Clean Cooking Support Act This bill provides for a way of increasing the number of clean cookstoves and fuels for household, institutional, or commercial use throughout the world. The Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) shall jointly establish the Clean Cooking Interagency Working Group to assist with overseeing the planning, management, and coordination of initiatives to increase the number of clean cookstoves and fuels worldwide. The State Department, USAID, the Department of Energy, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Environmental Protection Agency shall work with the Clean Cooking Alliance to carry out clean cooking activities that relate to the missions of such departments or agencies.
Bolstering Infectious Outbreaks Preparedness Workforce Act of 2021 or the BIO Preparedness Workforce Act of 2021 This bill establishes a student loan repayment program for health care and related professionals who are engaged in either bio-preparedness and response activities or infectious disease care in underserved communities. For each year that a professional meets the work requirements of the program, the Health Resources and Services Administration may pay up to $50,000 of the professional's student loan principal and interest, up to a maximum amount of $150,000.
Blue Carbon for Our Planet Act This bill establishes the Interagency Working Group on Coastal Blue Carbon to (1) assess the impediments to the conservation and restoration of coastal blue carbon ecosystems, and (2) establish national conservation and restoration priorities regarding these areas. Coastal blue carbon ecosystems are vegetated coastal habitats and include mangroves, tidal marshes, and other tidal, freshwater, or saltwater wetlands that have the ability to sequester and store carbon.
Access to Birth Control Act This bill requires pharmacies to comply with certain rules related to ensuring access to contraceptives. Specifically, pharmacies must provide without delay a customer with any contraceptive or related medication that is in stock. If the contraceptive is not in stock, the pharmacy must immediately inform the customer and either order the contraceptive or refer the customer to a pharmacy that has it in stock. Laws in some states provide pharmacists with the right to refuse to dispense contraceptive-related drugs on religious or conscience grounds. Pharmacies may refuse to provide a contraceptive to a customer (1) if the customer lacks a valid prescription for a prescription contraceptive or is unable to pay for the contraceptive, or (2) based on a pharmacy employee's professional clinical judgment. The bill also establishes a private cause of action and civil monetary penalties for violations of the bill.
This resolution designates November 2021 as National Hospice and Palliative Care Month. It also encourages individuals to increase their understanding and awareness of care at the end of life.
This resolution (1) censures Representative Paul Gosar for posting a certain video on his social media accounts that depicts violence against Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and President Joseph R. Biden , and (2) removes him from the Committee on Natural Resources and the Committee on Oversight and Reform.
Ending Forced Arbitration of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment Act of 2021 This bill invalidates arbitration agreements that preclude a party from filing a lawsuit in court involving sexual assault or sexual harassment, at the election of the party alleging such conduct.
Understanding the True Cost of College Act of 2021 This bill requires standardized financial aid terminology and offer forms. Specifically, the Department of Education (ED) must develop standard terminology and a format for financial aid offer forms based on recommendations from representatives of certain groups, including students, veterans, and institutions of higher education (IHEs). The consumer-friendly form must include specified details and disclosures, including the estimated cost of attendance, the net price that a student or family is estimated to pay, and the terms and conditions of financial aid. In addition, ED must (1) test the form with representatives of students, students' families, IHEs, secondary school and postsecondary counselors, and nonprofit consumer groups; and (2) use the results to develop the final form. Each IHE that participates in federal student-aid programs must (1) use the standard form when offering financial aid to students, and (2) use the standard terminology and definitions developed by ED for all communications related to financial aid offers.
Crack Down on Dark Money Act This bill prohibits tax-exempt 501(c)(4) social welfare organizations from using more than 10% of their total expenditures on covered political expenditures (i.e., direct or indirect expenditures for an exempt function, including influencing or attempting to influence the selection, nomination, election, or appointment of any individual to any federal, state, or local public office or office in a political organization, or the election of presidential or vice-presidential electors, whether or not such individual or electors are selected, nominated, elected, or appointed). The bill also requires a social welfare organization that spends funds on political intervention to publicly disclose the name and address of any contributor donating $5,000 or more to such organization. The term political intervention includes advocacy for the election, defeat, nomination or recall of a political candidate, the making of contributions to a political campaign, communications to the electorate about political candidates, and political use of resources.
SRES 452 is a symbolic Senate resolution recognizing November 2021 as "National Homeless Children and Youth Awareness Month." It does not create new laws or allocate funding but formally acknowledges the issue of homelessness among children and youth in the U.S., citing statistics like 1.4 million homeless children identified in schools during 2018-2019. The resolution encourages businesses, governments, and organizations to raise awareness and support efforts to address child and youth homelessness during November 2021. As a procedural resolution, it has no direct impact on policy or affected individuals.
SRES 451 is a commemorative Senate resolution honoring the late Senator Max Cleland (D-GA), who died November 9, 2021. The resolution recognizes his service as a Vietnam War veteran (losing both legs and an arm in combat), his 50+ years of public service including roles as Georgia State Senator, Secretary of State, U.S. Senator, and Administrator of the Veterans Administration, and his advocacy for veterans. It formally expresses the Senate’s "profound sorrow" and "deep regret" over his death, commemorates his legacy of service to Georgia and veterans, and requests the Secretary of the Senate transmit the resolution to his family. This is a ceremonial resolution with no policy changes or legal effect.
USACE Military Personnel Augmentation Act of 2021 This bill expands the types of Army personnel entitled to receive certain pay and allowances while assigned to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on nonmilitary public works projects. Currently, regular Corps officers and reserve Army officers assigned to the Corps are entitled to receive pay and allowances from funds appropriated for the project that they are working on. The bill entitles warrant officers and enlisted members of the Army, whether regular or reserve, to receive such pay and allowances when assigned to the Corps.
