Confederate Monument Removal Act This bill prohibits a state from providing for display in National Statuary Hall a statue of a person who voluntarily served with the Confederate States of America, and it provides for the removal, return, and replacement of any statue currently on display that depicts such a person.
Eliminate Agency Excess Space Act This bill modifies requirements with respect to the disposal of surplus and excess property by federal agencies. Among other things, the bill repeals provisions that require federal agencies to report excess property to the General Services Administration (GSA). Additionally, the GSA must issue regulations that allow federal agencies to dispose of surplus and excess property without first making the property available to other agencies or state or local governments. The bill also requires the GSA to survey all unused or underutilized office spaces held by federal agencies, make recommendations to reduce agency real estate assets, and report on costs associated with property disposal.
Food Allergy Safety, Treatment, Education, and Research Act of 2021 or the FASTER Act of 2021 This bill expands the definition of major food allergen for purposes of certain food-labeling requirements to specifically include sesame. In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services must report on certain information related to food allergy research and data collection activities.
Kids' Access to Primary Care Act of 2021 This bill modifies payments for Medicaid primary care services. Specifically, the bill applies a Medicare payment rate floor to Medicaid primary care services that are provided after the date of enactment of the bill and extends the payment rate to additional types of practitioners (e.g., obstetricians). The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must conduct a study on the number of children enrolled in Medicaid, the number of providers receiving payment for primary care services, and associated payment rates before and after the bill's implementation.
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that it is the duty of the federal government to create a federal job guarantee.
This resolution supports the designation of Public Schools Week.
Taiwan Invasion Prevention Act This bill authorizes the President to use the Armed Forces to defend Taiwan against a direct attack by China's military, a taking of Taiwan's territory by China, or a threat that endangers the lives of civilians in Taiwan or members of Taiwan's military. The bill also directs the Department of Defense to convene an annual regional security dialogue with Taiwan and other partners to improve U.S. security relationships with countries in the Western Pacific. (China considers Taiwan a part of China.)
Fly Safe Canine COVID Detection Act of 2021 This bill requires the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to conduct a feasibility study on the use of canine units to detect the presence of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) in individuals with the virus. The TSA must also determine (1) whether the canine units can be used at airports to screen passengers, individuals accompanying passengers, crew members, and other individuals passing through airports and airport screening locations; and (2) how the screening would be implemented and what metrics would be used to monitor the efficacy of the screening.
Teacher Diversity and Retention Act This bill revises certain grant programs related to teacher recruitment and training. First, the bill reauthorizes through FY2027 and otherwise revises the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence program, which provides grants to establish teacher preparation programs at minority-serving institutions. It allows grants to be used for school leader preparation programs. In addition, the bill consolidates certain grant programs for teacher preparation into a single grant program. In particular, the Department of Education must award grants to eligible partnerships (e.g., high-need local educational agencies and certain programs at institutions of higher education) to expand teacher preparation programs that embed dual certification in special education and training on social and emotional learning competencies and behavior management practices.
South Florida Clean Coastal Waters Act of 2021 This bill addresses harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in the South Florida ecosystem. An algal bloom is a rapid growth of algae that may create toxic or hypoxic (severely low-oxygen) conditions that are harmful to humans, animals, aquatic ecosystems, and the economy. The Inter-Agency Task Force on Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia must assess potential approaches to reduce harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in the ecosystem. The task force must also submit a plan, based on the assessment, for reducing, mitigating, and controlling harmful algal blooms and hypoxia in the region.
Stopping Chinese Communist Involvement in the Power Grid Act This bill provides statutory authority for Executive Order 13920, which set forth requirements related to securing the U.S. bulk-power system.
Vaccine Administration Centralization to Coordinate and Improve National Execution Act or the VACCINE Act This bill establishes a grant program for states, tribal nations, and territories to set up or expand COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) vaccine registration systems. The system must be the jurisdiction's sole means of registering an individual for a vaccine. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must set up a website and a call center to share information with the public about each registration system. HHS must also develop standards to allow for electronic information exchange among the systems. To carry out the program, HHS may use funds from the Public Health Emergency Fund. The authority for this program terminates at the end of the COVID-19 emergency period.
