Technology Standards Task Force Act of 2021 This bill directs the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish a task force on setting emerging technology standards, to be known as the Emerging Technology Standards-Setting Task Force. The task force shall develop a long-term strategic plan for the United States to lead emerging technology standards-setting processes.
Coronavirus Housing Counseling Improvement Act This bill authorizes additional housing counseling services provided through the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation. Funding priority is given to counseling organizations that target low-income and minority homeowners, renters, individuals experiencing homelessness, and individuals at risk of homelessness.
Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2021 or the CONNECT for Health Act of 2021 This bill expands coverage of telehealth services under Medicare. Among other provisions, the bill allows the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to waive certain restrictions, such as restrictions on the types of technology that may be used; permanently removes geographic restrictions on originating sites (i.e., the location of the beneficiary) and allows the home of the beneficiary to serve as the originating site for all services; permanently allows federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics to serve as the distant site (i.e., the location of the health care practitioner); and allows the CMS to generally waive coverage restrictions during any public health emergency. Additionally, the CMS must report on the effects of expanded telehealth services during the COVID-19 public health emergency, including with respect to the utilization, quality, and outcomes of services. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation may also test alternative payment models relating to expanded telehealth services.
Honoring All Veterans Act This bill adds the following as a mission statement for the Department of Veterans Affairs: "To fulfill President Lincoln's promise to care for those 'who shall have borne the battle' and for their families, caregivers, and survivors."
Mark Takai Atomic Veterans Healthcare Parity Act This bill includes veterans who participated in the cleanup of Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands between January 1, 1977, and December 31, 1980, as radiation-exposed veterans for purposes of the Department of Veterans Affairs presumption of service-connection for specified cancers. Under a presumption of service-connection, specific conditions diagnosed in certain veterans are presumed to have been caused by the circumstances of their military service. Health care benefits and disability compensation may then be awarded.
This concurrent resolution (1) affirms, on the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first slave ship, that the nation owes a debt of remembrance not only to those who lived through the injustices of slavery but also to their descendants; and (2) urges the establishment of a U.S. Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation to properly acknowledge, memorialize, and be a catalyst for progress, including toward permanently eliminating persistent racial inequities.
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment declaring that women shall have equal rights in the United States and every place subject to its jurisdiction. The amendment prohibits the United States or any state from denying or abridging equal rights under the law on account of sex.
This resolution recognizes and honors the late Gilbert Metz as the last survivor of the Holocaust in Mississippi. The resolution also recognizes the declining awareness of the atrocities committed during the Holocaust and commends the educators who teach about the Holocaust and all genocide.
This resolution condemns Iran's state-sponsored persecution of its Baha'i minority and its continued violation of the international covenants on human rights. Further, it calls on Iran to immediately release all imprisoned or detained Baha'is, and it urges the President and the Department of State to impose sanctions on Iranian officials and others who are responsible for serious human rights abuses, including abuses against Iran's Baha'i community.
This resolution condemns and denounces all forms of anti-Asian sentiment, including those related to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), and calls on federal law enforcement officials, working with state and local agencies, to take specified steps. The resolution calls on federal officials to expeditiously investigate and document all credible reports of hate crimes, harassment, bullying, and threats against the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities; the Attorney General to work with state and local agencies and Asian American and Pacific Islander community-based organizations to prevent discrimination and to expand culturally competent and linguistically appropriate education campaigns on public reporting of hate crimes; and the Department of Health and Human Services to issue guidance describing best practices to mitigate racially discriminatory language in describing the pandemic. The resolution recommits the United States to serving as a world leader in building more inclusive, diverse, and tolerant societies by (1) prioritizing language access and inclusivity in communication practices, and (2) combating misinformation and discrimination that put Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders at risk.
This resolution supports the designation of National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month.
Workforce Promotion to Access Training to Help Workers, Adults, and Youths Succeed Act or the Workforce PATHWAYS Act This bill establishes the nonprofit Corporation for Career Pathways to increase awareness of career pathways for U.S. workers, educators, and employers by promoting workforce development initiatives, educational programs, and other opportunities that develop skills relevant to high-demand industries. The corporation must (1) develop and submit to the Department of Labor an annual workforce strategy for engaging all labor market stakeholders about opportunities or changes to useful degrees, registered apprenticeship programs, and certifications or skill sets; and (2) publish an annual United States Career Forecast and Resource Guide that provides job market and other information regarding in-demand industries, workforce needs, and training. The corporation must also establish (1) an awards program to annually recognize workers and students who achieve excellence in registered apprenticeships, adult education programs, career and technical education programs, or other nontraditional workforce development pathways; and (2) a website to provide information to the public, conduct public outreach activities, and distribute marketing campaign materials (including the resource guide). The bill establishes the United States Career Pathways Fund for grants to the corporation or to state and local workforce boards to assist in implementing the annual workforce strategy. The Government Accountability Office must review and report on the corporation's programmatic activities.
