Washington, D.C. Admission Act This bill provides for admission into the United States of the state of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth, composed of most of the territory of the District of Columbia. The commonwealth shall be admitted to the Union on an equal footing with the other states. The Mayor of the District of Columbia shall issue a proclamation for the first elections to Congress of two Senators and one Representative of the commonwealth. The bill applies current District laws to the commonwealth and continues pending judicial proceedings. The commonwealth (1) shall consist of all District territory, with specified exclusions for federal buildings and monuments, including the principal federal monuments, the White House, the Capitol Building, the U.S. Supreme Court Building, and the federal executive, legislative, and judicial office buildings located adjacent to the Mall and the Capitol Building; and (2) may not impose taxes on federal property except as Congress permits. District territory excluded from the commonwealth shall be known as the Capital and shall be the seat of the federal government. The bill maintains the federal government's authority over military lands and specified other property. The bill provides for expedited consideration of a joint resolution repealing the Twenty-third Amendment to the Constitution, which provides for the appointment of electors of the President and Vice President. The bill continues certain federal authorities and responsibilities, including regarding employee benefits, agencies, courts, and college tuition assistance, until the commonwealth certifies that it is prepared to take over the authorities and responsibilities. The bill establishes the Statehood Transition Commission to advise the President, Congress, and District and commonwealth leaders on the transition.
Defense Community Teacher Support Act This bill makes certain teachers who teach in military impacted communities eligible for student loan forgiveness. A school in a military impacted community is served by a local educational agency for which at least 20% of the students in average daily attendance in all schools served by the agency during the preceding school year had a parent on active duty. Specifically, the bill directs the Department of Education to cancel up to $17,500 of federal student loans for a borrower who is an elementary or secondary school teacher employed for five consecutive years in a school in a military impacted community. In addition, a teacher who is required to move due to a permanent change in duty station of their spouse may meet the five-year teaching requirement by teaching in multiple schools in different military impacted communities.
Tribal Tax and Investment Reform Act of 2021 This bill treats Indian tribal governments as states for purposes of the annual allocation of the tax-exempt bond volume cap. It also repeals provisions that limit an Indian tribal government's eligibility to issue tax-exempt bonds or to be exempt from specified excise taxes to transactions involving the exercise of an essential government function customarily performed by state and local governments. The bill (1) treats employee benefit or pension plans maintained by Indian tribes and domestic relations orders issued pursuant to tribal law in the same manner as plans maintained by states and domestic relations orders issued pursuant to state law; and (2) treats tribal charities and foundations in the same manner as charities and foundations funded and controlled by other governmental entities for purposes of the tax-exempt status of, and deduction for contributions to, such organizations. The bill gives Indian tribes or tribal organizations access to the Federal Parent Locator Service if they are eligible for a grant to operate a child support enforcement program. It makes those tribes and tribal organizations eligible to participate in the program that collects past-due support from individual tax refunds. An Indian tribal government may determine whether a child has special needs for the purpose of the tax credit for the adoption of a child with special needs.
Retain Skilled Veterans Act This bill modifies the restriction related to the appointment of retired members of the Armed Forces to certain civil service positions in the Department of Defense. Under the bill, the 180-day waiting period before a retired member may be appointed to a position only applies to those positions in the excepted or competitive service classified at or above GS-14 of the General Schedule (or equivalent).
This bill requires assessments and reports concerning foreign violent white supremacist extremist organizations. The National Counterterrorism Center within the Office of the Director of National Intelligence must report to Congress an intelligence assessment on threats to the United States associated with foreign violent white supremacist extremist organizations, including whether foreign governments provide any support for such white supremacist organizations. The center must share the assessment with (1) the appropriate federal departments and agencies; (2) state, local, and tribal law enforcement officials; and (2) the appropriate foreign governments. The center must also report to Congress on the use of federal laws, regulations, and policies to counter threats to the United States and U.S. persons associated with such white supremacist organizations. The Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board must report to Congress an assessment of the impacts on privacy and civil liberties relating to the use of such federal laws, regulations, and policies, and recommendations to mitigate such impacts. Unclassified versions of the assessment and reports required by this bill must be publicly available.
Modernizing Seat Back Safety Act This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to issue a final rule revising motor vehicle seating systems safety standards to reduce the potential for injury to all motor vehicle occupants due to seat back failure during all types of vehicle impact. DOT must also establish a date for required compliance with the final rule of not later than two motor vehicle model years after the model year during which the effective date of the final rule occurs.
Open for Business Act This bill eliminates federal pandemic unemployment compensation. Under current law, this supplementary compensation is available to claimants in participating states until September 6, 2021.
Keeping Our Promises Act This bill expands the list of diseases that are provided a presumption of service-connection for veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975. The bill extends through September 30, 2030, the requirement for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to make determinations and submissions related to the connection between herbicide exposure and occurrence of disease. Additionally, the VA is prohibited from taking the costs of compensation into account when determining the association between exposure to an herbicide agent and occurrence of a disease. The bill requires the VA to determine within 120 days (currently 60) whether a presumption of service-connection is warranted for diseases covered by a National Academy of Sciences report.
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure that, if it creates a presumption of service-connection between the occurrence of a disease and exposure to an herbicide agent while serving in the Armed Forces between January 9, 1962, and June 30, 1976, at a military base in Thailand, such presumption must also apply to exposure at any military base in Thailand, regardless of where on the base the veteran was located or what military job specialty the veteran performed.
Solar Energy Manufacturing for America Act This bill allows a new tax credit for the production of solar property in the taxpayer's trade or business. The credit is allowed for certain solar components, including photovoltaic cells and wafers, solar grade polysilicon, and a non-integrated solar module able to generate electricity when exposed to sunlight.
Clean Energy for America Act This bill provides for tax incentives for investments in clean electricity, clean transportation, energy efficiency, and the termination of certain provisions relating to oil, gas, and other fossil fuels. Among other provisions, the bill allows new tax credits for investment in clean energy facilities and for the production of electricity from clean energy and clean fuel; allows a new tax credit for expenditures for clean energy property used in connection with a principal residence; allows a new tax credit for sustainable aviation fuel; allows an alternative motor vehicle tax credit for fuel cell motor vehicles, electric vehicles, and for refueling property; allows a tax credit for the production of electricity from clean hydrogen; extends for one year the second generation biofuel producer tax credit and the tax credit for alternative fuels; modifies existing tax credits for energy efficient residential buildings, energy efficient home improvement expenditures, geothermal heat pumps, and the tax deduction for energy efficient commercial buildings; terminates certain provisions relating to oil, gas, and other fossil fuels; requires that at least 15% of the total workforce labor hours be performed by qualified apprentices; requires that projects receiving federal assistance comply with federal prevailing wage requirements; and allows the issuance of tax-exempt private activity bonds for qualified carbon dioxide capture facilities.
Puppy Protection Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture to expand standards that govern the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of animals to include new requirements for commercial dog dealers. Specifically, the standards must require dog dealers to provide to dogs adequate housing, exercise, and veterinary care; appropriate and nutritious food; continuous access to potable water; and meaningful socialization with humans and compatible dogs for at least 30 minutes each day. The standards must also include requirements for breeders to use safe breeding practices and make all reasonable efforts to find humane placement for retired breeding dogs.
