Improving Confidence in Veterans' Care Act This bill prescribes oversight requirements for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regarding health care professionals at VA medical centers. Specifically, the bill requires the VA to ensure each VA medical center consistently compiles, verifies, and reviews specified documentation for each VA health care professional (including contractors). The VA shall ensure that specified health care professionals hold an active Drug Enforcement Administration registration. Each VA medical center must implement (1) monitoring of the performance and quality of the health care delivered by each health care professional at the center, and (2) reviews of such care if an individual notifies the VA of any potential concerns relating to a failure to meet generally accepted standards of clinical practice. The bill imposes notification requirements in situations where the VA substantiates a concern relating to the clinical competency of, or quality of care delivered by, a current or former VA health care professional. The VA is prohibited from entering into a settlement agreement relating to an adverse action against a VA health care professional if such agreement includes terms that require the VA to conceal certain information from the employee's personnel file. Such prohibition does not apply to adverse actions determined to be prohibited personnel practices. The VA must provide mandatory training, at least biannually, to employees of each medical center who are responsible for specified tasks (e.g., those who are responsible for compiling, validating, or reviewing the credentials of VA health care professionals).
This resolution requests that the President transmit to the House of Representatives documents related to the amount of funding that was provided in specified laws regarding COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) and is currently unspent. The specified laws include the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020; the Families First Coronavirus Response Act; the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act); the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act; and Division N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021.
America Votes Act of 2021 This bill permits the use of sworn written statements to meet identification requirements for voting in federal elections. Specifically, an individual who is required to present identification as a condition of voting in a federal election may meet this requirement by presenting a sworn written statement attesting to the individual's identification and that he or she is registered to vote in the election. An individual who wants to vote by mail may submit such a statement with the ballot. States with an identification requirement must make copies of a preprinted version of the statement available for individuals to complete. Additionally, states must provide these individuals with a regular ballot instead of a provisional ballot. The bill does not apply to first-time voters registering by mail.
This resolution impeaches President Donald John Trump for high crimes and misdemeanors. Specifically, the resolution sets forth an article of impeachment stating that President Trump incited an insurrection against the government of the United States. The article states that prior to the joint session of Congress held on January 6, 2021, to count the votes of the electoral college, President Trump repeatedly issued false statements asserting that the presidential election results were fraudulent and should not be accepted by the American people or certified by state or federal officials; shortly before the joint session commenced, President Trump reiterated false claims to a crowd near the White House and willfully made statements to the crowd that encouraged and foreseeably resulted in lawless action at the Capitol; members of the crowd, incited by President Trump, unlawfully breached and vandalized the Capitol and engaged in other violent, destructive, and seditious acts, including the killing of a law enforcement officer; President Trump's conduct on January 6, 2021, followed his prior efforts to subvert and obstruct the certification of the presidential election, which included a threatening phone call to the Secretary of State of Georgia on January 2, 2021; President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of government, threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of government; and by such conduct, President Trump warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold U.S. office.
This resolution urges the U.S. Postal Service to take steps to ensure the continuation of its six-day mail delivery service.
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the U.S. Postal Service should restore mail delivery service standards to those of July 1, 2012.
This resolution recognizes the cultural and historical significance of the Lunar New Year. The resolution expresses, in observance of this Lunar New Year, the Year of the Ox, the deepest respect of the House of Representatives for Asian Americans and all individuals throughout the world who celebrate this significant occasion. The resolution wishes Asian Americans and all individuals who observe this holiday a happy and prosperous new year.
This resolution acknowledges the importance of the U.S.-Egypt partnership and Egypt's role in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism. It also urges the Egyptian government to (1) enact serious and legitimate reforms to ensure that Coptic Christians have the same rights and opportunities as other Egyptian citizens, (2) complete the process of church certification, and (3) take steps to end the culture of impunity for attacks on Christians.
Ushering Progress by Leveraging Innovation and Future Technology Act of 2021 or the UPLIFT Act of 2021 This bill requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish the Innovation Centers Program for providing assistance to startups and new or growing small businesses. Under the program, the SBA may enter into cooperative agreements to provide financial assistance to historically Black colleges and universities, minority-serving institutions, and community colleges. Such entities must then undertake five-year projects operating as an innovation-focused small business accelerator or incubator. These projects must involve working with underserved groups, include the joint provision of programs and services by the entities and the SBA, and ensure participating small businesses have access to regulatory information that affects them.
New Business Preservation Act This bill establishes and provides funding for the Innovation and Startups Equity Investment Program, through which the Department of the Treasury must work with states to invest in new businesses and startups. Specifically, the bill requires Treasury to provide certain funds to participating states, which these states must use to administer specified approved programs that provide equity investment in new businesses. Treasury must also award funds to approved state programs to provide follow-on investments. If a state receives funds from an exit, the state shall use such funds to further invest in startups under the approved program. An exit is defined as the (1) acquisition of a startup in which a state has invested under the program; (2) sale of a share of such startup following an initial public offering; or (3) voluntary purchase of a state's ownership interest by the startup, investors, or existing shareholders.
Small Business Succession Planning Act This bill requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish a program to assist small businesses with developing and implementing business succession plans. The bill also provides a tax credit for a business that establishes a succession plan or that successfully carries out such a plan. A business succession plan identifies who will assume the ownership responsibilities of a small business upon the owner's death or retirement, and it includes an operational description of the small business to ensure the continuation of operations. To carry out the program, the SBA must develop and make publicly available a toolkit to assist small business with succession planning. Further, it must train resource partners on the toolkit, educate small businesses about the program, and ensure that each SBA district office and each resource partner employs someone to counsel small businesses on using the toolkit.
Fairness for Craft Beverage Producers Act This bill provides additional economic relief to certain beverage manufacturers in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifically, the bill gives certain beverage manufacturers (e.g., breweries and wineries that derived at least 35% of their gross annual income during either 2019 or 2020 from in-person sales) access to second draw loans under the Paycheck Protection Program. Further, it makes these beverage manufacturers eligible to receive additional months of subsidized principal and interest payments on certain Small Business Administration loans.
