Housing Accountability Act of 2021 This bill provides statutory authority for the requirement that a property owner receiving low-income housing assistance payments for an existing public housing unit must maintain decent, safe, and sanitary conditions for the housing structure. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) must survey tenants of these structures semiannually to identify problems with the structures or with management. A structure must be referred to HUD for remediation if consistent or persistent problems are identified. HUD may impose penalties on an owner of a structure that violates this bill.
This bill modifies requirements for third party settlement organizations to eliminate their reporting requirement with respect to the transactions of their participating payees unless they have earned more than $20,000 on more than 200 separate transactions in an applicable tax period. A third party settlement organization is the central organization that has the contractual obligation to make payments to participating payees (generally, a merchant or business) in a third party payment network. This reverses a provision in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 that lowered the reporting threshold to $600 with no minimum on the number of transactions.
No Budget, No Pay Act This bill prohibits Members of Congress from being paid in a fiscal year until both chambers approve the budget resolution and pass all regular appropriations bills for that fiscal year. Retroactive pay is prohibited for such a period.
Reassurance On Commitments Act of 2021 or the ROC Act This bill prohibits using funds made available to the Department of State for FY2022 to implement or enforce any policy that restricts representatives of Taiwan (such as members of Taiwan's armed forces or representatives of its government) or the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office from displaying symbols of Taiwan's sovereignty for official purposes.
Toxic Health Threat Warning Act of 2021 This bill requires the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), before releasing water from a flood risk management project, to determine whether the water is contaminated with cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) based on tests conducted by the USACE, another federal agency, or the state in which the project is located. If the water is contaminated, the USACE must notify the public and affected governments of the contamination, its planned release, and the potential effects on human health.
No Mask Mandate for Kids Act This bill prohibits executive branch agencies from imposing any requirement for masks to be worn in or on (1) airports; (2) commercial aircraft; (3) trains; (4) public maritime vessels, including ferries; (5) intercity bus services; and (6) all forms of public transportation.
Helping Adults Protect Immunity Act or the HAPI Act This bill requires state Medicaid programs to cover, without cost-sharing, vaccines for adults that are recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.
Access to Genetic Counselor Services Act of 2021 This bill provides for coverage under Medicare of genetic counseling services that are furnished by genetic counselors. Covered services include those services, as well as incidental services and supplies, that would otherwise be covered under Medicare if provided by a physician.
Prioritizing Revised Operations To Eliminate Cyanobacteria Toxins in Florida Act or the PROTECT Florida Act This bill modifies requirements regarding water infrastructure projects in central and southern Florida. Specifically, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) must include in such projects specified public health considerations, including those related to cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) and other toxins. The bill also prohibits the use of restoration funds for deep well injection (a liquid-waste disposal technology). In addition, the USACE must (1) develop a master operational manual to ensure system management that protects public health and Everglades restoration; and (2) with the National Academies of Sciences, study the legacy of pollution and nutrient loading, as well as the impacts of soil amendments.
Stop Poisoning Florida Act This bill requires the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to prohibit certain discharges of water from Lake Okeechobee, which is Florida's largest freshwater lake. Specifically, the USACE must prohibit discharges of water from the lake through the Port Mayaca Lock and Dam or the St. Lucie Lock and Dam when the water exceeds the maximum concentration of microcystins (a toxin that is produced by blue-green algae) recommended for recreational waters by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Fair Transportation Act This bill addresses the disbursement of surface transportation funding in an equitable way by federal, state, and local entities. Specifically, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) must review the extent to which states consider equity and improve equity outcomes in the use of federal surface transportation funds at all phases of project delivery, including the diverse transportation needs of economically disadvantaged and underserved populations. Additionally, the Department of Transportation (DOT) must carry out a transportation equity research program for research and demonstration activities that focus on the impacts that surface transportation planning, investment, and operations have on economically disadvantaged and underserved populations, including communities of color, low-income communities, and individuals with disabilities. The GAO must also review discretionary grant programs for surface transportation projects to determine the extent to which DOT is awarding funding through such programs to projects that serve groups or populations experiencing differential impacts in the transportation sector. Further, DOT must issue guidance on equity consideration metrics and best practices while disbursing federal funds.
Expanded Telehealth Access Act This bill permanently allows audiologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and other providers designated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide telehealth services under Medicare. Currently, the CMS is authorized to waive requirements for Medicare telehealth services during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19, and it has done so to allow all providers that are otherwise eligible to furnish in-person services under Medicare to also furnish telehealth services.
