Global Electoral Exchange Act of 2021 This bill authorizes the Department of State to establish a Global Electoral Exchange Program to promote sound election-administration practices around the world. The State Department may award grants to qualified, tax-exempt, U.S.-based organizations that have expertise and experience in relevant topics, such as election-system integrity. Grants may be used to design programs to bring relevant individuals, such as election administrators and poll workers, together to study and discuss election procedures. The State Department shall periodically report to Congress on the program's activities.
This bill modifies the calculation of loan amounts for partnerships with no employees (e.g., self-employed farmers) under the Paycheck Protection Program, which was established to support small businesses in response to COVID-19. Specifically, the bill allows such individuals to apply for a loan in the amount of the difference between their gross and net income loan amounts, even if they have already received a loan based on their net income and received forgiveness for that loan.
PPP Flexibility for Farmers, Ranchers, and the Self-Employed Act This bill makes various changes to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) with respect to certain loans, loan applicants, and loan recipients. First, the bill permits farming partnerships with gross farming income from self-employment to request a recalculation of the amount of their PPP loans based on the partners' distributive shares of gross income from the partnership. The recalculation is available retroactively for loans made on or before the date of enactment of this bill. Additionally, applicants for PPP loans may calculate their maximum loan amount based on the applicant's Internal Revenue Service Form 1040, Schedule C (i.e., profit or loss from a business). This applies retroactively to PPP loans made or approved on or before December 27, 2020. The bill also increases the maximum amount of a second draw PPP loan for individuals who received PPP loan forgiveness. The maximum second draw PPP loan amount for an eligible individual includes the increased PPP loan amount the individual would have received under the Economic Aid to Hard-Hit Small Businesses, Nonprofits, and Venues Act had the individual not already received loan forgiveness. This applies retroactively to second draw loans made on for before the date of enactment of this bill. The bill changes from a quarterly period to any contiguous 90-day period the calculation of revenue loss in determining eligibility for a second draw PPP loan. The bill also extends certain dates with respect to the administration of the PPP.
Rebuilding Stronger Infrastructure Act This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to (1) revise the emergency relief manual of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), including by incorporating resilience into its emergency relief program; (2) develop best practices for improving the use of resilience in the program; (3) provide information on such best practices to the FHWA and states; and (4) develop and implement a process to track the consideration of resilience as part of emergency relief efforts and the costs of emergency relief products. (The emergency relief program provides funds for emergency and permanent repairs on federal-aid highways and roads that have suffered serious damage because of a natural disaster or catastrophic failure from an external cause.) The total cost of a project funded under the emergency relief program may not exceed the cost of repair or reconstruction of a comparable facility unless DOT determines that the project incorporates economically justified betterments, including protective features to increase the resilience of the facility.
Minority Business Resiliency Act of 2021 This bill permanently authorizes the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) and requires the MBDA to promote and administer programs that assist the development of minority business enterprises (MBEs). Specifically, the bill requires the MBDA to (1) provide assistance to MBEs in domestic and foreign markets by making available specified resources, (2) promote the position of MBEs in local economies, and (3) collect data on the causes of MBE success or failure and research how economic conditions affect the development of MBEs. The bill establishes formal processes for the MBDA Business Center Program and the MBDA Rural Business Center Program through which business centers provide programs and services to support MBEs. The bill also establishes new initiatives to promote economic resiliency for minority businesses, including (1) an annual forum to review problems and programs relating to capital formation by MBEs, (2) a study and report on alternative financing solutions for MBEs, and (3) entrepreneurship education grants for certain institutions of higher education to develop and implement entrepreneurship curricula. Further, the bill establishes grants for (1) certain nonprofit organizations that provide services to MBEs as one of their primary activities, and (2) MBEs for the purpose of supporting MBEs or helping MBEs remain in business. The Government Accountability Office must report on the programs carried out pursuant to the bill.
Access to Contraception for Servicemembers and Dependents Act of 2021 This bill addresses Department of Defense (DOD) contraceptive care and family planning services. Specifically, the bill prohibits cost-sharing requirements with respect to TRICARE beneficiaries for specified prescription contraceptives. Additionally, the bill prohibits cost-sharing requirements for TRICARE Select and TRICARE Prime beneficiaries in relation to any in-network method of contraception or contraceptive care (including with respect to insertion, removal, and follow-up), any sterilization procedure, or any related patient education or counseling service. The bill requires DOD to provide information on all methods of emergency contraception and care to sexual assault survivors at its medical treatment facilities. Upon request by a sexual assault survivor, DOD must provide such emergency contraception or a prescription for emergency contraception. Finally, DOD must establish a uniform standard curriculum for education programs on family planning for all members of the Armed Forces. Such education programs must be provided to service members during their first year of service and at other appropriate times, as determined by each military department.
Opportunities to Support Mothers and Deliver Children Act This bill provides funding for, and requires the Department of Health and Human Services to award, grants for demonstration projects to train low-income individuals to work in the field of pregnancy or childbirth. Grantees must be located in a state that recognizes doulas or midwives as health care providers and that allows payment for their services in the Medicaid program.
Access to Contraception for Servicemembers and Dependents Act of 2021 This bill addresses Department of Defense (DOD) contraceptive care and family planning services. Specifically, the bill prohibits cost-sharing with respect to TRICARE beneficiaries for specified prescription contraceptives. Additionally, the bill prohibits cost-sharing for TRICARE Select and TRICARE Prime beneficiaries in relation to any in-network method of contraception or contraceptive care (including with respect to insertion, removal, and follow-up), any sterilization procedure, or any related patient education or counseling service. The bill requires DOD to provide information on all methods of emergency contraception and care to sexual assault survivors at its medical treatment facilities. Upon request by a sexual assault survivor, DOD must provide such emergency contraception or a prescription for emergency contraception. Finally, DOD must establish a uniform standard curriculum for education programs on family planning for all members of the Armed Forces. Such education programs must be provided to service members during their first year of service and at other appropriate times, as determined by each military department.
American Workforce Empowerment Act This bill allows tax-preferred college savings plans (529 plans) to fund certain postsecondary certificate programs and apprenticeship programs.
Civilian Climate Corps for Jobs and Justice Act This bill establishes a Civilian Climate Corps Program and generally revises benefits provided to national service program participants. The bill establishes a Civilian Climate Corps to operate (1) a national climate service program; and (2) a national climate service grant program to help communities respond to climate change and transition to a clean economy, including through reducing carbon emissions. The bill also provides for allowances for participants in certain national service programs, including the Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) program and the National Civilian Community Corps. The bill expands the exclusion from gross income, for income tax purposes, to exclude amounts received as educational awards or benefits and income attributable to discharges of student loan debt under the National and Community Service Act of 1990.
Saving Hypodermic Injections and Offering vaccines to Taxpayers Swiftly Act of 2021 or the SHOTS Act of 2021 This bill prohibits any alien who is not a lawful permanent resident from receiving a COVID-19 vaccine until the earlier of (1) the date when all U.S. nationals and lawful permanent residents who wish to receive a vaccine have been fully vaccinated, or (2) December 31, 2021.
Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act of 2021 This bill expands Medicare coverage of chiropractic services to include all services provided by chiropractors, rather than only subluxation corrections through manual manipulation of the spine.
