Health Equity and Access under the Law for Immigrant Women and Families Act of 2021 or the HEAL Immigrant Women and Families Act of 20 21 This bill extends Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program coverage to individuals lawfully present in the United States who otherwise meet eligibility requirements. Individuals granted federally authorized presence also are required to maintain minimum essential health insurance coverage and are eligible for health insurance exchanges, reduced cost sharing, premium subsidies, and premium tax credits.
Mental Health Professionals Workforce Shortage Loan Repayment Act of 2021 This bill requires the Health Resources and Services Administration to establish a loan repayment program for mental health professionals who work in designated workforce-shortage areas.
Nurse Staffing Standards for Patient Safety and Quality Care Act of 2021 This bill requires hospitals to implement and submit to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) a staffing plan that complies with specified minimum nurse-to-patient ratios by unit. Hospitals must post a notice regarding nurse-to-patient ratios in each unit and maintain records of actual ratios for each shift in each unit. The bill also requires hospitals to follow certain procedures regarding how ratios are determined and other staff are prohibited from performing nurse functions unless specifically authorized within a state's scope of practice rules, among other requirements. HHS must adjust Medicare payments to hospitals to cover additional costs attributable to compliance with these ratios. Nurses may object to, or refuse to participate in, an assignment if it would violate minimum ratios or if they are not prepared by education or experience to fulfill the assignment without compromising the safety of a patient or jeopardizing their nurse's license. Hospitals may not (1) take adverse actions against a nurse based on the nurse's reasonable refusal to accept an assignment; or (2) discriminate against individuals for good faith complaints relating to the care, services, or conditions of the hospital or related facilities. HHS may impose civil monetary penalties on hospitals violating the ratio requirements and must publish the names of such hospitals. The bill provides stipends to the nurse workforce loan repayment and scholarship program and expands the nurse retention grant program to include nurse preceptorship and mentorship projects.
Operation Stonegarden Authorization Act This bill provides statutory authorization for the Operation Stonegarden grant program within the Department of Homeland Security. Through the program, the Federal Emergency Management Agency shall provide grants for enhancing border security to law enforcement agencies that are (1) in a state with an international land or maritime border, and (2) involved in an active U.S. Customs and Border Protection operation coordinated through the Border Patrol.
Postal Service Improvement Act This bill requires mail-in ballots for federal elections to meet certain design and tracking requirements and revises authority to provide parental leave to postal employees. Specifically, each mail-in ballot must be carried or delivered in an envelope that contains a USPS barcode that enables tracking of each individual ballot, satisfies USPS requirements for ballot envelope design and for machinable (i.e., able to be processed using USPS equipment) letters, and includes the official election mail logo. The federal government must reimburse each state (including the District of Columbia and any U.S. territory or possession) for the cost of using the barcode service. The bill also provides paid parental leave to officers and employees of the USPS and the Postal Regulatory Commission.
Clean Ocean And Safe Tourism Anti-Drilling Act or the COAST Anti-Drilling Act This bill prohibits the Department of the Interior from authorizing the exploration, development, or production (i.e., offshore drilling) of oil or natural gas in specified planning areas of the Outer Continental Shelf along the Atlantic Coast, including the Straits of Florida.
Suicide Prevention Lifeline Improvement Act of 2021 This bill expands the requirements for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Program. Specifically, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration must (1) develop a plan to ensure the provision of high-quality service, (2) strengthen data-sharing agreements to facilitate the transmission of epidemiological data from the program to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and (3) implement a pilot program focused on using other communications platforms (e.g., social media and texting) for suicide prevention. The bill also directs the Government Accountability Office to study the program.
Integrity Committee Transparency Act of 2021 This bill addresses issues regarding inspectors general (IGs) and the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) Integrity Committee. The committee is charged with investigating allegations of wrongdoing against office of IG officials. The committee must notify Congress when an allegation of wrongdoing made by a Member of Congress is closed without referral for investigation. The bill requires CIGIE to report semiannually to Congress and the President on the activities of the committee. The bill requires the appointment of a former IG to the committee. An IG must refer to the committee any allegation of wrongdoing against that IG.
Federal Advisory Committee Transparency Act This bill revises provisions regarding federal advisory committees, including to (1) require designation of committee members as special government employees or representatives, (2) apply the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) to subcommittees and subgroups, and (3) require publication of certain information about advisory committees. The bill requires appointments to advisory committees to be made without regard to political affiliation or campaign activity, unless required by federal statute. Each agency, prior to appointing members to an advisory committee, must solicit nominations for potential committee members. The agency shall solicit nominations at least once every two years. The bill provides statutory authority for the designation of advisory committee members as special government employees (if they are appointed to exercise their individual best judgement) or representatives (if they are appointed to represent a nongovernment entity). Agencies may not designate committee members as representatives to avoid federal ethics rules. Each agency shall make available on its website specified information about each of the agency's advisory committees, including membership, meeting minutes, and notices of future meetings. The General Services Administration must also publish this information. The bill revises requirements for Advisory Committee Management Officers, including to require them to be senior officials with expertise in implementing FACA. The Government Accountability Office shall report on agency compliance with FACA.
Enhance Access To SNAP Act of 2021 or the EATS Act of 20 21 This bill expands eligibility for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to students attending institutions of higher education.
Safe Line Speeds in COVID-19 Act This bill directs the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the Department of Agriculture (USDA), for the duration of the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency period, to suspend any waivers and not issue new waivers related to line speeds in meat and poultry establishments and inspection staffing requirements for such establishments. Additionally, the implementation of, and conversion to, the New Swine Slaughter Inspection System must be suspended. No funds made available to USDA during the COVID-19 emergency period shall be used to develop, propose, finalize, issue, amend, or implement any policy, regulation, directive, constituent update, or any other agency program that would increase line speeds at meat and poultry establishments. Upon termination of the COVID-19 emergency period, the Government Accountability Office shall conduct a review of actions taken by specific federal agencies, including USDA, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to determine the effectiveness of such actions in protecting animal, food, and worker safety.
Improving Access to Nutrition Act of 20 21 This bill repeals certain work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program). The requirements apply to able-bodied adults who are ages 18-49 and have no dependent children. Individuals who do not meet certain work requirements are generally prohibited from receiving more than 3 months of SNAP benefits over a 36-month period. Under current law, some of the work requirements under SNAP are temporarily suspended due to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).
