This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the U.S. Trade Representative should resume negotiations to conclude the Environmental Goods Agreement, which would eliminate tariffs on a range of environmental goods such as wind turbines, water treatment filters, and solar water heaters.
Keep Vaccines Voluntary Act This bill requires businesses, institutions of higher education, and state and local governments that receive certain COVID-19 relief funds to certify that they will not limit access to services or otherwise discriminate on the basis of an individual's COVID-19 vaccination status.
Community Navigator Reporting Act of 2021 This bill requires the Small Business Administration to report annually on the performance and effectiveness of the Community Navigator pilot program, which was established to improve access to assistance programs and resources for small businesses in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).
Student Loan Forgiveness for Frontline Health Workers Act This bill establishes temporary programs to provide federal and private student loan forgiveness to certain frontline health care workers. Frontline health care workers are those individuals who have made significant contributions to the medical response (e.g., patient care, medical research, or testing) to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) national emergency. Specifically, the Department of Education (ED) must carry out a program to forgive the outstanding balance of principal and interest due on federal student loans for borrowers who are frontline health care workers. Additionally, the Department of the Treasury must carry out a program to repay in full the outstanding balance of principal and interest due on certain private student loans for borrowers who are frontline health care workers. ED and Treasury must coordinate to ensure that eligibility determinations are consistent across both programs and that frontline health care workers who are eligible for both programs may apply for loan forgiveness with a single application. Further, such programs must be available to frontline health care workers who were borrowers of eligible loans and who died as a result of COVID-19. The bill specifies the notification requirements related to the availability of these programs. ED, Treasury, and the Department of Health and Human Services must jointly establish an intergovernmental working group to assist with the administration of these programs, including the development of the application process. The bill also excludes discharged student loan debt under these programs from an individual's gross income.
Stay in Line To Vote Act This bill prohibits states from restricting the provision of food or drink to individuals who are at a polling place to cast their ballots in a federal election.
Protecting Military Families with Disabilities Act This bill prohibits a landlord who provides housing for Department of Defense installations from collecting a supplemental payment in addition to rent to modify or upgrade a unit to facilitate occupancy by a disabled individual and comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Providing Responsible Emergency Plans for Animals at Risk of E merging Disasters Act or the PREPARED Act This bill establishes requirements governing the care of animals by entities, such as zoos, in emergencies or disasters. Specifically, the bill requires each research facility, dealer, exhibitor, intermediate handler, and carrier to develop and follow a contingency plan to provide for the humane handling, treatment, transportation, housing, and care of their animals in the event of an emergency or disaster.
Flood Level Observation, Operations, and Decision Support Act or the FLOODS Act This bill addresses forecasting and the communication of flood, tornado, and hurricane events by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Among other provisions, the bill directs NOAA to establish a National Integrated Flood Information System to better inform and provide for more timely decision-making to reduce flood-related effects and costs; establishes partnerships with institutions of higher education and federal agencies to improve total water predictions; designates a service coordination hydrologist at each National Weather Service River Forecast Center to increase impact-based decision support services at the state and local level; requires NOAA to evaluate and improve flood watches and warnings and communication of information to support preparation and responses to floods; ensures that the tornado warning improvement and extension program periodically examines the value of incorporating innovative observations, such as acoustic or infrasonic measurements, observations from phased array radars, and observations from mesonets; requires NOAA to estimate and communicate the frequency of precipitation; establishes an Interagency Coordinating Committee on Water Management to ensure that federal agencies that engage in water-related matters, including water storage and supplies, water quality and restoration activities, water infrastructure, transportation on rivers and inland waterways, and water forecasting, work together where such agencies have joint or overlapping responsibilities; and directs NOAA to conduct an analysis of gaps in the availability of snow-related data to assess and predict floods and flood impacts.
Studying Outcomes and Benchmarks for Effective Recovery Homes Act or the SOBER Homes Act This bill requires the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) to study and make recommendations on recovery housing. Recovery housing refers to shared living environments free from alcohol and illicit drug use and centered on peer support and connection to services that promote sustained recovery from substance use disorders. As part of the study, NASEM must identify relevant research and data gaps that hinder reporting on the quality and effectiveness of recovery housing. After publication of the study, the Department of Health and Human Services must contract with an appropriate entity to conduct research to fill those gaps.
Excellence in Recovery Housing Act This bill tasks the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) with various activities to promote the availability of high-quality recovery housing for individuals with substance use disorders. Recovery housing refers to shared living environments free from alcohol and illicit drug use and centered on peer support and connection to services that promote sustained recovery from substance use disorders. Specifically, SAMHSA must develop and publish on its website standards and guidelines for recovery housing; award grants to states, tribal nations, territories, and localities to implement such standards and guidelines; convene an interagency working group to coordinate federal activities related to recovery housing; and arrange for research on the supply, quality, and effectiveness of recovery housing.
Realizing the Economic Opportunities and Value of Expanding Recycling Act or the RECOVER Act This bill authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a Recycling Infrastructure Program. Under the program, the EPA may award financial assistance to states, local governments, and tribal governments to support and expand their recycling infrastructure and programs.
This resolution supports the designation of National Assistant Principals Week.
