Border Agents Stay Employed Act or the BASE Act This bill prohibits using federal funds to require any U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer or employee to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Impact Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to contract with the National Academy of Sciences for a study on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) transmission in schools and day cares. In particular, the study must evaluate the impact of RSV on the economy, including through parents' absences from work. RSV is a common respiratory virus that typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms although it may be more serious for infants, older adults, and other vulnerable populations.
Streamlining EIDL Act This bill requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide status updates on, review, and approve or disapprove Economic Injury Disaster Loans within certain time frames. It also requires the SBA to report on its efforts to address fraud under the program.
Protecting the American Taxpayer and Medicare Act This bill makes several budgetary and technical changes, particularly in relation to Medicare. Specifically, the bill continues to exempt Medicare from sequestration until March 31, 2022. (Sequestration is a process of automatic, usually across-the-board spending reductions under which budgetary resources are permanently cancelled to enforce specific budget policy goals.) Additionally, the bill (1) temporarily extends other provisions under Medicare, including a payment increase under the physician fee schedule; and (2) requires any debits recorded for FY2022 on the statutory pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) scorecards to be deducted from the scorecards for 2022 and added to the scorecards for 2023.
Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act or the HALT Fentanyl Act This bill places fentanyl-related substances as a class into schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. A schedule I controlled substance is a drug, substance, or chemical that has a high potential for abuse; has no currently accepted medical value; and is subject to regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal penalties under the Controlled Substances Act. Additionally, the bill establishes a new, alternative registration process for schedule I research that is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services or the Department of Veterans Affairs or that is conducted under an investigative new drug exemption from the Food and Drug Administration. The bill also makes several other changes to registration requirements for conducting research with controlled substances, including permitting a single registration for related research sites in certain circumstances, waiving the requirement for a new inspection in certain situations, and allowing a registered researcher to perform certain manufacturing activities with small quantities of a substance without obtaining a manufacturing registration.
VA Electronic Health Record Transparency Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to report on the costs of its Electronic Health Record Modernization Program, including by describing all expenses driven by the program.
This bill prohibits the Department of Defense (DOD) from taking specified actions against a member of the National Guard based on whether the member has received a COVID-19 vaccine. Specifically, DOD may not (1) involuntarily discharge or discipline the member, (2) withhold pay or benefits from the member, or (3) prohibit the member from participating in training or using equipment.
Employee Retention Tax Credit Reinstatement Act This bill provides for a reinstatement of the employee retention tax credit through 2021. The credit was established to compensate employers whose businesses were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic for wages paid to their employees.
9/11 Memorial and Museum Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to award to the official organization that operates the National September 11 Memorial & Museum a one-time grant to be used solely for the purposes of the operation, security, and maintenance of the memorial and museum. As a condition on receipt of the grant, the organization must provide for free admission to all facilities and museums associated with the memorial and museum for active and retired members of the Armed Forces, individuals who were registered first responders to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and family members of victims of such attacks; provide for dedicated free admission hours for the general public at least once a week; and allow for annual federal audits of its financial statements.
This resolution expresses that it is the sense of the Senate that the Department of State should lead a coordinated effort to extract U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents from Afghanistan, support Afghan citizens in their efforts to safely leave Afghanistan, and maintain open lines of contact and help with individuals remaining in Afghanistan under the Taliban. The resolution urges the United States to work with the United Nations (U.N.) to establish humanitarian corridors from and to countries bordering Afghanistan and work with such countries to ensure the efficient and safe reception and processing of Afghan refugees. The resolution urges the U.N. to appoint an independent, nongovernmental human rights monitor, who should have continued free access throughout Afghanistan to ensure the Taliban is not brutalizing individuals and families living in Afghanistan, and report to the U.N. Security Council in an ongoing fashion on the human rights and humanitarian situation on the ground in Afghanistan. The resolution urges the United States to convene a high-level summit to identify and consult with countries willing and able to receive Afghan refugees. Finally, the resolution discourages the U.S. government from engaging with the Taliban in any way that would grant the Taliban benefits typically afforded to legitimate governments or would otherwise legitimize the Taliban.
HRES 834 is a ceremonial resolution honoring the late Congresswoman Carrie Pittman Meek (1926-2021) for her congressional service and legacy. It commends her dedication to public service, her role as a trailblazer for Black women in politics, and her advocacy for communities in Florida. The resolution specifically recognizes her work securing hurricane relief funding after Hurricane Andrew and her service in the Florida State Senate and U.S. Congress. As a commemorative resolution, it contains no policy changes or funding provisions.
This bill repeals a specific tax provision related to chemical manufacturers. It reverses a change made by section 80201 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which had modified an excise tax under the Superfund program. The repeal directly affects chemical manufacturers who were subject to this tax modification, restoring the previous tax treatment. The bill makes no new policy changes but specifically undoes this one tax-related amendment.
