Consumer Safety Technology Act This bill requires various agencies to explore the use of emerging technologies in the context of consumer products and safety. First, the Consumer Product Safety Commission must consult with relevant stakeholders, such as data scientists and product manufacturers, and use artificial intelligence in a pilot program for a least one of the following processes: (1) tracking trends in injuries involving consumer products, (2) identifying consumer product hazards, (3) monitoring the sale of recalled consumer products, or (4) identifying consumer products that do not meet specified importation requirements related to product safety. Additionally, the Department of Commerce must consult with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and other relevant agencies to study potential applications of blockchain technology (i.e., the technology that supports digital currencies such as Bitcoin), including the use of such technology to address fraud and other unfair or deceptive practices. Finally, the FTC must report on its efforts to address unfair or deceptive trade practices related to digital tokens (i.e., transferable units of a digital currency).
Elder Abuse Protection Act of 2021 This bill provides statutory authority for the Elder Justice Initiative, which coordinates activities of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat elder abuse, neglect, and financial fraud. The bill requires DOJ's Elder Justice Coordinator to serve as the head of the initiative. The bill also requires the initiative to establish a national elder fraud telephone hotline, promote civil legal aid to victims of elder fraud and elder abuse, and make resources available online in English and Spanish.
Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act of 2021 This bill revises the evidentiary standard for age discrimination by establishing an unlawful employment practice when the complaining party demonstrates that age or participation in an investigation, proceeding, or litigation related to an age discrimination claim was a motivating factor for an adverse practice, even though other factors also motivated the practice (thereby allowing what are commonly known as mixed motive claims). The bill (1) permits the complaining party to rely on any type or form of admissible evidence, which need only be sufficient for a reasonable trier of fact to find that an unlawful practice occurred; and (2) declares that the complaining party shall not be required to demonstrate that age or retaliation was the sole cause of the employment practice (thereby rejecting the Supreme Court's decision in Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc. , which requires the complainant to prove that age was the but-for cause for the employer's decision). The bill applies this evidentiary standard to other employment discrimination and retaliation claims, including claims under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. In a claim in which age discrimination is shown, but where the employer demonstrates that it would have taken the same action absent the motivating factor of age, the bill authorizes courts to grant declaratory and injunctive relief, but prohibits the court from awarding damages or issuing an order requiring any admission, reinstatement, hiring, promotion, or payment. This limitation also applies to claims of discrimination based on disability. The bill also includes reporting requirements for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the Department of Labor.
Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth Act or the STURDY Act This bill requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission to revise the safety standards for freestanding clothing storage units such as a dressers, bureaus, or chests of drawers. Such standards must include specified testing related to tip overs and new warning requirements for all such products entering the U.S. market.
Artistic Recognition for Talented Students Act or the ARTS Act This bill directs the Copyright Office to waive various copyright registration-related fees for works that win certain competitions sponsored by the Congressional Institute or established by Congress. To qualify for the fee waiver, the copyright registration application must be filed within a specified time frame, but the Copyright Office may waive fees for a qualifying work even if the application is filed outside the time frame.
Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act of 2021 This bill reauthorizes through FY2026 and revises several programs and activities relating to newborn screening for certain conditions and genetic, endocrine, and metabolic diseases. Among its changes, the bill reauthorizes and makes mandatory the Hunter Kelly Research Program at the National Institutes of Health, and national surveillance activities conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The bill also aligns statutory requirements for research on non-identified newborn blood spots with federal regulations governing research on human subjects. These blood spots are collected as part of newborn screening programs, and some states make them available for biomedical and public health research. Under current regulations, research on non-identified bio-specimens such as blood spots is not considered to be research on human subjects, to which additional protections apply.
This resolution provides amounts for the expenses of the House Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth for the 117th Congress.
This resolution recognizes the 100th anniversary of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on July 1, 2021. It also commends the GAO for 100 years of service to Congress and the United States as the preeminent independent government watchdog agency in the world.
Corporate Governance Improvement and Investor Protection Act This bill requires publicly traded companies to periodically disclose information related to environmental, social, and governance performance metrics; expenditures for certain political activities; compensation information regarding executive officers and employees; climate change-related risks, including direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel-related assets; tax jurisdiction, income, and assets of constituent entities on a country-by-country basis; workforce management policies, practices, and performance; incidents of workplace harassment and retaliation; cybersecurity; the demographic composition of the board of directors and executive officers; and manufacturing activity in China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The bill also establishes the Sustainable Finance Advisory Committee that must, among other duties, recommend to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) policies to facilitate the flow of capital toward environmentally sustainable investments. The SEC must report on the viability and occurrence of shareholder collective action, particularly regarding employment, environmental, social, and governance issues. The SEC must also report on compliance issues small businesses face with respect to disclosure requirements related to environmental, social, and governance performance metrics.
This bill repeals the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002.
Debt Bondage Repair Act This bill prohibits a consumer reporting agency from reporting adverse credit information about a consumer that is the result of severe human trafficking or sex trafficking. A court of competent jurisdiction or a federal or state government entity must determine that the consumer is a victim of trafficking.
Federal Disaster Assistance Coordination Act This bill extends the deadline by which the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must (1) conduct a study and develop a plan under which the collection of information from disaster assistance applicants and grantees will be made less burdensome, duplicative, and time consuming for applicants and grantees; and (2) develop a plan for the regular collection and reporting of information on federal disaster assistance awarded. Not later than two years after enactment of this bill, FEMA shall convene a working group on a regular basis to identify (1) potential areas of duplication or fragmentation in preliminary damage assessments after disaster declarations; and (2) potential emerging technologies, such as Unmanned Aircraft Systems (i.e., drones), to expedite the administration of preliminary damage assessments. FEMA must submit a comprehensive report on the plans for streamlining and consolidating information collection and preliminary damage assessments and the findings and recommendations of the working group to Congress with a briefing. The report must be made available to the public and posted on FEMA's website.
