Improving College Affordability for our Guard and Reserve Act This bill authorizes all members of the Armed Forces—including reservists or those in the National Guard and regardless of their duty status—to claim independent student status when applying for federal financial aid. Currently, active duty service members and veterans of the Armed Forces may claim such independent student status.
Keep Huawei on the Entity List Act This bill continues export controls on Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., and it requires the Department of Commerce to designate Honor Device Co. Ltd. for inclusion on the list of entities subject to certain license requirements for exports. The bill prohibits Commerce from removing Huawei (or its subsidiaries or affiliates) from the entity list unless Commerce certifies that Huawei (1) has not engaged in activities that are contrary to U.S. national security or foreign policy interests and is unlikely to do so in the future; and (2) is not owned, controlled, or influenced by the Communist Party of China. Commerce must submit a monthly report identifying and describing all license applications to export, reexport, or transfer (in-country) certain items to Huawei or Honor, as well as whether those applications were approved or denied.
Jim Ramstad Legacy of Recovery Act This bill allows states to receive federal Medicaid payment for psychiatric and substance-use disorder services provided in institutions for mental diseases (IMDs) to patients who are enrolled with a Medicaid managed care organization (MCO) or in a prepaid inpatient health plan (PIHP). Current law generally prohibits federal payment under Medicaid for services provided in IMDs for individuals under the age of 65. However, states may receive federal Medicaid payment for monthly capitation payments to MCOs and PIHPs for services provided in IMDs to enrollees aged 21 to 64. Such services must be provided for no longer than 15 days per month and in lieu of other services covered under the state Medicaid program.
Prevent Outages With Energy Resilient Options Nationwide Act or the POWER ON Act This bill revises requirements governing the designation of a national interest electric transmission corridor. Currently, the Department of Energy (DOE) may designate any geographic area experiencing electric energy transmission capacity constraints or congestion that adversely affects consumers. The bill expands the list of considerations DOE may use to select and designate a corridor. Specifically, DOE may consider whether the designation would (1) enhance the ability of facilities that generate or transmit renewable energy, low-emission energy, or emission-free energy to connect to the electric grid; (2) promote electrification of other sectors, including the transportation sector; or (3) facilitate other public policies to decarbonize the grid. DOE may also consider whether the designation maximizes existing rights-of-way, avoids sensitive environmental areas and cultural heritage sites, and would lower the cost of electricity for consumers. The bill also revises the authority (i.e., backstop authority) of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to issue a permit for interstate transmission projects in such corridors when states and local governments fail to do so, including by specifying the timing for when FERC may issue such permits. In addition, the bill requires permit holders to make good faith efforts to engage landowners and other stakeholders early before exercising the right of eminent domain to purchase property needed to complete permit projects. Finally, the bill requires DOE to provide technical assistance to regional transmission siting agencies.
Open Back Better Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to provide grants to federal and state agencies and tribal organizations to implement building projects that increase resiliency, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and grid integration. It also provides grants for projects that may have combined heat and power and energy storage as project components. States must use at least 40% of grant funds to implement projects in environmental justice communities or low-income communities that have been adversely impacted by the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.
Sand Acquisition, Nourishment, and Development Act or the SAND Act This bill allows the Department of the Army to acquire fill material for beach erosion and nourishment purposes from non-domestic sources even if such materials are available from domestic sources.
Adoption Information Act This bill requires federally funded family planning programs to provide each person who inquires about their services with specified information about adoption centers in their state. The Department of Health and Human Services must provide the programs with pamphlets containing the required information.
Nuclear Waste Informed Consent Act This bill prohibits the Department of Energy (DOE) from using the Nuclear Waste Fund for certain expenditures involving repositories for disposing of spent nuclear fuel or high-level radioactive waste. Specifically, DOE may not use the fund to pay for disposal in a repository or planning, construction, or operation of a repository unless DOE has entered into an agreement with the state in which the repository is located and with affected local governments and Indian tribes.
Vital Standardization of Thoughtful Administrative Techniques and Statistics Act of 2021 or the Vital STATS Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to commission a study from the National Academy of Medicine on coordination and standardization of vital-statistics reporting and data sharing between federal, state, and local agencies.
Federally Integrated Species Health Act or the FISH Act This bill gives the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) the sole authority to protect endangered or threatened species that are anadromous species (species of fish that spawn in fresh or estuarine waters and that migrate to ocean waters) or catadromous species (species of fish that spawn in ocean waters and migrate to fresh waters). Currently, the FWS shares this authority with the National Marine Fisheries Service.
Research Investment to Spark the Economy Act of 2021 or the RISE Act of 2021 This bill authorizes the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, the Interior, Health and Human Services, and Transportation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Science Foundation, and Environmental Protection Agency to provide support for research regarding COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) or research disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Support may be used to provide supplemental funding to extend the duration of a grant to a research institution, national laboratory, or individual that was awarded prior to the enactment of this bill, or to expand the purposes of such a grant as specified; issue awards to research the effects of the current pandemic and potential future pandemics; and provide flexibility on awards to account for facility closures or other limitations during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Agencies must provide the support as rapidly as possible. Provided funds shall remain available through FY2021.
Protecting American Energy Jobs Act This bill limits the President's authority to prohibit or withdraw federal land or waters from energy production activities. Specifically, the bill requires the President and federal agencies to obtain the approval of Congress before prohibiting or substantially delaying certain new energy or mineral leases or permits on federal lands, including oil and gas leases, coal leases, hard rock leases, or critical minerals leases. In addition, the President and agencies must obtain the approval of Congress before withdrawing certain federal lands from mineral and geothermal leasing activities. Further, the bill repeals the President's authority to withdraw unleased lands on the outer Continental Shelf from oil and gas leasing. The bill nullifies Executive Order 13990 titled Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science To Tackle the Climate Crisis; Executive Order 14008 titled Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad; and the Department of the Interior's Secretarial Order 3395 concerning a temporary suspension of delegated authority to all of Interior's Bureaus and Offices, including the authority to approve leases.
