resulted in cost savings for consumers and increased access to safe medication. The bill also expands the types of prescription drugs eligible for importation to include, for example, biologics such as insulin. Furthermore, the bill allows individuals to use an eligible licensed foreign pharmacy to fill a U.S.-issued prescription for a qualifying drug for personal use. Currently, an individual seeking to import a prescription drug generally must acquire a waiver from HHS. The bill imposes various requirements related to certification of foreign sellers, labeling of imported drugs, and supply chain security. The bill also (1) prohibits certain acts that discriminate against foreign sellers, such as charging higher prices to foreign sellers than to other sellers in the same country; and (2) imposes criminal penalties for online websites that sell counterfeit drugs or dispense drugs without a required prescription.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2021
Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act of 2021 or the CROWN Act of 2021 This bill prohibits discrimination based on a person's hair texture or hairstyle if that style or texture is commonly associated with a particular race or national origin. Specifically, the bill prohibits this type of discrimination against those participating in federally assisted programs, housing programs, public accommodations, and employment. Persons shall not be deprived of equal rights under the law and shall not be subjected to prohibited practices based on their hair texture or style. The bill provides for enforcement procedures under the applicable laws.
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2021
Educational Opportunity and Success Act of 2021 This bill reauthorizes through FY2027 and otherwise revises TRIO programs. (These outreach and student-services programs identify and provide services to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.) Among other revisions to the programs, the bill prohibits the Department of Education (ED) from rejecting TRIO grant applications based on certain errors; requires ED to provide additional technical assistance to interested grant applicants; revises the outcome criteria for measuring the quality and effectiveness of the programs, including those programs specifically designed for veterans; allows program administrators to use a student's most recent Free Application for Federal Student Aid to determine TRIO program eligibility; and increases the maximum stipend for students participating in the Upward Bound Program or the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2021
This resolution celebrates the successes of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women and the contributions they have made in the United States. The resolution also recognizes the importance of supporting equity, providing safety, and upholding the interests of these women.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2021
Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2021 This bill provides for coverage of marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor services under Medicare. It also excludes such services from the skilled nursing facility prospective payment system, and authorizes marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors to develop discharge plans for post-hospital services.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2021
College Transparency Act This bill requires the National Center for Education Statistics to establish a secure and privacy-protected data system that contains information about postsecondary students. Specifically, the data system must evaluate student enrollment patterns, progression, completion, and postcollegiate outcomes, and higher education costs and financial aid; provide complete and customizable information for students and families making decisions about postsecondary education; reduce the requirements for reporting by institutions of higher education; and periodically match with other federal systems of data. The bill also establishes a postsecondary student data system advisory committee.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2021
Jumpstart Our Businesses by Supporting Students Act of 2021 or the JOBS Act of 2021 This bill expands student eligibility for Pell Grants by establishing the Job Training Federal Pell Grant program. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Education to award a job training Pell Grant to a student who does not have a degree; attends an institution of higher education (IHE); is enrolled in a career and technical education program at an IHE that provides 150 to 600 clock hours of instructional time over a period of 8 to 15 weeks and provides training aligned with high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industry sectors (i.e., job training programs); and meets all other eligibility requirements for a Pell Grant. It also specifies that any period during which a student receives a job training Pell Grant counts toward that student's Pell Grant eligibility period.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2021
Personal Health Investment Today Act of 2021 or the PHIT Act of 2021 This bill allows a medical care tax deduction for up to $1,000 ($2,000 for a joint return or a head of household) of qualified sports and fitness expenses per year. The bill defines qualified sports and fitness expenses as amounts paid exclusively for participating in a physical activity, including (1) fitness facility memberships, (2) physical exercise or activity programs, or (3) equipment for a physical exercise or activity program.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2021
This resolution designates March 2021 as National Women's History Month. The resolution also recognizes the celebration of such month as a time to reflect on the contributions that women have made to the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 18 March 2021
Empowering Medicare Seniors to Negotiate Drug Prices Act of 2021 This bill allows the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to negotiate drug prices under the Medicare prescription drug benefit and to institute a price structure for the reimbursement of drugs covered under the benefit.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2021
For the People Act of 2021 This bill addresses voter access, election integrity and security, campaign finance, and ethics for the three branches of government. Specifically, the bill expands voter registration (e.g., automatic and same-day registration) and voting access (e.g., vote-by-mail and early voting). It also limits removing voters from voter rolls. The bill requires states to establish independent redistricting commissions to carry out congressional redistricting. Additionally, the bill sets forth provisions related to election security, including sharing intelligence information with state election officials, supporting states in securing their election systems, developing a national strategy to protect U.S. democratic institutions, establishing in the legislative branch the National Commission to Protect United States Democratic Institutions, and other provisions to improve the cybersecurity of election systems. Further, the bill addresses campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals, requiring additional disclosure of campaign-related fundraising and spending, requiring additional disclaimers regarding certain political advertising, and establishing an alternative campaign funding system for certain federal offices. The bill addresses ethics in all three branches of government, including by requiring a code of conduct for Supreme Court Justices, prohibiting Members of the House from serving on the board of a for-profit entity, and establishing additional conflict-of-interest and ethics provisions for federal employees and the White House. The bill requires the President, the Vice President, and certain candidates for those offices to disclose 10 years of tax returns.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2021
Fair Care for Vietnam Veterans Act of 2021 This bill provides a presumption of service-connection for hypertension and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) for veterans who served in Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975. Under a presumption of service-connection, specific conditions 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.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2021
Platform Accountability and Consumer Transparency Act or the PACT Act This bill requires providers of interactive computer services (e.g., social media companies) to publish their policy explaining the types of content permissible on the service and provide a system for users to submit complaints about content that may violate the policy or involve illegal content. Further, social media companies must establish a process for removing certain content that violates their policies and notifying the information content provider about the removal, including a mechanism to appeal the removal. Social media companies also must publish a report every six months that details the instances in which the company took action with respect to content, including removing content, deprioritizing content, and suspending content provider accounts. The bill removes certain liability protections for companies if the company has actual knowledge of illegal content on its service and does not remove it within specified time frames. The bill provides for enforcement of these requirements by the Federal Trade Commission.
United States · United States Congress · 17 March 2021
Jobs for Economic Recovery Act of 2021 This bill establishes an employment and training program to assist workers who are unemployed or underemployed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and other displaced workers and those who face barriers to employment, to obtain employment, including through subsidized employment programs. Specifically, states, Indian tribes, local governments, and particular nonprofits must meet certain conditions before receiving funding to establish these programs. In addition to providing this funding, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award temporary grants to these entities to plan and implement the programs. The HHS Inspector General must biennially audit a sample of the state programs to ensure compliance with program and nondisplacement requirements, and to identify and protect against any waste, fraud, or abuse in such programs. HHS must make information publicly available to job seekers online about whether they are eligible for state, local, or tribal program employment services, and the agency to contact for further information. The bill also creates an employee retention work opportunity tax credit for employers that retain workers hired through the program for 24 months. Finally, the bill requires the Government Accountability Office to evaluate whether the retention credit (1) had a meaningful impact on retention as compared to currently existing and previous subsidized employment programs, and (2) was easily understood by employers and had an impact on hiring decisions in addition to any subsidy received by this bill.
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 · 16 March 2021
This bill waives certain eligibility requirements for hospitals participating in the 340B drug discount program (i.e., a program that allows entities to receive covered outpatient drugs at reduced prices from manufacturers) during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency. Specifically, the bill waives the required minimum proportion of low-income patients served for hospitals that began participating in the program during or prior to the COVID-19 emergency.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2021
Lori Jackson Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act This bill makes changes to the federal statutory framework that prohibits the shipment, transport, receipt, or possession of firearms or ammunition by an individual who is subject to a qualifying domestic violence court order. Under current law, a qualifying domestic violence court order must meet certain criteria, including to (1) be issued after a hearing of which the individual had notice and an opportunity to participate; and (2) restrain the individual from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner (i.e., a current or former spouse, a co-parent of a child, or a current or former cohabitant) or the child of an intimate partner. This bill expands the scope of qualifying domestic violence court orders to include an order that is issued after an ex parte hearing (i.e., a hearing with only one party present); restrains the individual from harassing, stalking, or threatening a dating partner or former dating partner; or restrains the individual from intimidating a witness. Current law also prohibits an individual who is convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from shipping, transporting, receiving, or possessing firearms or ammunition. These restrictions generally only apply to spouses, co-parents, and cohabitants, and to offenses that involve physical force or deadly weapons. This bill expands the scope of these restrictions to include dating partners and offenses that involve stalking.
United States · United States Congress · 16 March 2021
Protecting Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions Act of 2021 This bill nullifies specified guidance and final rule provisions pertaining to Section 1332 waivers (also known as State Innovation Waivers or State Relief and Empowerment Waivers) issued by the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Health and Human Services. The provisions allow states to forego certain requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in order to implement experimental plans for health care coverage, as long as the resulting coverage meets certain statutory criteria. The provisions, which supersede earlier guidance from 2015, alter agency interpretation of how states may satisfy the statutory criteria for waiver approval. For example, the provisions (1) redefine acceptable coverage under such waivers to include short-term, limited-duration insurance and association health plans; (2) allow the comprehensiveness and affordability of coverage under such waivers to be assessed based on projected availability, rather than enrollment; and (3) allow the level of coverage to be assessed based on the effects over the entire course of the waiver, rather than per year.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2021
Citizenship for Essential Workers Act This bill establishes a mechanism for eligible aliens who worked as essential workers during the declared COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency to apply for and obtain permanent resident status. The bill also narrows certain grounds for deportability and inadmissibility. To be eligible for permanent resident status under this bill, an alien must have earned income at any point during the COVID-19 emergency period doing work deemed essential by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or a state or local government. An alien may also be eligible if that alien is a parent, spouse, or child of (1) an eligible alien who died from COVID-19, or (2) a member of the Armed Forces. Certain aliens shall be ineligible, such as an alien who was a refugee on January 1, 2021. To obtain permanent resident status under this bill, an applying alien must satisfy additional requirements, including by passing a background check. Furthermore, the bill repeals provisions providing for three-year bars and permanent bars to admission into the United States. (Generally, these bars apply to aliens who were previously removed or unlawfully present in the United States.) The bill also narrows the scope of certain crime-based grounds for inadmissibility or deportability, such as by redefining the term conviction to exclude expunged convictions. The Department of Justice or DHS may waive certain grounds of inadmissibility or deportability (1) for humanitarian purposes, (2) to ensure family unity, or (3) for the public interest.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2021
American Innovation and Jobs Act This bill revises and expands the deductibility of research and experimental expenditures to allow immediate expensing of such expenditures. It also allows the amortization over a period of at least 60 months of certain other types of research and experimental expenditures not treated as expenses. The bill increases the maximum amount eligible for the tax credit for new and small businesses and increases to 20% the rate of the credit for business startups.
United States · United States Congress · 15 March 2021
Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act This bill reauthorizes through FY2026, revises, and establishes grants and activities to promote access to telecommunications services, including broadband internet. The bill addresses digital equity and inclusion through grants and by requiring studies on barriers to adopting broadband services and related matters. The bill addresses broadband affordability and access. It (1) reauthorizes and expands programs that subsidize or support broadband services for, among others, eligible households, schools, and minority communities; and (2) establishes a program for expanding broadband service for underserved areas and community support organizations (e.g., religious organizations). Additionally, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must expand programs that verify an individual's eligibility for subsidized telecommunications services. The bill addresses matters concerning broadband data. The FCC must (1) issue rules for collecting pricing data and labels for disclosing information about broadband plans to consumers, and (2) collaborate and share data with federal agencies and stakeholders. The bill makes financing (e.g., low-interest loans) available to communities and public-private partnerships for broadband infrastructure investments and creates grants to establish or expand certain internet exchange facilities and submarine cable landing stations. 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
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
CHAMPVA Children's Care Protection Act of 2021 This bill provides that a child shall be eligible for medical care under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) until the child's 26th birthday, regardless of the child's marital status.
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
Police Training and Independent Review Act of 2021 This bill authorizes the Department of Justice to award grants to states that (1) require law enforcement officers to be trained on fair and impartial policing (e.g., diversity and anti-bias training), and (2) require an independent prosecutor to be appointed to investigate and prosecute an alleged offense involving the use of deadly force by a law enforcement officer that results in a death or injury.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2021
Work Opportunities and Resources to Keep Nonprofit Organizations Well Act or the WORK NOW Act This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to establish a grant program to provide emergency relief to certain nonprofit organizations, prioritizing organizations that provide services related to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. Organizations receiving funding must use not less than 60% of these funds to hire former and new employees.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2021
This resolution condemns the February 1, 2021, military coup in Burma (Myanmar) and calls on Burmese authorities to allow journalists, human rights organizations, United Nations monitors, and humanitarian actors full and safe access to every part of the country. The resolution also asks neighboring countries to provide immediate and direct cross-border assistance to address the humanitarian needs of refugees.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2021
No Tax Breaks for Outsourcing Act This bill modifies the tax treatment of the foreign source income of domestic corporations. The bill includes provisions that modify calculations of the gross income of U.S. shareholders to include net CFC tested income in the current taxable year, apply limitations on the foreign tax credit on a country-by-country basis, limit the tax deduction for the interest expense of a U.S. corporation that is a member of a financial reporting group (i.e., a group that prepares consolidated financial statements according to generally accepted accounting principles or international financial reporting standards), modify the rules for the taxation of inverted corporations (i.e., U.S. corporations that acquire foreign companies to reincorporate in a foreign jurisdiction with income tax rates lower than the United States), and treat certain foreign corporations managed and controlled primarily in the United States as domestic corporations for tax purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2021
Safe Line Speeds During COVID-19 Act of 202 1 This bill directs the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to temporarily suspend any waivers and not issue new waivers related to line speeds in meat and poultry establishments and inspection staffing requirements for such establishments through 90 days after the date on which the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency period is lifted. Additionally, the implementation of, and conversion to, the New Swine Slaughter Inspection System must be suspended. No funds made available to USDA during such emergency period shall be used to develop, propose, finalize, issue, amend, or implement any policy, regulation, directive, constituent update, or any other agency program that would increase line speeds at meat and poultry establishments. Not later than 90 days after the end of the emergency period, the Government Accountability Office shall conduct a review of actions taken by specific federal departments or agencies, including USDA, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to determine the effectiveness of such actions in protecting animal, food, and worker safety.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2021
Hello Girls Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2021 This bill provides for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal in honor of the female telephone operators of the Army Signal Corps, commonly known as the Hello Girls , in recognition of their military service, devotion to duty, and 60-year struggle for veterans' benefits and recognition as soldiers.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2021
COVID-19 in Immigration Detention Data Transparency Act This bill requires U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to collect and report various information about detained individuals, including data on COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) testing. During the COVID-19-related declared public health emergency and for one year after, ICE, CBP, and ORR shall publicly post on a website certain data about its detention facilities, including COVID-19 testing numbers for detained individuals and detention facility staff, COVID-19 case outcomes, vaccinations, and COVID-19-related information about detained individuals who were released or removed from the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shall issue guidance as to the COVID-19-related data that ICE, CBP, and ORR must collect and report weekly to the CDC. The CDC shall periodically report to Congress a summary of this data and an analysis of the trends and pattern of the spread of the disease. ICE, CPB, and ORR shall ensure that each detained individual receives all medical records related to any COVID-19 test administered to the individual. ICE, CPB, and ORR shall also report to Congress on (1) the COVID-19 safety protocols in its facilities, and (2) information relating to their efforts to ensure that each detained individual has access to legal counsel. This bill's data collection and reporting requirements that apply to ICE, CPB, and ORR shall also apply to any contract facilities that they use to hold detained individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2021
This resolution recognizes the 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
Retaining Educators Takes Added Investment Now Act or the RETAIN Act This bill allows a refundable tax credit for the employment of early childhood educators, teachers, early childhood education program directors, school leaders, and school-based mental health services providers that is based upon the number of school years for which such individuals have been continuously employed.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2021
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that, if it creates a presumption of service-connection between the occurrence of a disease and exposure to an herbicide agent while serving in the Armed Forces between January 9, 1962, and June 30, 1976, at a military base in Thailand, such presumption must also apply to exposure at any military base in Thailand, regardless of where on the base the veteran was located or what military job specialty the veteran performed.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2021
Public Health Infrastructure Saves Lives Act This bill provides annual funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to strengthen core public health infrastructure. Core public health infrastructure includes the elements and workforce capabilities that enable health departments to perform critical functions such as disease surveillance and emergency response. Specifically, the CDC must award grants to health departments for their core infrastructure needs. In addition, the CDC must support the development of accreditation standards for health departments that emphasize core public health infrastructure. Health departments must meet those (or similar) standards as a condition of receiving grants beginning in FY2025. The CDC must also take steps to expand and improve its own public health infrastructure.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2021
Air Carrier Access Amendments Act of 2021 This bill expands provisions prohibiting discrimination against disabled individuals by an air carrier. Specifically, it enumerates certain actions that an air carrier must take or may not take with respect to a disabled individual. It also requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to ensure that disabled individuals traveling in air transportation are able to file complaints with DOT in response to disability-related discrimination and receive assistance from DOT through a hotline or comparable electronic means. The bill authorizes an aggrieved individual and the Department of Justice to bring a civil action for discrimination. The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board shall prescribe regulations setting forth minimum standards for aircraft with new or existing type certificates to ensure the accessibility of individuals with disabilities, including those who use wheelchairs. The standards shall address, among other things, boarding and deplaning equipment, seating accommodations, lavatories, visually accessible announcements, and proper stowage of assistive devices in the cargo hold to prevent damage.
![Official portrait of Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b001230_200.jpg)