New Way Forward Act This bill makes changes to immigration enforcement, including ending mandatory detention in certain cases. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall not enter into or extend any contract with any public or private for-profit entity to own or operate a facility to detain aliens in DHS custody. The bill provides for various protections related to detaining aliens, such as (1) requiring DHS to make an initial custody determination and establish probable cause within 48 hours of taking an alien into custody, (2) establishing in hearings related to such determinations a presumption that the alien be released, and (3) requiring immigration judges to impose the least restrictive detention conditions necessary. A DHS officer may not interrogate a person as to immigration status based on factors such as the person's race, religion, sexual orientation, or spoken language. The bill removes mandatory detention requirements for certain aliens, such as asylum seekers with a credible fear of persecution. Removal proceedings against certain aliens previously admitted into the United States must commence within five years of the alien becoming deportable or inadmissible. The bill also removes certain crime-related grounds of inadmissibility and deportability. The bill gives immigration judges discretion to provide relief from removal if the removal is not based on certain crime-related grounds. State or local officers are prohibited from performing certain immigration enforcement functions, such as apprehending aliens. The National Crime Information Center database shall not contain an alien's immigration information. The bill repeals provisions providing criminal penalties for improper entry or reentry into the United States.
Protecting Sensitive Locations Act This bill prohibits immigration enforcement actions within 1,000 feet of a sensitive location unless there are exigent circumstances and written prior approval has been obtained from certain officials. Sensitive locations include health care facilities; schools and school bus stops; places that provide assistance for people such as children, pregnant women, and abuse victims; places that provide disaster or emergency services; places of worship; courthouses and lawyers' offices; and public assistance offices. The prohibition shall apply to Department of Homeland Security officers and agents, as well as state employees pursuing immigration enforcement actions. If an enforcement action is carried out in violation of this prohibition (1) no information resulting from the action may be entered into the record in a resulting removal proceeding, and (2) the affected alien may move to immediately terminate such a proceeding. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall annually report to Congress about enforcement actions taken at sensitive locations in the preceding year.
Protecting Individuals with Down Syndrome Act This bill creates new federal crimes related to the performance of an abortion on an unborn child who has Down syndrome. It subjects a violator to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both. It also authorizes civil remedies, including damages and injunctive relief. A woman who undergoes such an abortion may not be prosecuted or held civilly liable.
Protecting the Dignity of Unborn Children Act of 2021 This bill establishes a new criminal offense for recklessly disposing of or abandoning fetal remains in a landfill or in any navigable waters of the United States. The term fetal remains means any part (except a cremated part) of a deceased human fetus following an abortion. A violator is subject to a fine, up to three years in prison, or both.
Halt Unchecked Member Benefits with Lobbying Elimination Act or the HUMBLE Act This bill places limits on certain activities of Members and elected officers of Congress. The bill imposes a permanent ban on lobbying contacts by a former Senator (currently, a two-year ban), a former Member of the House of Representatives (currently, a one-year ban), or a former elected officer of the House or Senate (currently, a one-year ban). This bill prohibits federal funds made available for the official travel of a Member or other officer or employee of the legislative branch from being used for airline accommodations that are not coach-class accommodations. Such prohibition is inapplicable for an individual if the use would be permitted for an employee of an agency subject to specified federal regulations for temporary duty travel allowances. Certain benefits and services are eliminated for former Members of the House (e.g., access to the House chamber, the Member's Dining Room, or parking spaces) unless the benefits or services are made available to the public. Finally, the bill prohibits Members of the House from owning the common stock of any individual corporation.
Heroes Lesley Zerebny and Gilbert Vega First Responders Survivors Support Act of 2021 This bill makes changes to benefits under the Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) program. The PSOB program provides death, disability, and education benefits to public safety officers and survivors of public safety officers who are killed or permanently disabled in the line of duty. Specifically, the bill modifies the program to (1) increase the death and disability benefit, (2) revise the date of determination for the amount of the death and disability benefit, and (3) increase the monthly education assistance benefit and otherwise revise the computation method for such benefit. The bill also directs the Government Accountability Office to examine and identify ways to improve access to benefits and the processing of claims under the program.
Foreign Agent Disclaimer Enhancement Act of 2021 or the FADE Act of 2021 This bill revises the disclaimer requirements for informational materials transmitted by agents of foreign principals. Specifically, the bill requires that, when such an agent posts information in support of a foreign principal on an online platform, the agent must ensure that the information includes the required disclaimer (i.e., a statement that the information is being transmitted by such an agent). Further, the bill specifies that the disclaimer requirement applies to an agent whether the agent is within or outside the United States. Upon notification by the Department of Justice (DOJ), an online platform must remove any materials that do not meet disclaimer requirements and must use reasonable efforts to inform recipients of the materials that they were disseminated by an agent on behalf of a foreign principal. DOJ must analyze and report on the legal, policy, and procedural challenges to effective enforcement of foreign agent registration requirements.
Insurrection Financing Transparency Act of 2021 This bill authorizes a law enforcement agency to require a reporting company (i.e., a corporation, limited liability company, or similar entity, subject to exceptions) to provide information about its beneficial owners if such information is required for an investigation into the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. It imposes penalties for failing to report such information.
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment limiting Representatives to three terms and Senators to two terms. Terms beginning before the ratification of this amendment do not count towards these term limits.
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 three-fifths roll call vote of each chamber. The prohibition excludes outlays for repayment of debt principal and receipts derived from borrowing. The amendment requires roll call votes of (1) three-fifths of each chamber of Congress to increase the public debt limit, and (2) a majority of each chamber for legislation increasing revenue. It also requires the President to submit a balanced budget to Congress annually. Congress is authorized to waive these requirements when a declaration of war is in effect or if the United States is engaged in a military conflict which causes an imminent and serious military threat to national security.
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 joint resolution proposes an amendment to the Constitution to require that the Supreme Court consist of nine Justices.
