Rep. Judy Chu

This resolution calls for the federal government to establish a national biodiversity strategy, which must include a goal of conserving at least 30% of U.S. lands and waters to protect biodiversity and address climate change by 2030 and other goals necessary to reduce the threats to biodiversity.

Save Education Jobs Act This bill establishes through FY2030 the Education Jobs Fund, from which the Department of Education (ED) must award grants to state educational agencies and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies (LEAs) to retain and create education jobs. ED must also provide grants to outlying areas and the Bureau of Indian Education. Specifically, LEAs must use subgrants for compensation and benefits to retain existing employees, rehire former employees, and hire new employees. Further, subgrants may be used for certain activities such as training and professional development, providing salary increases to cover extended days or school years to make up for lost instructional time due to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), and developing teacher leadership roles in high-need schools. The bill prohibits the use of subgrants for certain activities, such as funding voucher programs, tax-credit scholarships, or education savings accounts.

Global Health, Empowerment and Rights Act This bill establishes that a foreign nongovernmental organization shall not be disqualified from receiving certain U.S. international development assistance solely because the organization provides medical services using non-U.S. government funds if the medical services are legal in both the United States and the country in which they are being provided. Such foreign organizations shall not be subject to requirements relating to their use of non-U.S. funds for advocacy or lobbying activities, other than those that apply to U.S. nongovernmental organizations. Current U.S. policy prohibits various foreign assistance from going to a foreign nongovernmental organization unless it agrees to not perform or actively promote abortions.

Securing Access to Lower Taxes by ensuring Deductibility Act or the SALT Deductibility Act This bill repeals the temporary restrictions in taxable years 2018 through 2025 on the deductibility of state and local taxes.

Raise the Wage Act of 2021 This bill increases the federal minimum wage for regular employees over a 5-year period, for tipped employees, and for newly hired employees who are less than 20 years old. The bill sets forth a schedule of annual increases in the federal minimum wage for individuals with disabilities. The Department of Labor shall no longer issue special certificates for the payment of subminimum wages to such individuals after the final wage increase under this bill for such individuals takes effect. Labor shall provide, upon request, technical assistance and information to employers to (1) help them transition their practices to comply with wage increases and other requirements under this bill for individuals with disabilities, and (2) ensure continuing employment opportunities for such individuals. The bill eliminates the separate minimum wage requirements for tipped, newly hired, and disabled employees. After a specified period, these employees shall be paid the same minimum wage as regular employees. Labor must publish any increase in the minimum wage in the Federal Register and on its website 60 days before it takes effect.

Earned Income and Child Tax Credits Outreach Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of the Treasury, not later than March 1, 2021, to carry out a public outreach program to inform certain individual taxpayers of their potential eligibility for the earned income and child tax credits. The Inspector General for Tax Administration of Treasury must study the outreach program and make recommendations for improving it.

This resolution expresses support for sustained dialogue between the United States, Russia, and China to reduce the threats posed by nuclear weapons. The resolution calls on the President to extend the New START Treaty for five years and urges the current administration to consider continued participation in the Treaty on Open Skies.

Access Technology Affordability Act of 2021 This bill allows a refundable tax credit equal to the amounts paid for qualified access technology for use by a blind individual who is the taxpayer, the taxpayer's spouse, or a dependent of the taxpayer. Qualified access technology is hardware, software, or other information technology with the primary function of converting or adapting information that is visually represented into forms or formats useable by blind individuals. The credit is limited to (1) costs that are not compensated by insurance or otherwise, and (2) an aggregate amount of $2,000 per blind individual in any period of three consecutive taxable years. The credit must be adjusted for inflation after 2021 and terminates after 2026.

Bicycle Commuter Act of 2021 This bill modifies provisions relating to the tax exclusion for employer-provided fringe benefits for bicycle commuting. Specifically, the bill (1) repeals the suspension (for the period between 2018 and the end of 2025) of the exclusion, (2) includes bikeshare (a bicycle rental operation providing for pick up and drop off) and low-speed electric bicycle within the definition of bicycle for purposes of the exclusion, and (3) modifies the limitation on the exclusion to provide for a specified monthly limitation amount (i.e., 30% of the parking fringe benefit amount).

This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the U.S. Postal Service should issue a commemorative stamp series honoring women veterans.