Luke and Alex School Safety Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish a Federal Clearinghouse on School Safety Best Practices for use by state and local educational and law-enforcement agencies, institutions of higher education, health professionals, and the public. The bill requires DHS to collect clearinghouse data analytics, user feedback on the implementation of best practices and recommendations identified by the clearinghouse, and any evaluations conducted on these best practices and recommendations. In addition, DHS must coordinate with the Departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and Justice to assess and identify best practices and recommendations and establish an advisory board to provide feedback and propose additional recommendations. Further, the bill specifies the criteria for best practices and recommendations of the clearinghouse, including evidence that the best practice or recommendation has had a significant effect on improving the health, safety, and welfare of individuals in school settings. Finally, the bill provides for grant program review.
Border Crisis Prevention Act of 2021 This bill imposes additional requirements on asylum seekers, increases certain time limits related to detained aliens, and addresses other immigration-related issues. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must detain certain aliens, such as an alien convicted of an aggravated felony or believed to be a trafficker of controlled substances, beyond certain time limits for detaining an alien. The bill also provides for additional instances when DHS may extend the 90-day removal period (generally the window in which DHS has to remove an alien after a final order of removal). An alien choosing to appeal mandatory detention or detention as part of a removal period extension may do so only by filing for a writ of habeas corpus. DHS shall establish a process to determine whether an alien not subject to mandatory detention and who has tried to comply with a removal order should be detained or released with conditions. Furthermore, under this bill, an alien's credible fear of persecution must be more probable than not in order to be eligible for asylum. DHS may also deny asylum to an applying alien and remove the alien to a country that is not the alien's country of nationality, if the alien would be safe and would be able to apply for asylum from that country. (Currently, an asylum applicant may be removed to a third country only if that country is party to an agreement allowing for such removal.) The Department of Justice may appoint 100 additional immigration judges.
Heartbeat Protection Act of 2021 This bill makes it a crime for a physician to knowingly perform an abortion (1) without determining whether the fetus has a detectable heartbeat, (2) without informing the mother of the results, or (3) after determining that a fetus has a detectable heartbeat. It provides an exception for an abortion that is necessary to save the life of a mother whose life is endangered by a physical (but not psychological or emotional) disorder, illness, or condition. A physician who performs a prohibited abortion is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, up to five years in prison, or both. A woman who undergoes a prohibited abortion may not be prosecuted for violating or conspiring to violate the provisions of this bill.
Blocking Rioters and Insurrectionists from our Cities to Keep us Safe Act of 2021 or the BRICKS Act of 2021 This bill increases criminal penalties for rioting and related offenses (e.g., inciting a riot). First, the bill increases from 5 to 10 years the statutory maximum prison term for a rioting offense. Second, it establishes higher statutory maximum penalties for rioting offenses that involve certain aggravating characteristics. Specifically, it provides a prison term of up to 25 years for a rioting offense that results in serious bodily injury or includes a dangerous weapon, explosives, or fire; and a prison term of any years or for life for a rioting offense that results in death or includes kidnapping, attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse, attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or attempt to kill.
Recognition of Local Interests in NEPA Decision Making This bill sets forth requirements for determining the venue for judicial review of an agency action under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Specifically, the bill requires a proceeding for judicial review of an agency's compliance with NEPA to be brought in the U.S. district court for a district in which the authorized activity is proposed to be carried out or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
Unfunded Mandates Accountability and Transparency Act This bill revises rulemaking requirements with respect to unfunded mandates. Specifically, the bill requires federal agencies to prepare and publish in the Federal Register an initial and final regulatory impact analysis prior to promulgating any proposed or final major rule. The analysis must include regulatory alternatives to the rule. Major rule means a rule that the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs determines is likely to cause an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more; a major increase in costs or prices for consumers, individual industries, federal, state, local, or tribal government agencies, or geographic regions; or significant adverse effects on competition, employment, investment, productivity, innovation, public health and safety, or the ability of U.S.-based enterprises to compete with foreign-based enterprises in domestic and export markets. Before promulgating any proposed or final major rule, an agency shall select the regulatory alternative that maximizes net benefits, taking into consideration only the costs and benefits that arise within the scope of the statutory provision that authorizes the rulemaking, with exceptions. The bill prohibits Congress from considering a bill that increases private sector costs more than a certain amount unless certain conditions are met.
Promoting Apprenticeships through Regional Training Networks for Employers Required Skills Act of 2021 or the PARTNERS Act This bill establishes a grant program to promote registered apprenticeships and other work-based learning opportunities for small and medium-sized businesses within in-demand industry sectors, through the establishment and support of eligible partnerships.
Stop Greenlighting Driver Licenses for Illegal Immigrants Act This bill prohibits a state from receiving certain federal law enforcement grants if it takes certain immigration-related actions. Specifically, a state may not receive such grants if it (1) issues a driver license to an individual who does not have proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful presence in the United States, or (2) prohibits a local or state government entity or official from sharing immigration enforcement information with the Department of Homeland Security.
Just and Unifying Solutions To Invigorate Communities Everywhere Act of 2021 or the JUSTICE Act This bill addresses policies and issues regarding policing practices and law enforcement accountability. The bill funds state and local grants, incentivizes state and local reporting on the use of certain policing practices, creates new federal offenses for certain misconduct, and establishes best practices and training requirements. The bill funds state and local grants, including to support the use of body-worn cameras, to implement information sharing systems for disciplinary records of law enforcement officers, and to prohibit officers from engaging in sexual acts under color of the law. Further, it requires state and local governments that receive grants under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program to report information related to use-of-force incidents and the use of no-knock warrants. At the federal level, the bill establishes new criminal offenses related to falsifying police reports and engaging in sexual acts under color of law. The bill directs the Department of Justice to develop training on de-escalation tactics, behavioral health crises, alternatives to the use of force, and the duty to intervene when another officer uses excessive force. Finally, the bill establishes and funds the National Criminal Justice Commission. Among other tasks, the commission must develop best practices for policing tactics and procedures.
Child Custody Protection Act of 2021 This bill establishes new criminal offenses related to the transportation of a minor across state lines for an abortion. Specifically, the bill makes it a crime to knowingly transport a minor across a state line to obtain an abortion without satisfying a parental involvement law in the minor's resident state. A parental involvement law requires parental consent or notification, or judicial authorization, for a minor to obtain an abortion. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, up to one year in prison, or both. The bill provides an exception for an abortion that is necessary to save the life of a minor whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, illness, or condition. Additionally, the bill imposes criminal penalties on an individual who commits incest with a minor and knowingly transports the minor across a state line to receive an abortion.
Teleabortion Prevention Act of 2021 This bill restricts the use of telehealth for chemical abortions (also known as medication abortions). Specifically, it requires a provider who dispenses or prescribes medication for a chemical abortion to physically examine the patient, be physically present at the location of the chemical abortion, and schedule a follow-up visit. The bill provides an exception for a chemical abortion that is necessary to save the life of a mother whose life is endangered by a physical disorder, illness, injury, or condition. The bill establishes criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to two years, or both—for a provider who does not comply with the requirements. A patient who undergoes a chemical abortion may not be prosecuted.
Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act This bill establishes requirements for the degree of care a health care practitioner must provide in the case of a child born alive following an abortion or attempted abortion. Specifically, a health care practitioner who is present must (1) exercise the same degree of care as would reasonably be provided to any other child born alive at the same gestational age, and (2) ensure the child is immediately admitted to a hospital. Additionally, a health care practitioner or other employee who has knowledge of a failure to comply with the degree-of-care requirements must immediately report such failure to law enforcement. A health care practitioner who fails to provide the required degree of care, or a health care practitioner or other employee who fails to report such failure, is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, up to five years in prison, or both. An individual who intentionally kills or attempts to kill a child born alive is subject to prosecution for murder. The bill bars the criminal prosecution of a mother of a child born alive under this bill and allows her to bring a civil action against a health care practitioner or other employee for violations.
