This resolution requires the Office of the Sergeant at Arms and Doorkeeper of the Senate to establish a McCain-Mansfield Fellowship Program through which certain veterans may participate in a two-year fellowship in the personal office of a Senator.
Operation Warp Speed Act of 2021 This bill modifies procedures for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) and provides additional authority to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for vaccine production in response to a public health emergency. It also makes changes to the administration of the Strategic National Stockpile. (An EUA temporarily authorizes use of an otherwise unapproved medical product or device in certain emergency situations.) Among other modifications, the bill places additional requirements on EUA approvals. Specifically, HHS may only approve an EUA if, after consulting four specified agencies, at least three of them vote to grant approval. Currently, HHS's authority to approve an EUA, which it has delegated to the Food and Drug Administration, is not limited by the votes of consulting agencies. Additionally, the bill authorizes the use of HHS funds to produce a vaccine before it is licensed or authorized in response to a public health emergency. The bill also establishes the Office of Operation Warp Speed within the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response to expedite the production of vaccines and medical countermeasures to respond to public health emergencies. With respect to the Strategic National Stockpile, HHS must assess, as part of its annual threat-based review, the levels of and supply chains for materials in the stockpile. HHS must also give priority to domestic manufacturers when procuring materials for the stockpile. If materials cannot be sourced domestically, HHS must give priority to manufacturers that are not located in China.
Israel Sovereignty Reassurance Act of 2021 or ISRA This bill prohibits using funds made available to the Department of State for FY2022 to implement, administer, or enforce any policy that rescinds the U.S. recognition of the Golan Heights as part of Israel.
Estate Tax Rate Reduction Act This bill reduces the rate for the tax on estates, gifts, and generation-skipping transfers to 20%. (Under current law, the highest rate is 40%.) The bill also exempts the budgetary effects of the tax reduction from the Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) rules established by the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010 and the FY2018 congressional budget resolution.
Securing and Enabling Commerce Using Remote and Electronic Notarization Act of 2021 This bill allows a notary public commissioned under state law to remotely notarize electronic records and perform notarizations for remotely located individuals. The bill provides technical requirements for such notarizations, including the creation and retention of video and audio recordings and the use of communication technologies (i.e., video chat). Additionally, the bill requires U.S. courts and states to recognize notarizations—including remote notarizations of electronic records and notarizations of remotely-located individuals—that occur in or affect interstate commerce and are performed by a notary public commissioned under the laws of other states. The bill also allows a notary public to remotely notarize electronic records involving an individual located outside of the United States, subject to certain requirements.
Probation Officer Protection Act of 2021 This bill authorizes a probation officer to arrest a person other than the probationer without a warrant if there is probable cause to believe the person forcibly assaulted or obstructed a probation officer engaged in the performance of official duties.
Hizballah Money Laundering Prevention Act of 2021 This bill establishes measures to deter money laundering by Hizballah in Lebanon. Specifically, the Department of the Treasury must prohibit or place conditions on the opening or maintaining of certain correspondent or payable-through accounts by the Central Bank of Syria if Treasury determines that certain jurisdictions in Lebanon are jurisdictions of primary money laundering concern. Further, the President must sanction certain senior foreign political figures or foreign persons that the President determines have knowingly provided material support to or engaged in a significant transaction with Hizballah.
Lifesaving Gear for Police Act This bill invalidates any regulation, rule, guidance, recommendation, or policy issued on or after May 15, 2015, that limits the sale or donation of excess federal property to state and local law enforcement agencies unless it is enacted by Congress. Additionally, it prohibits the use of federal funds to implement such regulation, rule, guidance, recommendation, or policy. Property that was recalled or seized on or after May 15, 2015, must be returned, replaced, or reissued to the state or local law enforcement agency.
Restoring the Armed Career Criminal Act This bill modifies the prior convictions that trigger a 15-year enhanced mandatory minimum prison term for a defendant who commits a firearms offense after three or more such prior convictions.
Thin Blue Line Act This bill expands the list of statutory aggravating factors in death penalty determinations to also include killing or targeting a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or other first responder.
