Armed Services Always Paid Act or the ASAP Act This bill provides funding to continue the pay and allowances of members of the Armed Forces, including reserve personnel, during a lapse in appropriations.
This concurrent resolution permits the Grand Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police and its auxiliary to sponsor as free public events on the Capitol grounds the 40th Annual National Peace Officers Memorial Service, on October 16, 2021, to honor the law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty during 2020; and the National Honor Guard and Pipe Band Exhibition, on October 16, 2021, to allow law enforcement representatives to exhibit their ability to demonstrate Honor Guard programs and provide for a bagpipe exhibition.
Re-using Equipment for Environmental Fortification Act or the REEF Act This bill requires the Department of the Navy to notify Congress of the pending retirement of vessels that are viable candidates for artificial reefing (intentionally sinking a vessel to promote marine life). Specifically, the Navy must provide such notice not later than 90 days before the viable candidate's retirement from the Naval Vessel Register.
Home Educators are Teachers Act of 2021 This bill expands the tax deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers to include home school teachers and home schooling expenses.
Foreign Robocall Elimination Act This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission to establish an interagency task force to study the most effective ways to combat unlawful robocalls made into the United States from foreign sources.
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States shall recognize kind actions in our country, encourage kindness, spread love, and foster a culture of being kind to one another.
Manatee Protection Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of the Interior to include the West Indian manatee ( Trichechus manatus ) in the endangered species list and give the species protections provided to endangered species.
Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers for Veterans Therapy Act or the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act This bill implements a program and a policy related to service dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health program. Eligible veterans are those who are enrolled in the VA health care system and have been recommended for participation by a qualified mental health care provider or clinical team. The VA must seek to enter agreements containing specified elements with accredited nongovernmental entities that have demonstrated ability to provide canine training. Veterans who participate in the program are authorized to adopt the dog they assisted in training if their health provider determines it is in the best interest of the veteran. The VA must establish processes to document and track the progress of participating veterans with respect to health benefits and improvements. The Government Accountability Office must brief Congress and submit a report on the program. The bill also authorizes the VA to provide service dogs to veterans with mental illnesses, regardless of whether they have a mobility impairment.
This resolution condemns the President's failure to heed military and intelligence advisors about the speed and nature of the Taliban offense in Afghanistan and urges the President to commit to maintaining the evacuation operation as long as necessary to evacuate any U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or Afghan partner who requests evacuation assistance .
Resilient Federal Forests Act This bill modifies and sets forth provisions regarding forest management activities on National Forest System, public, and tribal lands. The bill provides for, among other things the Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Interior to conduct fireshed management projects in fireshed management areas, certain categorical exclusions for various purposes, the balancing of the short- and long-term effects of forest management activities while considering injunctive relief, USDA and Interior to establish their own discretionary arbitration pilot programs as an alternative dispute resolution process for forest management activities, increasing the maximum term for a stewardship end result contract to 20 years, demonstration projects to support the development and commercialization of biochar on Indian forest lands or rangelands and in nearby communities by providing reliable supplies of feedstock from federal lands, the decommissioning of certain Forest Service Roads within designated high fire-prone areas, repealing of the Eastside Screens requirements on National Forest System lands, making the Northwest Forest Plan Survey and Manage Mitigation Measure Standards and Guidelines inapplicable to any National Forest System lands or public lands, development of a protection plan for giant sequoia trees on National Forest System lands and public lands, and permanent rights of access to the Oregon and California Railroad grant lands and the Coos Bay Wagon Road grant lands for private landowners issued reciprocal road rights-of-way.
