Rep. Bruce Westerman

Forest Information Reform Act or the FIR Act This bill specifies that neither the Department of Agriculture nor the Department of the Interior may be required to reinitiate consultation on a land management plan when a species is listed as threatened or endangered, critical habitat is designated, or new information concerning a listed species or critical habitat becomes available.

Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act This bill establishes requirements for the degree of care a health care practitioner must provide in the case of a child born alive following an abortion or attempted abortion. Specifically, a health care practitioner who is present must (1) exercise the same degree of care as would reasonably be provided to any other child born alive at the same gestational age, and (2) ensure the child is immediately admitted to a hospital. Additionally, a health care practitioner or other employee who has knowledge of a failure to comply with the degree-of-care requirements must immediately report such failure to law enforcement. A health care practitioner who fails to provide the required degree of care, or a health care practitioner or other employee who fails to report such failure, is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, up to five years in prison, or both. An individual who intentionally kills or attempts to kill a child born alive is subject to prosecution for murder. The bill bars the criminal prosecution of a mother of a child born alive under this bill and allows her to bring a civil action against a health care practitioner or other employee for violations.

This resolution urges the U.S. Capitol Police Board to direct the Architect of the Capitol to remove the fencing installed around the perimeter of the U.S. Capitol complex in response to the attacks of January 6, 2021, and it recommends the end of the National Guard's mission in the District of Columbia in response to those attacks.

This resolution removes Representative Eric Swalwell from the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Huntington's Disease Disability Insurance Access Act of 2021 This bill expedites payment of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits and eligibility for Medicare coverage for those with Huntington's disease. This is an inherited disorder that causes brain cells to die, including in areas of the brain that help to control voluntary movement. Specifically, the bill eliminates the 5-month waiting period for SSDI benefits and the subsequent 24-month waiting period for Medicare coverage for individuals with Huntington's disease. Under current law, individuals generally must wait five months after the onset of disability to begin receiving SSDI benefits and an additional 24 months to become eligible for Medicare.

Reading Early and Addressing Dyslexia Act or the READ Act This bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to establish an early literacy and dyslexia intervention pilot program to award grants to five state educational agencies to address early reading deficiencies and dyslexia. Under the program, ED must identify (1) evidence-based methods of screening students in grades K-3 for early reading deficiencies and dyslexia; (2) intensive interventions for these students, including phonological awareness and phonemic awareness, sound symbol recognition, and decoding skills; and (3) best practices to instruct educators on the science of reading and how to execute screenings and intensive interventions for these students. Each participating state educational agency must select at least two local educational agencies (LEAs) to participate in the program. Participating LEAs must provide intensive interventions identified by ED that develop basic reading skills and incorporate systematic phonics instruction to every student in grades K-3, screen each student in grades K-3 three times during each school year using the screening methods identified by ED, notify parents or guardians of screenings, and conduct diagnostic assessments and provide intensive interventions for each student suspected of having an early reading deficiency or dyslexia. The bill also directs ED to establish an online platform to provide educational agencies with resources, such as methods of targeting instruction for early reading deficiencies and dyslexia.

Let States Cut Taxes Act This bill removes a prohibition on states and territories using COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) relief funding under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 to offset a reduction in revenue resulting from a reduction in taxes or a delay in the imposition of a tax or tax increase.

Enhancing Credit Opportunities in Rural America Act of 2021 or the ECORA Act of 2021 This bill modifies the requirements for calculating taxable income to exclude from gross income interest received by a lender from real estate loans secured by agricultural real estate or by a leasehold mortgage (with a status as a lien) on agricultural real estate. Agricultural real estate includes real property that is substantially used for the production of one or more agricultural products. It also includes any single family residence that is (1) the principal residence of its occupant, (2) located in a rural area which is not within a Metropolitan Statistical Area and has a population of 2,500 or less, and (3) is purchased or improved with the proceeds of a loan secured by agricultural real estate or by a household mortgage.

This bill directs the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award of three Congressional Gold Medals to the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) and other law enforcement agencies that protected the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Following the award of these medals, one medal shall be given to the USCP, one medal shall be given to the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, and one medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution and displayed with a plaque listing all law enforcement agencies that participated in protecting the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Global War on Terrorism Memorial Location Act This bill authorizes the establishment of a National Global War on Terrorism Memorial in the area of the National Mall.