Protecting Religious Students from Vaccine Mandates Act of 2021 This bill requires public institutions of higher education (IHEs) to provide for a religious exemption from COVID-19 vaccination requirements. Through December 31, 2024, a public IHE that has a COVID-19 vaccination requirement must (1) provide a reasonable opportunity for individuals to receive a religious exemption from the vaccination requirement, and (2) notify individuals who are subject to the vaccination requirement about the procedures to apply for the religious exemption. An IHE must submit an annual report to the Department of Education certifying that the IHE meets these requirements. An IHE that denies a religious exemption to 20 or more individuals during a calendar year must provide additional information. The bill generally prohibits an IHE from receiving federal funds if it does not comply with the religious exemption requirements outlined by this bill.
Secure Equipment Act of 2021 This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish rules stating that it will no longer review or approve any authorization application for equipment that is on the list of covered communications equipment or services. (Listed communications equipment or services are those that the FCC determines pose an unacceptable risk to national security or the security and safety of U.S. persons.)
This concurrent resolution declares that Congress should not impose any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge relating to the public performance of sound recordings on a local radio station for broadcasting sound recordings over the air, or on any business for such public performance of sound recordings.
HRES 386 is a symbolic resolution introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives that expresses support for recognizing "National Police Week" each year. The resolution acknowledges law enforcement officers' sacrifices, particularly during the pandemic, and encourages the public to honor their service. As a non-binding statement, this resolution does not create new law or change policy but serves as a formal expression of support for law enforcement officers across the United States.
Partner with Korea Act This bill creates an E-4 treaty trader visa category for up to 15,000 nationals of South Korea each fiscal year who are coming to the United States solely to perform specialty occupation services, subject to various requirements. The 15,000 limit shall only apply to principal aliens and not the spouses or children of such aliens. (A specialty occupation is one that requires the theoretical and practical application of highly specialized knowledge and a bachelor's degree or higher.)
Temporary Family Visitation Act This bill establishes a new nonimmigrant visa classification for an alien temporarily entering the United States to visit a relative who is a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident. The maximum period of stay for a family visitor visa shall be 90 days. An alien seeking such a visa must have health insurance for the duration of the stay. An alien who holds such a visa may not change to another nonimmigrant visa classification except in certain limited instances. If an alien has been approved for a family-based immigrant visa and is waiting for one to become available, the alien may obtain a family visitor visa if the alien meets the eligibility requirements.
Cherokee Nation and Chickasaw Nation Criminal Jurisdiction Compacting Act of 2021 This bill authorizes the Cherokee Nation and the Chickasaw Nation to each enter into intergovernmental compacts with Oklahoma for the state to exercise its criminal jurisdiction within Indian country. The bill outlines the requirements for such compacts, including that they must define the categories of criminal offenders or offenses within the reservation over which Oklahoma may exercise its jurisdiction. The Department of Justice must, upon the request of a nation, consult with and provide technical assistance for developing or implementing a compact. A nation may require an offender who is sentenced to a term of imprisonment of more than six months to serve such a sentence in the nearest appropriate federal facility. The Department of the Interior must publish a compact that it receives from a nation. Interior must also report on the development and implementation of compacts and make recommendations to support and enhance the criminal justice system of each nation.
Vietnam Human Rights Act This bill requires actions related to human rights in Vietnam and addresses related issues. The Department of State must assist eligible individuals and entities working to secure the release of political and religious prisoners in Vietnam. The Office of Internet Freedom within the U.S. Agency for Global Media and the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor within the State Department shall prioritize (1) the immediate distribution of censorship circumvention tools for computers and smartphones in Vietnam; and (2) projects to ensure the safety and privacy of bloggers, journalists, and human rights defenders in Vietnam. Foreign assistance may not be used to assist any unit of the Vietnamese government engaged in cyberespionage activities. The State Department may establish programs to (1) monitor and halt sex trafficking of women from Vietnam and other Asian countries, and (2) address Vietnam's growing sex-ratio disparity. The bill also requires various reports to Congress, including reports on (1) persons subject to U.S. sanctions for human rights violations in Vietnam, (2) a strategy to promote internet freedom in Vietnam, and (3) cyberespionage activities sanctioned by the Vietnamese government targeting Vietnamese dissidents and human rights advocates living outside of Vietnam.
Protecting America's First Responders Act of 2021 This bill makes changes to the Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) program. The PSOB program provides death, disability, and education benefits to public safety officers and survivors of public safety officers who are killed in the line of duty or permanently disabled as a result of catastrophic injuries sustained in the line of duty. Among the changes, the bill expands the public safety officers eligible for coverage under the PSOB program to include firefighters whose primary duty during an emergency response is to secure the scene or manage traffic and cadets or trainees in candidate-officer training; extends coverage under the PSOB program to certain public safety officers responding outside their jurisdiction; increases the interim benefit amount payable on a claim for death benefits and requires the interim amount to be adjusted annually for inflation; increases the benefit amount payable on a death or disability claim that has been pending for more than 365 days on the date of the final determination; allows the Department of Justice (DOJ) to use investigative tools, including subpoenas, to expedite the processing of claims and obtain information or documentation from third parties (e.g., public agencies); specifies that an injury resulting from a neurocognitive disorder qualifies as a catastrophic injury for the purposes of disability benefits; requires (currently, authorizes) DOJ to provide retroactive education benefits to qualifying children and spouses; specifies that hearing officers appointed to review claims are special government employees (i.e., employees who perform temporary duties for a limited period of time) and are authorized to conduct examinations; and allows responders to the World Trade Center or their surviving family members to file claims for death or disability benefits in certain circumstances.
Fiscal State of the Nation Resolution This concurrent resolution requires the congressional budget committees to conduct an annual joint hearing to receive a presentation from the Comptroller General regarding (1) the Government Accountability Office's audit of the financial statement of the executive branch, and (2) the financial position and condition of the federal government.
This resolution recognizes November 2021 as National Native American Heritage Month and the Friday after Thanksgiving as Native American Heritage Day.
SRES 441 designates November 6, 2021, as National Bison Day to recognize the historical, cultural, and economic significance of bison in the United States. The resolution encourages the American public to observe the day with ceremonies and activities, building on an annual tradition that began in 2012. It highlights bison's role in Native American heritage, conservation efforts, and contributions to rural economies, without creating new legal requirements or funding.
