This resolution expresses support for the designation of COVID-19 Victims and Survivors Memorial Day to memorialize the lives lost to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).
Arctic Refuge Protection Act This bill repeals the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge oil and gas program. The bill designates approximately 1,559,538 acres of land within Alaska in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
Coronavirus Containment Corps Act This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop, within 21 days, a nationwide contact tracing strategy for COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) that addresses issues including workforce needs. To implement that strategy, the bill establishes grant programs in the CDC and the Indian Health Service (IHS). It also expands programs in the Department of Labor. The CDC must award grants to state and local health departments to, among other purposes, hire and train individuals for contact tracing positions and related roles. The IHS must award similar grants to tribes and tribal organizations. Additionally, Labor must award grants for states and other jurisdictions to support recruitment and employment of dislocated workers and other individuals in public health roles. Grants and contracts that include contact tracing in their scope of work must comply with prevailing wage requirements that apply to federal service contracts. Employees who work under such grants or contracts must receive similar compensation to that prevailing in the locality where work is performed. The CDC and Labor must report certain information on specified timelines, and the Government Accountability Office must evaluate the activities of grantees.
Telehealth Improvement for Kids' Essential Services Act or the TIKES Act This bill requires several agencies to promote and evaluate the use of telehealth under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Specifically, the bill requires (1) the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to issue guidance to states on ways to increase access to telehealth; (2) the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission to study the impact of telehealth on health care access, utilization, costs, and outcomes; and (3) the Government Accountability Office to evaluate federal interagency collaboration with respect to the provision of telehealth services to individuals under the age of 18.
This resolution supports the designation of National Tribal Colleges and Universities Week.
Black History is American History Act This bill requires entities (e.g., institutions of higher education, libraries, and museums), in order to be eligible for certain grants administered by the Department of Education (ED), to include Black history in their teaching of American history. It also requires Black history to be included in tests administered by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Specifically, the bill mandates the inclusion of Black history as a required component of American history for such entities to be eligible for American History and Civics Academies' competitive grants. These grants support the establishment of (1) Presidential Academies for Teachers of American History and Civics, which offer workshops to teachers of American history and civics to strengthen their knowledge and prepare them to teach in these subjects; and (2) Congressional Academies for Students of American History and Civics, which support high school students in developing an understanding of these subjects. (Currently, Black history is not a required component of American history for either academy.) In addition, ED must give priority to grant applicants that align their activities with programs and resources of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture. The bill also requires the inclusion of Black history in tests administered by the NAEP, which measures student academic achievement in various subjects.
Urban Indian Health Parity Act This bill applies a Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (i.e., the federal matching rate under Medicaid) of 100% with respect to amounts expended as medical assistance for services received through an Urban Indian organization under a grant or contract with the Indian Health Service.
Clean School Bus Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish the Clean School Bus Grant Program in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Under the program, DOE must award grants for the replacement of existing diesel school buses with electric buses.
This resolution supports the goals and ideals of National Engineers Week to increase understanding of, and interest in, engineering and technology careers. The resolution recognizes that engineering education is a critical component of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education.
This bill provides for the presentation of a Congressional Gold Medal to the Freedom Riders, in recognition of their contribution to civil rights by fighting for equality in interstate travel.
