Rep. Ben Cline

Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act This bill allows individual and corporate taxpayers a tax credit for cash contributions to tax-exempt scholarship-granting organizations for elementary and secondary education expenses. It imposes a cap of $5 billion on the amount of contributions that qualify for a tax credit. The bill directs the Department of Education, in coordination with the Department of the Treasury, to establish, host, and maintain a web portal that (1) lists all eligible scholarship-granting organizations; (2) enables contributions to such organizations; (3) provides information about the benefits of this bill; and (4) enables a state to submit and update information about its programs and scholarship-granting organizations, including information on student eligibility and allowable educational expenses.

Expanding Student Access to Mental Health Services Act This bill authorizes state and local educational agencies to use Student Support and Academic Enrichment grants to improve mental health services available to students. Specifically, it allows funds to be used for identifying and disseminating best practices for mental health first aid, emergency planning, coordination of services, and telehealth services.

Vaccinate Americans, Not Terrorists Act This bill prohibits federal entities from administering COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) vaccines to prisoners at the United States Naval Station in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, until certain conditions are met. Specifically, federal entities may not vaccinate any prisoners if there are outstanding requests from states, tribal nations, and territories for vaccines or other COVID-19 relief; or members of the Armed Forces or reserve components who intend to get the COVID-19 vaccine and have yet to receive it.

This resolution expresses the opposition of the House of Representatives to any plans by the Department of Defense to deliver COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) vaccines to prisoners held at United States Naval Station, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, until all Americans have had the opportunity to be vaccinated. Additionally, the resolution asserts that the government should prioritize U.S. citizens for COVID-19 vaccinations.

This resolution supports the designation of National Sanctity of Life Day.

Reopen Schools Act This bill requires a local educational agency (LEA) to reopen its elementary and secondary schools as a condition for receiving certain supplemental education emergency relief funding. Specifically, an LEA must provide in-person instruction to at least 50% of its students in order to receive the full funding. An LEA that provides in-person instruction to at least some of its students shall have its funding reduced on a pro rata basis.

Personalized Care Act of 2021 This bill revises provisions relating to health savings accounts (HSAs), including to redefine eligible individual for HSA purposes to allow increased participation in HSAs, increase the limit on contributions to HSAs, permit the payment of health insurance premiums from HSAs, include within the definition of qualified medical expenses periodic fees paid for medical services and amounts paid by a member of a health care sharing ministry, treat periodic provider fees as deductible medical expenses, and lower the 20% penalty for nonqualified distributions from HSAs to 10%.

Ensuring Accurate and Complete Abortion Data Reporting Act of 2021 This bill requires states, as a condition of federal payment under Medicaid for family planning services, to report certain abortion data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (Currently, reporting is voluntary.) The CDC must develop standardized questions for states with respect to specified variables (e.g., maternal demographics and methods of abortion).

Second Chance at Life Act of 2021 This bill requires abortion providers to disclose information about the possibility of reversing a medication abortion. This is a procedure that uses a medication regimen to terminate a pregnancy, typically with a two-drug protocol.  Providers must inform patients that it may be possible to reverse the effects of a medication abortion after taking the first drug. They must also let patients know that more information and assistance is available on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) website. At least 24 hours before the procedure, the provider must share this information with the patient in person or by telephone. The provider must also include the information in written discharge instructions after the first drug is dispensed. The bill sets out an exception to these notification requirements when an abortion is necessary to resolve a physical injury or condition that threatens the life of the woman. The provider must document the circumstances giving rise to the exception in the patient's medical file. Furthermore, providers must post signs with this information in their offices or facilities, and HHS must maintain information about reversing medication abortions on its website.

Dignity for Aborted Children Act This bill sets out requirements for the disposition of human fetal tissue from an abortion. Specifically, it requires abortion providers to obtain a patient's informed consent for one of two specified methods of disposition. First, patients may choose to retain possession of the tissue. A patient may choose to transfer the tissue to an entity that provides interment or cremation services. Second, in cases where the tissue is expelled on the provider’s premises, the patient may elect to release the tissue to the provider. Providers must ensure any tissue released to them is interred or cremated within seven days of the procedure in a manner consistent with state law regarding the disposal of human remains. Abortion providers must report annually about these requirements and other specified information. The bill provides civil or criminal penalties for violations of disposal, informed consent, and reporting requirements.