Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish standards for facilities holding aliens in its custody, phases out using non-DHS facilities for such purposes, and contains other related provisions. The standards shall comply with the American Bar Association's Civil Immigration Detention Standards. The DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) shall conduct periodic unannounced inspections of each facility and shall take various actions against noncompliant facilities, including imposing fines, cancelling contracts, and closing facilities. DHS shall report to Congress any death of an alien in its custody within 24 hours and conduct an investigation within 30 days that identifies policy changes that could reduce the likelihood of such a death. DHS is prohibited from entering into contracts for third parties to operate detention facilities or alternatives to detention programs and shall terminate existing contracts within three years of the bill's enactment. The bill establishes that OIG facility inspection reports and contracts for an outside entity to operate a detention facility are records available to the public under the Freedom of Information Act. DHS shall maintain certain information relating to detained aliens, including the alien's location and whether the alien was separated from family. The bill provides for various requirements and procedures related to detaining aliens, including (1) prohibiting DHS from detaining children, (2) imposing a presumption that an alien should be released, and (3) establishing that aliens in custody shall be subject to the least restrictive conditions. The bill also abolishes mandatory detention for asylum seekers.
Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance Act of 2021 or the EACH Act of 2021 This bill requires federal health care programs to provide coverage for abortion services and requires federal facilities to provide access to those services. The bill also permits qualified health plans to use funds attributable to premium tax credits and reduced cost sharing assistance to pay for abortion services.
Prescription Drug Price Relief Act of 2021 This bill establishes a series of oversight and disclosure requirements relating to the prices of brand-name drugs. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to review at least annually all brand-name drugs for excessive pricing; HHS must also review prices upon petition. If any such drugs are found to be excessively priced, HHS must (1) void any government-granted exclusivity; (2) issue open, nonexclusive licenses for the drugs; and (3) expedite the review of corresponding applications for generic drugs and biosimilar biological products. HHS must also create a public database with its determinations for each drug. Under the bill, a price is considered excessive if the domestic average manufacturing price exceeds the median price for the drug in Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Japan. If a price does not meet this criteria, or if pricing information is unavailable in at least three of the aforementioned countries, the price is still considered excessive if it is higher than reasonable in light of specified factors, including development cost, revenue, and the size of the affected patient population. The bill also requires drug manufacturers to report specified financial information for brand-name drugs, including research and advertising expenditures.
Closing the Law Enforcement Consent Loophole Act of 2021 This bill establishes a framework to prohibit law enforcement officers at the federal, state, and local levels from engaging in sexual acts with individuals who are in custody. At the federal level, the bill makes it unlawful for a federal law enforcement officer who is acting under color of law to engage in a sexual act with an individual who is under arrest, in detention, or in custody. Consent is not a defense to prosecution for unlawful conduct. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to 15 years, or both. At the state and local level, the bill conditions eligibility for funds under the Community Oriented Policing Services program on the enactment of a similar law.
Stop shielding Assets from Corporate Known Liability by Eliminating non-debtor Releases Act or the SACKLER Act This bill prohibits a bankruptcy court from releasing claims against non-debtors brought by states, tribes, municipalities, or the federal government. However, the bankruptcy court may issue a stay not exceeding 90 days regarding such a claim. Complex bankruptcies may involve creditor claims against non-debtors associated with the debtor, such as the debtor's officers, directors, or employees. Currently, in carrying out a bankruptcy plan, certain courts may release non-debtors from liability (there is a circuit split regarding this practice).
Medication Access and Training Expansion Act of 2021 or the MATE Act of 2021 This bill requires health care providers, as a condition of receiving or renewing a registration to prescribe potentially addictive drugs, to complete a one-time training on managing patients with substance use disorders. In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services must award grants to health professional associations and education programs for integrating substance use disorder training into relevant curricula.
This resolution recognizes (1) the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 - October 15, 2021; and (2) the integral role of Latinos and their manifold heritage in the economy, culture, and identity of the United States.
PrEP Assistance Program Act This bill establishes a grant program to provide pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and related services to individuals at no cost. PrEP is medication given to individuals at risk of HIV to reduce their likelihood of contracting the virus. The Department of Health and Human Services must award the grants to state, tribal, and local governments; certain health clinics; and community-based organizations.
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.
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.
Access to Small Business Investor Capital Act This bill allows a registered investment company to exclude from the calculation of acquired fund fees and expenses those incurred indirectly from investment in a business development company. Instead, such fees and expenses may be disclosed in a footnote. Acquired fund fees and expenses is a required line item on a fund's fee schedule that provides the operating expenses of the fund.
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.
