New Markets Tax Credit Extension Act of 2021 This bill makes the new markets tax credit permanent. It also modifies the credit to (1) provide for an inflation adjustment to the limitation amount for the credit after 2021, and (2) allow an offset against the alternative minimum tax for the credit (determined with respect to qualified equity investments initially made after 2020).
Hospitality and Commerce Job Recovery Act of 2021 This bill extends existing and establishes new tax credits that assist the hospitality and restaurant industry. Specifically, it allows a conventionand trade show restart tax credit; extends the employee retention tax credit through 2021; suspends for taxable years 2021 through 2022, the limitation on entertainment expenses related to a trade or business, allows a restaurant and dining restart credit for businesses closed or forced to reduce services due to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019); allows a 50% tax credit for travel expenditures; and allows a tax credit for unmerchantable inventory for the period between December 31, 2019, and before April 1, 2021.
Keystone XL Pipeline Construction and Jobs Preservation Act This bill authorizes the TransCanada Keystone Pipeline to construct, connect, operate, and maintain the pipeline facilities in Phillips County, Montana, for the import of oil from Canada to the United States.
This resolution opposes lifting specified sanctions on Iran and resolves that these sanctions may be terminated only after Iran has ceased providing support for acts of international terrorism and has dismantled its nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons and related technologies.
This resolution commemorates the 30th anniversary of Operation Desert Storm's 100-hour ground campaign, honors the legacy of the 697,000 U.S. Desert Storm veterans, and pays tribute to the 299 men and women who lost their lives.
Amateur Athletes Protection and Compensation Act of 2021 This bill provides standards relating to compensation for the use of the names, images, and likenesses of amateur intercollegiate athletes and protections for these athletes. Specifically, compensation for such an athlete may only be provided by unaffiliated third parties. Currently the National Collegiate Athletic Association and colleges generally prohibit student athletes from receiving compensation. A national amateur athletic association or institution of higher education may not punish an athlete in an amateur intercollegiate athletic event or competition based on the athlete having entered into an agency contract with an amateur athlete representative certified by the Amateur Intercollegiate Athletics Corporation (AIAC) established by this bill. An amateur intercollegiate athletics association shall allow an amateur intercollegiate athlete to transfer from one institution of higher education to another at least once without losing or delaying eligibility for intercollegiate athletics if specified conditions are met. The AIAC shall serve as a clearinghouse for best practices with respect to the rights and protections of amateur intercollegiate athletes who enter into agency and endorsement contracts. The bill requires institutions of higher education to provide a certain level of health care coverage for such athletes. Such institutions must make specified legally binding disclosures to each athlete before he or she commits to enroll in or attend the institution. The institution must comply with requirements of this bill in order to participate in certain federal student financial aid programs.
Conscience Protection Act of 2021 This bill provides statutory authority for certain protections for health care providers that refuse to participate in abortions based on religious beliefs or other convictions. Health care providers include individual professionals, medical facilities, health insurance organizations, and social services providers that refer clients to health care services. The federal government and entities that receive federal funding for health-related activities, including state and local governments, may not discriminate against a health care provider that refuses to be involved in, or provide coverage for, abortions. Currently, similar requirements apply to various related activities, including certain employment or personnel decisions (the Church Amendments), abortion services training (the Coats-Snowe Amendment), qualified health plans offered through health insurance exchanges, and annual appropriations bills for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other federal agencies (the Weldon Amendment). The HHS Office for Civil Rights must investigate complaints of this kind of discrimination. Furthermore, HHS may terminate or reduce HHS funding for health-related activities if a person or entity fails to comply with nondiscrimination requirements. Additionally, the Department of Justice or any entity adversely affected by such discrimination may bring a civil action to obtain appropriate relief. A plaintiff does not need to seek or exhaust administrative remedies before bringing the action. A plaintiff may also bring an action, including one for money damages, against a governmental entity. In many cases, principles of sovereign immunity shield states and some localities from these kinds of actions.
Supporting Best Practices for Healthy Moms Act This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to publish and periodically update guidance for hospitals, freestanding birth centers, and other maternal care providers on ways to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The CMS must also report on the Medicaid payment methodologies that apply to facility transfers of pregnant women.
Fair and Open Competition Act or the FOCA Act This bill prohibits federal construction contracts or controlling documents for federally supported construction projects from requiring or prohibiting project labor agreements. Such documents also may not discriminate against or give preference to a bidder or contractor who signs or refuses to sign a project labor agreement. An agency may exempt a project from this prohibition to avert an imminent threat to public health or safety or to serve the national security.
National Right-to-Work Act This bill repeals those provisions of the National Labor Relations Act and the Railway Labor Act that permit employers to make an agreement with a labor union to require employees to join such union as a condition of employment. Currently, at least 27 states have enacted laws prohibiting employers from compelling employees to become members of a union as a condition of employment.
Promoting Responsibility Over Moderation In the Social-media Environment Act or the PROMISE Act This bill requires interactive computer services (e.g., social media companies) to establish and publicly disclose policies for moderating content on their services. This includes the categories of information that are not permitted on the service, the process by which information posted on the service is moderated, and how the service provider notifies users that information has been moderated. These moderation policies are enforced by the Federal Trade Commission.
National Right-to-Work Act This bill repeals those provisions of the National Labor Relations Act and the Railway Labor Act that permit employers to make an agreement with a labor union to require employees to join such union as a condition of employment. Currently, at least 27 states have enacted laws prohibiting employers from compelling employees to become members of a union as a condition of employment.
