Sen. Deb Fischer

This resolution expresses the sense of the Senate that any guidance from the Department of Homeland Security on immigration enforcement should not deprioritize the removal of aliens convicted of drunk driving or any crime which includes an element of assault or violence.

Conscience Protection Act of 2021 This bill provides statutory authority for certain protections for health care providers that refuse to participate in abortions based on religious beliefs or other convictions. Health care providers include individual professionals, medical facilities, health insurance organizations, and social services providers that refer clients to health care services. The federal government and entities that receive federal funding for health-related activities, including state and local governments, may not discriminate against a health care provider that refuses to be involved in, or provide coverage for, abortions. Currently, similar requirements apply to various related activities, including certain employment or personnel decisions (the Church Amendments), abortion services training (the Coats-Snowe Amendment), qualified health plans offered through health insurance exchanges, and annual appropriations bills for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other federal agencies (the Weldon Amendment). The HHS Office for Civil Rights must investigate complaints of this kind of discrimination. Furthermore, HHS may terminate or reduce HHS funding for health-related activities if a person or entity fails to comply with nondiscrimination requirements. Additionally, the Department of Justice or any entity adversely affected by such discrimination may bring a civil action to obtain appropriate relief. A plaintiff does not need to seek or exhaust administrative remedies before bringing the action. A plaintiff may also bring an action, including one for money damages, against a governmental entity. In many cases, principles of sovereign immunity shield states and some localities from these kinds of actions.

Network Security Trade Act of 2021 This bill expands the overall trade negotiating objectives of the United States to require that negotiators seek to ensure the security and autonomy of global communications infrastructure.

Better Empowerment Now to Enhance Framework and Improve Treatments Act of 2021 or the BENEFIT Act of 2021 This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to consider relevant patient-focused drug development data, such as data from patient preference studies and patient-reported outcome data, in the risk-benefit assessment framework used in the process for approving new drugs. After a new drug application has been approved, the FDA's public statement about how it used patient experience data shall include a description of how such data was considered in the risk-benefit assessment framework.

Officer Eugene Goodman Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to U.S. Capitol Police Officer Eugene Goodman for his actions to protect the Senate chamber during the security breach at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Promoting Digital Privacy Technologies Act This bill directs the National Science Foundation to support merit-reviewed and competitively awarded research on privacy enhancing technologies. The award of grants for basic research on innovative approaches to the structure of computer and network hardware and software that are aimed at enhancing computer security may include privacy enhancing technologies and confidentiality. The bill also requires the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program to submit to Congress a report on the progress of research on privacy enhancing technologies and the development of specified voluntary resources.

Renewable Fuel Infrastructure Investment and Market Expansion Act of 2021 This bill establishes programs and requirements to expand access to renewable fuel. Specifically, the U.S. Department of Agriculture must establish a program to award grants for the deployment of renewable fuel infrastructure as specified by this bill. In addition, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must finalize a 2021 proposed rule titled E 15 Fuel Dispenser Labeling and Compatibility With Underground Storage Tanks . When finalizing the rule, the EPA must eliminate the labeling requirements for fuel pumps that dispense E 15 fuel (i.e., gasoline that contains 15% ethanol).

This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment prohibiting total outlays for a fiscal year from exceeding total receipts for that fiscal year unless Congress authorizes the excess by a two-thirds vote of each chamber. The prohibition excludes outlays for repayment of debt principal and receipts derived from borrowing. The amendment prohibits total outlays for any fiscal year from exceeding 18% of the gross domestic product of the United States, unless two-thirds of each chamber of Congress provides for a specific increase above this amount. The amendment requires a two-thirds vote of each chamber of Congress to impose a new tax, increase the statutory rate of any tax, or increase the aggregate amount of revenue. It requires a three-fifths vote of each chamber to increase the limit on the debt of the United States. The President must submit an annual budget in which total outlays do not exceed total receipts and 18% of the gross domestic product of the United States. The amendment prohibits a court from ordering a revenue increase to enforce the requirements. Congress may waive specified requirements when a declaration of war is in effect or the United States is engaged in a military conflict that causes an imminent and serious military threat to national security.

Adopt the Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation model Act or the Adopt GREET Act This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to update the methodology used in life-cycle analyses of greenhouse gas emissions that result from the production and use of corn-based ethanol and biodiesel fuel. The EPA must update its methodology within 90 days and every five years thereafter. In the first update, the EPA must adopt the most recent Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions, and Energy use in Transportation model (commonly referred to as the GREET model) developed by Argonne National Laboratory.

Unfunded Mandates Accountability and Transparency Act This bill revises rulemaking requirements with respect to unfunded mandates. Specifically, the bill requires federal agencies to prepare and publish in the Federal Register an initial and final regulatory impact analysis prior to promulgating any proposed or final major rule. The analysis must include regulatory alternatives to the rule. Major rule means a rule that the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs determines is likely to cause an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more; a major increase in costs or prices for consumers, individual industries, federal, state, local, or tribal government agencies, or geographic regions; or significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, public health and safety, or the ability of U.S.-based enterprises to compete with foreign-based enterprises in domestic and export markets. Before promulgating any proposed or final major rule, an agency shall select the regulatory alternative that maximizes net benefits, taking into consideration only the costs and benefits that arise within the scope of the statutory provision that authorizes the rulemaking, with exceptions. The bill prohibits Congress from considering a bill that increases private sector costs more than a certain amount unless certain conditions are met.