Sen. Dan Sullivan

Having Employees Return to Duty Act of 2021 or the HERD Act of 2021 This bill addresses federal employees who comply with Executive Order 14043 (requiring COVID-19 vaccination for federal employees). Specifically, the bill requires each federal agency, with respect to each agency employee who has complied with such order, to require the employee to work from that employee's duty station and to work the hours required as of February 15, 2020. If such an employee was not employed by the applicable agency as of that date, that requirement shall apply to the employee with respect to duty station and hours of the individual who occupied that position as of that date. An agency may implement different policies than, or supplemental policies to, those requirements, including by requiring social distancing at a particular work site, if the agency finds that (1) there is substantial transmission of COVID-19 within a community in which such requirements would otherwise be carried out, as determined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and (2) implementing those different or supplemental policies will not degrade the level of service that the agency provides to the public.

Give Americans Stability at Pumps as Rising Inflation Causes Emergencies Act or the GAS PRICE Act This bill requires the Energy Information Administration (EIA) to report on any policy, regulation, or executive order with an effective date of January 20, 2021, or later that the EIA determines has increased or may increase energy prices in the United States.

Taiwan Actions Supporting Security by Undertaking Regular Engagements Act or the Taiwan ASSURE Act This bill authorizes activities pertaining to Taiwan and requires reports on related topics. This bill authorizes from FY2022 through FY2025 (1) activities and trainings to increase Taiwan's economic and international integration, and (2) Department of State activities to support strategic dialogues facilitated by independent nonprofit organizations to discuss stability issues related to China and Taiwan. The Department of Defense (DOD) must report to Congress on (1) the feasibility and advisability of establishing a partnership between the U.S. National Guard and Taiwan's Armed Forces Reserve Command, and (2) an assessment of the implementation of Taiwan's asymmetric defense strategy. The State Department, in coordination with DOD, must report annually on (1) military-to-military dialogues and confidence-building measures between the United States and China, and (2) diplomatic engagements with China that involved discussions about issues concerning China and Taiwan.

Keeping Our COVID-19 Heroes Employed Act This bill exempts essential workers from COVID-19 vaccination requirements imposed by the federal government and contractors, public entities that received federal COVID-19 relief funds, and private entities that received any federal funds. An essential worker is an individual who was deemed to be essential or exempted from response measures during the COVID-19 pandemic by a state, tribe, or territory.

Upholding the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Law Act of 2021 This bill prohibits using federal funds to establish any diplomatic facility in Jerusalem other than the U.S. Embassy to Israel.

Prohibiting IRS Financial Surveillance Act This bill prohibits the Department of the Treasury from requiring a financial institution to report the balances, transactions, or the transfers into and out of a financial account. This prohibition does not apply to laws or regulations in effect on the date of enactment.

Comforting Our Military Families through On-base or Remote Treatment Act of 2021 or the COMFORT Act of 2021 This bill authorizes the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy within the Department of Defense (DOD) to coordinate programs and activities for the provision of nonmedical counseling services to military families through the DOD Military and Family Life Counseling Program. Under the bill, nonmedical counseling services means mental health care services that are nonclinical, short-term, and solution-focused to address topics related to personal growth, development, and positive functioning. The bill authorizes mental health professionals to provide non-medical counseling services regardless of where the provider or recipient is located so long as the provision of service is within the scope of the authorized duties of the provider. For purposes of the bill, mental health professionals include licensed or certified mental health professionals or members of the uniformed services, civilian DOD employees, or DOD contractors.

Save Our Servicemembers Act of 2021 This bill requires the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness within the Department of Defense (DOD) to evaluate and standardize DOD's suicide prevention efforts. Specifically, the bill directs the Defense Suicide Prevention Office to collaborate with each military department to (1) develop and implement a process to ensure that individual nonclinical suicide prevention efforts are assessed for effectiveness, and (2) develop consistent suicide-related definitions for use throughout DOD. The bill also requires the use of such suicide-related definitions in any updated policies of DOD or each military department.

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 bill authorizes the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to enter into agreements for the planning, design, and construction of facilities to be operated as shared medical facilities.