Blocking Rioters and Insurrectionists from our Cities to Keep us Safe Act of 2021 or the BRICKS Act of 2021 This bill increases criminal penalties for rioting and related offenses (e.g., inciting a riot). First, the bill increases from 5 to 10 years the statutory maximum prison term for a rioting offense. Second, it establishes higher statutory maximum penalties for rioting offenses that involve certain aggravating characteristics. Specifically, it provides a prison term of up to 25 years for a rioting offense that results in serious bodily injury or includes a dangerous weapon, explosives, or fire; and a prison term of any years or for life for a rioting offense that results in death or includes kidnapping, attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse, attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or attempt to kill.
Unfunded Mandates Accountability and Transparency Act This bill revises rulemaking requirements with respect to unfunded mandates. Specifically, the bill requires federal agencies to prepare and publish in the Federal Register an initial and final regulatory impact analysis prior to promulgating any proposed or final major rule. The analysis must include regulatory alternatives to the rule. Major rule means a rule that the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs determines is likely to cause an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more; a major increase in costs or prices for consumers, individual industries, federal, state, local, or tribal government agencies, or geographic regions; or significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, public health and safety, or the ability of U.S.-based enterprises to compete with foreign-based enterprises in domestic and export markets. Before promulgating any proposed or final major rule, an agency shall select the regulatory alternative that maximizes net benefits, taking into consideration only the costs and benefits that arise within the scope of the statutory provision that authorizes the rulemaking, with exceptions. The bill prohibits Congress from considering a bill that increases private sector costs more than a certain amount unless certain conditions are met.
Stop Greenlighting Driver Licenses for Illegal Immigrants Act This bill prohibits a state from receiving certain federal law enforcement grants if it takes certain immigration-related actions. Specifically, a state may not receive such grants if it (1) issues a driver license to an individual who does not have proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful presence in the United States, or (2) prohibits a local or state government entity or official from sharing immigration enforcement information with the Department of Homeland Security.
Just and Unifying Solutions To Invigorate Communities Everywhere Act of 2021 or the JUSTICE Act This bill addresses policies and issues regarding policing practices and law enforcement accountability. The bill funds state and local grants, incentivizes state and local reporting on the use of certain policing practices, creates new federal offenses for certain misconduct, and establishes best practices and training requirements. The bill funds state and local grants, including to support the use of body-worn cameras, to implement information sharing systems for disciplinary records of law enforcement officers, and to prohibit officers from engaging in sexual acts under color of the law. Further, it requires state and local governments that receive grants under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program to report information related to use-of-force incidents and the use of no-knock warrants. At the federal level, the bill establishes new criminal offenses related to falsifying police reports and engaging in sexual acts under color of law. The bill directs the Department of Justice to develop training on de-escalation tactics, behavioral health crises, alternatives to the use of force, and the duty to intervene when another officer uses excessive force. Finally, the bill establishes and funds the National Criminal Justice Commission. Among other tasks, the commission must develop best practices for policing tactics and procedures.
Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act This bill establishes requirements for the degree of care a health care practitioner must provide in the case of a child born alive following an abortion or attempted abortion. Specifically, a health care practitioner who is present must (1) exercise the same degree of care as would reasonably be provided to any other child born alive at the same gestational age, and (2) ensure the child is immediately admitted to a hospital. Additionally, a health care practitioner or other employee who has knowledge of a failure to comply with the degree-of-care requirements must immediately report such failure to law enforcement. A health care practitioner who fails to provide the required degree of care, or a health care practitioner or other employee who fails to report such failure, is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, up to five years in prison, or both. An individual who intentionally kills or attempts to kill a child born alive is subject to prosecution for murder. The bill bars the criminal prosecution of a mother of a child born alive under this bill and allows her to bring a civil action against a health care practitioner or other employee for violations.
Pandemic Treatment Access and Affordability Act of 2021 This bill imposes licensing and price restrictions on federally supported drugs and other medicines intended to address COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) or other public health emergencies. With respect to a COVID-19 drug patent developed using certain types of federal support, any license granted by the federal government shall be open and nonexclusive. Similarly, a licensee or assignee for such a patent shall grant open nonexclusive licenses for the patent. An entity that receives a license shall pay reasonable royalties to (1) the patent holder, or (2) the owner of marketing exclusivity rights granted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that were terminated under this bill. The bill requires that such drugs be offered at a fair and reasonable price based on certain considerations, such as access. If the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finds that the price of any drug to address a public health emergency is excessive, HHS must void any FDA-granted exclusivity for the drug and grant open and nonexclusive licenses to other manufacturers. Such licenses are subject to reasonable royalty requirements.
Shellfish Aquaculture Improvement Act of 2021 This bill limits the ability of an aquaculture worker to bring a civil action against an employer for employment-related injuries. Specifically, the bill limits recovery for injuries sustained by an aquaculture worker if (1) state workers' compensation is available to such individual; and (2) at the time of injury, the individual was engaged in aquaculture in a place where the individual had lawful access. An aquaculture worker is an individual employed by commercial enterprises involved in the controlled cultivation and harvest of aquatic plants and animals, including the cleaning, processing, or canning of fish and fish products, the cultivation and harvesting of shellfish, and the controlled growing and harvesting of other aquatic species.
National Office of New Americans Act This bill establishes the National Office of New Americans (NONA) within the Executive Office of the President to promote and support the integration of immigrants and refugees into the social, cultural, economic, and civic life of the United States. The NONA shall also establish the Federal Initiative on New Americans. The initiative shall establish a coordinated federal program to respond effectively to immigrant and refugee integration issues such as language learning, adult education and workforce training, health care, and naturalization.
Finding Federal Savings Committee Resolution This resolution establishes the House Committee on the Elimination of Nonessential Federal Programs to analyze underperforming or nonessential federal programs and recommend actions to modify or eliminate those programs. The resolution also establishes expedited procedures for legislation reported by the committee to eliminate programs or rescind funding. The committee shall cease to exist at the end of the 119th Congress.
This resolution urges the U.S. Capitol Police Board to direct the Architect of the Capitol to remove the fencing installed around the perimeter of the U.S. Capitol complex in response to the attacks of January 6, 2021, and it recommends the end of the National Guard's mission in the District of Columbia in response to those attacks.
This resolution condemns the military coup that took place in Burma (Myanmar) on February 1, 2021. It also calls on the Burmese military to (1) release all those detained arbitrarily in the coup, (2) restore all forms of communications, and (3) return to power all members of the civilian government.
Restored, Equitable, Coronavirus Adjusted Lodging Act of 2021 or the RECAL Act This bill prohibits the General Services Administration (GSA), when determining the FY2022 and FY2023 per diem reimbursement rates for locations within the Continental United States (CONUS), from setting lodging allowances below the FY2020 levels. CONUS per diem reimbursement rates are the maximum allowances that federal employees are reimbursed for official travel expenses. The rates consist of lodging, meals, and incidental expense allowances; the GSA sets rates annually based on data from the prior 12-month period.
