Don't Weaponize the IRS Act This bill codifies regulations promulgated by the Trump Administration exempting certain tax-exempt organizations from specified reporting requirements. Specifically the bill increases from $5,000 to $50,000 the gross receipts threshold used to determine the eligibility of tax-exempt organizations for the exemption from certain disclosure and reporting requirements; expands the definition of organization to include tax-exempt charitable organizations and organizations with no significant activities relating to lobbying, political activity, and the operation of a trade or business; exempts from disclosure the names and addresses of contributors to an organization in its annual informational return; and extends exemptions from reporting requirements to political action committees (i.e., 527 organizations).
Saving Gig Economy Taxpayers Act This bill modifies requirements for third party settlement organizations to eliminate their reporting requirement with respect to the transactions of their participating payees unless they have earned more than $20,000 on more than 200 separate transactions in an applicable tax period. A third party settlement organization is the central organization that has the contractual obligation to make payments to participating payees (generally, a merchant or business) in a third party payment network. This reverses a provision in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 that lowered the reporting threshold to $600 with no minimum on the number of transactions.
See the Crisis Act This bill limits international travel by the Vice President until after certain activities are undertaken regarding the southwest border. Specifically, the bill prohibits the obligation or expenditure of federal funds for the Vice President's travel expenses to travel outside of the United States until the Vice President (1) personally travels to at least one of several specified counties along the border to review the activities of federal agencies responsible for enforcing and implementing immigration laws, and (2) submits a report relating to the situation at the border.
Contact Lens Prescription Verification Modernization Act This bill revises the requirements for the verification of prescriptions related to the purchase of contact lenses. Specifically, online sellers of prescription contact lenses must provide consumers with a method to transmit a digital copy of their prescriptions to such sellers. Online sellers also must encrypt protected health information they send by email. Additionally, the bill prohibits any seller of prescription contact lenses from using telephone calls with an artificial or prerecorded voice (i.e., robocalls) to verify a consumer's prescription.
Midwives for Maximizing Optimal Maternity Services Act of 2021 or the Midwives for MOMS Act of 2021 This bill establishes grants within the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for establishing or expanding midwifery programs at institutions of higher education and nursing schools. HRSA may prioritize funding for institutions that focus on increasing the number of midwife professionals from underrepresented groups and that promote practicing in areas with limited access to professional health care.
Surface Transportation Advanced through Reform, Technology, and Efficient Review Act 2.0 or the STARTER Act 2.0 This bill addresses provisions related to federal-aid highway, transit, highway safety, motor carrier, innovation, and resiliency programs of the Department of Transportation (DOT). It also sets forth requirements for the operation of railroad freight cars in the United States. For example, the bill extends FY2020 enacted levels through FY2026 for federal-aid highway, transit, and safety programs. DOT must provide competitive grants for projects to provide parking for commercial motor vehicles on the federal-aid highway system; establish a discretionary program to award competitive grants for eligible projects that encourage economic viability of the nation, a metropolitan area, or a region; create a public awareness campaign to reduce instances of driving while under the influence of prescription and over-the-counter medications; and promulgate regulations to implement an apprenticeship program for licensed commercial motor vehicle drivers under the age of 21. The bill also establishes new competitive grant programs to spur innovation of connected vehicle applications into operational deployments and to test the safe integration of automated driving system technologies into the on-road transportation system. Additionally, the bill addresses projects to improve the resiliency of federal-aid highways and bridges on and off the National Highway System. Further, the bill prohibits the operation of railroad freight cars in the United States that have been manufactured or assembled by certain foreign countries or that contain sensitive technology from such countries.
This resolution affirms U.S. support for Israel's right to peace and security as well as its right to defend itself and its civilians against terror.
Eliminating Barriers to Rural Internet Development Grant Eligibility Act or the E-BRIDGE Act This bill authorizes the Department of Commerce to award economic development grants for public-private partnerships and certain consortiums to carry out specified broadband projects. Such projects shall be to provide, extend, expand, or improve high-speed broadband service through (1) planning, technical assistance, or training; (2) land acquisition or development; or (3) acquisition, construction, or improvement of facilities. Title to real or personal property acquired or improved with grant funds, or another acceptable possessory interest, must be vested in a public partner or eligible nonprofit organization or association for the useful life of the project. In addition, grant funds may be combined with amounts made available under any other federal program, and Commerce may provide credit toward the nonfederal share of a broadband project's cost.
Postal Service Reform Act of 2021 This bill addresses the finances and operations of the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). The bill requires the Office of Personnel Management to establish, within the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, the Postal Service Health Benefits Program for USPS employees and retirees and provides for coordinated enrollment of retirees under this program and Medicare. The bill repeals the requirement that the USPS annually prepay future retirement health benefits. Additionally, the USPS may establish a program to enter into agreements with an agency of any state government, local government, or tribal government, and with other government agencies, to provide certain nonpostal products and services that reasonably contribute to the costs of the USPS and meet other specified criteria. The USPS must develop and maintain a publicly available dashboard to track service performance and must report regularly on its operations and financial condition. The bill requires mail delivery to occur at least six days a week. The Postal Regulatory Commission must annually submit to the USPS a budget of its expenses. It must also conduct a study to identify the causes and effects of postal inefficiencies relating to flats (e.g., large envelopes). The USPS Office of Inspector General shall perform oversight of the Postal Regulatory Commission.
Concentrating on High-value Alzheimer's Needs to Get to an End (CHANGE) Act of 2021 This bill modifies the requirements under Medicare for diagnosing and treating Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive impairments in older adults. Specifically, the bill expands the cognitive impairment detection benefit during annual wellness visits to require the use of validated detection tools and documentation of the results in the patient's medical record. Further, when a cognitive impairment is detected, the patient must be referred to an appropriate diagnostic service provider and other specified supports. Additionally, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must implement Medicare policies that increase the identification and response to patients' Alzheimer's disease risk factors and incentivize providers to utilize high-quality cognitive impairment diagnosis practices.
Birth Access Benefiting Improved Essential Facility Services Act or the BABIES Act This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to establish a Medicaid demonstration program to improve freestanding birth center services for women with low-risk pregnancies. Among other things, the CMS must (1) publish criteria for freestanding birth centers to participate in the program, including specified accreditation, licensure, and service requirements; (2) publish guidance for states to establish prospective payment systems under Medicaid for program participants; and (3) award planning grants for states to develop program proposals. The CMS may choose up to six states to participate in the program.
Rural Jobs Act This bill allocates an additional $500 million in 2022 and 2023 for new markets tax credit investments in the Rural Jobs Zone (an area comprised of low-income communities with populations not greater than 50,000 that are not adjacent to an urbanized area). The bill also requires that at least 25% of such investments be made in areas that are persistent poverty counties, high migration rural counties, or both.
