Rep. Scott Franklin

Jump-Start the Economy with Jobs Act This bill requires each state that offers pandemic unemployment assistance (PUA) or pandemic emergency unemployment compensation (PEUC) to condition benefit eligibility for a long-term unemployed individual on an employer's confirmation that work is unavailable for the unemployed individual. Specifically, each state unemployment agency must request confirmation from the unemployed individual's most recent employer that the individual's position is not available at the time of the request. Unless the employer provides this confirmation, the state must terminate the individual's PUA or PEUC. The bill's provisions apply only to long-term unemployed individuals who have received PUA or PEUC for more than 30 weeks of unemployment.

Combatting COVID Unemployment Fraud Act of 2021 This bill requires additional documentation for individuals seeking pandemic unemployment assistance, requires state unemployment agencies to use designated fraud prevention tools, and otherwise addresses pandemic-related unemployment benefits.

This resolution calls on the Office for Civil Rights within the Department of Education and state attorneys general to assist elementary and secondary schools in complying with existing civil rights laws and investigate and enforce such laws. In addition, the resolution condemns the practice of requiring teachers to receive education in critical race theory as a condition of certification.

Contents of Our Character Act of 2021 This bill prohibits agencies from using federal funds to conduct or promote specified workplace training related to race or sex.

American Medical Investment Generating Overseas Security Act or the AMIGOS Act This bill prohibits the President from taking action to support the waiver of certain intellectual property obligations owed by members of the World Trade Organization in relation to the prevention, containment, mitigation, or treatment of COVID-19. The bill also establishes prioritization for allocating excess COVID-19 vaccines to other countries, and it requires that such vaccines be marked as assistance from the American people or the United States and include a depiction of the U.S. flag (if appropriate).

This bill prohibits any executive agency from contravening Executive Order 13950 (Combating Race and Sex Stereotyping), except as such order relates to contractors and grant recipients.

Save Local Business Act This bill provides that a person may be considered a joint employer in relation to an employee under federal labor law only if such person directly, actually, and immediately (and not in a limited and routine manner) exercises significant control over the essential terms and conditions of employment. Such control may by demonstrated by hiring and discharging employees, determining individual employee rates of pay and benefits, day-to-day supervision of employees, assigning individual work schedules, positions, and tasks, and administering employee discipline.

Student Loan Marriage Penalty Elimination Act of 2021 This bill allows married couples filing a joint tax return to apply the $2,500 limitation on the tax deduction for student loan interest separately to each spouse.

Florida Coastal Protection Act This bill prohibits the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management from offering any tract for oil and gas leasing or preleasing in the following areas: the Eastern Gulf of Mexico Planning Area that is within 125 miles of the coastline of Florida, the South Atlantic Planning Area that is south of 30 degrees 43 minutes North Latitude, or the Straits of Florida Planning Area.

Help Wanted Act This bill eliminates certain work search exceptions and flexibilities in the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. Specifically, the bill prohibits states participating in PUA from modifying unemployment work search requirements on an emergency basis to respond to COVID-19. The bill also eliminates a requirement that states be flexible regarding work search requirements for individuals who are unable to search for work because of COVID-19. Similarly, the bill makes individuals who decline to work on the basis of safety concerns related to COVID-19 and claimants who quit working as a direct result of COVID-19 ineligible for PUA.