Surviving Widow(er) Income Fair Treatment Act of 2021 or the SWIFT Act This bill modifies eligibility requirements and increases Social Security survivor benefits for widows, widowers, and surviving divorced spouses of a deceased worker. Specifically, the bill makes widow and widower's benefits available to disabled individuals at any age, whereas currently the benefits are limited to such individuals between ages 50 to 60. In addition, provisions reducing benefits in various instances, such as when a beneficiary is entitled to multiple types of benefits, shall not apply to widow and widower's benefits for individuals with disabilities. Additionally, the bill raises the upper age limit for determining whether a beneficiary has a child in his or her care from 16 to 18 years (or 19, if the child is a full-time elementary or secondary school student). An individual with a child in care may receive increased benefits in specified instances. The bill also increases various limits on widow and widower's benefits in certain instances and modifies the calculation for increased benefits for individuals who choose to delay receiving such benefits. For current beneficiaries, increases in Social Security benefits under this bill shall not affect the beneficiary's eligibility or benefit amount for any federal assistance program.
Medicaid Bump Act This bill increases the Medicaid federal matching rate, also known as the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP), for behavioral health expenses that exceed prior levels (i.e., as of March 31, 2019). The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must specify which services are eligible for the increased FMAP. States must use funds to supplement state funding for programs in effect as of April 1, 2021, and to increase the capacity, efficiency, and quality of services.
COVID - 19 Hate Crimes Act This bill requires a designated officer or employee of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to facilitate the expedited review of hate crimes and reports of hate crimes. DOJ must issue guidance for state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies on establishing online hate crime reporting processes, collecting data disaggregated by protected characteristic (e.g., race or national origin), and expanding education campaigns. Additionally, DOJ and the Department of Health and Human Services must issue guidance aimed at raising awareness of hate crimes during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. The bill establishes grants for states to create state-run hate crimes reporting hotlines. It also authorizes grants for states and local governments to implement the National Incident-Based Reporting System and to conduct law enforcement activities or crime reduction programs to prevent, address, or respond to hate crimes. Finally, in the case of an individual convicted of a hate crime offense and placed on supervised release, the bill allows a court to order that the individual participate in educational classes or community service as a condition of supervised release.
Financial Factors in Selecting Retirement Plan Investments Act This bill permits fiduciaries of employer-sponsored retirement plans to consider environmental, social, governance, or similar factors when making investment decisions. It also nullifies the rule published by the Employee Benefits Security Administration on November 13, 2020, that requires fiduciaries to select investments and investment courses of action based solely on financial considerations.
Arctic Diplomacy Act of 2021 This bill establishes the position of Ambassador at Large for Arctic Affairs within the Department of State. The ambassador shall facilitate the development and coordination of U.S. foreign policy and activities related to the Arctic region, including policies and activities to (1) meet U.S. national security needs, (2) protect the environment, (3) increase cooperation among Arctic countries, (4) involve Arctic Indigenous people in relevant decisions, and (5) enhance scientific research and monitoring. Furthermore, the ambassador must establish an Arctic Region Security Policy. The policy must assess and implement plans and actions to (1) bolster U.S. diplomatic presence in Arctic countries, (2) enhance the resilience of Arctic countries to environmental change and increased civilian and military activity in the region, and (3) advance principles of good governance in the region.
Peace on the Korean Peninsula Act This bill requires the Department of State to report to Congress on various issues relating to North Korea. Specifically, the State Department must report to Congress a review of the restrictions on travel by U.S. nationals to North Korea, including whether such restrictions should be adjusted to allow travel to North Korea to attend a commemoration of a relative. The State Department must also report to Congress a clear roadmap for achieving permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Diversifying by Investing in Educators and Students to Improve Outcomes For Youth Act or the Diversify Act This bill revises the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) grant program. The TEACH program awards grants to undergraduate and graduate students who commit to teaching in a high-need field and in an elementary or secondary school that serves low-income students. First, the bill raises the maximum amount for TEACH grants. Second, the bill allows TEACH grants to cover the full cost of attendance. Currently, these grants may be used only for tuition, fees, and on-campus housing. The bill allows teaching in a high-need early childhood education program to count toward service requirements for the program. Next, the bill eliminates the process for converting a TEACH grant to a loan if a recipient does not complete the requirements of the program. Further, the bill prohibits the Department of Education (ED) from instituting or creating a monetary penalty for failure or refusal to complete the service requirement. In addition, the bill requires ED to send an electronic certificate to grant recipients who have completed their service requirement. The bill also exempts the TEACH program from sequestration, which is a process of automatic, usually across-the-board spending reductions under which budgetary resources are permanently cancelled to enforce specific budget policy goals.
Student Agriculture Protection Act of 2021 This bill modifies the requirements for calculating taxable income to exclude from the gross income of a student agriculturist up to $5,000 of the gain from the sale or exchange of personal property (including livestock, crops, and agricultural mechanics or shop products) produced or raised by the student agriculturist. A student agriculturist is an individual who is under 22 years of age and is enrolled in (1) an FFA (Future Farmers of America) chapter or a program established by the National FFA Organization; (2) a 4H Club or other program established by 4H; or (3) a student agriculture program that is under the direction or guidance of an agricultural educator, advisor, or club leader.
Jobs, On-the-Job 'Earn-While-You-Learn' Training, and Apprenticeships for Young African Americans Act This bill makes changes to the national apprenticeship system aimed at promoting diversity. Specifically, the bill establishes the Diversity and Inclusion Administrator in the Office Apprenticeship within the Office of Employment and Training Administration at the Department of Labor, requires every apprenticeship program that registers or renews an apprenticeship with the Office of Apprenticeship to submit a plan to increase participation by individuals who are African American, and requires the Diversity and Inclusion Administrator to award grants to create or expand diversity in registered apprenticeship programs.
Civics Learning Act of 2021 This bill expands the use of American History and Civics Education—National Activities grants to prioritize innovative civics learning and teaching. Specifically, the bill expands the allowable uses of these grants to include before-, during-, and after-school activities and extracurricular activities; activities that include service learning and community service projects that are linked to school curriculum; activities that encourage and support student participation in school governance; and online and video game-based learning. Further, the Department of Education must ensure that specified percentages of grant funds are awarded on a diverse basis to eligible entities (e.g., institutions of higher education) that serve students and teachers at elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools.
Midwives for Maximizing Optimal Maternity Services Act of 2021 or the Midwives for MOMS Act of 2021 This bill establishes grants within the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for establishing or expanding midwifery programs at institutions of higher education and nursing schools. HRSA may prioritize funding for institutions that focus on increasing the number of midwife professionals from underrepresented groups and that promote practicing in areas with limited access to professional health care.
Surface Transportation Advanced through Reform, Technology, and Efficient Review Act 2.0 or the STARTER Act 2.0 This bill addresses provisions related to federal-aid highway, transit, highway safety, motor carrier, innovation, and resiliency programs of the Department of Transportation (DOT). It also sets forth requirements for the operation of railroad freight cars in the United States. For example, the bill extends FY2020 enacted levels through FY2026 for federal-aid highway, transit, and safety programs. DOT must provide competitive grants for projects to provide parking for commercial motor vehicles on the federal-aid highway system; establish a discretionary program to award competitive grants for eligible projects that encourage economic viability of the nation, a metropolitan area, or a region; create a public awareness campaign to reduce instances of driving while under the influence of prescription and over-the-counter medications; and promulgate regulations to implement an apprenticeship program for licensed commercial motor vehicle drivers under the age of 21. The bill also establishes new competitive grant programs to spur innovation of connected vehicle applications into operational deployments and to test the safe integration of automated driving system technologies into the on-road transportation system. Additionally, the bill addresses projects to improve the resiliency of federal-aid highways and bridges on and off the National Highway System. Further, the bill prohibits the operation of railroad freight cars in the United States that have been manufactured or assembled by certain foreign countries or that contain sensitive technology from such countries.
