This resolution (1) recognizes World Oceans Day and affirms the individual and collective duty, both nationally and internationally, to protect, conserve, maintain, and rebuild our oceans and its resources; and (2)expresses commitment to increasing the investment of federal funds into scientific research and monitoring to better understand the changing oceans and to accomplish the goals of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
Greater Leadership Overseas for the Benefit of Equality Act of 2021 or the GLOBE Act of 2021 This bill contains provisions related to (1) the protection of LGBTQI individuals globally; and (2) immigration protections for vulnerable individuals. The bill establishes (1) an interagency group to respond to urgent threats to LGBTQI people in foreign countries, and (2) a permanent Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTQI Peoples in the Department of State. The President shall impose visa-blocking sanctions on foreign persons responsible for violating the human rights of individuals based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics. The State Department shall establish the Global Equality Fund to provide assistance to nongovernmental organizations working to advance and protect human rights. The U.S. Agency for International Development shall establish the LGBTQI Global Development Partnership to work with the private sector and nongovernmental organizations to support LGBTQI rights. The bill contains several immigration-related provisions, such as those establishing that persecution based on sexual orientation or gender identity may form the basis of an asylum request, allowing certain applicants to file asylum claims more than a year after their arrival in the United States, including a permanent partnership between two partners as a marriage for immigration law purposes, providing for free counsel in certain immigration proceedings, and granting U.S. citizenship to a child born abroad through assistive reproductive technology from a U.S. citizen who is the child's nonbiological parent.
Smart Intersections Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Transportation to award grants for improving the functioning of traffic signals through active management of traffic signal operations. State, tribal, and local government entities are eligible for these grants. Additionally, the Government Accountability Office must study the potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by improving the efficiency of traffic systems.
Enhancing Oversight to End Discrimination in Policing Act This bill expands the capacity to enforce a law that prohibits patterns or practices of misconduct by state and local law enforcement agencies. Current law prohibits state and local law enforcement agencies from engaging in patterns or practices of conduct that violate constitutional or federal rights. Further, current law authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ) to file civil cases to eliminate the pattern or practice of misconduct. Typically, DOJ's Civil Rights Division conducts pattern-or-practice investigations and resolves any misconduct through a consent decree instead of a trial. This bill provides statutory authority for state attorneys general to bring pattern-or-practice cases in federal court. The bill also authorizes grants to help states pursue pattern-or-practice investigations and cases. Additionally, the bill authorizes additional amounts for DOJ's Civil Rights Division and requires a certain portion to be used for enforcement and technical assistance related to pattern-or-practice cases. Finally, the bill requires DOJ's Civil Rights Division to modify the procedures for consent decrees and settlement agreements to ensure that the consent decrees and settlement agreements (1) foster the creation and use of alternative remedies such as mental health support or community-based restorative justice mechanisms; and (2) incorporate community oversight requirements, such as a community oversight body.
Nullifying Opportunities for Variants to Infect and Decimate Act or the NOVID Act This bill establishes the Pandemic Preparedness and Response Program to coordinate and carry out the U.S. government's global health response to COVID-19, its variants, and other pathogens with pandemic potential. As part of the program, the bill requires, within 30 days, the development of a comprehensive strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic. The strategy must outline efforts to increase COVID-19 vaccinations worldwide, including through the immediate release of the COVID-19 vaccine doses that the United States committed to sending abroad. The bill also requires a long-term strategy for the program to prevent future pandemics.
Medical Nutrition Equity Act of 2021 This bill expands coverage under Medicare, Medicaid, other specified federal health care programs, and private health insurance to include foods, vitamins, and individual amino acids that are medically necessary for the management of certain digestive and metabolic disorders and conditions.
Parity Implementation Assistance Act This bill provides grants to assist states with the implementation of the federal mental health parity requirements. States receiving the grants must request and review from private health insurance plans their required comparative analysis of nonquantitative treatment limitations (NQTLs) with respect to mental health or substance use disorder benefits. (NQTLs are limitations on the scope or duration of benefits for treatment, such as preauthorization requirements.)
This resolution expresses support for the rights, freedoms, and equal treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals. The resolution r ecognizes that LGBTQ rights are human rights and protected by the laws of the United States and international treaties. Additionally, the resolution encourages the celebration of LGBTQ Pride Month in June.
Women's Health Protection Act of 2021 This bill prohibits governmental restrictions on the provision of, and access to, abortion services. Specifically, governments may not limit a provider's ability to prescribe certain drugs, offer abortion services via telemedicine, or immediately provide abortion services when the provider determines a delay risks the patient's health. Furthermore, governments may not require a provider to perform unnecessary medical procedures, provide medically inaccurate information, comply with credentialing or other conditions that do not apply to providers whose services are medically comparable to abortions, or carry out all services connected to an abortion. In addition, governments may not (1) require patients to make medically unnecessary in-person visits before receiving abortion services or disclose their reasons for obtaining such services, or (2) prohibit abortion services before fetal viability or after fetal viability when a provider determines the pregnancy risks the patient's life or health. The bill also prohibits other governmental measures that are similar to the bill's specified restrictions or that otherwise single out and impede access to abortion services, unless a government demonstrates that the measure significantly advances the safety of abortion services or health of patients and cannot be achieved through less restrictive means. The Department of Justice, individuals, or providers may bring a lawsuit to enforce this bill, and states are not immune from suits for violations. The bill applies to restrictions imposed both prior and subsequent to the bill's enactment.
Native Act to Transform Imagery in Various Environments This bill establishes grants and a committee within the Department of Education (ED) to assist schools with discontinuing the use of derogatory or discriminatory names or depictions as team names, mascots, or nicknames. Specifically, the bill authorizes ED to make (1) grants to elementary, secondary, and postsecondary schools to assist them in discontinuing the use of names or depictions that are derogatory or discriminatory; and (2) subsequent grants to schools to discontinue objectionable names or depictions and to Indian schools for construction or renovation. Additionally, ED must establish a committee on Indian relations to (1) determine which names and depictions are derogatory or discriminatory, (2) identify schools that use derogatory or discriminatory names or descriptions and inform them of the availability of assistance in discontinuing their use, (3) assist ED in awarding grants, and (4) provide cultural proficiency training at grantee schools. The bill lists Indians , Redskins , Braves , and Chiefs as derogatory or discriminatory names or depictions.
Fair-Value Accounting and Budget Act This bill requires the Congressional Budget Office to provide certain fair-value estimates of federal loan and loan guarantee programs. Under the bill, the fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Fair-value estimates generally use private-market interest rates to estimate the cost of a loan program rather than rates based on Treasury securities.
Disability Employment Incentive Act This bill expands tax credits and deductions that are available for employers who hire and retain employees with disabilities. The bill expands the work opportunity tax credit to include the hiring of employees who receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. For employers who hire vocational rehabilitation referrals, Supplemental Security Income recipients, or SSDI recipients, the bill also (1) increases the amount of wages that may be taken into account for the credit, and (2) allows an additional credit for second-year wages. With respect to the tax credit for expenditures by eligible small businesses to provide access to disabled individuals, the bill increases the limits that apply to (1) the amount of expenditures that are eligible for the credit, and (2) the gross receipts and full-time employees of eligible small businesses. The bill also expands the tax deduction for expenditures to remove architectural and transportation barriers to the handicapped and elderly. The bill modifies the deduction to (1) increase the limitation on the amount of the deduction, and (2) allow the deduction to be used for certain improvements in the accessibility of internet or telecommunications services to handicapped and elderly individuals.
