Fiscal State of the Nation Resolution This concurrent resolution requires the congressional budget committees to conduct an annual joint hearing to receive a presentation from the Comptroller General regarding (1) the Government Accountability Office's audit of the financial statement of the executive branch, and (2) the financial position and condition of the federal government.
This resolution requires the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate to establish the SFC Sean Cooley and SPC Christopher Horton Congressional Gold Star Family Fellowship Program for family members of members of the Armed Forces who die in the line of duty or of veterans who die of service-connected injuries. Under the fellowship program, an individual may serve a 24-month fellowship in a Senator's office.
This resolution (1) expresses support for the designation of the week of November 1-November 5, 2021, as National Family Service Learning Week, (2) recognizes the importance of family service learning in cultivating civic engagement and community investment, and (3) encourages the public to support family service learning and community development programs. Family service learning is a multigenerational problem-solving approach that utilizes active participation to meet community needs and develop the skillsets of children and families.
This resolution expresses solidarity with the Cuban people, condemns Cuba's repression of peaceful protestors and journalists, and calls on Cuba to not arrest or detain peaceful protestors and to release all political prisoners and arbitrarily detained individuals. Further, it urges specified U.S. actions to support the Cuban people and their right to demonstrate peacefully in the name of democracy and human rights.
Small Business 7(a) Loan Agent Transparency Act This bill provides oversight of 7(a) loan agents, including by requiring the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish a registration system for such agents whereby certain data may be collected and by mandating that such agents register with the system and pay an annual registration fee. These agents provide referral and loan application services related to the SBA's 7(a) Program. Under the 7(a) Program, the SBA guarantees up to 80% of a private lender's loan to a small business borrower who cannot obtain credit elsewhere on reasonable terms and conditions.
Real Justice for Our Veterans Act of 2021 This bill expands data collection on the effectiveness of veteran treatment court programs, incentivizes local governments to improve retention rates in veteran treatment court programs and drug court programs, and expands options for veterans to participate in drug court programs. First, the bill requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to report on the effectiveness of veteran treatment court programs. The report must assess the population served by the programs, whether the programs use evidence-based treatments, the recidivism rates of participants, and program completion rates. The report must also assess whether women and racial and ethnic minorities have equal access to the programs and an equal opportunity to participate. Second, the bill requires DOJ's Bureau of Justice Assistance to implement a pilot program to make grants for local governments to improve retention in veteran treatment court programs and drug court programs. Finally, this bill allows a veteran (including a veteran who is a violent offender) to participate in a drug court program instead of a veteran treatment court program if a jurisdiction does not operate a veteran treatment court program.
Young African Leaders Initiative Act of 2021 or the YALI Act of 2021 This bill provides statutory authority for the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI), which seeks to build the capacity of young African leaders in sub-Saharan Africa in the areas of business, civic engagement, or public administration. The YALI program must support the participation of fellows from Africa in the Mandela Washington Fellowships for Young African Leaders and offer training through regional leadership centers in sub-Saharan Africa to individuals who have demonstrated strong capabilities in entrepreneurship, innovation, public service and leadership, and peace building and conflict resolution. The Department of State must oversee all U.S.-based activities carried out under the program, and the United States should continue to support program initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa. The State Department must also submit a plan for implementing the program and annual reports on program progress and recommendations for improvements or changes to the program.
Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act of 20 21 This bill modifies, expands, and reauthorizes through FY2026 the Family Violence and Prevention Services program, which funds emergency shelters and supports related assistance for victims of domestic violence. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants and enter cooperative agreements with state and tribal domestic violence coalitions, and community-based organizations, to support prevention services. Depending on the type of organization, grant recipients must use funding to (1) provide technical assistance; (2) promote evidence-informed prevention strategies; (3) implement coordinated, community responses to reduce risk factors for family violence; and (4) develop prevention partnership strategies. Further, HHS must award specified grants to organizations that provide population-specific services in underserved communities and to community-based organizations that provide culturally specific domestic violence services to racial and ethnic minority groups. The bill also establishes a grants program for tribal domestic violence coalitions to support the provision of local, tribal, family domestic or dating violence services and requires HHS to award a grant for the administration of a hotline dedicated to serving Indians affected by domestic violence. In addition, the bill modifies certain program-wide definitions; changes the requirements for specified grant applications, eligibility criteria, and use of funds; and makes other technical revisions.
Open RAN Outreach Act This bill requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to conduct outreach and provide technical assistance to small communications network providers to raise awareness of the benefits, uses, and challenges of Open RAN networks and other open network architectures. Open RAN networks are wireless networks that follow the Open Radio Access Network approach to standardization, promoting the use of open interface standards in the portion of the telecommunications network that connects wireless devices (e.g., mobile phones) to the core of the network. The NTIA must also conduct outreach and provide assistance regarding participation in the Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Grant Program.
Communications Security, Reliability, and Interoperability Council Act This bill provides statutory authority for a council that makes recommendations to the Federal Communications Commission regarding ways to increase the security, reliability, and interoperability of communications networks.
Information and Communication Technology Strategy Act This bill requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to report on the information and communication technology supply chain and to develop a strategy to ensure the economic competitiveness of trusted information and communication technology vendors. The report must include (1) an identification of technology that is critical to U.S. economic competitiveness and the industrial capacity of U.S. vendors and other trusted vendors that produce such technology, (2) an assessment of whether and to what extent there is a dependence by providers of advanced telecommunications capability in the United States on technology that is not trusted, and (3) an identification of federal government actions and resources needed to support the economic competitiveness of trusted vendors and reduce dependence on companies that are not trusted.
Strengthening America's Strategic National Stockpile Act of 2021 This bill makes changes to the administration and management of the Strategic National Stockpile. Among these changes, the bill authorizes through September 30, 2024, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to transfer supplies from the stockpile to any federal departments or agencies under certain conditions. HHS must also ensure the contents of the stockpile remain in working order and may enter into maintenance service contracts to carry out this requirement. Furthermore, as part of its management of the stockpile, HHS must establish and maintain domestic reserves of certain supplies, including by entering into cooperative agreements or partnerships to access facilities and equipment to produce these supplies. The authority for such agreements and partnerships terminates on September 30, 2024. Additionally, the bill temporarily authorizes HHS to award grants to states for maintaining stockpiles of certain equipment and supplies for use during public health emergencies. HHS must also develop transparent processes for the use and distribution of supplies from the stockpile that address, for example, the prioritization of requests. Additionally, during the COVID-19 emergency, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response must report monthly on requests for supplies from states, tribes, and other jurisdictions. These reports must include the rationale for any partially fulfilled or denied requests. Lastly, the Government Accountability Office must study the feasibility of establishing user fees to offset costs for procuring single-source materials for, and distributing such materials from, the stockpile.
