I am Vanessa Guillén Act of 2021 This bill addresses the policies and procedures of the Department of Defense (DOD) for cases or allegations of sex-related offenses.
Helping Emergency Responders Overcome Act or the HERO Act This bill establishes a series of programs relating to the behavioral health of law enforcement officers, first responders, 9-1-1 operators, and other public safety officers and health care providers. The programs include a public safety officer suicide-reporting system at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a grant program for peer-support behavioral health and wellness programs within fire departments and emergency medical services agencies, and a grant program for behavioral health and wellness programs for health care providers.
Boosting Long-term U.S. Engagement in the Pacific Act or the BLUE Pacific Act This bill requires and authorizes activities related to U.S. foreign policy in the Pacific Islands, including the Cook Islands, Fiji, the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu. The bill requires specified departments and agencies to develop and implement strategies in the region to expand the coverage of the International Law Enforcement Academies program; help build the capacity of local civilian and national security institutions; expand trade capacity and promote regional development; assist in preparing for natural disasters and other emergencies; assist in building public health capacity and improving outcomes, including in response to COVID-19; address climate change, with a focus on improving critical infrastructure and supporting ecosystem conservation efforts; provide expanded media content to the Pacific Islands and partner with journalists; support efforts to reduce gender-based violence and promote gender equality; promote educational and professional development of young adult leaders and professionals; and promote the development of civil society. The bill also requires the Department of State to prioritize efforts to help the Pacific Islands ratify and implement international legal conventions related to transnational crime. The State Department must also coordinate with regional allies and partners in providing assistance to the Pacific Islands. The President may provide assistance to the Pacific Islands to promote quality basic education and to promote the dissemination of free and accurate information.
This resolution commemorates the centennial of the establishment of the state of Jordan, expresses admiration and gratitude for the friendship of the Jordanian people, and looks forward to continued cooperation with Jordan on shared national priorities.
Taiwan International Solidarity Act This bill requires the Department of State to annually report to Congress on efforts by China to undermine Taiwan's participation in international organizations or Taiwan's relationships with other countries.
Creating Opportunities Now for Necessary and Effective Care Technologies (CONNECT) for Health Act of 2021 or the CONNECT for Health Act of 2021 This bill expands coverage of telehealth services under Medicare. Among other provisions, the bill allows the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to waive certain restrictions, such as restrictions on the types of technology that may be used; permanently removes geographic restrictions on originating sites (i.e., the location of the beneficiary) and allows the home of the beneficiary to serve as the originating site for all services; permanently allows federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics to serve as the distant site (i.e., the location of the health care practitioner); and allows the CMS to generally waive coverage restrictions during any public health emergency. Additionally, the CMS must report on the effects of expanded telehealth services during the COVID-19 public health emergency, including with respect to the utilization, quality, and outcomes of services. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation may also test alternative payment models relating to expanded telehealth services.
This concurrent resolution (1) affirms, on the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the first slave ship, that the nation owes a debt of remembrance not only to those who lived through the injustices of slavery but also to their descendants; and (2) urges the establishment of a U.S. Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation to properly acknowledge, memorialize, and be a catalyst for progress, including toward permanently eliminating persistent racial inequities.
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment declaring that women shall have equal rights in the United States and every place subject to its jurisdiction. The amendment prohibits the United States or any state from denying or abridging equal rights under the law on account of sex.
This resolution condemns and denounces all forms of anti-Asian sentiment, including those related to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), and calls on federal law enforcement officials, working with state and local agencies, to take specified steps. The resolution calls on federal officials to expeditiously investigate and document all credible reports of hate crimes, harassment, bullying, and threats against the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities; the Attorney General to work with state and local agencies and Asian American and Pacific Islander community-based organizations to prevent discrimination and to expand culturally competent and linguistically appropriate education campaigns on public reporting of hate crimes; and the Department of Health and Human Services to issue guidance describing best practices to mitigate racially discriminatory language in describing the pandemic. The resolution recommits the United States to serving as a world leader in building more inclusive, diverse, and tolerant societies by (1) prioritizing language access and inclusivity in communication practices, and (2) combating misinformation and discrimination that put Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders at risk.
Do No Harm Act This bill prohibits the application of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA) to specified federal laws or the implementation of such laws. Currently, RFRA prohibits the government from substantially burdening a person's exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, except in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest when using the least restrictive means. Under the bill, RFRA is inapplicable to laws or the implementation of laws that protect against discrimination or the promotion of equal opportunity (e.g., the Civil Rights Act of 1964); require employers to provide wages, other compensation, or benefits, including leave; protect collective activity in the workplace; protect against child labor, abuse, or exploitation; or provide for access to, information about, referrals for, provision of, or coverage for, any health care item or service. The bill prevents RFRA from being used to deny (1) goods or services the government has contracted, granted, or made an agreement to provide to a beneficiary of or participant in a program or activity funded by such government contract, grant, agreement, or other award; or (2) a person's full and equal enjoyment of a government-provided good, service, benefit, facility, privilege, advantage, or accommodation. In order for a person to assert a RFRA claim or defense in a judicial proceeding, the government must be a party to the proceeding.
