Protecting the Employment Rights of Servicemembers Act This bill updates employment and reemployment rights of members of the uniformed services by making arbitration requirements unenforceable unless the parties consent to such arbitration in relation to employment or reemployment claims. The bill provides that consent is not voluntary when a person is required to agree to arbitrate an action, complaint, or claim alleging a violation of employment and reemployment rights as a condition of future or continued employment, advancement in employment, or receipt of any right or benefit of employment.
VA Supply Chain Resiliency Act This bill addresses the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) supply chain processes, particularly during emergency periods. The bill requires the VA to submit a report containing a description of the items and quantities of items that are critical with respect to the VA's ongoing response to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic and future epidemic, pandemic, emergency, national emergency, or natural disaster scenarios. The VA and the Department of Defense (DOD) must enter into an agreement to provide for the participation of the VA in the Warstopper Program of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) of DOD. The Warstopper Program was established to satisfy requirements for sudden and sustained increases in production of critical industrial and medical items. Under such an agreement, the DLA must ensure the maintenance and stability of the items the VA identifies as critical in its report (and that the VA and DOD determine are appropriate for the program), establish guidance for the participation of the VA in the program, and use existing and new contracts and agreements to reserve the supply of critical items. Finally, the VA must ensure it does not exclusively rely on holding regional, physical inventories of critical items in order to respond to greater than expected needs during epidemic, pandemic, emergency, national emergency, or natural disaster situations.
Korean American Vietnam Allies Long Overdue for Relief Act or the Korean American VALOR Act This bill entitles certain veterans who served in the armed forces of the Republic of Korea to hospital and domiciliary care and medical services through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Specifically, the bill entitles those veterans who served in the armed forces of the Republic of Korea in Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, or during a time period determined by the VA, and became U.S. citizens after such service.
This resolution supports the designation of Mental Health Awareness Month and declares mental health a national priority.
Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Rebate Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Energy to establish a rebate program to encourage investment in electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The program must provide rebates for certain expenses associated with electric vehicle supply equipment located at workplaces, multi-unit housing structures, and publicly accessible locations.
Transit to Trails Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish the Transit to Trails Grant Program to award grants to certain governmental and private entities for projects that increase transportation access and mobility to public lands, inland and coastal waters, parkland, or monuments for critically underserved communities. For example, DOT must (1) prioritize approving certain projects, such as projects that use low-or zero-emission vehicles and those that provide free or discounted rates for low-income riders; (2) develop transportation planning procedures for projects conducted under the program that are consistent with metropolitan and statewide planning processes; and (3) ensure that all new transportation connectors and routes developed under the program are accessible to people with disabilities. The bill requires grant awards to be at least $25,000 and not more than $500,000. Further, the bill requires publicized schedules and routes for transportation systems that are developed after the receipt of a grant under the program.
Global Investment in American Jobs Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Commerce to conduct an interagency review of the global competitiveness of the United States in attracting foreign direct investment and addressing foreign trade barriers that firms in advanced technology sectors face in the global digital economy. Such review shall include an assessment of (1) the current economic impact of foreign direct investment in the United States, (2) trends in global cross-border investment and data flows, (3) federal government policies that are linked to the ability of the United States to attract and retain foreign direct investment, and (4) the adequacy of federal government efforts to increase the ease for foreign firms considering investment in the United States. Commerce must report the findings of such review and submit recommendations for increasing the global competitiveness of the United States in attracting foreign direct investment and developing new technologies and services.
Virtual Peer Support Act of 2021 This bill appropriates funding for grants to transition behavioral health peer support services that are provided at no cost to participants from in-person to virtual platforms or to otherwise expand these kinds of virtual services. Specifically, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration must award competitive grants to certain consumer-controlled or consumer-run organizations and tribal communities. Among other eligibility requirements for these grants, entities must have offered certain behavioral health services at no cost to participants before the declaration of the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency.
Transform, Heal, and Renew by Investing in a Vibrant Economy Act or the THRIVE Act This bill establishes a program to address the economy, racial justice, and climate change. The President must establish a board to advise the President and the heads of federal departments and agencies regarding the implementation of this bill. The President, in consultation with the board, must establish a 10-year plan to create a society that enables and supports greater racial, Indigenous, gender, environmental, and economic justice; work opportunities; healthy communities; a stable climate; and healthy ecosystems. In addition, the President, in consultation with the board, must implement a program that provides support to public or private entities that carry out qualified programs. The programs must meet certain labor, equity, and environmental conditions and support infrastructure, including to expand access to pollution-free, renewable, and affordable energy; care workers and social infrastructure (e.g., health care infrastructure); expanded access to housing; efforts to protect and restore biodiversity or natural habitats and efforts to remediate pollution in communities harmed by environmental, economic, or socioeconomic injustice; agriculture, including agricultural workers; or the development and transformation of the U.S. industrial base, including by expanding manufacturing of clean technologies.
This concurrent resolution commemorates the 30th anniversary of Operation Provide Comfort (the humanitarian operation to defend and deliver aid to Kurdish refugees fleeing attacks by the Hussein regime), and it reaffirms the strong American-Kurdish partnership.
This resolution urges the Senate to give its advice and consent to the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The resolution affirms that it is in the national interest for the United States to become a formal signatory of the convention, and it recommends that this ratification remain a top federal priority.
This resolution thanks the teachers of the United States and promotes the teaching profession by encouraging students, parents, school administrators, and public officials to recognize National Teacher Appreciation Week.
