Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act of 20 21 This bill prohibits commercial conversion therapy, which is a practice or treatment designed to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity or otherwise change behaviors, thoughts, or expressions related to gender or sexual attraction. This prohibition does not apply to treatment that assists an individual undergoing a gender transition or facilitates identity exploration and development.
Drug-Price Transparency for Competition Act of 2021 or the DTC Act of 2021 This bill requires consumer advertisements for drugs and biologics covered under Medicare or Medicaid to include the drug's list price. Each violation of this requirement is subject to a civil penalty of not more than $100,000.
Zero-Emission Nuclear Power Production Credit Act of 2021 This bill allows a new business-related tax credit through 2031 for the production of electricity from zero-emission nuclear power. It also allows an election for direct payments of such credit and requires a recapture of the credit for contractors who pay their laborers or mechanics less than the prevailing wage rate. Contractors must ensure that at least 15% of their work force is composed of qualified apprentices. The bill requires the Government Accountability Office to report on the effectiveness the tax credit.
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.
Preparing and Retaining Education Professionals Act of 2021 or the PREP Act of 2021 This bill reauthorizes and revises certain grant programs to address shortages of teachers and school leaders (e.g., principals) in elementary and secondary schools, including shortages in rural areas and related to specific positions (e.g., special education and English language instruction). First, the bill makes permanent and otherwise revises the Teacher Quality Partnership program (which provides grants to improve the quality of teachers and enhance professional development activities). In particular, the bill revises the program to (1) expand the purpose of grants to include the recruitment of well-prepared individuals, including individuals from underrepresented populations, into the teacher and school leadership force; (2) include training and professional development opportunities for school leaders; and (3) establish a grant program to address workforce shortages or increase workforce diversity. Next, the bill makes permanent and otherwise revises the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence program (which provides grants to establish teacher preparation programs at minority-serving institutions). Further, the bill allows grants to be used for school leader preparation programs. Additionally, the bill aligns activities within teacher preparation programs at predominantly Black institutions, Native American-serving institutions, and other minority-serving institutions with certain changes made to the Teacher Quality Partnership program. The bill permanently reauthorizes the Minority Science and Engineering Improvement program (which provides grants to improve science and engineering education at predominantly minority institutions).
Expanding Access to Diabetes Self-Management Training Act of 2021 This bill expands Medicare coverage of diabetes outpatient self-management training. It also requires the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to test a model in which such training is provided virtually.
Global Respect Act of 2021 This bill imposes visa-blocking sanctions on foreign persons responsible for or complicit in violating the human rights of individuals due to actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics. The President shall report and periodically update a list of foreign persons responsible for such human rights violations and apply sanctions accordingly. The Department of State shall designate at least one senior officer who shall be responsible for tracking violence and discrimination against individuals based on actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity in foreign countries.
Keeping Girls in School Act This bill authorizes the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to enter into agreements to address social, cultural, health, and other barriers that adolescent girls face in accessing quality secondary education. The USAID shall seek to ensure that such activities meet various requirements related to monitoring and evaluating outcomes, collecting data, and using specified indicators and methodologies for international basic education. The Department of State shall periodically update and report to Congress a publicly available U.S. global strategy to empower adolescent girls, and the USAID shall periodically report to Congress on the activities initiated under this bill and efforts to monitor and evaluate such activities.
Charitable Conservation Easement Program Integrity Act of 2021 This bill imposes a limitation on the tax deduction for qualified conservation contributions made by certain partnerships if the amount of the contribution exceeds 2.5% times the sum of each partner's relevant basis in the partnership. This limitation also applies to other pass-thru entities, such as S corporations.
Arctic Security Initiative Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to conduct an assessment and implement a program related to national security interests in the Arctic region. Specifically, the Commander of the United States Northern Command of DOD must consult and coordinate with specified defense entities to conduct an independent assessment with respect to the activities and resources required for FY2023-FY2027 to achieve specified objectives related to national security interests in the Arctic region. The assessment must focus on the activities and resources required to achieve the following objectives: the implementation of the National Defense Strategy and military service-specific strategies with respect to the Arctic region; the maintenance or restoration of the comparative military advantage of the United States in response to great power competitors in the Arctic region; the reduction of the risk of executing operation and contingency plans of DOD; and to maximize execution of DOD operation and contingency plans, in the event deterrence fails. Additionally, DOD must establish the Arctic Security Initiative program to enhance security in the Arctic region, to be informed by the assessment required by this bill. DOD must annually submit an unclassified future years plan, which may include a classified annex, for the activities and resources of the program that includes specified elements (e.g., a detailed time line for achieving requirements). The plan must also be included in budget materials submitted by DOD in support of the budget of the President for FY2023.
Independent Agency Regulatory Analysis Act This bill authorizes the President to order independent regulatory agencies to comply with specified regulatory analysis requirements. Specifically, the President may require an independent regulatory agency to (1) comply with regulatory analysis requirements applicable to other federal agencies, (2) provide the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs with an assessment of the costs and benefits of a proposed or final economically significant rule and an assessment of costs and benefits of potentially effective and reasonably feasible alternatives to the rule, (3) publish the assessments with the rules, and (4) submit to the office for review any proposed or final economically significant rule. An economically significant rule is a rule that is likely to (1) have an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more; or (2) adversely affect in a material way the economy, a sector of the economy, productivity, competition, jobs, the environment, public health or safety, or state, local, or tribal governments or communities. In addition, the bill prohibits judicial review of an independent regulatory agency's compliance with the requirements of this bill.
Better Care Better Jobs Act This bill establishes programs and provides funds for state Medicaid programs to improve home- and community-based services (HCBS), such as home health care, personal care, case management, and rehabilitative services. Specifically, the bill provides funds for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to award planning grants, develop quality measures, and provide technical assistance to states regarding specified HCBS improvements, particularly with respect to access, utilization, and the associated workforce. The bill also increases the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (i.e., federal matching rate) for HCBS in states that develop plans and meet specified benchmarks for improvements. The bill also makes permanent (1) the Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration Program (a grant program to help states increase the use of HCBS for long-term care and decrease the use of institutional care), and (2) certain provisions regarding Medicaid eligibility that protect against spousal impoverishment for recipients of HCBS.
