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![Official portrait of Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/b001278_200.jpg)
United States · Official source
4,453 records where Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1] is listed as a sponsor, author, or other actor. Search with topics and years
United States · United States Congress · 4 November 2021
Protection of Social Security Benefits Restoration Act This bill prohibits the application of, and repeals authority for, administrative offsets to Social Security, railroad retirement, and black lung benefits. (An administrative offset is the withholding of funds payable by or held by the United States to satisfy a debt.)
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2021
Retirement Savings Lost and Found Act of 2021 This bill establishes an online Retirement Savings Lost and Found (RSLF) to assist individuals in locating certain employer-sponsored retirement accounts. The RSLF must (1) provide plan participants or beneficiaries only with the ability to view contact information for the administrator of a plan that is sufficient to locate the plan, and (2) safeguard the privacy and security of participants' plan information. The bill sets forth additional reporting and notification requirements for retirement plans. The bill also revises provisions that permit mandatory distributions of the balances of small retirement accounts using a rollover into an Individual Retirement Account (IRA). The bill modifies the investment options available for the distributions and increases the maximum account balance that may be subject to such a distribution. A plan may transfer unclaimed mandatory distributions that are $1,000 or less to the RSLF, and the RSLF must pay the balance upon locating a plan participant or beneficiary.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2021
Ending the Monopoly of Power Over Workplace Harassment through Education and Reporting Act or the EMPOWER Act This bill makes it an unlawful labor practice for an employer to enter into, or attempt to enforce, a contract with an employee or job applicant that contains a nondisparagement or nondisclosure clause that covers workplace or sexual harassment, including retaliation for participating in a workplace harassment proceeding. The bill exempts certain settlement or separation agreements from such prohibition. The bill also requires the Securities and Exchange Commission to promulgate a regulation that requires any issuer of securities to submit a report for the most recent five-year period with respect to workplace and sexual harassment. The commission must provide for the development and dissemination of training programs and information regarding workplace and sexual harassment. The bill denies a tax deduction for amounts related to judgments and expenses in connection with litigation related to workplace or sexual harassment. It also excludes from gross income, for income tax purposes, any amount received in connection with a claim or settlement related to workplace or sexual harassment, or other unlawful discrimination.
United States · United States Congress · 3 November 2021
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that it is the duty of the Department of Defense (DOD) to reduce the overall environmental impact of military activities and missions and to monitor and report greenhouse gas emissions from all of its operations. The resolution also suggests that DOD take other environmentally conscious actions, including committing to annual greenhouse gas emission reporting mechanisms and repurposing and managing its properties to promote carbon sequestration and biodiversity.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2021
This resolution recognizes the annual celebration of Dia de los Muertos. The resolution urges the United States and the Department of Homeland Security to promote policies that uphold the human dignity of each migrant person and put an end to migrant deaths along the U.S.-Mexico border. Finally, this resolution calls on the United States and the Department of Health and Human Services to promote policies focused on COVID-19 protections and ensure that all communities have equal access to these to put an end to COVID-19 related deaths.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2021
Pets Belong With Families Act This bill prohibits public housing agencies from imposing breed restrictions on pets owned by residents of public housing units. The bill continues to allow public housing agencies to prohibit ownership of dangerous animals in public housing, but prohibits classification as dangerous by breed and requires that any such classification be based on specific behaviors or actions of the animal.
United States · United States Congress · 2 November 2021
American Energy Worker Opportunity Act of 2021 This bill establishes the Office of American Energy Workers in the Department of the Treasury to provide displaced coal workers with wage replacement, health care premiums, retirement savings contributions, and educational assistance. The bill also provides educational assistance for the children of displaced coal workers and provides an incentive for clean energy employers to hire displaced coal workers.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2021
Forage Fish Conservation Act of 2021 This bill addresses the management and conservation of forage fish. The Department of Commerce must issue a definition for the term forage fish . It must consider certain factors in defining such term, including whether a species covered by the definition (1) is at a low trophic level; (2) is generally small to intermediate-sized; (3) occurs in schools or other dense aggregations; (4) contributes significantly to the diets of other fish, marine mammals, or birds; and (5) serves as a conduit for energy transfer to species at a higher trophic level. Commerce must also establish guidelines to assist regional fishery management councils in (1) developing a list of unmanaged forage fish areas and prohibiting the development of any new forage fish fisheries until the potential impacts of such fisheries have been assessed; and (2) setting annual catch limits for forage fish fisheries that assess, specify, and reduce such limits by the diet needs of other fish species and marine wildlife. The bill adds shad (American shad and hickory shad) and river herring (blueback herring and alewife) to the list of managed stocks for the New England and Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2021
National Wildland Fire Risk Reduction Program Act This bill directs the President to establish a National Wildland Fire Risk Reduction Program to achieve major measurable reductions in the losses of life and property from wildland fires. This program shall coordinate federal efforts to improve the assessment of fire environments and the understanding and prediction of wildland fires, associated smoke, and their impacts; develop and encourage the adoption of science-based and cost-effective measures to prevent and mitigate wildland fire and associated smoke impacts; and improve the understanding and mitigation of the impacts of climate change and variability on wildland fire risk, frequency, and severity and inform the other goals described here. Not later than 90 days after enactment of this bill, the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall establish an Interagency Coordinating Committee on Wildland Fire Risk Reduction to oversee the planning, management, and coordination of the program. The committee shall submit a strategic plan for the program to Congress. The Government Accountability Office shall submit a report to Congress on the progress and performance of the program. Further, the bill sets forth the responsibilities of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Science Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, and Department of Energy with respect to the program.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2021
This resolution expresses that the House of Representatives applauds the Biden administration for reaffirming the U.S. commitment to the Paris Agreement on climate change and to our collective responsibility to globally combat climate change; encourages the Biden administration to implement measures to ensure global climate change remains a top priority for this and future administrations and to cement the United States as a global leader in the fight to mitigate its most severe consequences; voices strong commitment as legislators toward achieving the climate goals of the Paris Agreement, fulfilling the forthcoming pledges from the COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, and advancing other international efforts to keep global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius and realize global net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 using a whole-of-government approach; and recognizes the critical responsibility of the United States and other developed nations to ensure all societies have the capabilities to transition to a clean energy economy, the resources to protect against climate-induced disasters, and the necessary assistance to endure climate-related challenges to food security, regional migration, and public health.
United States · United States Congress · 28 October 2021
This resolution expresses support for workers engaging in collective action with respect to wages, retirement benefits, and safe working conditions.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2021
White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, Hunger, and Health Act This bill directs the President to convene a conference to make policy recommendations for ending hunger, creating sustainable markets for agricultural producers, and improving nutrition and the resiliency of the food system. The bill also requires specified congressional committees to hold hearings on the conference recommendations and on the status of hunger, nutrition security, and food systems.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2021
Social Security 2100: A Sacred Trust This bill makes changes to Social Security benefits, taxes, and other aspects of the program, including by raising the primary insurance amount, increasing the maximum taxable earnings that are subject to Social Security payroll taxes, and requiring Social Security account statements to be mailed unless the individual recipient opts for electronic delivery.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2021
Original National Domestic Violence Awareness Month Resolution of 2021 This resolution supports the goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Further, it expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should continue to raise awareness of and support programs to end domestic violence.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2021
Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 20 21 This bill provides minimum collective bargaining rights and procedures for public employees and prohibits strikes by certain public safety workers. The Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) shall determine for each state whether the laws of such state substantially provide for each of the minimum standard collective bargaining rights and procedures specified by this bill, including the right of public employees and supervisory employees to self-organize, form or join a labor organization, or collectively bargain. The FLRA must issue rules and take actions to establish and administer bargaining rights and procedures for those states that do not substantially provide for them. No employers, emergency services employees, or law enforcement officers may engage in a lockout, strike, or any other organized job action that is likely to result in a measurable disruption of the delivery of emergency or public safety services. Furthermore, no labor organization may be the cause of a violation of such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 26 October 2021
State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act This bill allows states, tribes, territories, and localities to use certain COVID-19 relief funds for new categories of spending, including for natural disasters and infrastructure projects. It also makes changes to expenditure deadlines and other aspects of this funding. Specifically, recipients may use funds for emergency relief from natural disasters and associated negative economic impacts of natural disasters. In addition, recipients may use a portion of their COVID-19 relief funds for designated infrastructure projects, such as nationally significant freight and highway projects. Furthermore, the bill allows recipients to expend COVID-19 relief funds on these types of infrastructure projects until September 30, 2026. Under current law, recipients must expend the funds by December 31, 2024. Other changes in the bill include (1) modifying eligibility and allocation requirements for funding set aside for counties and Indian tribes that are near public lands, (2) allowing Indian tribes an additional year to expend their COVID-19 relief funds, and (3) establishing a process for government entities to decline COVID-19 relief funds and requiring any declined funds to be used to reduce the federal deficit.
United States · United States Congress · 25 October 2021
Preventing Vigilante Stalking that Stops Women's Access to Healthcare and Abortion Rights Act of 2021 This bill increases the maximum prison term for a stalking offense, if the offense is committed with the intent to obtain health care information of an individual or to prevent the health care decisions of an individual.
United States · United States Congress · 22 October 2021
Student Assisted Vaccination Effort Act or the SAVE Act This bill expands the types of medical personnel authorized to administer or use a covered countermeasure (i.e., a qualified pandemic or epidemic product, a security countermeasure, certain drugs, biomedical products, or medical devices, or a respiratory protective device) during a federally-declared public health emergency to include specified health profession students with appropriate training in administering vaccines and supervision by a licensed health professional.
United States · United States Congress · 21 October 2021
This concurrent resolution recognizes the disparity between wages paid to Latina women, and its impact on women, families, and the nation and reaffirms Congress' commitment to supporting equal pay and to narrowing the gender wage gap.
United States · United States Congress · 20 October 2021
Fresh Start Act of 2021 This bill authorizes the Department of Justice to award grants for states to implement automatic expungement laws (i.e., laws that provide for the automatic expungement or sealing of an individual's criminal records).
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 2021
Chronic Wasting Disease Research and Management Act This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to address chronic wasting disease afflicting deer, elk, and moose populations. Specifically, the bill directs USDA to establish a program to research and manage the disease. Under the program, USDA must offer to enter into agreements with state or tribal wildlife agencies and departments of agriculture, institutions of higher education, and research centers to support research on the transmission of, resistance to, and diagnosis of the disease. In addition, USDA must offer to enter into agreements with such agencies and departments to support state and tribal efforts to develop and implement management strategies that address the disease. USDA must also develop and maintain materials to inform the public on chronic wasting disease and techniques to help prevent the spread of the disease. In addition, USDA must solicit public feedback on potential updates and improvements to standards of the chronic wasting disease herd certification program.
United States · United States Congress · 19 October 2021
Tim Hart Wildland Firefighter Classification and Pay Parity Act or Tim's Act This bill addresses the pay and benefits of federal wildland firefighters and related issues. Federal wildland firefighter is defined as any temporary, seasonal, or permanent position at the Department of Agriculture (USDA) or the Department of the Interior that maintains certain group, emergency incident management, or fire qualifications and primarily engages in or supports wildland fire management activities. Specifically, (1) the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must establish one or more classification series for federal wildland firefighter positions, and (2) USDA and the Department of the Interior shall determine each position within USDA and Interior that qualifies as a federal wildland firefighter position. The bill, among other requirements (1) establishes a pay scale for such positions, with annual adjustments; and (2) provides for hazardous duty pay. The OPM must establish guidelines for work schedules. The bill addresses issues regarding wages, unpaid leave to care for a family member, recruitment and retention bonuses, and housing allowances. USDA and Interior shall (1) establish, maintain, coordinate, and operate a voluntary tuition assistance program; (2) establish and maintain a publicly accessible, searchable Federal Wildland Firefighter Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Database; and (3) establish and carry out a program for mental health awareness and support. Additionally, the bill provides for continuation of firefighters pension coverage in case of disability and pay parity for federal structural firefighters.
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 2021
Bolstering Infectious Outbreaks Preparedness Workforce Act of 2021 or the BIO Preparedness Workforce Act of 2021 This bill establishes a student loan repayment program for health care and related professionals who are engaged in either bio-preparedness and response activities or infectious disease care in underserved communities. For each year that a professional meets the work requirements of the program, the Health Resources and Services Administration may pay up to $50,000 of the professional's student loan principal and interest, up to a maximum amount of $150,000.
United States · United States Congress · 15 October 2021
Arts Education for All Act This bill expands arts education and programming for children in early education, K-12 students, and juveniles and adults in the criminal justice system. Specifically, the bill allows Child Care and Development Block Grant funding to be used for additional activities, including arts programming. Additionally, the bill addresses arts programming in elementary and secondary schools by directing each state educational agency to include information on arts programming in its state plan, including how it will integrate arts education instruction into the curriculum and increase the number of arts teachers in schools; requiring state report cards to include information on arts courses; requiring local educational agency (LEA) plans to describe how the LEA will encourage the use of arts education to improve student achievement; and allowing certain funds to be used for professional development for arts teachers. The bill directs the National Center for Education Research to carry out research on the use of arts and arts education in elementary and secondary schools, including in low-performing schools. Further, the National Center for Education Statistics must compile data on arts education. The National Assessment of Educational Progress must include a specified arts assessment. The bill requires a state's juvenile justice and delinquency plan to describe how the state will coordinate services and activities for juvenile justice and delinquency prevention with arts agencies and arts organizations. Additionally, grants for adult offender reentry demonstration projects may be used for facilitating arts education.
United States · United States Congress · 12 October 2021
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 3900 Crown Road Southwest in Atlanta, Georgia, as the "John R. Lewis Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2021
Reducing Waste in National Parks Act This bill directs the National Park Service to establish a program for the National Park System to reduce disposable plastic products and, if applicable, eliminate the sale and distribution of disposable plastic products. Each regional office of the National Park Service must eliminate the sale of water in disposable plastic products and the sale and distribution of other disposable plastic products after consideration of several specified factors (e.g., the costs and benefits to overall operations). Each regional office must develop a proactive visitor education strategy to address visitor expectations of water availability and explain the rationale for the program and its implementation.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2021
Stabilizing Medicare Access to Rehabilitation and Therapy Act or the SMART Act This bill modifies the application of a certain Medicare payment methodology for outpatient physical therapy services and outpatient occupational therapy services that are furnished by a therapy assistant. Under current law, effective January 1, 2022, payment for such services is 85% of the otherwise applicable rate. The bill delays this effective date by one year and excludes services that are furnished in rural or medically underserved areas from this payment methodology. The bill also specifies that supervision requirements for outpatient physical therapy services that are furnished through private practice may not be more stringent for purposes of Medicare coverage than under state law.
United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2021
Supporting Older Workers Act This bill allows states to use allocated Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) funds for statewide training activities to support older workers. Specifically, the bill authorizes training activities that coordinate with existing programs for older workers, support the development of activities that enhance the skills of older individuals, or enhance economic choices available to older individuals. The bill also requires the Department of Labor to award grants to states and local areas to hire WIOA coordinators for older worker and establishes the Older Workers Bureau. The Government Accountability Office must study how well existing state and local performance accountability measures under WIOA measure the success of older individuals.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2021
This bill requires online marketplaces (e.g., Amazon) to collect and verify certain contact and financial information from third-party sellers whose transactions and related revenues exceed specified thresholds. Subject to certain exceptions, online marketplaces must clearly and conspicuously disclose the contact information of certain high-volume third-party sellers to consumers and must also provide consumers with methods to report suspicious activity on the marketplace. The bill provides the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general with the authority to enforce these requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2021
Burma Unified through Rigorous Military Accountability Act of 2021 or the BURMA Act of 2021 This bill imposes sanctions pertaining to Burma (Myanmar) and addresses related issues. The President must impose property- and visa-blocking sanctions on certain foreign persons (i.e., an individual or entity), including those that (1) knowingly operate in Burma's defense sector, (2) are responsible for or complicit in undermining Burma's democratic processes, or (3) are senior leaders in Burma's military or government. The Department of the Treasury must prohibit or impose strict conditions on certain accounts used to facilitate transactions for such sanctioned persons. The President may impose sanctions on Myanma Oil and Gas Enterprise if such sanctions would support certain objectives, including reducing the Burmese military's ability to undermine democracy in Burma. The President may also prohibit imports of precious and semiprecious gemstones from Burma. Before removing certain foreign persons from a list of specially designated nationals and blocked persons (commonly known as the SDN list), the President must certify to Congress that the person in question has not knowingly engaged in certain activities, such as supporting terrorism. The bill authorizes Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development activities in Burma and the surrounding region to support democracy activists, humanitarian assistance, and reconciliation efforts. The State Department may (1) continue to assist organizations supporting political prisoners in Burma, and (2) provide assistance to entities investigating crimes against humanity. The President must direct U.S. representatives to the United Nations to vote and advocate for certain actions related to Burma, such as cutting off assistance to Burma's government.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2021
Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies Act This bill establishes the Truth and Healing Commission on Indian Boarding School Policies in the United States and sets forth its powers, duties, and membership. Among other duties, the commission must investigate the impacts and ongoing effects of the Indian Boarding School Policies (federal policies under which American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children were forcibly removed from their family homes and placed in boarding schools). Further, the commission must develop recommendations on ways to (1) protect unmarked graves and accompanying land protections; (2) support repatriation and identify the tribal nations from which children were taken; and (3) discontinue the removal of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian children from their families and tribal communities by state social service departments, foster care agencies, and adoption agencies.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2021
Prevent All Soring Tactics Act of 2021 or the PAST Act of 2021 This bill addresses the practice of soring horses. The soring of horses includes various actions taken on horses' limbs to produce higher gaits that may cause pain, distress, inflammation, or lameness. Specifically, the bill expands soring regulation and enforcement at horse shows, exhibitions, sales, and auctions, including by establishing a new system for inspecting horses for soring. In addition, the bill increases penalties for violations.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2021
Furthering Opioid Services, Training, and Education Resources Act or the FOSTER Act This bill reauthorizes through FY2026 and expands the scope of grants available for states and Indian tribes to address the opioid crisis. Specifically, the bill allows the use of grant funds for workforce recruitment and training, health care services, and foster and adoptive parent recruitment and training to support opioid abuse prevention and treatment services for children and caregivers, kinship care families, and kinship caregivers.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2021
Water Advanced Technologies for Efficient Resource Use Act of 2021 This bill provides statutory authority for the WaterSense program of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and sets forth related requirements. Under the program, the EPA awards grants to provide incentives for consumers to purchase water-efficient products.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2021
Indigenous Peoples' Day Act This bill designates Indigenous Peoples' Day as a legal public holiday in lieu of Columbus Day.
United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2021
School Food Recovery Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide competitive grants and technical assistance for local educational agencies to implement food waste measurement and reporting, prevention, education, and reduction projects. In awarding grants, USDA must give priority to agencies that agree to use grant funds for carrying out specific projects, including (1) experiential education activities that encourage children enrolled in such agencies to participate in food waste measurement and education; and (2) the establishment of food waste measurement, prevention, and reduction projects with long-term sustainability. The federal share of project costs may not exceed 75% of the total cost of carrying out such projects. All projects must comply with the nutrition requirements of the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program, including by offering no less than the minimum quantities of required food components.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2021
School Shooting Safety and Preparedness Act This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to publish an annual report on indicators of school crime and safety. The report must collect specified information, including the number of school shootings that have taken place nationwide and the number of those that were mass shootings; the number of people killed or injured in each school shooting; the age, gender, race, ethnicity, and nationality of each victim; the motivation of the shooter; how the shooting was stopped; the number and type of firearms and ammunition used in each shooting; and the response time of law enforcement. ED must direct the National Center for Education Statistics to collect and publish specified data on school shootings. The center must collect information on the existence or absence of specified measures at the time of the shooting, including physical and other types of security measures, a communication plan with local law enforcement, a response plan that includes coordination with local agencies, and an active shooter response plan.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2021
Outdoors for All Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior to establish an outdoor recreation legacy partnership grant program under which Interior may award grants to states, certain political subdivisions of a state, special purpose districts, Indian tribes, or Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian communities or organizations. Funds must be used for projects to (1) acquire land and water for parks and other outdoor recreation purposes in qualifying areas, and (2) develop new or renovate existing outdoor recreation facilities that provide outdoor recreation opportunities to the public in qualifying areas. A qualifying area is an area that has a population of 30,000 or more in the most recent census, or that is administered by an Indian tribe or an Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian community organization. Interior shall give priority to projects that create or significantly enhance access to park and recreational opportunities in an urban neighborhood or community, engage and empower underserved communities and youth, provide opportunities for employment or job training for youth or underserved communities, establish or expand public-private partnerships, and take advantage of coordination among various levels of government.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2021
This resolution expresses support for the designation of National Workforce Development Month.
United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2021
Save our Stages Extension Act This bill extends to March 11, 2023, the time frame during which Shuttered Venue Operators Grant recipients may use grant funds to cover their expenses. These grants provide funds to certain types of entities in the arts and entertainment industry affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, a recipient may use such funds to cover expenses incurred between March 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2021
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress and the President should examine and support ways to expand access to contraceptives.
United States · United States Congress · 27 September 2021
This bill authorizes the Department of the Treasury to certify or decertify (for incompetence or willful misrepresentation) the practice of tax return preparers and impose fees on such preparers. It also authorizes Treasury to require tax return preparers to provide disclosures to person receiving tax return preparation services and regarding refund anticipation payment arrangements. Treasury may impose a penalty on tax return preparers who fail to make required disclosures.
United States · United States Congress · 24 September 2021
We Need Eviction Data Now Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to establish and maintain a national eviction database. The database must contain eviction data compiled annually by state courts. HUD must award grants to local governments and nonprofit organizations to collect data from landlords on illegal self-help evictions for inclusion in the database. The bill also requires HUD to establish an advisory committee on eviction research.
United States · United States Congress · 23 September 2021
ESP Family Leave Act This bill allows education support professionals to meet the hours of service requirements for family and medical leave if they have worked a number of hours equal to not less than 60% of the total monthly hours expected for their job descriptions and duties, as assigned for the previous school year. Education support professionals are employees within a public school or public institution of higher education which may include specified staff, such as paraeducators, administrative support staff, custodians, skilled trade workers, and nursing support staff. The Department of Labor may provide a method for calculating such leave for these professionals.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2021
NOAA Weather Radio Modernization Act of 2021 or the NWR Modernization Act of 2021 This bill provides for the expansion of, and upgrades to, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio All Hazards network (NWR). NOAA shall expand coverage of NWR and ensure its reliability by maintaining support for existing systems serving areas not covered by cellular service or having poor quality cellular service; ensuring consistent maintenance of, and timely repairs to, broadcast towers and antennas; and enhancing the ability to amplify Non-Weather Emergency Messages via NWR as necessary. NOAA shall provide upgrades to NWR to ensure its capabilities and coverage remain valuable to the public. In carrying out specified objectives for the provision of such upgrades, NOAA must prioritize practices, capabilities, and technologies most capable of making real-time warning information and broadcasts available online. NOAA shall complete an assessment of access to NWR.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2021
Radiation Exposure Compensation Act Amendments of 2021 This bill expands two programs that compensate individuals who were exposed to radiation during certain nuclear testing or uranium mining and subsequently developed medical conditions, including cancers. First, the bill expands and extends a program that compensates individuals who were exposed to radiation from atmospheric nuclear testing or other sources and subsequently developed specified cancers. Under current law, this program compensates individuals who were present in a designated geographic area during a period of nuclear testing and certain individuals employed in uranium mining. The bill expands the designated areas to include Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, and Guam and additional areas in Arizona, Nevada, and Utah; makes more individuals who worked in uranium mining eligible for the program; increases the amount of compensation awarded to and provides medical benefits for eligible claimants; and extends for 19 years following the bill's enactment the fund that supports this program and the statute of limitations for filing claims (currently, the program terminates on July 10, 2022). Second, the bill makes certain individuals employed in uranium mines or mills eligible for a program that compensates workers, including Department of Energy employees and contractors, for illnesses caused by occupational exposure to radiation and hazardous substances during development and testing of the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile. The bill also establishes a grant program in the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences for institutions of higher education to study the epidemiological impacts of uranium mining and milling among individuals without occupational exposure.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2021
Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act of 2021 This bill addresses harassment at institutions of higher education (IHEs). Specifically, the bill requires each IHE to include in its annual security report a statement of policy regarding harassment on the basis of a student's actual or perceived race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth, a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth, and a sex stereotype), disability, or religion. In addition, the Department of Education may award grants to IHEs to initiate, expand, or improve programs to (1) prevent the harassment of students; (2) provide counseling or redress services to students who have been harassed or accused of subjecting other students to harassment; or (3) educate and train students, faculty, or staff to prevent harassment or address harassment if it occurs.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2021
Students and Young Consumers Empowerment Act This bill establishes the Office for Students and Young Consumers within the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and eliminates the position of Private Education Loan Ombudsman. (Currently, the Private Education Loan Ombudsman provides assistance to borrowers of private education loans.) The Office for Students and Young Consumers must provide assistance to borrowers of private or federal student loans and enter into an information-sharing agreement with the Department of Education. The office must also report annually regarding campus banking and the student loan marketplace.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2021
Protecting Our Democracy Act This bill addresses issues involving (1) abuses of presidential power; (2) checks and balances, accountability, and transparency; and (3) foreign interference in elections. Specifically, regarding abuses of presidential power, the bill requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the President to submit to Congress specified materials relating to certain pardons, prohibits self-pardons by the President, suspends the statute of limitations for federal offenses committed by a sitting President or Vice President, prohibits the acceptance of foreign or domestic emoluments, and sets forth provisions regarding Office of Government Ethics and Office of Special Counsel jurisdiction and enforcement authority. To address checks and balances, accountability, and transparency, the bill authorizes specified actions to enforce congressional subpoenas, imposes limits on presidential declarations of emergencies, requires DOJ to maintain a log of specified communications between it and the White House, requires cause for removal of inspectors general, increases whistleblower protections, requires a candidate for President or Vice President to submit to the Federal Election Commission a copy of the individual's income tax returns for the 10 most recent taxable years, and establishes penalties for political appointees who engage in prohibited political activities. To protect against foreign interference in elections, the bill requires federal campaign reporting of foreign contacts, requires federal campaigns to establish a foreign contacts compliance policy, and specifies that foreign donations to political campaigns and candidates of nonpublic information relating to a candidate are prohibited.
United States · United States Congress · 21 September 2021
Keeping Renters Safe Act of 2021 This bill expressly authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to place a moratorium on residential evictions to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. The bill also requires HHS to implement a moratorium nationwide to reduce the spread of COVID-19. This moratorium must remain in effect for at least 60 days following the termination of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Current law authorizes HHS to take measures to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. As part of the COVID-19 response, HHS delegated this authority to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which then issued (and extended) several orders banning residential evictions. Whether these orders exceed the CDC's statutory and constitutional authority has been the subject of multiple legal challenges; the Supreme Court blocked enforcement of the most recent order on August 26, 2021.