United States · United States Congress · 13 July 2021
Reducing Barriers for Military Voters Act This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to develop a plan for providing end-to-end electronic voting services (e.g., services for registering to vote and returning a ballot) in participating states for absent uniformed service members who are deployed or mobilized in locations with limited or no postal service. Specifically, DOD must develop the plan by consulting with state and local election officials. Further, the plan must include (1) methods to ensure that voters have the opportunity to verify that their ballots are received and tabulated, (2) methods to generate a verifiable and auditable vote trail, and (3) an assessment of whether commercially available technologies may be used to carry out the plan. DOD must implement the plan for a trial group of voters in participating states for the 2024 federal elections. The plan must be implemented for all voters in participating states for the 2026 federal elections and subsequent years.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2021
Veterans Expedited TSA Screening Safe Travel Act or the VETS Safe Travel Act This bill makes certain veterans eligible for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) PreCheck Program at no cost if they meet the program's background check and security requirements. Veterans who are eligible for this fee waiver are those who are in the annual patient enrollment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and require the use of a wheelchair, prosthetic limb, or other assistive device to aid with mobility due to (1) loss, or loss of use, of a limb; (2) full or partial paralyzation; or (3) permanent blindness. The VA and the TSA must develop and implement a process to provide disabled veterans effective outreach about TSA programs that are designed to improve the screening process for passengers with disabilities.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2021
Expanding Access to Affordable Prescription Drugs and Medical Devices Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide assistance to certain nonprofit manufacturers of drugs or medical devices, establishes requirements in statute for a manufacturer to qualify as a tax-exempt nonprofit organization, and addresses related issues. Generally, to be a tax-exempt nonprofit drug (or biological product) or device manufacturer under this bill, an organization must (1) only manufacture drugs or devices that further a public health objective, such as addressing barriers related to availability or price; (2) sell each drug or device at a public list price that is not above a certain amount as determined by various costs; (3) not compensate any employee an amount more than 40 times the compensation of the lowest-compensated employee or applicable contractor; and (4) meet various existing requirements for being a tax-exempt organization. HHS must provide assistance to tax-exempt nonprofit organizations that meet certain requirements by awarding cooperative agreements, providing low-interest revolving loans, and waiving certain user fees. For awarding such cooperative agreements and loans, HHS shall prioritize organizations expecting to market an eligible drug or device (1) at a price lower than existing treatments, or (2) that HHS has identified as a public health priority. The Food and Drug Administration may prioritize the review of an application for market approval of a qualifying drug or medical device from a tax-exempt nonprofit organization if the organization commits to a specific price that is significantly lower than similar treatments on the market.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2021
Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2021 or the PAST Act of 2021 This bill addresses the practice of soring horses. The soring of horses includes various actions taken on horses' limbs to produce higher gaits that may cause pain, distress, inflammation, or lameness. Specifically, the bill expands soring regulation and enforcement at horse shows, exhibitions, sales, and auctions, including by establishing a new system for inspecting horses for soring. In addition, the bill increases penalties for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2021
Promote Responsible Oversight and Targeted Employee background Check Transparency for Seniors Act or the PROTECTS Act This bill allows Medicaid and Medicare providers (e.g., skilled nursing facilities) to access, through the National Practitioner Data Bank, disciplinary information concerning affiliated physicians and other health care practitioners, as reported by state licensing authorities.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2021
Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Enhancement Act This bill modifies the requirements for calculating taxable income to exclude from gross income payments under the federal veterinary medicine loan repayment program or any state loan repayment or forgiveness program that is intended to provide for increased access to veterinary services in such state.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2021
Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act of 20 21 This bill prohibits commercial conversion therapy, which is a practice or treatment designed to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity or otherwise change behaviors, thoughts, or expressions related to gender or sexual attraction. This prohibition does not apply to treatment that assists an individual undergoing a gender transition or facilitates identity exploration and development.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2021
Women and Minorities in STEM Booster Act of 2021 This bill requires the National Science Foundation to award competitive grants to enable eligible entities to carry out the activities specified below in order to increase the participation of women and underrepresented minorities in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). An eligible entity that receives a grant shall use grant funds to carry out one or more of the following activities designed to increase the participation of women or minorities underrepresented in science and engineering, or both: online workshops, mentoring programs that partner STEM professionals with students, internships for undergraduate and graduate students in STEM fields, outreach programs providing elementary and secondary school students with opportunities to increase their exposure to STEM fields, and programs to increase the recruitment and retention of underrepresented faculty.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2021
STEM Opportunities Act This bill provides for guidance, data collection, and grants for groups historically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education at institutions of higher education (IHEs) and at federal science agencies. Specifically, the bill requires the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) to provide specified guidance related to such groups to federal science agencies and IHEs. Each federal science agency must collect comprehensive demographic data on recipients of merit-reviewed research and development grants given to IHEs and federal laboratories supported by that agency. Each agency must also implement recommendations from the OSTP report titled Reducing the Impact of Bias in the STEM Workforce . In addition, each agency must carry out a pilot program and implement evidence-based policies and practices to minimize the effect of implicit bias in the grant review process. The National Science Foundation (NSF) must carry out and publish a survey to collect data on the demographics of STEM faculty, by broad fields of STEM, at different types of IHEs. The NSF must also carry out a variety of grant programs, including grants for increasing (1) the recruitment, retention, and advancement of individuals from underrepresented minority groups in STEM careers; (2) the recruitment and retention of minority students who are underrepresented in STEM fields; and (3) student participation in computer science and computational thinking education programs at tribal colleges and universities.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2021
Keep the Watchdogs Running Act This bill authorizes a federal office of inspector general (OIG) to continue performing its duties during a lapse in appropriations (i.e., government shutdown). During a lapse in appropriations, the OIG may obligate funds (1) at the rate of operations and under the terms and conditions provided in the most recently enacted appropriations act, and (2) to perform its duties with respect to any program that continues during the lapse in appropriations.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2021
LGBTQ Data Inclusion Act This bill requires federal agencies that collect information through a survey that includes demographic data (where subjects self-report information or a proxy provides information about the subject or responds for all persons in a household) to review existing data sets to determine in which data sets information about sexual orientation and gender identity is not included, and to assess needed changes in survey methods related to asking questions on sexual orientation and gender identity. Agencies that publish reports relying on survey demographic data must include information on sexual orientation and gender identity.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2021
Immigrant Veterans Eligibility Tracking System Act or the I-VETS Act This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to identify aliens who are serving or have served in the Armed Forces when such an alien applies for an immigration benefit or is placed in an immigration enforcement proceeding. Such information shall be reflected in DHS records and may not be used to remove an alien from the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2021
Better Care Better Jobs Act This bill establishes programs and provides funds for state Medicaid programs to improve home- and community-based services (HCBS), such as home health care, personal care, case management, and rehabilitative services. Specifically, the bill provides funds for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to award planning grants, develop quality measures, and provide technical assistance to states regarding specified HCBS improvements, particularly with respect to access, utilization, and the associated workforce. The bill also increases the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (i.e., federal matching rate) for HCBS in states that develop plans and meet specified benchmarks for improvements. The bill also makes permanent (1) the Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration Program (a grant program to help states increase the use of HCBS for long-term care and decrease the use of institutional care), and (2) certain provisions regarding Medicaid eligibility that protect against spousal impoverishment for recipients of HCBS.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2021
Task Force on the Impact of the Affordable Housing Crisis Act of 2021 This bill establishes the Task Force on the Impact of the Affordable Housing Crisis and requires the task force to make recommendations on how to use affordable housing to improve the effectiveness of federal programs and improve life outcomes.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2021
Cyber Sense Act of 20 20 [ sic ] This bill requires the Department of Energy to establish a voluntary Cyber Sense program to test the cybersecurity of products and technologies intended for use in the bulk-power system. The bulk-power system includes facilities and control systems necessary for operating an interconnected electric energy transmission network, and electric energy from generation facilities needed to maintain transmission system reliability.
United States · United States Congress · 23 June 2021
Rural and Frontier Telehealth Expansion Act This bill increases the applicable Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (i.e., federal matching rate) under Medicaid for telehealth services in rural states or states that have limited broadband infrastructure and that provide consistent and widespread coverage for such services.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2021
Fire Fighters and EMS Employer-Employee Cooperation Act This bill requires the Federal Labor Relations Authority to determine whether a state substantially provides fire and emergency medical services (EMS) personnel the right to form and join a labor organization; recognition by fire and EMS employers of the employees' labor organization, agreement to bargain with the organization, and reduction of any agreements to writing in a contract or memorandum of understanding; the right to bargain over hours, wages, and terms and conditions of employment; and arbitration or other mechanisms to resolve an impasse in collective bargaining negotiations. The bill makes the authority responsible for (1) determining the appropriateness of units for labor representation; (2) supervising elections; (3) conducting hearings and resolving complaints of unfair labor practices; and (4) protecting the right of employees to form, join, or assist any labor organization, or to refrain from doing so. An employer, fire and EMS personnel, or labor organization may not engage in a lockout, sickout, work slowdown, strike, or any other organized job action that will measurably disrupt the delivery of emergency services and is designed to compel an employer, fire and EMS personnel, or labor organization to agree to the terms of a proposed contract.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2021
Supporting Expanded Review for Veterans In Combat Environments Act of 2021 or the SERVICE Act of 2021 This bill expands eligibility for Veterans Health Administration mammography screenings to veterans who served in certain locations during specified periods, including those who were exposed to toxic substances at such locations. The specified locations and corresponding time periods include Iraq between August 2, 1990, and February 28, 1991, and from March 19, 2003, until burn pits (areas used for burning solid waste in open air without equipment) are no longer used in Iraq; the Southwest Asia theater of operations, including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar, from August 2, 1990, until burn pits are no longer used in such locations; Afghanistan, Djibouti, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, and Yemen from September 11, 2001, until burn pits are no longer used in such locations; and other locations and time periods as determined by the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry. The bill specifies that the listed locations do not include bodies of water around or airspace above such locations.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2021
Pray Safe Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish a Federal Clearinghouse on Safety and Security Best Practices for Faith-Based Organizations and Houses of Worship. The clearinghouse shall be the primary resource of the federal government to (1) educate and publish online best practices and recommendations for safety and security for faith-based organizations and houses of worship, and (2) provide information relating to federal grant programs available to faith-based organizations and houses of worship. DHS shall develop tiers for determining evidence-based practices that demonstrate a significant effect on improving safety, security, or both for faith-based organizations and houses of worship. The clearinghouse website shall include a separate section for other resources that shall provide a centralized list of all available points of contact to seek assistance in grant applications and in carrying out the best practices and recommendations of the clearinghouse.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2021
This resolution designates June 21-June 25, 2021, as National Cybersecurity Education Week and encourages increased awareness about and acknowledgement of the importance of cybersecurity education.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2021
This resolution acknowledges and condemns the discrimination against, wrongful termination of, and exclusion from the federal civil service, the Foreign Service, and the Armed Forces of the thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals who were affected by the anti-LGBT policies of the federal government. The resolution expresses that the Senate, on behalf of the United States, apologizes to the affected LGBT military service members, Foreign Service members, veterans, and federal civil service employees and their families. Finally, the resolution reaffirms the commitment of the federal government to treat all military service members, Foreign Service members, veterans, and federal civil service employees and retirees, including LGBT individuals, with equal respect and fairness.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2021
Physician Shortage GME Cap Flex Act of 2021 This bill excludes certain hospitals that establish shortage specialty programs from the cap on full-time equivalent residents that is otherwise applicable, and provides for a new building period, for purposes of graduate medical education payments under Medicare.
United States · United States Congress · 17 June 2021
United States–Israel Artificial Intelligence Center Act This bill requires the Department of State to establish the United States–Israel Artificial Intelligence Center to leverage the experience, knowledge, and expertise of institutions of higher education and private sector entities in the United States and Israel to develop more robust research and development cooperation in specified areas (e.g., machine learning, object detection, and speech recognition).
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2021
Restaurant Revitalization Fund Replenishment Act of 2021 This bill provides an additional $60 billion in FY2021 for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, which was established to support restaurants and other food and beverage purveyors in response to COVID-19.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2021
Manufacturing API, Drugs, and Excipients in America Act or the MADE in America Act This bill establishes a tax credit for taxpayers engaged in medical production activities in certain areas and contains other provisions related to pharmaceuticals. An eligible taxpayer may claim a tax credit equal to 25% of qualified expenditures related to the production of pharmaceuticals, medical devices, or other related items in a designated qualified opportunity zone with a poverty rate higher than 30%. The bill provides for increases to this tax credit in certain situations, such as if a substantial portion of the employees reside in areas with certain poverty levels. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must continue programs to facilitate the development and review of new drug or biological products that are manufactured using certain advanced manufacturing technologies. The bill imposes various requirements on these programs, including deadlines for evaluating such a technology. Furthermore, the Department of Health and Human Services must ensure timely and effective internal coordination and alignment between FDA field investigators and the staff of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research's Office of Compliance and Drug Shortage Program regarding reports and feedback related to facility inspections.
United States · United States Congress · 16 June 2021
Disarm Hate Act The bill expands the categories of persons who are prohibited from receiving or possessing a firearm. Specifically, it prohibits firearm sale or transfer to and receipt, possession, shipment, or transport by a person (1) who has been convicted of a misdemeanor hate crime, or (2) who has received an enhanced hate crime misdemeanor sentence.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2021
Telemental Health Care Access Act of 2021 This bill eliminates certain restrictions relating to Medicare coverage of mental health services that are provided through telehealth. Current law allows for coverage of such services regardless of the geographic location of the originating site (i.e., the location of the beneficiary) after the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, as long as the beneficiary previously received in-person services and continues to receive in-person services at specified intervals. The bill eliminates these in-person requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 14 June 2021
No PFAS in Cosmetics Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to issue and finalize a rule to ban the use of intentionally added perfluoroalkyl or polyfluoroalkyl substances in cosmetics.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2021
Refund Equality Act of 2021 This bill permits legally married same sex couples to amend their tax returns to file as married filing jointly for returns outside of the statute of limitations.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2021
Medical Nutrition Equity Act of 2021 This bill expands coverage under Medicare, Medicaid, other specified federal health care programs, and private health insurance to include foods, vitamins, and individual amino acids that are medically necessary for the management of certain digestive and metabolic disorders and conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2021
COVID-19 Vaccine Developers Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to recognize all those whose efforts led to the development of COVID-19 vaccines that received emergency use authorizations.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2021
Travel Optimization by Updating and Revitalizing Infrastructure to Support Mobilization Act or the TOURISM Act This bill changes requirements for and contents of the National Travel and Tourism Infrastructure Strategic Plan. The changes include requiring the plan to address strategies to leverage infrastructure investments to support the travel and tourism economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
United States · United States Congress · 10 June 2021
Downwinders Parity Act of 2021 This bill expands a program that compensates individuals who were exposed to radiation from atmospheric nuclear testing and subsequently developed specified cancers. Under current law, the program compensates, among others, individuals who were present in a designated geographic area during a period of nuclear testing. The bill expands that area to include all parts of Clark County, Nevada, and Mohave County, Arizona. Current law restricts eligibility to certain parts of those counties. The Department of Justice must report on efforts to inform individuals newly eligible for compensation about the program.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2021
Greater Leadership Overseas for the Benefit of Equality Act of 2021 or the GLOBE Act of 2021 This bill contains provisions related to (1) the protection of LGBTQI individuals globally; and (2) immigration protections for vulnerable individuals. The bill establishes (1) an interagency group to respond to urgent threats to LGBTQI people in foreign countries, and (2) a permanent Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTQI Peoples in the Department of State. The President shall impose visa-blocking sanctions on foreign persons responsible for violating the human rights of individuals based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics. The State Department shall establish the Global Equality Fund to provide assistance to nongovernmental organizations working to advance and protect human rights. The U.S. Agency for International Development shall establish the LGBTQI Global Development Partnership to work with the private sector and nongovernmental organizations to support LGBTQI rights. The bill contains several immigration-related provisions, such as those establishing that persecution based on sexual orientation or gender identity may form the basis of an asylum request, allowing certain applicants to file asylum claims more than a year after their arrival in the United States, including a permanent partnership between two partners as a marriage for immigration law purposes, providing for free counsel in certain immigration proceedings, and granting U.S. citizenship to a child born abroad through assistive reproductive technology from a U.S. citizen who is the child's nonbiological parent.
United States · United States Congress · 9 June 2021
Protecting Rural Telehealth Access Act This bill expands coverage of telehealth services under Medicare. Specifically, the bill permanently (1) removes geographic restrictions on originating sites (i.e., the location of the beneficiary), (2) allows the home of the beneficiary to serve as the originating site for all services, (3) allows federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics to serve as the distant site (i.e., the location of the health care practitioner), and (4) expands coverage to include audio-only services for evaluation and management and behavioral health services.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2021
Ski Hill Resources for Economic Development Act of 2021 This bill establishes the Ski Area Fee Retention Account. A specified portion of rental charges for ski area permits on a Forest Service unit shall be deposited in such account. Amounts in the fund shall be available to the unit for expenditure without further appropriation for ski area administration, improvements, visitor services, and wildfire preparedness. Funds may be reallocated only if the amounts collected exceed the reasonable needs of the unit.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2021
Women's Health Protection Act of 2021 This bill prohibits governmental restrictions on the provision of, and access to, abortion services. Specifically, governments may not limit a provider's ability to prescribe certain drugs, offer abortion services via telemedicine, or immediately provide abortion services when the provider determines a delay risks the patient's health. Furthermore, governments may not require a provider to perform unnecessary medical procedures, provide medically inaccurate information, comply with credentialing or other conditions that do not apply to providers whose services are medically comparable to abortions, or carry out all services connected to an abortion. In addition, governments may not (1) require patients to make medically unnecessary in-person visits before receiving abortion services or disclose their reasons for obtaining such services, or (2) prohibit abortion services before fetal viability or after fetal viability when a provider determines the pregnancy risks the patient's life or health. The bill also prohibits other governmental measures that are similar to the bill's specified restrictions or that otherwise single out and impede access to abortion services, unless a government demonstrates that the measure significantly advances the safety of abortion services or health of patients and cannot be achieved through less restrictive means. The Department of Justice, individuals, or providers may bring a lawsuit to enforce this bill, and states are not immune from suits for violations. The bill applies to restrictions imposed both prior and subsequent to the bill's enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2021
This resolution expresses support for the rights, freedoms, and equal treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals. The resolution r ecognizes that LGBTQ rights are human rights and protected by the laws of the United States and international treaties. Additionally, the resolution encourages the celebration of LGBTQ Pride Month in June.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2021
Health Care Fairness for Military Families Act of 2021 This bill modifies the extension of dependent coverage under TRICARE by allowing a dependent under the age of 26 to be covered without an additional premium. Additionally, the bill authorizes such coverage of dependents without a premium regardless of whether they are eligible to enroll in an employer sponsored plan.
United States · United States Congress · 28 May 2021
This resolution offers the condolences of the Senate regarding the death of Senator John William Warner and expresses deep appreciation for his outstanding and important service to his country.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 2021
National Heritage Area Act This bill requires a standard for the designation of National Heritage Areas. The bill establishes a National Heritage Area System through which the Department of the Interior may furnish technical and financial assistance to local coordinating entities to support the establishment, development, and continuity of the National Heritage Areas. Such system shall be composed of each existing National Heritage Area, National Heritage Corridor, National Heritage Canalway, Cultural Heritage Corridor, and National Heritage Partnership designated by Congress; and each National Heritage Area designated by Congress after enactment of this bill, unless the law designating the area exempts that area from the system by specific reference to this bill. Under the system, Interior shall review and approve management plans for heritage areas, and submit to Congress reports on the activities conducted with respect to such areas. Interior may carry out or review a study that assesses the suitability and feasibility of each proposed heritage area. Interior must review and certify whether a study conducted by others determines an area meets specified requirements, including that it has natural, historic, and cultural resources that represent distinctive aspects of the heritage of the United States. The bill declares that a heritage area shall be designated only by an act of Congress. Management plans must be developed for heritage areas designated under this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 2021
Recreation Not Red-Tape Act This bill revises and sets forth provisions related to recreation areas and special recreation permits issued by the Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) for individual or group use of federal recreational lands and waters. The bill makes permanent certain authorizations, including regarding such permits and the fees charged for them and for related administration, overhead, and indirect costs. Interior and USDA shall evaluate the special recreation permitting process and identify opportunities for eliminating duplicative processes, reducing costs, and decreasing processing times; establish categorical exclusions from environmental review requirements for special recreation permits if it would reduce processing times or costs without significantly affecting the human environment; authorize the issuance of temporary permits for new or additional recreational uses of federal lands and waters managed by the Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management; allow online payment of certain federal passes and fees; develop initiatives to promote private-sector volunteer opportunities; and establish an interagency trail management plan. Permittees issued a special recreation permit may voluntarily and temporarily return one or more of their service days. The bill sets forth requirements for review by USDA of the renewal or adjustment of the allocations for the use of a special recreation permit. Interior and USDA may enter into agreements with states to allow the purchase of federal and state recreation passes in the same transaction. The bill establishes a National Recreation Area System.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 2021
This resolution condemns the recent rise in anti-Semitic violence and harassment targeting Jewish Americans. The resolution (1) recommits to combating anti-Semitism in all forms; and (2) calls on elected officials, faith leaders, and civil society leaders to denounce and combat all manifestations of anti-Semitism. The resolution urges the President to continue the leadership role of the United States in combating anti-Semitism internationally, advance accurate Holocaust education and counter Holocaust denial and distortion, ensure the physical security of Jewish institutions and organizations, and produce an analysis that accounts for the level and scope of the threat that anti-Semitism poses to the people of the United States. The resolution urges law enforcement agencies to fully participate in the data collection process of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to improve anti-Semitic hate crime data collection.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 2021
Increasing Access to Osteoporosis Testing for Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2021 This bill specifies that certain Medicare payment rules applicable to imaging services shall apply to dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry services used in bone mass scans beginning in 2022. The bill also establishes national minimum payment amounts for such services.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 2021
Broadband Parity Act of 2021 This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission to establish a minimum level of service (e.g., upload and download speeds) that any fixed broadband internet service provider must offer to be eligible for assistance under a federal broadband support program. This minimum must ensure that a provider can support virtual learning, telehealth services, and telework. Further, the bill prohibits an agency from assisting a provider through a federal broadband support program unless the service that will be assisted meets or exceeds (or will meet or exceed when deployed) this minimum level of service.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 2021
National Origin-Based Antidiscrimination for Nonimmigrants Act or the NO BAN Act This bill imposes limitations on the President's authority to suspend or restrict aliens from entering the United States. It also prohibits religious discrimination in various immigration-related decisions, such as whether to issue an immigrant or nonimmigrant visa, unless there is a statutory basis for such discrimination. The President may temporarily restrict the entry of any aliens or class of aliens after the Department of State determines that the restriction would address specific and credible facts that threaten U.S. interests such as security or public safety. The bill also imposes limitations on such restrictions, such as requiring the President, State Department, and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to (1) only issue a restriction when required to address a compelling government interest, and (2) narrowly tailor the suspension to use the least restrictive means to achieve such an interest. Before imposing a restriction, the State Department and DHS shall consult with Congress. The State Department and DHS shall report to Congress about the restriction within 48 hours of the restriction's imposition. If such a report is not made, the restriction shall immediately terminate. Individuals or entities present in the United States and unlawfully harmed by such a restriction may sue in federal court. DHS may suspend the entry of aliens traveling to the United States on a commercial airline that failed to comply with regulations related to detecting fraudulent travel documents.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 2021
Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act of 2021 This bill provides for Medicare coverage and payment for multi-cancer early detection screening tests that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration and that are used to screen for cancer across many cancer types. The Government Accountability Office must report on the resulting utilization and effectiveness of such tests.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 2021
United States Army Rangers Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to the U.S. Army Rangers Veterans of World War II in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II.