Alaska Native Vietnam Veteran Land Allotment Fulfillment Act of 2021 This bill makes additional federal land available for selection under the Alaska Native Vietnam Era Veterans Land Allotment Program. The program makes Alaska Native veterans who served in the Armed Forces in Vietnam between August 5, 1964, and December 31, 1971, or their heirs eligible to receive up to 160 acres of federal land in Alaska. Specifically, the bill makes federal lands within units of the National Wildlife Refuge System in Alaska that were identified by the Department of the Interior in a November 2020 report as immediately available for allotment selection under the program. Interior identified over 3.6 million acres of land that should be made available for allotment selection by these veterans.
Sponsored bills
Visit America Act This bill implements measures to support the U.S. travel and tourism industry and to address the declining percentage of international visitors to the United States. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Commerce to develop a 10-year travel and tourism strategy with annual goals for the number of international visitors to the United States and for travel exports. The bill also establishes the role of Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Travel and Tourism, whose responsibilities shall include (1) setting an annual goal for the number of international visitors to the United States, (2) providing support for improved visitor visa processing, and (3) promoting travel exports abroad. Further, the assistant secretary must develop and implement a COVID-19 pandemic recovery strategy to assist the recovery of the U.S. travel and tourism industry from travel restrictions necessitated by the pandemic. The bill also provides statutory authority for the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, which shall aid the assistant secretary in developing and implementing the COVID-19 pandemic recovery strategy.
Rural Physician Workforce Production Act of 2021 This bill allows certain hospitals to receive additional payment under Medicare for full-time equivalent residents who receive training in rural areas. Specifically, hospitals, critical access hospitals, sole community hospitals, and rural emergency hospitals may elect to receive payment for time spent by a resident in a rural training location if the resident trains for at least eight weeks in the location and the hospital pays the salary and benefits of the resident during this time. Additionally, hospitals may receive payment for all time spent by residents in a residency program in which 50% of all training is in rural locations, regardless of where the training occurs or specialty. Payments are based on the difference between the total amount of eligible payments (as determined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) and the amount of graduate medical education payments received (if applicable).
Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act or the PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act This bill expands workplace protections for employees with a need to express breast milk. Specifically, it expands the requirement that employers provide certain accommodations for such an employee to cover salaried employees and other types of workers not covered under existing law. Further, time spent to express breast milk must be considered hours worked if the employee is also working.
This resolution offers the condolences of the Senate regarding the death of Senator David Henry Gambrell and honors his life and legacy.
Unwavering Support for our Coast Guard Act or the USCG Act This bill addresses the funding, pay, and duties of the Coast Guard. During a funding gap, the Department of the Treasury shall make available to the Department of Homeland Security such amounts necessary to continue to provide, without interruption, pay and allowances to members of the Coast Guard, including its reserve components, who perform active service during the funding gap. The Coast Guard must conduct an updated fleet mix analysis that provides for a fleet mix sufficient to carry out the missions of the Coast Guard and to address national security threats. The Coast Guard must develop an updated shore infrastructure investment plan that includes the construction of additional facilities to accommodate the updated fleet mix and improvements to ensure existing facilities meet requirements and remain operational for the lifespan of such fleet mix. The Cost Guard shall establish a program to increase the number of underrepresented minorities in the enlisted ranks of the Coast Guard.
National Guard and Reserve Incentive Pay Parity Act This bill requires the military department concerned to pay members of the reserve components a special bonus or incentive pay in the same monthly amount that is paid to members in the regular component of the service for performing comparable work requiring comparable skills.
American Indian and Alaska Native Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, the AI/AN Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, or the AI/AN CAPTA This bill establishes additional resources to assist tribal communities with preventing and treating child abuse and neglect. First, the bill requires the Government Accountability Office to report on child abuse and neglect in tribal communities for the purpose of making recommendations to Congress regarding these issues. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services must include Indian tribes and tribal organizations in its equitable distribution of assistance for programs and projects related to child abuse prevention and treatment.
Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act This bill establishes grant programs to address neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), and contains other related provisions. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall award grants to eligible entities to facilitate patients' access to investigational drugs that diagnose or treat ALS. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shall award grants to public and private entities to cover the costs of research and development of drugs that diagnose or treat ALS and other severely debilitating neurodegenerative diseases. HHS shall also establish the Public-Private Partnership for Neurodegenerative Diseases between the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, and at least one eligible entity (generally, an institution of higher education or a nonprofit organization). The partnership shall support the development and regulatory review of drugs that address ALS and other rare neurodegenerative diseases. The FDA shall publish on its website a five-year action plan for fostering the development of drugs that improve or extend the lives of people living with rare neurodegenerative diseases.
Mothers and Newborns Success Act This bill directs the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to take certain actions to improve, and reduce racial, ethnic, and geographic disparities in, maternal health outcomes. First, with respect to HRSA, the bill provides statutory authority for grants that support (1) state efforts to reduce disparities in maternal health; and (2) increased access to maternal and obstetrics care in rural areas, including through telehealth. HRSA must also award grants to identify best practices to improve pregnancy and postpartum outcomes. Second, the bill authorizes the CDC to establish or expand, and provide technical assistance on capturing racial and other demographic data related to, maternal health data collection. It also expands the scope of safe motherhood grants awarded to government health departments to include (1) classifying birthing facilities based on the level of maternal and neonatal care the facilities provide, and (2) improving the validity of pregnancy data on death certificates. In addition, the CDC must award grants for a campaign targeting health care providers and the public to increase awareness of maternal and child health issues. Lastly, the NIH must establish the National Maternal Health Research Network to support efforts to improve diagnostics and clinical treatments, improve health outcomes, and reduce inequities to reduce maternal mortality and promote maternal health.