Close the Medigap Act of 2021 This bill (1) expands guaranteed issue rights with respect to Medigap policies (Medicare supplemental health insurance policies), (2) eliminates certain limitations on Medigap policies for newly eligible Medicare beneficiaries, and (3) modifies other provisions related to Medigap policies. (Guaranteed issue rights require that a policy be offered to any eligible applicant without regard to health status.)
Rebuilding Economies and Creating Opportunities for More People Everywhere To Excel Act or the RECOMPETE Act This bill establishes a grant program to assist economically distressed local communities and labor markets that meet specified economic criteria, including employment criteria. The Economic Development Administration (EDA) must award 10-year grants to a local government, tribal government, economic development district, or consortium of local government units located in such areas. Each grant recipient must develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to address the economic challenges specific to the area. The grants may be used to increase employment opportunities, increase local per capita income, support economic development, and develop infrastructure and housing. Additionally, the EDA must periodically evaluate each grant recipient based on certain benchmark criteria and annually report on the implementation of the program. The bill specifies formulas for determining the grant amount for each community or market and the federal share of the cost of each program or activity conducted under the program.
Smoke Planning and Research Act of 2021 This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to research and mitigate the impacts of smoke emissions from wildland fires. Specifically, the EPA must establish (1) four Centers of Excellence for Wildfire Smoke at institutions of higher education, and (2) a grant program to support community mitigation efforts.
Securing Universal Communications Connectivity to Ensure Students Succeed Act or the SUCCESS Act This bill provides additional funding for the Emergency Connectivity Fund, which supports remote learning during the COVID-19 emergency period by covering reasonable costs of laptop and tablet computers, Wi-Fi hotspots, modems, routers, and broadband connectivity purchases for off-campus use by students, school staff, and library patrons.
Protect Reporters from Excessive State Suppression Act or the PRESS Act This bill prohibits the federal government from compelling journalists and providers of telecommunications services (e.g., phone and internet companies) to disclose certain protected information, except in limited circumstances such as to prevent terrorism or imminent violence. Specifically, the bill protects from disclosure any information identifying a source, as well as any records, contents of a communication, documents, or information obtained or created by journalists in the course of their work. Further, the bill protects specified third parties, such as telecommunications carriers or social media companies, from being compelled to provide testimony or any document consisting of a record, information, or other communication that relates to a business transaction between the third party and a journalist.
American Opportunity Tax Credit Enhancement Act of 2021 This bill modifies the American Opportunity and Lifetime Learning tax credits to make the American Opportunity tax credit 100% refundable. It also modifies the provision denying the American Opportunity tax credit to students convicted of a federal or state felony relating to the possession or distribution of a controlled substance. Students may not be denied such credit unless the prison term for the drug offense is at least 15 years.
Tax-Free Pell Grant Act This bill excludes from gross income, for income tax purposes, any amount received as a federal Pell Grant. It also expands the definition of qualified tuition and related expenses under the American Opportunity and Lifetime Learning tax credit to include computer or peripheral equipment (up to a maximum of $1,000), child and dependent care expenses, and course materials.
Encouraging Americans to Save Act This bill sets forth provisions to provide matching payments for retirement savings and Individual Retirement Account (IRA) contributions for individuals who have attained the age of 18 years, excluding taxpayer dependents. Specifically, it allows an enhanced 50% tax credit, up to $2,000, for deductible retirement savings contributions and for IRA contributions. The bill also directs the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to establish the R-Bond Program as a permanent program for the establishment and maintenance of individual retirement plans and directs the IRS to educate taxpayers on the benefits of the savings programs provided by this bill.
Securing Universal Communications Connectivity to Ensure Students Succeed Act or the SUCCESS Act This bill provides additional funding for the Emergency Connectivity Fund, which supports remote learning during the COVID-19 emergency period by covering reasonable costs of laptop and tablet computers, Wi-Fi hotspots, modems, routers, and broadband connectivity purchases for off-campus use by students, school staff, and library patrons.
Local Journalism Sustainability Act This bill allows individual taxpayers a tax credit up to $250 in any taxable year for subscriptions to one or more local newspapers for the taxpayer's personal use. It also allows a local news journalist employer a payroll credit for wages paid to local news journalists. The bill allows certain small businesses a tax credit for amounts paid for advertising in a local newspaper or through a broadcast of a radio or television station serving a local community.
Women's Retirement Protection Act This bill modifies the requirements for employer-sponsored pension plans to (1) extend spousal consent requirements that currently apply to defined benefit pension plans to defined contribution pension plans; and (2) allow certain long-term, part-time workers to participate in pension plans that include either a qualified cash or deferred arrangement or a salary reduction agreement. Financial product or service providers who sell retirement financial products or services must provide purchasers of their products or services an easily accessible link to the website of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to obtain information relating to retirement planning or later life economic security. The Women's Bureau of the Department of Labor shall award grants to certain community-based organizations to (1) improve the financial literacy of women who are working age or in retirement, and (2) assist low-income women and survivors of domestic violence in obtaining qualified domestic relations orders and the benefits they are entitled to through the orders.
ABLE Employment Flexibility Act This bill permits employers to make tax-exempts contributions to ABLE (Achieving Better Life Experience) accounts in lieu of making contributions to existing tax-exempt defined contribution retirement plans. An ABLE account is established to pay the expenses (e.g., food, education, housing, transportation, employment training and support, and health care expenses) of a designated beneficiary who is disabled.
