Comprehensive and Overdue Support for Troops of War Act of 2021 or the COST of War Act of 2021 This bill addresses health care and the presumption of service-connection for certain conditions in veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during service in the Armed Forces.
Accountability Through Electronic Verification Act This bill expands the E-Verify program by requiring all employers to use it and permanently reauthorizes the program. Currently, E-Verify use is voluntary for most employers, although some states mandate its use. All employers shall use E-Verify to confirm the identity and employment eligibility of all recruited, referred, or hired individuals, including current employees who were never verified under the program. Failure to use E-Verify shall create a rebuttable presumption that the employer is violating immigration law. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services shall generate weekly reports about individuals who have received a final nonconfirmation of employment eligibility. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall use the report to enforce immigration laws. DHS shall establish a program to help certain small businesses verify employee eligibility. DHS shall also update E-Verify's design to help prevent and detect fraud and identity theft. The bill increases civil and criminal penalties for hiring unauthorized aliens. DHS shall debar repeat offenders and those criminally convicted from holding federal contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements. The Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury, and DHS shall jointly establish a program to share information to help identify unauthorized aliens. The bill establishes the Employer Compliance Inspection Center within Homeland Security Investigations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The center's duties include processing I-9 employment eligibility verification forms and ensuring compliance with employment eligibility laws. DHS shall report to Congress on ways to simplify procedures relating to I-9 forms and on whether the I-9 process should be eliminated.
Coronavirus Regulatory Repeal Act of 202 1 This bill repeals or modifies any agency rule that is temporarily waived or modified during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency, subject to a review process. The bill specifies procedures for Congress and the heads of agencies to analyze, review, and recommend whether the waiver or modification of a rule should continue and such waiver or modification expires only if a law is enacted in accordance with a recommendation that the rule be reinstated when the emergency period ends.
Criminalize Fleeing from Immigration Enforcement Act of 2021 This bill revises the federal criminal offense involving flight from an immigration checkpoint or other law enforcement checkpoint at high speed in a motor vehicle. Specifically, the bill retains the existing prohibition on flight from an immigration or other law enforcement checkpoint, but it removes the qualifier that such flight must be at high speed in a motor vehicle. The bill also expands the scope of unlawful flight offenses to include flight from a law enforcement officer who is enforcing immigration laws. An unlawful flight offense is generally punishable by a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both. However, an unlawful flight offense that involves high-speed flight in a motor vehicle is punishable by a fine, prison term of up to eight years, or both.
Denying Pensions to Convicted Child Molesters Act of 2021 This bill denies federal retirement benefits to individuals convicted of child sex abuse. Specifically, an individual, or a survivor or beneficiary of an individual, may not be paid annuity or retired pay on the basis of the individual's service that is creditable toward the annuity or retired pay (with exceptions) following conviction of (1) aggravated sexual abuse of a child, (2) abusive sexual conduct, or (3) specified related offenses resulting in death. Further, the bill denies benefits where the individual is under indictment for such an offense and willfully remains outside of the United States for more than one year to avoid prosecution. Finally, the bill provides for payments to the victims of of sexual abuse from amounts that would otherwise be payable from the annuity or retired pay of offenders.
Prohibiting IRS Financial Surveillance Act This bill prohibits the Department of the Treasury from requiring a financial institution to report the transfers into and out of a financial account. This prohibition does not apply to laws or regulations in effect on October 1, 2021.
This resolution provides for consideration of H.R. 1259 (requiring the Department of Homeland Security to implement the Migrant Protection Protocols).
HR 5553 prohibits the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from providing or paying for surgical treatments related to gender transition. This directly affects transgender veterans who rely on VA healthcare for gender-affirming surgical procedures. The bill blocks VA funding specifically for these surgical treatments, without altering coverage for other healthcare services. It applies to all veterans seeking such care through the VA system.
Judicial Efficiency Improvement Act This bill divides the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit into two judicial circuits: (1) the Ninth Circuit, and (2) a new Twelfth Circuit. The new Ninth Circuit shall be composed of California, Guam, Hawaii, and the Northern Mariana Islands. The new Twelfth Circuit shall be composed of the following states: Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. The bill creates two additional circuit court judgeships for the Ninth Circuit. It creates 77 additional district court judgeships in specified judicial districts in Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Texas. Additionally, it converts eight temporary district court judgeships to permanent judgeships in specified judicial districts in Kansas, Missouri, Arizona, California, Florida, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Texas.
Judicial Reorganization Act of 2021 This bill creates a new U.S. Court of Appeals by dividing the current U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. The newly created U.S. Court of Appeals for the Twelfth Circuit shall have jurisdiction over Alaska, Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit shall retain jurisdiction over California, Guam, and Hawaii.
Federal Courts of Appeals Modernization Act This bill establishes the Commission on Structural Alternatives for the Federal Courts of Appeals. The commission must (1) study the current structure of the federal courts of appeals, with particular reference to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit; and (2) recommend changes to promote the expeditious and effective disposition of cases.
Indian Programs Advance Appropriations Act of 2021 This bill authorizes advance appropriations for several covered appropriations accounts of (1) the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Indian Education within the Department of the Interior, and (2) the Indian Health Service within the Department of Health and Human Services. The advance appropriations provide new budget authority that first becomes available for the first fiscal year after the budget year. The covered accounts within the Bureau of Indian Affairs are (1) Operation of Indian Programs, (2) Contract Support Costs, (3) the Indian Guaranteed Loan Program, (4) Construction, and (5) Payments for Tribal Leases. The covered accounts within the Bureau of Indian Education are (1) Operation of Indian Education Programs, and (2) Education Construction. The covered accounts within the Indian Health Service are (1) Indian Health Services, (2) Contract Support Costs, (3) Payments for Tribal Leases, and (4) Indian Health Facilities. The bill also requires the President's budget and the supporting documents submitted to Congress to include detailed estimates related to the advance appropriations.
