American Heritage Protection Act of 2021 This bill prohibits the Department of the Interior from changing the name of or altering in any way the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial, the Theodore Roosevelt Island, or the Washington Monument; or moving, or altering in any way, any statue located on federal land related to the War of 1812, the Civil War, or the Revolutionary War.
This resolution designates April 17, 2021, through April 25, 2021, as National Park Week. The resolution also encourages the people of the United States and the world to responsibly visit, experience, and support the treasured national parks of the United States while protecting public health during the coronavirus pandemic.
This resolution expresses the Senate's solidarity with the members of the San Isidro Movement, an organization of artists, activists, academics, and journalists protesting increased censorship and persecution in Cuba. Further, it calls on Cuba to release arbitrarily imprisoned artists and journalists, repeal laws that violate freedom of expression, and engage with activists seeking to advance freedom of expression in Cuba.
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that (1) clean water is a national priority, and (2) the 2020 final rule titled The Navigable Waters Protection Rule: Definition of "Waters of the United States" should not be withdrawn or vacated.
Stopping Activities Underpinning Development In Weapons of Mass Destruction Act or the SAUDI WMD Act This bill establishes measures to inhibit the development of nuclear weapons by Saudi Arabia. Specifically, the bill restricts the sale of specified munitions items to Saudi Arabia if, in the last three fiscal years, Saudi Arabia has taken certain steps towards developing nuclear weapons. Further, the bill requires the President to submit to Congress a written determination detailing (1) whether any foreign person knowingly engaged in the trade of specified weapons subject to the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) with Saudia Arabia in the last three fiscal years, and (2) the sanctions the President has imposed or intends to impose against those persons. (The MTCR is an informal political understanding among states that seek to limit the proliferation of missiles and missile technology.) The bill also requires the Department of State and the Department of Energy to submit a report on MTCR compliance and a strategy to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and missiles in the Middle East.
Israel and United States Security Enhancement for F-35 Exports Act of 2021 or the SECURE F-35 Exports Act of 2021 This bill requires specified assessments and certifications related to the sale of F-35 aircraft to countries in the Middle East to ensure that the sale, export, or transfer of these aircraft does not present a significant danger of compromising the critical military and technological military advantage of Israel or the U.S. Armed Forces.
Restricting First Use of Nuclear Weapons Act of 2021 This bill prohibits the use of federal funds to conduct a first-use nuclear strike unless Congress expressly authorizes such a strike pursuant to a declaration of war. A first-use nuclear strike is an attack using nuclear weapons against an enemy that did not first launch a nuclear strike against the United States, its territories, or its allies.
Selective Service Repeal Act of 2021 This bill repeals the requirement for males of ages 18 through 25 years old to register with the Selective Service. The bill also specifies that an individual shall not be penalized for prior failure to register with the Selective Service.
Summer Meals Act of 2021 This bill revises provisions related to the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) of the Department of Agriculture (USDA), which provides meals to children and teens in low-income areas during the summer months when school is not in session. The bill redefines areas in which poor economic conditions exist , where the SFSP may operate, as areas in which at least 40% (currently, 50%) of the children have been determined to be eligible for free or reduced price school meals under the school lunch and breakfast programs. The bill reimburses service institutions (other than school food authorities) for up to one meal and one snack per child each day during after-school hours, weekends, and school holidays during the regular school calendar. Currently, such institutions are reimbursed for meals and snacks served to children over the summer months or to children who are on vacation under a continuous school calendar. USDA must award competitive grants to service institutions to increase participation in the summer food service program for children who lack the ability to access a congregate feeding site through (1) innovative approaches to limited transportation, (2) mobile meal trucks, and (3) any other method or approach that does not require children to access a congregate feeding site. Service institutions that are participating in the summer food service program for children may serve up to three meals, or two meals and one snack, during each day of operation. Currently, this option is reserved for camps and service institutions that serve meals primarily to migrant children.
Gay and Trans Panic Defense Prohibition Act of 2021 This bill generally prohibits a federal criminal defendant from asserting, as a defense, that the nonviolent sexual advance of an individual or a perception or belief of the gender, gender identify or expression, or sexual orientation of an individual excuses or justifies conduct or mitigates the severity of an offense.
Choose Medicare Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish public health insurance plans and addresses health insurance costs. Such public plans must be offered on health insurance exchanges and (1) meet the requirements of a qualified health plan; (2) cover benefits at the gold plan level; and (3) cover reproductive services, including abortions. Additionally, the bill makes a series of changes related to health insurance costs, including requiring employers to refer employees to health care navigators to assist with enrollment, establishing an annual limit on out-of-pocket costs for services under Medicare, providing HHS with the authority to negotiate prices under the Medicare prescription drug benefit program, expanding the premium-assistance credit by benchmarking the credit amount to the second-lowest cost gold plan and increasing the income threshold for eligibility, requiring qualified health plans to reduce cost sharing for low-income plan holders, providing funding for states to provide reinsurance to health insurance issuers and to assist individuals with out-of-pocket costs for plans offered through health insurance exchanges, applying the premium rate-setting requirements to large group health plans, and requiring HHS or states to take corrective actions to address unreasonable premium rates set by insurance issuers.
Investor Choice Act of 2021 This bill prohibits broker-dealers and investment advisers from including mandatory arbitration, forum selection restrictions, or bans on class action suits in a customer or client agreement. Issuers of securities are also prohibited from mandating arbitration in a shareholder agreement.
