Disaster Learning and Life Saving Act of 2021 This bill establishes within the executive branch a National Disaster Safety Board to study the underlying causes of disaster-related fatalities and property damage nationwide and make policy recommendations, and authorizes appropriations for the board through FY2025. Specifically, the board shall review and establish the facts, circumstances, and cause or probable cause of the loss of life, human injury, and economic injury due to a natural hazard with 10 or more fatalities. The board shall initiate a review of an incident by monitoring the situation and assessing available facts to determine the appropriate review response without interfering in any ongoing lifesaving and life sustaining efforts underway by other entities; disseminate best practices to develop disaster investigation and review capacity within state, tribal, and local governments; and establish an office to review and make recommendations to mitigate and prevent the loss of life, or human or economic injury, for vulnerable populations. The Government Accountability Office shall audit the programs and expenditures of the board at least once every two years. The bill defines natural hazard to mean a major disaster that is naturally occurring, to include any naturally occurring heat wave, storms, or wildfires, and to exclude a technological disaster.
Sponsored bills
This resolution offers the condolences of the Senate regarding the death of Senator David Henry Gambrell and honors his life and legacy.
This resolution addresses issues regarding Jews in the United States and anti-Israel rhetoric. Specifically, the Senate condemns hatred and violence against Jews; denounces the anti-Israel rhetoric of elected officials; rejects as biased, incomplete, and inaccurate information promulgated by the news media in the United States about Israel and the Israeli government's efforts to protect its citizens from terrorism; celebrates the contributions of American Jews to our nation, culture, values, and way of life; and reaffirms its intent to ensure that Jews in the United States are treated with dignity and respect and receive the full protection of the law owed to them as U.S. citizens.
Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act This bill establishes grant programs to address neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), and contains other related provisions. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall award grants to eligible entities to facilitate patients' access to investigational drugs that diagnose or treat ALS. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shall award grants to public and private entities to cover the costs of research and development of drugs that diagnose or treat ALS and other severely debilitating neurodegenerative diseases. HHS shall also establish the Public-Private Partnership for Neurodegenerative Diseases between the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, and at least one eligible entity (generally, an institution of higher education or a nonprofit organization). The partnership shall support the development and regulatory review of drugs that address ALS and other rare neurodegenerative diseases. The FDA shall publish on its website a five-year action plan for fostering the development of drugs that improve or extend the lives of people living with rare neurodegenerative diseases.
SHELTER Act This bill allows a tax credit to individuals and businesses for disaster mitigation expenditures. The allowable amount of such credit is 25% of the mitigation expenditures, up to $5,000 in any taxable year.
This resolution congratulates the students, families, teachers, administrators, and staff of public charter schools across the United States for (1) making ongoing contributions to public education, (2) making impressive strides in closing the academic achievement gap in U.S. schools, and (3) improving and strengthening the public school system. The resolution supports the ideals and goals of the 22nd annual National Charter Schools Week.
Protecting Our Well-being by Expanding Russian Sanctions Act or the POWERS Act This bill expands existing sanctions against foreign persons engaged in certain activities related to the Nord Stream 2 and TurkStream pipelines, two Russian pipelines that were constructed to supply natural gas to Europe. Currently, these sanctions apply to foreign persons that (1) provided pipe-laying vessels for the construction of either pipeline, (2) facilitated certain transactions for such vessels, (3) provided certain underwriting services or insurance for such vessels, or (4) provided certain services for such vessels or Nord Stream 2. Under this bill, these sanctions must also apply to any foreign person that engaged in any transaction with such sanctioned persons. The bill also reinstates any sanctions that were previously waived with respect to Nord Stream 2 AG (the company established to construct and operate the pipeline) or any of its corporate officers. Such reinstated sanctions may not be waived except by an act of Congress.
Don't Weaponize the IRS Act This bill codifies regulations promulgated by the Trump Administration exempting certain tax-exempt organizations from specified reporting requirements. Specifically the bill increases from $5,000 to $50,000 the gross receipts threshold used to determine the eligibility of tax-exempt organizations for the exemption from certain disclosure and reporting requirements; expands the definition of organization to include tax-exempt charitable organizations and organizations with no significant activities relating to lobbying, political activity, and the operation of a trade or business; exempts from disclosure the names and addresses of contributors to an organization in its annual informational return; and extends exemptions from reporting requirements to political action committees (i.e., 527 organizations).
SBA Cyber Awareness Act This bill addresses the cybersecurity of the Small Business Administration (SBA). Specifically, it requires the SBA to report annually to Congress on (1) an assessment of SBA's information technology (IT) and cybersecurity; (2) a strategy to increase such cybersecurity; (3) a detailed account of SBA's IT component or system manufactured by a company located in the People's Republic of China; and (4) any SBA cyber threat, breach, or cyber attack that occurred during two years before the report, including SBA's actions to respond to or remediate it.
This resolution designates the week of May 9-May 15, 2021, as National Police Week.