Military Child Care Expansion Act of 2021 This bill modifies and implements policies to update child care facilities and administration at the Department of Defense (DOD). Specifically, the bill removes certain requirements for members of the Armed Forces to receive funding for an in-home child care provider under the DOD pilot program that provides financial assistance to such members who pay for in-home child care. The bill also allows DOD to expand the pilot program to additional locations (currently it is authorized for five). DOD must establish a 10-year pilot program to expand access to child care for members of the Armed Forces by entering into agreements with public or private child care facilities or development centers. Under the bill, DOD must determine the (1) root causes contributing to poor or failing facility conditions at its child development centers, and (2) total cost to improve the conditions of such centers. The Government Accountability Office must review the determinations and make recommendations on how to improve DOD child development center conditions. Lastly, DOD must utilize its existing authority to carry out minor military construction projects to construct child development centers.
Foster Youth Mentoring Act of 20 21 This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants for programs that provide mentoring for children in foster care and children with experience in foster care.
Servicemember Parental Leave Equity Act This bill modifies Department of Defense parental leave provisions for members of the Armed Forces. Specifically, the bill increases parental leave for primary caregivers to 18 weeks (currently 12) following the birth of a child and to 12 weeks (currently 6) following the adoption of a child. The bill increases parental leave for a secondary caregiver from 21 days to 12 weeks in connection with the birth or adoption of a child. Primary or secondary caregivers of a long-term foster child are authorized to take up to 12 weeks of leave in connection with such placement. Parental leave for a primary or secondary caregiver for a birth, adoption, or foster child placement may be taken in more than one increment. For primary caregivers, the leave must be utilized within one year of the event. The bill authorizes up to 12 weeks of leave to certain service members who would have been secondary caregivers but for a miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant death. The following activities required of an active-duty member within a 12-month postpartum period must have the approval of a health care provider and be at the election of the member or in the interest of national security: (1) an order of temporary duty overnight travel or to participate in physically demanding field training exercises, (2) meeting of body composition standards, or (3) passing a physical fitness test. The bill also reduces the service commitment required for participation in the Career Intermission Program.
Jobs and Childcare for Military Families Act of 2021 This bill allows an employer a work opportunity tax credit for hiring an individual who is certified by a designated local agency as being, as of the hiring date, the spouse or domestic partner of a member of the Armed Forces, and requires the creation of programs for uniformed services families to pay for childcare on a pretax basis. Specifically, an employer may receive a tax credit equal to 40% of a new employee's first-year wages if the employer hires a service member's spouse or domestic partner (as recognized under state law or by the Armed Forces). Currently, a similar tax credit exists for employers who hire certain disadvantaged individuals, including disadvantaged veterans. The bill requires the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security (with respect to the Coast Guard), the Department of Commerce (with respect to officers of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), and the Department of Health and Human Services (with respect to the Public Health Service) to implement flexible spending arrangements that permit members of the uniformed services to use basic pay and compensation to pay for childcare services for their dependent children on a pretax basis.
Universal School Meals Program Act of 2021 This bill revises requirements under the food and nutrition programs of the Department of Agriculture, such as the school lunch and breakfast programs. For example, the bill permanently provides free meals to all school children regardless of income. The bill increases the reimbursement rate for school food authorities participating in the food and nutrition programs. The bill also prohibits school food authorities from (1) physically segregating or otherwise discriminating against any child participating in the free breakfast program, or (2) overtly identifying a child participating in the program with a special token or announcement. Additionally, the bill expands the summer food service program by making all children eligible for participation in the program. Further, the bill revises eligibility determinations for measuring poverty to include runaway or homeless youth, foster children, migratory children, and children participating in specified programs (e.g., Head Start).
America's Red Rock Wilderness Act This bill designates specified lands in the following areas of Utah as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) Great Basin, (2) Grand Staircase-Escalante, (3) Moab-La Sal Canyons, (4) Henry Mountains, (5) Glen Canyon, (6) San Juan-Anasazi, (7) Canyonlands Basin, (8) San Rafael Swell, and (9) Book Cliffs and Uinta Basin. The bill sets forth administrative requirements for (1) the exchange of state-owned lands within such areas, (2) federal reservation of water rights, (3) measurement of setbacks for roads with adjacent wilderness, (4) authorized livestock grazing, and (5) withdrawal of such lands from disposition under certain public land laws.
Maximizing Outcomes for Moms through Medicaid Improvement and Enhancement of Services Act or the MOMMIES Act This bill establishes a series of programs and requirements under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) relating to maternal health. For example, the bill expands eligibility for coverage under Medicaid and CHIP from 60 days to one year after the last day of pregnancy and requires such coverage to include oral health services. The bill also establishes a demonstration program in which states receive grants to implement or expand models for maternity care homes that provide services to Medicaid or CHIP beneficiaries. The Government Accountability Office must report on (1) gaps in coverage under Medicaid and CHIP for pregnant and postpartum women, and (2) the use of telehealth by state Medicaid programs to increase access to maternity care.
Voters' Access to Water Act This bill prohibits states from restricting the donation of food or nonalcoholic beverages to individuals who are outside of the entrance of a polling place for a federal election if such items are distributed without regard to electoral participation or political preference. However, states may prohibit individuals who are distributing these items from engaging in political or electioneering activity.
Maximizing Outcomes for Moms through Medicaid Improvement and Enhancement of Services Act or the MOMMIES Act This bill establishes a series of programs and requirements under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) relating to maternal health. For example, the bill expands eligibility for coverage under Medicaid and CHIP from 60 days to one year after the last day of pregnancy and requires such coverage to include oral health services. The bill also establishes a demonstration program in which states receive grants to implement or expand models for maternity care homes that provide services to Medicaid or CHIP beneficiaries. The Government Accountability Office must report on (1) gaps in coverage under Medicaid and CHIP for pregnant and postpartum women, and (2) the use of telehealth by state Medicaid programs to increase access to maternity care.
Bias In Automobile Stops Act of 2021 or the BIAS Act of 202 1 This bill directs the Department of Transportation to provide grants to institutions of higher education for research, development, technology transfer, and training activities in the operation or establishment of an implicit bias training program as it relates to racial profiling at traffic stops. To be eligible for grants such institutions must (1) have an active research program or demonstrate that the applicant is beginning a research program to study implicit bias as it relates to racial profiling before and during traffic stops, and (2) partner with state and local police departments to conduct the research and carry out the implementation of implicit bias training with state and local police departments.
COVID-19 Memorial Quilt Act of 2021 This bill directs the Smithsonian Institution and the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress to jointly carry out a project to be known as the "COVID-19 Pandemic Memorial Quilt Project" to honor and remember Americans who have lost their lives to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. The bill establishes the Congressional Advisory Panel on Honoring Victims of the COVID-19 Pandemic. The panel shall develop and submit a plan to carry out the memorial quilt project.
Zero-Percent Student Loan Refinancing Act This bill establishes a temporary program through which the Department of Education (ED) must make interest-free refinancing loans to borrowers of federal student loans from August 1, 2021, through December 31, 2024. The bill requires ED to automatically refinance Federal Direct Loans and notify each borrower of the refinancing. Borrowers who have other types of eligible loans (i.e., Federal Family Education Loans, Federal Perkins Loans, and certain health profession and nursing loans) must apply for refinancing. ED and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau must carry out a campaign to notify borrowers of these types of loans that they are eligible to apply for refinancing under the program.
