Student Loan Refinancing Act This bill allows a borrower of a Federal Direct Loan to modify the interest rate on the loan to the current applicable rate. The interest rate shall be fixed for the life of the loan, unless the borrower elects to modify it again.
Neighborhood Homes Investment Act This bill establishes a new business-related tax credit to finance home building and rehabilitation in neighborhoods that meet certain eligibility criteria relating to poverty rates, income, and home values. The credit is limited to 35% of the lesser of the qualified development cost (i.e., the cost of construction, substantial rehabilitation, demolition, and environmental remediation of residential properties) or 80% of the national median sale price for new homes. The credit applies to single family homes containing four or fewer residential units, condominiums, or houses or apartments owned by cooperative housing corporations.
Securing American Leadership in Science and Technology Act of 2021 This bill extends through FY2031 the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the Office of Science of the Department of Energy, the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the National Science Foundation (NSF). The bill authorizes programs, projects, and activities, including those regarding (1) federal research security; (2) a National Supply Chain Database; (3) basic energy sciences research and advanced scientific computing research; (4) establishment and operation of Regional Energy Innovation Centers; (5) establishment of a carbon sequestration research initiative; (6) establishment of a NIST Foundation; (7) establishment of a technology transfer office in NOAA; (8) science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, including computer science (STEM) workforce development; and (9) establishment of an Energy Foundation. The OSTP shall submit a comprehensive national science and technology strategy, and complete a review of U.S. science and technology enterprise. The Office of Science shall continue to leverage U.S. participation in the Large Hadron Collider, prioritize international partnerships and investments in the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility/Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, and prioritize international collaboration that would provide U.S. researchers access to the most advanced accelerator facilities in the world. The Government Accountability Office shall evaluate NIST's Center for Neutron Research. The NSF shall contract the National Academy of Public Administration to study the organizational and management structure of the NSF.
Securing Access for Venue Equity Act or the SAVE Act This bill expands a grant program established to support venue operators in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) to include hospitality businesses, such as amusement and theme parks, scenic and sightseeing transportation businesses, and travel arrangement and reservation services.
Freedom To Invest in Tomorrow's Workforce Act This bill allows the use of funds in a qualified tuition program (commonly known as a 529 account) to pay for expenses associated with obtaining or maintaining recognized postsecondary credentials.
Keeping Our Manufacturers from Being Unfairly taxed while Championing Health Act or KOMBUCHA This bill modifies the definition of brewer for purposes of the alcohol excise tax to exempt kombucha from such tax.
Fair Debt Collection Improvement Act This bill prohibits a debt collector from collecting a consumer debt if the applicable statute of limitations has expired.
Military Family Violence Prevention Act This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to take various actions and implement programs related to the prevention of and response to domestic violence and child abuse and neglect among military families. Specifically, the bill requires DOD to report on current and recommended staffing levels for the Family Advocacy Programs (FAPs) of the Armed Forces at each installation, ensure that appropriate statistical data on incidents report to the FAPs is shared among and across the Armed Forces, establish a pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of various mechanisms to inform families about the FAPs and resiliency training of the Armed Forces during their enrollment in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, report on the results of the study conducted by the Defense Department Advisory Committee on Women in the Services that includes information on initial entry points for use by members of military families seeking support for domestic abuse or child abuse and neglect, and modify internal policy related to FAPs to enhance collaboration among the specified DOD programs (e.g., the Defense Suicide Prevention Office). Each military department must improve the information available to military families on the services available in connection with domestic abuse or child abuse and neglect. Finally, the bill requires the Inspector General of DOD to report on best practices among military installations in prevention and response to domestic abuse and child abuse and neglect among military families.
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.
COVID-19 Disinformation Research and Reporting Act of 2021 This bill requires the National Science Foundation to contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to study disinformation and misinformation about COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) on the internet and social media platforms.
Housing Supply and Affordability Act This bill allows the Department of Housing and Urban Development to award grants to states, local governments, Indian tribes, and Native Hawaiian organizations for the development and implementation of housing policy plans. These plans must increase the housing supply while avoiding resident displacement, increase housing affordability, and reduce barriers to housing development. The amounts provided by the bill are designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 (PAYGO) and the Senate PAYGO rule. (This excludes the budget effects from being counted for the purposes of enforcing the PAYGO rules.)
Hire Veteran Health Heroes Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to consult with the Department of Defense to identify members of the Armed Forces in health care occupations who are separating from the Armed Forces. The VA must refer interested members to a recruiter for consideration of open positions in the member's specialty and geography of interest.
