Securing the Rights our Veterans Earned Act or the SERVE Act This bill provides eligibility for specified Department of Veterans Affairs benefits to former members of the Armed Forces who were separated or discharged (honorably or otherwise) by reason of sexual orientation or gender identity.
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment authorizing Congress and the states to set reasonable limits on the raising and spending of money by candidates and others to influence elections. The amendment grants Congress and the states the power to implement and enforce this amendment by legislation. They are allowed to distinguish between natural persons and corporations or other artificial entities created by law, including by prohibiting such entities from spending money to influence elections.
This resolution supports the designation of September 17, 2021, as National Concussion Awareness Day.
Reinforcing American-Made Products Act This bill specifies that the Federal Trade Commission's regulation of the labeling of products as Made in the U.S.A. or Made in America supersedes any conflicting state laws.
America's Children Act or the Protecting Children of Long-term Visa Holders Act of 2021 This bill provides lawful permanent resident status to certain college graduates who entered the United States as children and addresses other immigration-related issues. Specifically, this bill allows an alien to apply for lawful permanent resident status if the alien (1) was lawfully admitted into the United States as a dependent child of an alien on a temporary worker visa, (2) was in the United States with such status for at least four years, (3) has graduated from an institution of higher education in the United States, and (4) is not deportable or otherwise inadmissible. In addition, the alien must have been lawfully present in the United States for at least 10 years at the time of the application. The bill also modifies various provisions related to the calculation of an alien's age for immigration purposes and the priority date of certain immigration-related applications.
Prevent Government Shutdowns Act of 2021 This bill provides continuing appropriations to prevent a government shutdown if any of the appropriations bills for a fiscal year have not been enacted before the fiscal year begins and continuing appropriations are not in effect. The bill also limits official travel, congressional recesses or adjournments, and the consideration of legislation that is unrelated to appropriations after the beginning of a fiscal year if the appropriations process has not been completed.
John Stringer Rainey Save America's Forgotten Equines Act or the John Stringer Rainey SAFE Act This bill prohibits the knowing sale or transport of horses for purposes of human consumption. Specifically, the bill makes it unlawful to knowingly possess, ship, transport, purchase, sell, deliver, or receive a horse for it to be slaughtered for human consumption. It also makes it unlawful to knowingly possess, ship, transport, purchase, sell, deliver, or receive horse flesh, carcass, or part of a carcass for it to be used for human consumption. Violators are subject to criminal penalties.
Constitution education Is Valuable In Community Schools Act of 2021 or the CIVICS Act of 2021 This bill requires national activities supported by American History and Civics Education grants to include programs that educate students about the history and principles of the Constitution, including the Bill of Rights.
Cybersecurity Disclosure Act of 2021 This bill directs the Securities and Exchange Commission to issue final rules requiring a registered issuer of securities to disclose in its mandatory annual report or annual proxy statement whether any member of its governing body has expertise or experience in cybersecurity. If no member has such expertise or experience, the issuer must describe what other company cybersecurity aspects were taken into account by the persons responsible for identifying and evaluating nominees for the governing body.
Small Farm to School Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to award three-year grants to eight states or tribal organizations to provide school food authorities with an increased reimbursement for free and reduced price lunches that include at least one component that is comprised entirely of locally-produced and unprocessed foods procured directly from certain agricultural producers. USDA must select at least one state or tribal organization located in each of the following regions: (1) the Mid-Atlantic Region, (2) the Midwest Region, (3) the Mountain Plains Region, (4) the Northeast Region, (5) the Southern Region, (6) the Southwest Region, and (7) the Western Region. USDA must give the highest priority to applications that propose to carry out certain projects, including projects that (1) serve a high proportion of children from socially disadvantaged backgrounds, and (2) increase the availability of locally-produced foods to children. Additionally, priority must be given to states or tribal organizations with a high quantity and variety of growers of local fruits and vegetables on a per capita basis, and with a demonstrated commitment to farm-to-school activities. Each state or tribal organization that receives a grant must provide, from nonfederal sources, an amount equal to 100% of the awarded grant amount.
Community Wood Facilities Assistance Act of 2021 This bill makes changes to grant programs administered by the Forest Service to promote wood products. Specifically, the bill reauthorizes through FY2026 and modifies a program that supports capital costs for installing community wood energy systems and building innovative wood products facilities, including by increasing the maximum grant amount per facility. The bill also modifies a program that provides grants to develop and expand the market for innovative wood products. Specifically, the bill (1) modifies the grant priorities, and (2) increases the portion of a project's cost that may be covered by such a grant.
Streamlining Nutrition Assistance Paperwork Act of 2021 or the SNAP Act of 2021 This bill provides statutory authority for a Department of Agriculture (USDA) waiver that allows states to use a written record to document telephonic signatures for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) applications. Under current law, states may allow individuals to sign their SNAP applications over the telephone, but states must preserve audio recordings of those telephonic signatures. During the COVID-19 emergency, USDA waived the requirement to preserve the audio recording and allowed states to document the telephonic signatures through written records.
