Health Standards To Advance Transparency, Integrity, Science, Technology Infrastructure, and Confidential Statistics Act of 2021 or the Health STATISTICS Act of 2021 This bill requires efforts to standardize reporting of public health data, including for COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) data. It also expands access to federal databases for health research. Specifically, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must develop uniform standards for health departments and other entities that report public health data. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may award grants to entities for adopting the uniform standards and otherwise improving their reporting capabilities. Furthermore, the CDC must, in consultation with the National Institutes of Health, establish specific standards within 30 days for reporting COVID-19 data. HHS must also disseminate this data subject to privacy and other requirements. Additionally, the Office of Management and Budget must issue guidance on federal health data collection that covers, for example, ensuring data quality and increasing access to health data for research. The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) must carry out a demonstration program to expand an existing program that links different federal data sets for statistical public health research, including research on food insecurity, housing instability, and other social determinants of health. In particular, the program must link to the National Death Index, a database of death records maintained by the NCHS. Finally, the bill requires the CDC to award grants to research entities and public health departments to increase their capacity for conducting statistical public health research.
Protecting Residents with Oversight, Transparency, and Enforcement for Compassionate Treatment in Long Term Care Facilities Act or the PROTECT Long Term Care Facilities Act This bill establishes a series of requirements for Medicare skilled nursing facilities and Medicaid nursing facilities during declared emergencies relating to infectious disease outbreaks. Specifically, the bill provides statutory authority for certain COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) reporting requirements and requires facilities to report similar information with respect to any infectious disease outbreak that results in a state or national emergency. The bill requires compliance surveys to be conducted in accordance with a specified schedule during such outbreaks and subjects facilities to civil penalties for outbreak-specific violations, as determined under criteria from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The bill also provides funds for state survey agencies to conduct related investigations.
Future Advancement of Academic Nursing Act or the FAAN Act This bill authorizes the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to award grants to nursing schools to increase capacity to respond to public health emergencies and pandemics and otherwise enhance nursing education programs. In awarding these grants, HRSA shall prioritize historically Black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions, schools that are located in medically underserved communities, and schools in areas with shortages of health professionals.
Barriers to Suicide Act of 20 21 This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish a program to facilitate the installation of evidence-based suicide deterrents on bridges, including suicide prevention nets and barriers. DOT may award competitive grants to states and local governments to carry out the program. The Government Accountability Office must conduct a study to identify the types of structures, other than bridges, that attract a high number of individuals attempting suicide-by-jumping and the types of nets or barriers that are effective at reducing such suicides.
Gun Violence Prevention Research Act of 2021 This bill authorizes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct or support research on firearms safety or gun violence prevention.
Tracking COVID-19 Variants Act This bill expands viral genomic sequencing, disease surveillance, and other public health research activities. Specifically, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must issue guidance on the sequencing of the virus that causes COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Additionally, the CDC must establish a program to strengthen genomic sequencing, analytics, and disease surveillance activities. As part of this program, the CDC must provide grants and technical assistance to health departments to build their capacity to carry out such activities. Furthermore, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) must carry out a demonstration program to expand an existing program that links different federal data sets for statistical public health research, including research on food insecurity, housing instability, and other social determinants of health. In particular, the program must support linkages with the National Death Index, a database of death records maintained by the NCHS.
National Climate Emergency Act of 2021 or the Climate Emergency Act of 2021 This bill directs the President to declare a national emergency with respect to climate change. The President, in responding to the emergency, must ensure that the government invests in large scale mitigation and resiliency projects; makes investments that enable a racially and socially just transition to a clean energy economy by ensuring that at least 40% of investments flow to historically disadvantaged communities; avoids solutions that increase inequality or violate human rights; creates jobs that conform to labor standards that provide family sustaining wages and benefits and ensure safe workplaces; prioritizes local and equitable hiring and contracting that creates opportunities for marginalized communities; combats environmental injustice; and reinvests in existing public sector institutions and creates new public sector institutions to strategically mobilize and channel investments at the scale and pace required by the national emergency. The President shall report annually on actions taken in response to the national emergency.
Hemp and Hemp-Derived CBD Consumer Protection and Market Stabilization Act of 2021 This bill allows the use of hemp, cannabidiol (i.e., CBD) derived from hemp, or any other ingredient derived from hemp in a dietary supplement, provided that the supplement meets other applicable requirements. (Currently, the Food and Drug Administration's position is that CBD products may not be sold as dietary supplements.)
COVID-19 Home Safety Act of 2021 This bill requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission to report, and publish, information about injuries and deaths from consumer products during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency. The report must be submitted every three months for the duration of the emergency.
Coronavirus Vaccine and Therapeutic Development Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to increase the supply of vaccines and medical products that prevent or control COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). To increase supplies, HHS must, as appropriate, award grants and enter other transactions to expand relevant research, procurement, and production activities. HHS must report to Congress on these actions. The report must assess and detail plans to enhance the supply chain and manufacturing capacity for the vaccines and products. It must also include plans to support domestic and international vaccination programs.
This resolution supports the goals of National Catholic Schools Week, an event cosponsored by the National Catholic Educational Association and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and established to recognize the contributions of Catholic elementary and secondary schools in the United States.
This resolution calls on the President to take executive action to cancel up to $50,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers. Further, it encourages the President to (1) ensure that borrowers have no tax liability from the debt cancellation, (2) ensure that the debt cancellation helps close racial wealth gaps, and (3) pause student loan payments and interest accumulation on federal student loans for the duration of the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.
