Israel Relations Normalization Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of State to take certain actions promoting the normalization of relations between Israel, Arab states, and other relevant countries and regions. Specifically, the State Department must develop a strategy on expanding and strengthening the Abraham Accords (the term used to refer collectively to agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and between Israel and Bahrain marking the public normalization of relations between the two Arab countries and Israel). The strategy must include a description of how the U.S. government will encourage further normalization of relations with Israel. The State Department must report on the status of efforts to promote normalization of relations with Israel and other countries, including information on (1) laws that punish individuals for people-to-people relations with Israelis (i.e., anti-normalization laws), and (2) instances of the use of state-owned or state-operated media outlets to promote the prosecution of citizens or residents of Arab countries calling for peace with Israel.
Sponsored bills
Combating Global Corruption Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of State to develop a program to combat corruption in foreign countries. The State Department must annually report to Congress a tiered list of all foreign countries. The first tier shall contain countries that meet minimum standards for combating public corruption, while the second tier shall contain countries that do not yet meet these standards but are making significant efforts to do so. Third-tier countries do not meet the minimum anti-corruption standards and are not making significant efforts to do so. Factors for assessing efforts to address corruption include a country's compliance with specified relevant international agreements. The State Department must report on whether, for purposes of potential sanctions, foreign persons are engaged in significant corruption in third-tier countries or in relation to the planning, construction, or operation of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. The State Department must also designate an anti-corruption point of contact in the U.S. diplomatic post in each second- or third-tier country and where the State Department determines that such a point of contact is necessary. The point of contact shall be responsible for enhancing coordination and promoting the implementation of a whole-of-government approach to enhancing the ability of foreign countries to combat public corruption.
Patsy T. Mink and Louise M. Slaughter Gender Equity in Education Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to establish an Office for Gender Equity to support state and local educational agencies, institutions of higher education, and elementary and secondary schools in fully implementing title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally funded education programs or activities. The office may provide grants and perform activities to reduce or prevent sex discrimination in all areas of education. The office must provide technical assistance and annual training to title IX coordinators and develop a handbook for conducting self-evaluations of title IX compliance. The training must address discrimination based on multiple characteristics, including race, ethnicity, national origin, disability status, religion, age, or actual or perceived sex. The office may award grants to eligible entities and partnerships that apply to carry out programs and activities designed to implement title IX and prevent and reduce sex discrimination, including programs that increase access to resources. ED must coordinate with the Institute of Education Sciences and other federal entities to investigate, identify, and disseminate best practices to (1) reduce and prevent sex stereotyping, bias, and discrimination in educational materials; (2) address sex-based harassment and violence on campuses; (3) develop counseling and career guidance training; (4) mitigate implicit bias in teaching and discipline; and (5) address the needs of students who face discrimination based on multiple characteristics.
Veteran Families Health Services Act of 2021 This bill addresses fertility treatments, counseling, and other health-related programs for veterans and members of the Armed Forces. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide fertility treatments and counseling to covered veterans and active duty service members or a spouse, partner, or gestational surrogate of such veteran or service member. A covered veteran or service member is a former or current member of the Armed Forces who has an infertility condition, unless it is demonstrable that the individual was completely infertile prior to serving in the Armed Forces. In the case of in vitro fertilization treatment, DOD and the VA may not furnish more than three completed cycles or six attempted cycles, whichever occurs first. DOD must establish procedures related to gamete retrieval and storage. Additionally, DOD must provide service members with the opportunity to cryopreserve and store their gametes prior to deployment to a combat zone or a hazardous duty assignment. DOD and the VA must share best practices and facilitate referrals for the furnishing of fertility treatment and counseling to eligible individuals. Fertility counseling and treatment are included within authorized VA medical services. The VA may pay the adoption expenses (for up to three adoptions) for a covered member who is enrolled in the VA health care system. The VA must facilitate specified reproduction and infertility research conducted collaboratively by DOD and the Department of Health and Human Services.
River Democracy Act of 2021 This bill designates specified river segments, primarily in Oregon, as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
Lori Jackson-Nicolette Elias Domestic Violence Survivor Protection Act This bill makes changes to the federal statutory framework that prohibits the shipment, transport, receipt, or possession of firearms or ammunition by an individual who is subject to a qualifying domestic violence court order. Under current law, a qualifying domestic violence court order must meet certain requirements, including to (1) be issued after a hearing of which the individual had notice and an opportunity to participate; and (2) restrain the individual from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner (i.e., a current or former spouse, a co-parent of a child, or a current or former cohabitant) or the child of an intimate partner. This bill expands the scope of qualifying domestic violence court orders to include an order that is issued after an ex parte hearing (i.e., a hearing with only one party present); restrains the individual from harassing, stalking, or threatening a dating partner or former dating partner; or restrains the individual from intimidating a witness. Current law also prohibits an individual who is convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from shipping, transporting, receiving, or possessing firearms or ammunition. These restrictions generally only apply to spouses, co-parents, and cohabitants, and to offenses that involve physical force or deadly weapons. This bill expands the scope of these restrictions to include dating partners and offenses that involve stalking. Finally, the bill authorizes grants for state, local, and tribal governments to remove firearms and take other steps after a domestic violence court order is issued.
Washington, D.C. Admission Act This bill provides for admission into the United States of the state of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth, composed of most of the territory of the District of Columbia. The commonwealth shall be admitted to the Union on an equal footing with the other states. The Mayor of the District of Columbia shall issue a proclamation for the first elections to Congress of two Senators and one Representative of the commonwealth. The bill applies current District laws to the commonwealth and continues pending judicial proceedings. The commonwealth (1) shall consist of all District territory, with specified exclusions for federal buildings and monuments, including the principal federal monuments, the White House, the Capitol Building, the U.S. Supreme Court Building, and the federal executive, legislative, and judicial office buildings located adjacent to the Mall and the Capitol Building; and (2) may not impose taxes on federal property except as Congress permits. District territory excluded from the commonwealth shall be known as the Capital and shall be the seat of the federal government. The bill maintains the federal government's authority over military lands and specified other property. The bill provides for expedited consideration of a joint resolution repealing the Twenty-third Amendment to the Constitution, which provides for the appointment of electors of the President and Vice President. The bill continues certain federal authorities and responsibilities, including regarding employee benefits, agencies, courts, and college tuition assistance, until the commonwealth certifies that it is prepared to take over the authorities and responsibilities. The bill establishes the Statehood Transition Commission to advise the President, Congress, and District and commonwealth leaders on the transition.
Preventing Election Subversion Act of 2021 This bill establishes certain federal criminal offenses related to voting and sets forth additional requirements for federal elections. The bill makes it a crime to (1) intimidate, threaten, coerce, or harass an election worker (i.e., an election official, a poll worker, or an election volunteer) with the intent to interfere with the official duties of, or retaliate against, the worker; or (2) publicly disclose restricted personal information about an election worker or an immediate family member with the intent to threaten or cause harm to the worker or the family member. In addition, the bill restricts the ability of a statewide election administrator to remove a local election administrator. A statewide election administrator may suspend, remove, or relieve the duties of a local election administrator only for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance while in office. Further, the bill establishes certain requirements for challenging an individual's eligibility to register to vote or vote in federal elections. The bill also sets a minimum distance for poll observers.
Saudi Educational Transparency and Reform Act This bill directs the Department of State to report to Congress annually on educational materials published by Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Education, which are used both inside and outside Saudi Arabia. The report shall detail whether such educational materials include content that could be seen as encouraging violence and intolerance toward religious groups, including Muslims who hold dissenting views. The report shall also discuss related subjects, including the extent to which such materials are exported and efforts by the Saudi government to remove the intolerant content. The State Department shall issue such reports for 10 years, unless the State Department determines that the intolerant content has been completely removed. If such content is still included in Saudi Arabia's educational materials after 10 years, the State Department shall continue reporting to Congress for another 5 years.
Clean Energy for America Act This bill provides for tax incentives for investments in clean electricity, clean transportation, energy efficiency, and the termination of certain provisions relating to oil, gas, and other fossil fuels. Among other provisions, the bill allows new tax credits for investment in clean energy facilities and for the production of electricity from clean energy and clean fuel; allows a new tax credit for expenditures for clean energy property used in connection with a principal residence; allows a new tax credit for sustainable aviation fuel; allows an alternative motor vehicle tax credit for fuel cell motor vehicles, electric vehicles, and for refueling property; allows a tax credit for the production of electricity from clean hydrogen; extends for one year the second generation biofuel producer tax credit and the tax credit for alternative fuels; modifies existing tax credits for energy efficient residential buildings, energy efficient home improvement expenditures, geothermal heat pumps, and the tax deduction for energy efficient commercial buildings; terminates certain provisions relating to oil, gas, and other fossil fuels; requires that at least 15% of the total workforce labor hours be performed by qualified apprentices; requires that projects receiving federal assistance comply with federal prevailing wage requirements; and allows the issuance of tax-exempt private activity bonds for qualified carbon dioxide capture facilities.