Rep. Pat Fallon

This joint resolution nullifies a Department of Labor emergency temporary standard for preventing the transmission of COVID-19 in employment settings. Under the standard issued on November 5, 2021, employers with 100 or more employees must require their onsite employees to either be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing.

This concurrent resolution declares that Congress should not impose any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge relating to the public performance of sound recordings on a local radio station for broadcasting sound recordings over the air, or on any business for such public performance of sound recordings.

This resolution condemns racism in any form, certain remarks made by Lamar County Democratic Chairman Gary O'Connor against Senator Tim Scott, and the Texas Democratic Party's refusal to condemn such remarks.

Protecting Critical Infrastructure Act of 2021 This bill increases federal criminal penalties for computer fraud and abuse offenses that involve critical infrastructure. The term critical infrastructure means systems and assets, physical or virtual, so vital to the United States that the incapacity or destruction of such systems and assets would have a debilitating impact on security, national economic security, national public health and safety, or any combination of those matters. Specifically, the bill imposes a fine, a mandatory minimum prison term of 30 years, or both for a computer fraud or abuse offense that involves critical infrastructure. Additionally, the bill directs the President to impose asset- and visa-blocking sanctions on foreign individuals and entities that access or attempt to access critical infrastructure.

This resolution recognizes the importance of gig workers (i.e., workers hired on a per-project basis) and other independent contractors to the economy.

Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act of 2021 This bill phases in a new funding formula for determining benefit amounts under the windfall elimination provision (WEP). The WEP reduces Social Security retirement and disability benefits for those who receive pensions for certain non-covered employment. The new formula adjusts an individual's total lifetime earnings based on the proportion of those earnings subject to Social Security payroll taxes. It applies to individuals who (1) become eligible for Social Security benefits after 2061, and (2) have earnings from non-covered service performed in a year after 1977. Beneficiaries who become eligible for benefits between 2023 and 2061 receive the higher of their benefit calculated under the existing WEP or the new formula. In addition, certain beneficiaries currently impacted by the WEP receive an additional payment. The Social Security Administration must include non-covered earnings in Social Security account statements and must study the feasibility of partnering with certain pension systems to address data sharing issues related to non-covered pensions.

Maddy summaryHRES 754 is a non-binding resolution expressing the House of Representatives' opposition to proposed "punitive natural gas taxes" on U.S. businesses, families, and workers. It cites claims that such taxes would raise average energy bills by 17%, reduce GDP by $9 billion, and eliminate 90,000 jobs, while disproportionately harming low-income households. The resolution argues that opposing these taxes supports U.S. energy security, national security, and continued leadership in reducing emissions through domestic natural gas production. As a procedural resolution, it does not create law but formally states the House's position against this policy approach.

Ensuring Workers Get PAID Act of 2021 This bill reestablishes the Payroll Audit Independent Determination program, which is administered by the Department of Labor and allows employers to self-report federal minimum wage and overtime violations as an alternative to litigation. Employers may apply to the program by submitting certain information from a self-audit that includes calculations of any unpaid minimum or overtime wages. Labor must verify the calculations and, if the application is approved, supervise a settlement with affected employees that provides payment of any unpaid wages. Employees who accept a settlement under the program waive their private right of action to recover the unpaid wages provided under the settlement.

State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act This bill allows states, tribes, territories, and localities to use certain COVID-19 relief funds for new categories of spending, including for natural disasters and infrastructure projects. It also makes changes to expenditure deadlines and other aspects of this funding. Specifically, recipients may use funds for emergency relief from natural disasters and associated negative economic impacts of natural disasters. In addition, recipients may use a portion of their COVID-19 relief funds for designated infrastructure projects, such as nationally significant freight and highway projects. Furthermore, the bill allows recipients to expend COVID-19 relief funds on these types of infrastructure projects until September 30, 2026. Under current law, recipients must expend the funds by December 31, 2024. Other changes in the bill include (1) modifying eligibility and allocation requirements for funding set aside for counties and Indian tribes that are near public lands, (2) allowing Indian tribes an additional year to expend their COVID-19 relief funds, and (3) establishing a process for government entities to decline COVID-19 relief funds and requiring any declined funds to be used to reduce the federal deficit.

This resolution condemns China's government and military for their continued military aggression against Taiwan, most notably the incursion into Taiwan's Air Defense Identification Zone on October 4, 2021.