Pandemic Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Act of 2021 This bill establishes in the legislative branch the Pandemic Preparedness, Response, and Recovery Commission to make recommendations and propose legislation for modification, consolidation, harmonization, or repeal of regulations to reduce compliance costs, encourage growth and innovation, improve competitiveness, and protect public safety. The commission must give priority to regulations (1) the repeal or modification of which may assist recovery or response to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic and future pandemics, (2) that impose disproportionately high costs on a small entity, (3) that create substantial recurring paperwork burdens or transaction costs, or (4) that could be made more effective while reducing regulatory costs. The bill sets forth reporting requirements for the commission and procedures for congressional consideration of commission reports, recommendations, and proposed legislation.
Sponsored bills
This bill increases the penalties for an alien who fails to appear at a removal proceeding and modifies related procedures. Currently, an alien who misses a required removal proceeding shall be ordered removed from the United States if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement proves that the alien had received written notice to appear at the removal proceeding. If an alien in Department of Justice or Department of Homeland Security custody is required to attend a removal proceeding, this bill requires DOJ or DHS to issue such a written notice to the alien before removing or paroling that alien from its custody. Furthermore, under this bill, an alien who fails to attend a required removal proceeding after receiving written notice shall lose any immigration status or benefit the alien may have, absent exceptional circumstances.
This resolution expresses the sense that the current influx of migrants at the southern land border constitutes a crisis.
Secure and Protect Act of 2021 This bill makes changes to the handling of unaccompanied alien children and asylum applications. The Flores settlement (a court settlement imposing conditions on the treatment of detained alien minors) shall not restrict any activities. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall have sole discretion as to detention standards of alien minors. Statutory provisions governing the handling of unaccompanied alien children from U.S.-bordering countries shall now govern all unaccompanied alien children. The bill provides for requirements relating to the handling of such alien children. Certain immigration officer determinations relating to unaccompanied alien children shall be unreviewable. DHS may detain accompanied alien children pending the completion of removal proceedings (some courts have ruled that Flores limits the detention of certain alien children to 20 days). States may not impose licensing requirements for family detention facilities. An unaccompanied alien child shall not be released from custody while immigration or removal proceedings are pending, with some exceptions. The bill limits asylum eligibility to aliens entering the United States at a designated port of entry and provides for additional grounds for asylum ineligibility. A credible fear of persecution is redefined to mean that it is more likely than not that the alien would be able to establish eligibility for asylum. The Department of State shall establish refugee application and processing centers in Mexico and Central America. The bill requires the hiring of additional immigration judges, support staff, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement attorneys.
No Budget, No Pay Act This bill prohibits Members of Congress from being paid in a fiscal year until both chambers approve the budget resolution and pass all regular appropriations bills for that fiscal year. Retroactive pay is prohibited for such a period.
Rural Health Clinic Protection Act This bill applies certain modified payment limits to rural health clinics that temporarily enrolled in Medicare during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19 or that applied to enroll by December 31, 2020.
Protecting Seniors Access to Health Care Act This bill modifies funding and eligibility for various benefits and programs, including several established under COVID-19 relief laws. With respect to funding, the bill provides supplemental funding for the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund to reimburse certain health care providers for expenses or lost revenue attributed to COVID-19; and rescinds certain unobligated funds that were provided to the Department of the Treasury for payments to state, tribal, and territorial governments to mitigate fiscal impacts of COVID-19. The bill also applies certain modified payment limits to certain rural health clinics that enrolled in, or applied to enroll in, Medicare in calendar year 2020. Furthermore, the bill prohibits individuals who were unlawfully present in the United States on March, 11, 2021, from receiving premium subsidies in the event they lose employer-sponsored health insurance due to involuntary termination or a reduction in hours, or direct payments provided to certain taxpayers to mitigate financial hardship during the COVID-19 emergency. The bill also prohibits individuals who were incarcerated on that date from receiving the direct payments.
Mental Health Access Improvement Act of 2021 This bill provides for coverage of marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor services under Medicare. It also excludes such services from the skilled nursing facility prospective payment system, and authorizes marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors to develop discharge plans for post-hospital services.
Energy Security Cooperation with Allied Partners in Europe Act of 2021 This bill establishes requirements related to U.S. international energy strategy. Applications to export natural gas to North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member countries, Japan, and certain other countries shall be granted on an expedited basis without modification or delay. The President shall impose sanctions on a person that provides certain equipment, investment, or services to the Russian government or related entities for constructing or servicing Russian energy export pipelines. The Department of State shall report to Congress on a strategy to enhance the energy security of NATO member countries and increase U.S. energy exports to such countries.
Jumpstart Our Businesses by Supporting Students Act of 2021 or the JOBS Act of 2021 This bill expands student eligibility for Pell Grants by establishing the Job Training Federal Pell Grant program. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Education to award a job training Pell Grant to a student who does not have a degree; attends an institution of higher education (IHE); is enrolled in a career and technical education program at an IHE that provides 150 to 600 clock hours of instructional time over a period of 8 to 15 weeks and provides training aligned with high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industry sectors (i.e., job training programs); and meets all other eligibility requirements for a Pell Grant. It also specifies that any period during which a student receives a job training Pell Grant counts toward that student's Pell Grant eligibility period.