Strengthening and Amplifying Vaccination Efforts to Locally Immunize All Veterans and Every Spouse Act or the SAVE LIVES Act This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to furnish a COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) vaccine to covered individuals during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Under the bill, covered individuals are veterans who are not eligible to enroll in the VA health care system; specified veterans who are eligible for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care abroad; beneficiaries who are eligible for care due to a specified disability or death of a veteran; family caregivers of veterans who are participating in the VA's Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers; caregivers of veterans participating in the VA's Program of General Caregiver Support Services; caregivers of veterans participating in the VA's Medical Foster Home Program, Bowel and Bladder Program, Home Based Primary Care Program, or Veteran Directed Care Program; and the spouses of veterans. The VA must prioritize the vaccination of (1) veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system, (2) veterans who fail to enroll but receive hospital care and medical services for specified disabilities in their first 12 months of separation from service, and (3) caregivers accompanying such prioritized veterans. Under the bill, the VA is authorized to determine the timing for offering a vaccine to the spouse of a veteran.
COVID - 19 Hate Crimes Act This bill requires a designated officer or employee of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to facilitate the expedited review of hate crimes and reports of hate crimes. DOJ must issue guidance for state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies on establishing online hate crime reporting processes, collecting data disaggregated by protected characteristic (e.g., race or national origin), and expanding education campaigns. Additionally, DOJ and the Department of Health and Human Services must issue guidance aimed at raising awareness of hate crimes during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. The bill establishes grants for states to create state-run hate crimes reporting hotlines. It also authorizes grants for states and local governments to implement the National Incident-Based Reporting System and to conduct law enforcement activities or crime reduction programs to prevent, address, or respond to hate crimes. Finally, in the case of an individual convicted of a hate crime offense and placed on supervised release, the bill allows a court to order that the individual participate in educational classes or community service as a condition of supervised release.
PPP Extension Act of 2021 This bill extends the Paycheck Protection Program, established to support small businesses in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), through June 30, 2021. Currently, the program is set to expire on March 31, 2021. For the final 30 days of the program (i.e., from June 1 until June 30), the Small Business Administration may only process applications submitted prior to June 1, and it may not accept any new loan applications. The bill excludes the budgetary effects of this bill from PAYGO scorecards under the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 and from Senate PAYGO scorecards.
COVID-19 Bankruptcy Relief Extension Act of 2021 This bill extends existing provisions that provide relief to debtors in bankruptcy, including those related to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. These provisions (1) exclude certain COVID-19 aid payments from income for the purposes of bankruptcy, and (2) increase the debt eligibility threshold for businesses qualifying for certain types of Chapter 11 reorganization bankruptcy. Currently, these provisions expire March 27, 2021. The bill extends these provisions for one year. The bill also allows for modification of a Chapter 13 repayment plan for plans confirmed before the date of enactment of this bill if the debtor is experiencing material financial hardship due to COVID-19. Currently, such a modification is only available for plans confirmed before March 27, 2020.
