This bill repeals the January 14, 1991, resolution authorizing the use of military force against Iraq.
National Science Foundation for the Future Act This bill reauthorizes the National Science Foundation (NSF) through FY2026 and authorizes programs and activities at the NSF. The bill establishes requirements for the NSF, including to enter into a contract with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine to assess the status and opportunities for Pre-K through 12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, including computer science, (STEM) education research; award grants to establish no fewer than three multidisciplinary Centers for Transformative Education Research and Translation to support research and development of STEM education innovations; provide grants for research on programming that engages students in grades Pre-K through 8, including underrepresented and rural students, in STEM in order to prepare such students to pursue degrees or careers in STEM; award grants to support research and development activities to encourage greater collaboration and coordination between institutions of higher education and industry to enhance education, foster hands-on learning experiences, and improve alignment with workforce needs; award grants to establish a network of centers for science and technical education; award grants to advance research on the nature of learning and teaching at community colleges; award grants to establish traineeship programs for graduate students who pursue artificial intelligence-related research leading to a masters or doctorate degree; award grants to carry out research on the cyber workforce; establish a cybersecurity workforce data initiative; carry out a national initiative to facilitate the development of networks and partnerships to broaden participation in STEM studies and careers of groups historically underrepresented in such studies and careers; maintain a Research Security and Policy office to coordinate all research security policy issues across the NSF; award grants to support research to improve our understanding of the climate system and related human and environmental systems; support research to significantly advance our understanding of the food-energy-water system; award grants to advance knowledge of risk assessment and predictability to improve our ability to predict extreme events and natural hazards, including pandemics; and award grants to support basic research that will accelerate innovation to advance critical minerals mining strategies and technologies. The bill also establishes within the NSF a Directorate for Science and Engineering Solutions to advance research and development solutions to address societal and national challenges.
Global Learning Loss Assessment Act of 2021 This bill requires the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to report on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the agency's basic education programs. This report shall include (1) an assessment of the global learning loss that will result from protracted school closures; (2) evaluations of the effectiveness, cost, accessibility, and reach of the most commonly used forms of distance learning in low- and middle-income countries; and (3) a description of the resources needed for the USAID to support continued distance learning, safe school reopenings, remedial and accelerated learning, and reenrollment campaigns.
LGBTQ Business Equal Credit Enforcement and Investment Act This bill requires financial institutions to report certain credit application data to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for the purposes of enforcing fair lending laws. Specifically, financial institutions must report this data regarding lesbian-, gay-, bisexual-, transgender-, or queer-owned businesses. Currently, this data is reported regarding women-owned, minority-owned, and small businesses.
Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership Program Act of 2021 This bill provides statutory authority for the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism Partnership Program, an interagency program launched in 2005 to partner with countries in the Sahel and Maghreb regions of Africa to counter terrorism and violent extremism. The Department of State, in consultation with the Department of Defense and the U.S. Agency for International Development, shall establish the partnership program, which must coordinate all U.S. programs in North and West Africa related to various counterterrorism activities, such as building foreign-military capacity, enhancing border security, promoting youth employment, and supporting independent media to counter terrorist propaganda. The State Department must submit comprehensive, five-year strategies that include specified activities for the Sahel and Maghreb regions and for program counterterrorism efforts. Further, program activities must, among other things (1) be carried out in countries where there is an adequate level of partner country committment, and (2) have clearly defined outcomes and specific plans with indicators to regularly monitor and evaluate outcomes and impact. Such activities must also take into account the counterterrorism and development strategies of partner countries and align with such strategies to the extent possible. The State Department shall notify Congress before obligating funds for such programs, and must submit annual reports about program activities.
Global Health Security Act of 2021 This bill directs the United States to implement a strategy to strengthen global health security, including by requiring the President to create the Global Health Security Agenda Interagency Review Council to implement the Global Health Security Agenda. The agenda is an initiative launched by nearly 30 nations to address global infectious disease threats. The council's responsibilities include (1) providing policy recommendations on agenda-related goals, objectives, implementation, and other international efforts to strengthen pandemic preparedness and response; (2) helping federal agencies with implementation; and (3) reviewing the progress and challenges in achieving U.S. commitments, including assistance to help other countries meet agenda targets. The bill also directs the federal agencies involved with the agenda to prioritize its implementation and to take certain steps to achieve that goal. The President shall coordinate a strategy for responding to global health security emergencies and submit a report on the implementation of this strategy. Additionally, the Department of State should seek to enter into negotiations with donors, relevant United Nations agencies, and other multilateral stakeholders to establish a Fund for Global Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness that (1) closes gaps in global health security and pandemic preparedness; and (2) builds capacity in eligible partner countries related to global health security, infectious disease control, and pandemic preparedness. The fund should provide grants, technical assistance, and innovative funding mechanisms to achieve its purposes.
Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act This bill prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs from requiring payment from a veteran for any contraceptive item that is required to be covered by health insurance plans without a cost-sharing requirement.
This resolution urges the President to facilitate private medical supply donations and to deliver urgently needed medical supplies, including oxygen generator plants, to India and countries neighboring India that are facing the spread of COVID-19.
This resolution calls on the Russian government to immediately release Trevor Reed, a U.S. citizen, and all other political prisoners. It also condemns the Russian government's use of politically motivated imprisonment.
This bill revises provisions related to the required certification to the Securities and Exchange Commission by certain publicly traded companies that they are not owned or controlled by a foreign government. Under current law, a company must make this certification if the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board is unable to audit specified reports because the company has retained a foreign public accounting firm not subject to inspection by the board due to a position taken by an authority in that foreign jurisdiction. Under this bill, a company must submit this certification if a position taken by any foreign government (not only the foreign government in which the firm is located) prevents inspection of the firm. Furthermore, under current law, if the board is unable to inspect the company's public accounting firm for three consecutive years, the company's securities are banned from trade on a national exchange or through other methods. The bill reduces this time to two consecutive years.
Growing Climate Solutions Act of 2021 This bill authorizes the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a voluntary Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and Third-Party Verifier Certification Program to help reduce entry barriers into voluntary environmental credit markets for farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners. A voluntary environmental credit market is a market through which agriculture and forestry credits may be bought or sold. Entities eligible to participate in the program are (1) providers of technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, or private forest landowners in carrying out sustainable land use management practices that prevent, reduce, or mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, or sequester carbon; or (2) third-party verifiers that conduct the verification of the processes described in the protocols for voluntary environmental credit markets. Among other requirements, USDA must publish (1) a list of protocols and qualifications for eligible entities; (2) information describing how entities may self-certify under the program; (3) information describing how entities may obtain the expertise to meet the protocols and qualifications; and (4) instructions and suggestions to assist farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners in facilitating the development of agriculture or forestry credits and accessing voluntary environmental credit markets. USDA must also establish an advisory council to make recommendations regarding the list of protocols and qualifications, best practices, and voluntary environmental credit markets. The bill also rescinds certain funds provided in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and makes the funds available for the certification program.
Pandemic Effects on Home Safety and Tourism Act This bill requires studies and reports about the effects of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) with respect to tourism and consumer product safety. Specifically, the Consumer Product Safety Commission must report, and make available to the public, information about injuries and deaths from consumer products during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The report must be submitted every three months for the duration of the emergency. Additionally, the Department of Commerce, in consultation with appropriate stakeholders, must study and report about the effects of the pandemic on the travel and tourism industry. Commerce must consider metrics including changes in employment rate, sales, and business revenue, and it must provide the opportunity for public comment. An interim study and report must be submitted not later than three months after the enactment of this bill.
