Processing Revival and Intrastate Meat Exemption Act or the PRIME Act This bill expands the exemption of custom slaughtering of animals from federal inspection requirements. Under current law, the exemption applies if the meat is slaughtered for personal, household, guest, and employee uses. The bill expands the exemption to include meat that is slaughtered and prepared at a custom slaughter facility in accordance with the laws of the state where the facility is located; and prepared exclusively for distribution to household consumers in the state or restaurants, hotels, boarding houses, grocery stores, or other establishments in the state that either prepare meals served directly to consumers or offer meat and food products for sale directly to consumers in the state. The bill does not preempt any state law concerning (1) the slaughter of animals or the preparation of carcasses, parts thereof, meat and meat food products at a custom slaughter facility; or (2) the sale of meat or meat food products.
Sponsored bills
This resolution offers the condolences of the Senate regarding the death of Senator John William Warner and expresses deep appreciation for his outstanding and important service to his country.
This resolution offers the condolences of the Senate regarding the death of Senator David Henry Gambrell and honors his life and legacy.
Conrad State 30 and Physician Access Reauthorization Act This bill modifies the Conrad 30 Waiver program, which incentivizes qualified foreign physicians to serve in underserved communities. It also extends statutory authority for the program for three years from this bill's enactment. Aliens coming to the United States under a J-1 nonimmigrant visa to receive medical training typically must leave the country and reside for two years abroad before being eligible to apply for an immigrant visa or permanent residence. The Conrad program waives this requirement for individuals who meet certain qualifications, including serving for a number of years at a health care facility in an underserved area. The bill increases the number of waivers that a state may obtain each fiscal year from 30 to 35 if a certain number of waivers were used the previous year, and provides for further adjustments depending on demand. An alien physician may be employed at an academic medical center to meet the Conrad program's employment requirements if the alien's work is in the public interest, even if the medical center is not in an underserved area. Employment contracts for alien physicians under the Conrad program shall contain certain information, such as the maximum number of on-call hours per week the physician shall have to work. Certain alien physicians (along with the physician's spouse and children) shall be exempt from the direct annual numerical limits on immigration, including those physicians that have met certain requirements related to visas for physicians to serve in underserved areas.
Medicare Audiologist Access and Services Act of 2021 This bill provides for Medicare coverage of certain audiologist services. Specifically, the bill expands coverage to include diagnostic and treatment services that are furnished by audiologists and that would otherwise be covered if provided by a physician, including incidental services, regardless of whether such services are provided pursuant to a referral from, or under the supervision of, a physician or other health care practitioner.
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).
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.
Audit the Pentagon Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to reduce spending for any department, agency, or other DOD element that DOD determines has not achieved an unqualified opinion on its full financial statements for the calendar year ending during that fiscal year. Specifically, the amount available to such department, agency, or element for the fiscal year when the determination is made must be 1% less than the amount otherwise authorized to be appropriated. Amounts unavailable to such department, agency, or element must be applied on a pro rata basis against each program, project, and activity. DOD must deposit such unavailable amounts in the general fund of the Department of the Treasury for purposes of deficit reduction.
Hemp Access and Consumer Safety Act This bill allows hemp and hemp-derived ingredients to be included in food and dietary supplements. Current law prohibits, with limited exceptions, the sale of food and dietary supplements that contain an ingredient that is an active ingredient in (1) an approved drug, or (2) a drug for which there have been substantial and publicly known clinical investigations. This bill exempts hemp and hemp-derived ingredients, such as hemp-derived cannabidiol, from this prohibition. The Food and Drug Administration may establish labeling and packaging requirements for such foods and dietary supplements.
Verified Innovative Testing in American Laboratories Act of 2021 or the VITAL Act of 2021 This bill expressly shifts the regulation of laboratory-developed testing procedures from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Under current law, the FDA regulates the safety and effectiveness, as well as quality of design and manufacture, of laboratory-developed tests, while the CMS regulates clinical laboratories and testing processes. Historically, the FDA has exercised enforcement discretion and not enforced certain statutory and regulatory requirements with respect to these tests. The CMS must hold a public meeting to solicit recommendations to update existing regulations related to clinical laboratories, and the Department of Health and Human Services must report specified information to Congress, including an assessment of the availability and use of laboratory-developed testing procedures during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) response.