Protecting Our Wealth of Energy Resources Act of 2021 or the POWER Act of 2021 This 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.
End Taxpayer Subsidies for Drug Ads Act This bill prohibits a tax deduction for expenses relating to direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs. Direct-to-consumer advertising is any dissemination, by or on behalf of a sponsor of a prescription drug product, of an advertisement that is in regard to the drug product and primarily targeted to the general public.
Neighborhood Homes Investment Act This bill establishes a new business-related tax credit to finance home building and rehabilitation in neighborhoods that meet certain eligibility criteria relating to poverty rates, income, and home values. The credit is limited to 35% of the lesser of the qualified development cost (i.e., the cost of construction, substantial rehabilitation, demolition, and environmental remediation of residential properties) or 80% of the national median sale price for new homes. The credit applies to single family homes containing four or fewer residential units, condominiums, or houses or apartments owned by cooperative housing corporations.
New Markets for State-Inspected Meat and Poultry Act of 2021 This bill allows meat and poultry products inspected by State Meat and Poultry Inspection programs to be sold in interstate commerce. Under the inspection programs, the Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service allows states that meet certain requirements to inspect meat and poultry. The state-inspected products are currently limited to intrastate commerce, unless a state opts into a separate Cooperative Interstate Shipment Program.
No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion and Abortion Insurance Full Disclosure Act of 2021 This bill modifies provisions relating to federal funding for, and health insurance coverage of, abortions. Specifically, the bill prohibits the use of federal funds for abortions or for health coverage that includes abortions. Such restrictions extend to the use of funds in the budget of the District of Columbia. Additionally, abortions may not be provided in a federal health care facility or by a federal employee. Historically, language has been included in annual appropriations bills for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that prohibits the use of federal funds for abortions—such language is commonly referred to as the Hyde Amendment. Similar language is also frequently included in appropriations bills for other federal agencies and the District of Columbia. The bill makes these restrictions permanent and extends the restrictions to all federal funds (rather than specific agencies). The bill's restrictions regarding the use of federal funds do not apply in cases of rape, incest, or where a physical disorder, injury, or illness endangers a woman's life unless an abortion is performed. The Hyde Amendment provides the same exceptions. The bill also prohibits qualified health plans from including coverage for abortions. Currently, qualified health plans may cover abortion, but the portion of the premium attributable to abortion coverage is not eligible for subsidies.
Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law Act or the EQUAL Act This bill eliminates the federal sentencing disparity between drug offenses involving crack cocaine and powder cocaine. Currently, different threshold quantities of crack cocaine and powder cocaine (e.g., 28 grams of crack cocaine and 500 grams of powder cocaine) trigger the same statutory criminal penalties. This bill eliminates the lower quantity thresholds for crack cocaine offenses. Under the bill, the same threshold quantities of crack cocaine and powder cocaine trigger the same statutory criminal penalties. The change applies to future cases and cases pending on the date of enactment. With respect to past cases, the bill authorizes resentencing of a defendant who was convicted or sentenced for a crack cocaine offense before the date of enactment.
Child Care Workforce and Facilities Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to provide states and tribal entities with grants to increase access to licensed child care services. The grants may be used to develop and expand the child care workforce or child care facilities in locations with insufficient available child care. Specifically, grants cover 50% of the cost of programs to support the education and training of caregivers or projects to build, expand, or renovate child care facilities in these areas.
Protecting Life in Foreign Assistance Act This bill prohibits the use of federal funds for purposes outside the United States related to abortion. Specifically, the bill prohibits funding to certain foreign or domestic organizations that perform or promote abortions, furnish or develop items intended to procure abortions, or provide financial support for an entity that conducts such activities. Current U.S. policy prohibits the provision of federal funds to a foreign nongovernmental organization unless it agrees to not perform or actively promote abortions.
This bill authorizes the use of the Capitol rotunda on February 3, 2021, for a memorial service honoring Officer Brian Sicknick of the U.S. Capitol Police. The memorial service shall include Officer Sicknick's lying in honor in the rotunda, and the Architect of the Capitol shall place a plaque in honor of Officer Sicknick near the Capitol steps. The Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives and the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate must make arrangements for funeral services in the Capitol for Officer Sicknick, including payments for travel expenses of immediate family members and the attendance of Members of Congress. The bill also requires that any funds received by the Capitol Police Board in response to the attack on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, be deposited into the United States Capitol Police Memorial Fund.
Preserve American History Act This bill provides statutory authority for a November 2, 2020, executive order establishing the President's Advisory 1776 Commission to promote the history and principles of the founding of the United States.
Pre-Apprenticeships To Hardhats Act or the PATH Act This bill directs the Department of Labor to provide grants to eligible entities to develop pre-apprenticeship programs in the building and construction trades that serve underrepresented populations, including individuals from low income and rural census tracts.
Apprenticeship Hubs Across America Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Labor to implement a program to award grants to workforce intermediaries (certain national, regional, state, or local entities that facilitate the establishment of registered apprenticeship programs) to enable them to engage a variety of stakeholders to support, develop, and implement registered apprenticeship programs.
