Safety and Opportunity for Girls Act of 2021 This bill addresses protections related to sex and sex-segregated spaces. Sex is defined as sex determined solely by a person's reproductive biology and genetics at birth. The bill prohibits construing the provisions of title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 in a manner that would require forgoing the maintenance of sex-segregated spaces (such as bathrooms) and of sex-segregated athletic or academic programs by educational institutions.
Telehealth Modernization Act This bill modifies requirements relating to coverage of telehealth services under Medicare. Specifically, the bill extends certain flexibilities that were initially authorized during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Among other things, the bill allows (1) rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers to serve as the distant site (i.e., the location of the health care practitioner); (2) the home of a beneficiary to serve as the originating site (i.e., the location of the beneficiary) for all services (rather than for only certain services); and (3) all types of practitioners to furnish telehealth services, as determined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Safe Step Act This bill requires a group health plan to establish an exception to medication step-therapy protocol in specified cases. A medication step-therapy protocol establishes a specific sequence in which prescription drugs are covered by a group health plan or a health insurance issuer. A request for such an exception to the protocol must be granted if (1) an otherwise required treatment has been ineffective, (2) such treatment is expected to be ineffective and delaying effective treatment would lead to irreversible consequences, (3) such treatment will cause or is likely to cause an adverse reaction to the individual, (4) such treatment is expected to prevent the individual from performing daily activities or occupational responsibilities, (5) the individual is stable based on the prescription drugs already selected, or (6) there are other circumstances as determined by the Employee Benefits Security Administration. The bill requires a group health plan to implement and make readily available a clear process for an individual to request an exception to the protocol, including required information and criteria for granting an exception. The bill further specifies timelines under which plans must respond to such requests.
This bill extends the authority for federal agencies to reimburse federal contractors for paid leave provided to employees unable to perform work due to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic from March 31, 2021, to September 30, 2021.
21st Century Conservation Corps Act This bill provides funding for FY2021 to the Department of Agriculture, the Department of the Interior, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Commerce primarily for federal land management and other conservation purposes. The funding provided by this bill is designated as emergency spending, which is exempt from discretionary spending limits. The bill also establishes the Outfitters and Guides Relief Fund; expands the Every Kid Outdoors Program to include fifth and sixth grade students and home-schooled learners 11 and 12 years of age, who shall be provided free access to federal lands and waters under the program; establishes the Forest Service Legacy Roads and Trails Remediation Program; establishes the 21st Century Civilian Conservation Corps program to support youth and workforce development programs; provides for the temporary waiver of ski area permit and rental fees; provides for the temporary waiver of outdoor recreation land use permit fees; provides for the use of the Reforestation Trust Fund for the reforestation of certain National Forest System lands, Bureau of Land Management lands, and Bureau of Indian Affairs lands; establishes the Reforest America Grant Program; and extends through FY2030 and revises the Conservation Stewardship Program, including to provide additional funding for conservation activities related to climate stewardship practices.
COVID-19 Health Disparities Action Act of 2021 This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to raise awareness about COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) and promote vaccination among racial and ethnic minority groups and other populations that have experienced health disparities related to the disease. The CDC must conduct, subject to available funding, a public awareness campaign that targets those populations. The CDC must coordinate the campaign with the White House COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force and other federal, state, tribal, and local entities. The CDC must also award grants to health departments for similar COVID-19 awareness campaigns. Grant-funded campaigns must complement the CDC's campaign, as well as other efforts to inform the public about the disease. In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services must develop prototype materials for grantees to use in their campaigns.
Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act of 2021 This bill removes the requirement that a health care practitioner apply for a separate waiver through the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to dispense certain narcotic drugs (e.g., buprenorphine) for maintenance or detoxification treatment (i.e., substance use disorder treatment). Further, a community health aide or community health practitioner may dispense certain narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment without registering with the DEA if the drug is prescribed by a health care practitioner through telemedicine. It preempts state laws related to licensure for this activity. The bill also directs the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to conduct a national campaign to educate health care practitioners and encourage them to integrate substance use disorder treatment into their practices.
Hospitality and Commerce Job Recovery Act of 2021 This bill extends existing and establishes new tax credits that assist the hospitality and restaurant industry. Specifically, it allows a conventionand trade show restart tax credit; extends the employee retention tax credit through 2021; suspends for taxable years 2021 through 2022, the limitation on entertainment expenses related to a trade or business, allows a restaurant and dining restart credit for businesses closed or forced to reduce services due to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019); allows a 50% tax credit for travel expenditures; and allows a tax credit for unmerchantable inventory for the period between December 31, 2019, and before April 1, 2021.
This bill provides for the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to the Freedom Riders, in recognition of their contribution to civil rights by fighting for equality in interstate travel.
Juneteenth National Independence Day Act This bill establishes Juneteenth Independence Day as a federal holiday.
Main Street Tax Certainty Act This bill makes permanent the tax deduction for qualified business income. (Under current law, the deduction expires after December 31, 2025.) Qualified business income is defined as the net amount of qualified items of income, gain, deduction and loss with respect to any trade or business, excluding capital gains or losses, dividends, interest income, or income earned outside the U.S.
Keystone XL Pipeline Construction and Jobs Preservation Act This bill authorizes the TransCanada Keystone Pipeline to construct, connect, operate, and maintain the pipeline facilities in Phillips County, Montana, for the import of oil from Canada to the United States.
