Natural Gas Export Expansion Act This bill revises requirements regarding natural gas imports or exports to expand the expedited application and approval process to any nation, even if not a party to a free trade agreement with the United States, that is not specifically excluded by this bill. The bill excludes any nation subject to sanctions or trade restrictions imposed by the United States or excluded by the President or Congress for national security reasons.
Improving National Safety by Updating the Required Amount of Insurance Needed by Commercial Motor Vehicles per Event Act of 2021 or the INSURANCE Act of 2021 This bill increases the minimum level of insurance required for motor carriers transporting property. The Department of Transportation must adjust the minimum insurance requirement every five years to account for inflation relating to medical care.
Real Estate Valuation Fairness and Improvement Act of 2021 This bill establishes the Interagency Task Force on Real Estate Valuation to harmonize among specified agencies and entities the underwriting standards that govern residential and commercial real estate valuations. The task force must also study racial disparities in the valuation and price of certain residential real estate. The bill also establishes a grant program for states, nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education to promote diversity and inclusion in the appraisal profession.
Fighting Emerging Narcotics Through Additional Nations to Yield Lasting Results Act or the FENTANYL Results Act This bill creates two programs, establishes a reporting requirement, and otherwise modifies provisions to facilitate global cooperation against synthetic drug trafficking. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of State to establish a program to provide capacity-building assistance for law enforcement agencies of specified countries to identify, track, and detect certain synthetic drugs (e.g., fentanyl). The State Department must also carry out an international exchange program for drug demand reduction experts to provide educational and professional development on demand-reduction matters relating to the illicit use of narcotics and other drugs. The bill requires the State Department to include new sections in its annual international narcotics control strategy report that contain (1) an assessment of the countries likely involved in the trafficking of synthetic opioids; and (2) policies of responding to new psychoactive substances. The bill also expands the definition of major illicit drug producing country to include countries that produce synthetic drugs. Under current law, foreign assistance may be withheld from such countries.
Global Electoral Exchange Act of 2021 This bill authorizes the Department of State to establish a Global Electoral Exchange Program to promote sound election-administration practices around the world. The State Department may award grants to qualified, tax-exempt, U.S.-based organizations that have expertise and experience in relevant topics, such as election-system integrity. Grants may be used to design programs to bring relevant individuals, such as election administrators and poll workers, together to study and discuss election procedures. The State Department shall periodically report to Congress on the program's activities.
Countering Russian and Other Overseas Kleptocracy Act or the CROOK Act This bill requires various actions designed to combat public corruption in foreign countries. The bill establishes within the Department of the Treasury the Anti-Corruption Action Fund to help foreign states fight public corruption and develop rule-of-law-based governance structures. For certain fines and penalties imposed under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, an additional fine shall be imposed and deposited into the fund. The Department of State must (1) manage U.S. government efforts to fight foreign public corruption, and (2) establish an interagency task force to assist in coordinating such efforts. Each U.S. embassy must have a point of contact responsible for coordinating the embassy's anti-corruption efforts. The State Department must report to Congress on its anti-corruption activities and make various reports publicly available online.
This resolution sets forth the rule for consideration of H.R. 471 (Protecting Americans from Unnecessary Spread upon Entry from COVID-19 Act of 2021 or the PAUSE Act of 2021).
This resolution states that the August 9, 2020, election in Belarus was neither free nor fair and, as such, the House of Representatives does not recognize Alyaksandr Lukashenka as the country's legitimate president. The resolution also states that the people of Belarus have the right to determine the country's future without unwelcome intervention from outside actors and condemns the human rights violations committed by Belarusian authorities.
Giving Relief to American Communities in Emergencies Act or the GRACE Act This bill extends authority through FY2022 for the Department of Transportation (DOT) to distribute formula funding for certain programs using the 2000 Census for areas that lost their urbanized area designation because their population fell below 50,000 after the 2000 census as a result of a major disaster. Upon request by a state in which an urbanized area that experiences a disaster-related population decrease is located, DOT may elect for purposes of the public transportation emergency relief program to (1) use the population of such area, as determined in the decennial census before the most recent decennial census; and (2) continue to treat the area as an urbanized area.
Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2021 This bill establishes transparency and public accountability standards for federal agencies with respect to (1) certain civil actions seeking to compel agency action, and (2) related consent decrees and settlement agreements. For example, an agency must publish a complaint filed against it within 15 days. Additionally, settlement proceedings must be conducted through mediation or an alternative dispute resolution program of the court, and those proceedings must include intervening parties. The bill also creates a presumption in favor of a motion to intervene in settlement proceedings. Further, at least 60 days prior to entering a consent decree or settlement agreement, an agency must publish, and accept and respond to public comment on, the proposed agreement or decree. An agency also must provide the court with the administrative record, a summary of the public comments, and access to the record of any public hearings on the proposed decree or agreement. The Department of Justice, or the agency litigating a matter independently, must certify to the court its approval of certain terms included in an agreement or decree, including terms that convert a discretionary authority into a nondiscretionary duty. A court may not approve a consent decree or settlement agreement unless the agency has sufficient time and procedures to comply with federal administrative procedures, other rulemaking statutes, and applicable executive orders. Finally, courts must review a consent decree or settlement if an agency files a motion to modify the decree or agreement on the basis of changed facts or circumstances.
Temporary Extension of Fentanyl Scheduling Act of 2021 This bill extends until July 6, 2022, the temporary scheduling order issued by the Drug Enforcement Administration to place fentanyl-related substances in schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. The temporary order expires on May 6, 2021.
Access to Contraception for Servicemembers and Dependents Act of 2021 This bill addresses Department of Defense (DOD) contraceptive care and family planning services. Specifically, the bill prohibits cost-sharing with respect to TRICARE beneficiaries for specified prescription contraceptives. Additionally, the bill prohibits cost-sharing for TRICARE Select and TRICARE Prime beneficiaries in relation to any in-network method of contraception or contraceptive care (including with respect to insertion, removal, and follow-up), any sterilization procedure, or any related patient education or counseling service. The bill requires DOD to provide information on all methods of emergency contraception and care to sexual assault survivors at its medical treatment facilities. Upon request by a sexual assault survivor, DOD must provide such emergency contraception or a prescription for emergency contraception. Finally, DOD must establish a uniform standard curriculum for education programs on family planning for all members of the Armed Forces. Such education programs must be provided to service members during their first year of service and at other appropriate times, as determined by each military department.
