COVID-19 Whistleblower Protection Act This bill establishes whistleblower protections for government contractors and private sector workers who may witness waste, fraud, or abuse or be victims of misconduct with respect to a COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic-related program, project, or activity. Specifically, employers may not discharge, demote, or otherwise discriminate against such protected individuals who disclose information concerning fraud, misuse, or other misconduct related to COVID-19 program funds. A protected individual may submit to the Department of Labor a complaint alleging a violation of these protections and Labor may adjudicate such complaints and award relief in accordance with the Internal Revenue Service whistleblower procedures.
Sponsored bills
Paycheck Fairness Act This bill addresses wage discrimination on the basis of sex. Specifically, it (1) limits an employer's defense that a pay differential is based on a factor other than sex to only bona fide job-related factors in wage discrimination claims, (2) enhances nonretaliation prohibitions, (3) makes it unlawful to require an employee to sign a contract or waiver prohibiting the employee from disclosing information about the employee's wages, and (4) increases civil penalties for violations of equal pay provisions. Additionally, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs must train EEOC employees and other affected parties on wage discrimination. The bill directs the Department of Labor to (1) establish and carry out a grant program for negotiation skills training for girls and women, (2) conduct studies to eliminate pay disparities between men and women, and (3) make available information on wage discrimination to assist the public in understanding and addressing such discrimination. The bill also establishes the Secretary of Labor's National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace for an employer who has made a substantial effort to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. Finally, the bill requires the EEOC to issue regulations for collecting from employers compensation and other employment data according to the sex, race, and national origin of employees for use in enforcing laws prohibiting pay discrimination.
Ethan's Law This bill establishes a framework to regulate the storage of firearms on residential premises at the federal, state, and tribal levels. At the federal level, the bill establishes statutory requirements for firearms on residential premises to be safely stored if a minor is likely to gain access without permission or if a resident is ineligible to possess a firearm. An individual who violates the requirements is subject to criminal penalties. A firearm stored in violation of the requirements is subject to seizure and forfeiture. At the state and tribal levels, the bill requires the Department of Justice to award grants to implement functionally identical requirements for the safe storage of firearms.
CARES Windfall for the Wealthiest Repeal Act This bill restores and makes permanent the limitation on excess businesses losses of noncorporate taxpayers. It also allows taxpayers a carryback of their net operating losses arising in 2019 and 2020.
Coronavirus Unemployment Benefits Tax Relief Act This bill excludes from gross income, for income tax purposes, up to $10,200 of unemployment compensation received by an individual in a taxable year beginning in 2020.
COVID HCBS Relief Act of 2021 This bill temporarily increases the applicable Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (i.e., federal matching rate) under Medicaid for certain approved home- and community-based services that are provided between October 1, 2020, and September 30, 2022. As a condition for receiving the increased rate, a state must agree to undertake activities to improve the delivery of such services during and after the public health emergency relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), such as by providing additional benefits to home health workers and by helping individuals who were relocated to nursing facilities during the emergency move back to their homes.
This resolution recognizes January 2021 as National Mentoring Month.
End Taxpayer Subsidies for Drug Ads Act This bill prohibits a tax deduction for expenses relating to direct-to-consumer advertising of prescription drugs. Direct-to-consumer advertising is any dissemination, by or on behalf of a sponsor of a prescription drug product, of an advertisement that is in regard to the drug product and primarily targeted to the general public.
Reopen and Rebuild America's Schools Act of 2021 This bill provides support for long-term improvements to public elementary and secondary school facilities. First, the bill sets forth allocations to states and establishes a need-based grant program for local educational agencies (LEAs) to improve school facilities. Further, the bill specifies allowable uses of grant funds, including carrying out major repairs, improving indoor air quality, and making facilities accessible to disabled individuals. Additionally, the bill requires LEAs that receive funds for new construction, modernization, or renovation projects to comply with hazard-resistance building codes and performance criteria under the WaterSense program of the Environmental Protection Agency. Further, the bill requires LEAs to adopt certain green practices (environmental standards) and requires the use of iron, steel, and manufactured products that are made in the United States (Buy America). The bill restores school infrastructure tax credit bonds. The bill also sets forth reporting requirements, including annual reports on grant program projects and a report by the Government Accountability Office that requires a study of the geographic distribution of projects, the impact of projects on student and staff health and safety, and the accessibility of projects to high-poverty schools. Next, the bill extends through FY2026 the Impact Aid Construction program. Finally, the bill establishes a grant program to assist LEAs with repairing or replacing concrete foundations affected by pyrrhotite (an iron sulfide material linked to crumbling foundations).
Build America's Libraries Act This bill establishes and provides funds through FY2024 for the Build America's Libraries Fund, from which the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) must allocate funding to states and, through them, need-based grants to libraries to make long-term improvements to library facilities. The IMLS must also award grants to Indian tribes and organizations that primarily serve and represent Native Hawaiians. Specifically, the bill requires each state that receives an allocation, and each library that receives a grant, to carry out certain activities to improve library facilities. These activities include constructing and renovating library facilities, investing in infrastructure projects to improve internet access and connectivity, improving indoor air quality, and making facilities accessible to individuals with disabilities. The bill also outlines administrative and oversight provisions, including by requiring library projects to use iron and steel products that are produced in the United States.