EAGLES Act of 2021 This bill reauthorizes the National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) within the U.S. Secret Service. It reauthorizes the functions of NTAC through FY2025 and expands them to include the establishment of a national program on targeted school violence prevention.
Juror Non-Discrimination Act of 2021 This bill prohibits the exclusion of individuals from jury service on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
U.S. Citizenship Act This bill establishes a path to citizenship for certain undocumented individuals. The bill also replaces the term alien with noncitizen in the immigration statutes and addresses other related issues. Specifically, the bill establishes a new status of lawful prospective immigrant . This status shall be available to an applying noncitizen who meets certain requirements, including being continually present in the United States from January 1, 2021, and passing background checks. After at least five years with this status, an eligible noncitizen may apply for and receive permanent resident status. The bill also provides permanent resident status to certain applying noncitizens, specifically for eligible noncitizens who (1) entered the United States as a minor, (2) were eligible for temporary protected status or deferred enforced departure on January 1, 2017, or (3) worked a certain amount of agricultural labor in the five years prior to applying. Among other things, the bill also redefines for immigration purposes the term conviction to exclude convictions that have been expunged or vacated, requires the Department of State to implement a strategy to advance reforms in Central America and address key factors contributing to migration from the region to the United States, requires the State Department to establish refugee processing centers in Central America, requires Customs and Border Patrol sectors and stations to have a certain number of employees with certain qualifications such as paramedic training, generally prohibits religious discrimination in granting or denying immigration benefits, and establishes grant programs for providing training and services to immigrants.
Preventing Tragedies Between Police and Communities Act of 2021 This bill requires a state or local government that receives funding under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) program to train law enforcement officers on de-escalation techniques and require law enforcement to use such techniques. The Department of Justice (DOJ) may reduce the JAG allocation of a state or local government that fails to comply with the training requirement. DOJ must reduce by 15% the JAG allocation of a state or local government that fails to require law enforcement officers to use de-escalation techniques.
White Supremacy in Law Enforcement Information Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Justice (DOJ), in coordination with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), to prepare and release an intelligence assessment describing the relationship between white supremacy and law enforcement. The assessment must include information on white supremacist links to and infiltration of law enforcement agencies. The bill also requires DOJ, in coordination with the FBI, to release (1) past intelligence assessments related to white supremacist links to and infiltration of law enforcement agencies, and (2) actions to address such links and infiltration.
Puppy Protection Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture to expand standards that govern the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of animals to include new requirements for commercial dog dealers. Specifically, the standards must require dog dealers to provide to dogs adequate housing, exercise, and veterinary care; appropriate and nutritious food; continuous access to potable water; and meaningful socialization with humans and compatible dogs for at least 30 minutes each day. The standards must also include requirements for breeders to use safe breeding practices and make all reasonable efforts to find humane placement for retired breeding dogs.
Universal Child Care and Early Learning Act This bill provides funds to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for an affordable child care and early learning program. Children who are at least six weeks of age but not yet required to attend school may participate in the program regardless of family income, disability status, citizenship status, or employment of a family member. Under the program, HHS must support sponsors (e.g., states, local governments, tribal organizations, and nonprofit community organizations) that provide child care and early learning services for families. Families must pay a subsidized fee, based on their income, for the services. The fees are waived for children from families with incomes below 200% of the poverty line. The fees are capped at 7% of a family's income regardless of the family's income level.
Animal Freedom from Testing, Experiments, and Research Act of 2021 or the AFTER Act of 2021 This bill requires departments, agencies, or instrumentalities that operate federal research facilities or exhibit animals to promulgate regulations that facilitate and encourage the adoption of certain animals that are suitable for retirement.
Families Belong Together Act This bill provides various immigration benefits for eligible alien parents (or legal guardians) and minor children who were separated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) between January 20, 2017, and January 20, 2021. Generally, to be an eligible parent or minor child under this bill, the alien must not be inadmissible for certain crime- or security-related grounds, though DHS may waive certain grounds for humanitarian or public interest reasons. Furthermore, an eligible child who was separated as a minor remains eligible for the immigration benefits after reaching majority. DHS must grant humanitarian parole into the United States to an eligible alien who requests such parole, regardless of whether the alien is physically present in the United States. An eligible alien in the United States may apply for lawful permanent resident status. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services shall grant a qualifying alien's lawful permanent resident status within 30 days of receiving the alien's application. An alien who receives lawful permanent resident status under this bill shall be eligible for benefits and services that are available to an alien who is admitted as a refugee. Certain annual numerical limitations shall not apply to aliens who receive lawful permanent resident status under this bill. If an alien seeks judicial review of a denial of an application for lawful permanent resident status under this bill, the Department of Justice shall appoint counsel to represent that alien upon request.
Combating Sexual Harassment in Science Act This bill addresses sexual harassment in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields by supporting research regarding sexual harassment and efforts to prevent and respond to sexual harassment. This bill directs the National Science Foundation (NSF) to award grants to institutions of higher education or nonprofit organizations (or their consortia) to expand research into the factors contributing to, and consequences of, sexual harassment affecting individuals in the STEM workforce, including students and trainees; and examine interventions for reducing the incidence and negative consequences of sexual harassment. The NSF must convene a working group to gather national data on the prevalence, nature, and implications of such harassment in institutions of higher education. The NSF shall enter into agreements with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to (1) update a responsible conduct guide issued by the National Academies to include, among other things, evidence-based practices for fostering a climate that is intolerant of sexual harassment; and (2) study the influence of sexual harassment in institutions of higher education on the career advancement of individuals in the STEM workforce. The National Science and Technology Council shall establish an interagency working group to coordinate the federal science agencies' efforts to reduce the prevalence of sexual harassment involving grant personnel. The Office of Science and Technology Policy must develop policy guidelines for such agencies to prevent and respond to reports of sexual harassment and gender harassment.
Restoring Neighborhoods and Strengthening Communities Act This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish a grant program to identify infrastructural barriers posed by transportation facilities within certain communities (e.g., communities of color, low-income communities, or tribal or indigenous populations) and study the feasibility of improving, and developing plans to improve, connectivity within these communities by redesigning or removing such barriers. DOT may award grants to states, tribal and local governments, nonprofit organizations, and other entities for (1) community engagement, education, and capacity building, including to educate community members about opportunities to affect transportation and economic development planning and investment decisions; and (2) planning and feasibility studies, including development of designs and artistic renderings to facilitate community engagement. It may also award capital construction grants to the owner of an infrastructural barrier to carry out projects for which all necessary feasibility studies and other planning activities have been completed, including the replacement of an infrastructural barrier with a new use or facility that has been identified by members of the community.
Bringing Low-cost Options and Competition while Keeping Incentives for New Generics Act of 2021 or the BLOCKING Act of 2021 This bill modifies provisions related to market exclusivity for a generic drug. Currently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) awards 180 days of exclusivity on the market to a first applicant to file a qualifying application for market approval of a generic drug. Generally, this exclusivity period begins upon a first applicant's commercial marketing of the drug. The bill authorizes the FDA to approve a subsequent generic drug application prior to a first applicant's first date of commercial marketing if (1) the subsequent application is ready for full approval, (2) a first applicant's application has been pending for at least 30 months, and (3) the approval of a first applicant's application is not precluded by patent infringement claims asserted against that first applicant.
