Sen. Brian Schatz

Keeping Our Promise to Small Businesses Act This bill provides additional funding to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for the Paycheck Protection Program, which was established to assist small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the bill provides the additional funding for the cost of processing loan applications that were submitted on or before May 4, 2021; and providing guaranteed loans to eligible entities that apply on or before May 31, 2021, have no more than 100 employees, and are located in a state with an unemployment rate of at least 6%. In guaranteeing the new loans, the SBA must give a preference to entities that are women-, minority-, or veteran-owned.

Federal Flood Risk Management Act of 2021 This bill directs agencies to reduce the risk of flood losses, minimize flood impacts, and restore and preserve natural floodplains. Additionally, an agency facilitating a financial transaction in an area subject to flooding has a duty to inform any participating private party of the hazards.

This resolution designates the week of May 9-May 15, 2021, as National Police Week.

Census Federal Advisory Committee on Transparency and Standards Act or the Census FACTS Act This bill establishes the 2020 Census Federal Advisory Committee on Transparency and Standards to review 2020 Census operations and decision-making in order to make policy and legislative recommendations, assess how decisions concerning the census affected the quality and accuracy of the enumeration of the people of the United States, and consider factors related to the census that may have dampened participation in self-response. For purposes of adopting congressional district boundaries, the legislature of a state or any entity charged by a state with recommending or adopting such boundaries shall make its recommendations or determinations using total population data counting the whole number of persons in the state.

Ensuring Access to General Surgery Act of 2021 This bill requires the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to study access by underserved populations to general surgeons. Specifically, HRSA must study (1) whether the health professional shortage area designation under the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) program accurately assesses adequacy of access to general surgeons, (2) whether another measure would be more accurate, and (3) potential methodologies for designating general surgery shortage areas. (The NHSC provides scholarships and student loan repayment awards to primary care, dental care, and mental health care providers who agree to work in areas that HRSA designates as having a shortage of those particular types of providers.) HRSA must also publish data comparing the availability and need of general surgery services in urban, suburban, and rural areas. On the basis of its study, HRSA may establish a methodology for designating general surgery shortage areas and make such designations. If any designations are made, HRSA must publish a list of general surgery shortage areas.

Future of Local News Act of 2021 This bill establishes the Future of Local News Committee to examine, report on, and make recommendations related to the state of local news and the ability of local news to meet the information needs of the people of the United States. The duties of the committee include (1) examining the implications of the loss of local newspapers, digital news outlets, and broadcasting outlets; (2) assessing the impact of the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic and whether the Paycheck Protection Program has had beneficial effects on local news organizations; and (3) assessing and examining existing and potential means of supporting local news production. The committee must recommend mechanisms that the federal government can create and implement to support the production of local news, such as the possible creation of a new national endowment for local journalism or the reform and expansion of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

This resolution designates May 5, 2021, as the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls.

This resolution sets forth procedures that allow Senators to cast their votes from outside of the Senate chamber. Specifically, these votes may be cast using certain technology approved by the Secretary of the Senate and Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper if the majority leader and minority leader jointly determine that an extraordinary crisis of national extent exists in which it would be infeasible for Senators to cast their votes in person.

This resolution condemns the acts of gun violence that led to the tragic loss of eight lives in Georgia on March 16, 2021.

Save Hotel Jobs Act This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to award grants to hotel owners and operators to assist with payroll costs. Applicants for a grant must provide Treasury with certain assurances, including that (1) the hotel, if in operation, experienced at least a 40% decline in revenue during a three-month period in calendar year 2020 as compared to the corresponding period in 2019; and (2) the hotel owner or operator has a policy to offer employees who have been laid off during the COVID-19 public health emergency any same or similar positions that become available as a result of receiving a grant. All grant funds must be expended during the 270-day period beginning on the date the funds are disbursed. If the hotel owner or operator receives loans through the Paycheck Protection Program, the grant must be reduced by the amount of such loans that are forgiven under the program, including loans received on or before enactment of this bill. For federal tax purposes, the grants are not included as part of the gross income of the hotel owner or operator. The bill also establishes a tax credit equal to 50% of the expenses a hotel owner or operator incurs for qualified personal protective equipment (up to a maximum of $25,000).