Government Shutdown Prevention Act of 2021 This concurrent resolution sets forth a framework for automatically providing continuing appropriations to prevent a government shutdown if any appropriations measure for a fiscal year has not been enacted before the fiscal year begins or a joint resolution making continuing appropriations is not in effect. For an initial 90-day period, the framework would provide continuing appropriations at 99% of the rate for the preceding year to continue programs, projects, and activities for which funds were provided in the preceding fiscal year. It would then reduce the continuing appropriations by 1% after the first 90-day period and by an additional 1% for each subsequent 90-day period until the applicable appropriations legislation is enacted.
Conviction Integrity Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Justice to administer grant programs within the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) to encourage the review of possible cases of wrongful conviction and facilitate post-conviction relief. Specifically, the bill directs the BJA to make grants to create state and local conviction integrity units or entities that receive petitions for or review wrongful convictions and wrongful sentences. Additionally, the BJA must make grants to support high-quality post-conviction legal representation for defendants who make post-conviction claims of innocence.
Financial Compensation for CFPB Whistleblowers Act This bill requires the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to provide rewards to whistleblowers who report information relating to a violation of consumer financial law resulting in certain monetary sanctions exceeding $1 million. Specifically, the bureau must award compensation to whistleblowers for 10%-30% of the collected penalties. In cases where the bureau collects less than $1 million in penalties, the bureau must award any single whistleblower 10% of the amount collected or $50,000, whichever is greater. The bill also sets forth requirements regarding the legal representation of a whistleblower and provides for confidentiality regarding the whistleblower's identity.
Unlawful Turn-Aways Act of 2021 This bill addresses training for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees regarding discharge eligibility standards for VA benefits and services, requires notification of eligibility for VA benefits and services for individuals who were discharged or released from active service under conditions characterized as neither honorable nor dishonorable, and modifies the requirements of eligibility for certain mental and behavioral health care related to military sexual trauma, readjustment counseling, and related mental health services.
Taskforce Recommending Improvements for Unaddressed Mental Perinatal & Postpartum Health for New Moms Act of 2021 or the TRIUMPH for New Moms Act of 2021 This bill temporarily establishes within the Department of Health and Human Services the Task Force on Maternal Mental Health. The task force must develop a national strategy for maternal mental health and report on best practices, policies, and programs to prevent, screen for, diagnose, treat, and reduce disparities in maternal mental health conditions. The report must identify opportunities for state- and local-level partnerships to address maternal mental health, and the task force must share those opportunities with state governors.
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 honors the example of teamwork, sportsmanship, and merit displayed by the Minnesotans competing on Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Paralympic Games.
This resolution honors the Minnesotans who competed for Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games.
This resolution supports the goals and ideals of National HIV/AIDS and Aging Awareness Day.
SNAP Tribal Food Sovereignty Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture to enter into self-determination contracts upon the request of Indian tribes and tribal organizations to carry out the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
Pediatric Access to Critical Health Care Act This bill requires the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to award grants to children's hospitals and other providers that predominately treat individuals under 21 for improving pediatric health care infrastructure. In awarding the grants, HRSA must prioritize recipients that serve significant numbers of patients receiving medical assistance through Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program or children from other underserved groups.
2020 WHIP+ Reauthorization Act This bill expands disaster indemnity programs through which the Department of Agriculture provides payments to agricultural producers for crop and milk losses resulting from hurricanes, wildfires, and other qualifying natural disasters. In particular, the bill extends the Wildfire and Hurricane Indemnity Program Plus (WHIP+), the On-Farm Storage Loss Program, and the Milk Loss Program to make losses that occurred in the 2021 and 2022 calendar years eligible for payments. Under current law, these programs provide disaster payments to agricultural producers with crop and milk losses resulting from qualifying natural disasters that occurred in the 2018 and 2019 calendar years.
