Qualified Immunity Act of 2021 This bill codifies the defense of qualified immunity for law enforcement officers in any case under provisions regarding civil actions for deprivation of rights under color of law. Specifically, a law enforcement officer subject to such an action in his or her individual capacity shall not be found liable if the officer establishes that the right, privilege, or immunity secured by the Constitution or federal law was not clearly established at the time of the deprivation, or that at this time, the state of the law was not sufficiently clear that every reasonable law enforcement officer would have understood that the conduct alleged constituted a violation of the Constitution or federal law; or a court of competent jurisdiction had issued a final decision on the merits holding, without reversal, vacatur, or preemption, that the specific conduct alleged to be unlawful was consistent with the Constitution and federal laws. A law enforcement agency or unit of local government that employed a law enforcement officer subject to such an action shall not be liable if the officer is found not liable and to have been acting within the scope of his or her employment.
Congressional Oversight of Unjust Policing Act This bill establishes the U.S. Commission on Unjust Policing to investigate law enforcement activities and decisions related to the security breach at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Specifically, the commission must investigate decisions made by leadership of the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Department of Homeland Security leading up to and during the siege at the Capitol, including an assessment of whether conscious and unconscious bias was a factor in the miscalculation of the risk posed by protesters to Members of Congress and their staff. The commission must also investigate whether current USCP officers have ties to white supremacist and other extremist groups, movements, and organizing efforts, and whether any USCP officers neglected their duty and colluded with protestors or other law enforcement entities. Further, the commission must recommend specific measures and reforms related to realigning (1) USCP priorities and practice to address disparate use of force and surveillance targets in and around the Capitol; and (2) USCP recruitment, hiring, and retention policies and practices to address conscious and unconscious biases.
Presidential Pardon Transparency Act of 2021 This bill requires certain information about presidential pardons and reprieves to be made public. Specifically, the President must publish the issue date, recipient, and full text of each pardon or reprieve granted.
Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act This bill prohibits the imposition of a death penalty sentence for a violation of federal law. A person sentenced to death before enactment of this bill must be resentenced.
Providing Officer Licensing to Increase Confidence for Everyone Act or the POLICE Act This bill establishes licensing requirements for law enforcement officers. The Department of Justice must issue licensing standards based on law enforcement best practices. Federal law enforcement officers must be licensed in accordance with such standards and take continuing education classes to maintain their license. States must have in effect a similar licensing system and continuing education program to receive a full allocation of funds under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program.
Preventing Future Pandemics Act of 2021 This bill establishes measures to address global public health risks posed by wildlife markets, which are commercial markets that sell or slaughter wildlife for human consumption as food or medicine in communities where alternative nutritional or protein sources are available. Specifically, the bill prohibits importing, exporting, purchasing, or selling live wild animals in the United States for human consumption as food or medicine. The Department of the Interior must hire, train, and deploy at least 50 new U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service law enforcement attachés around the world, and the U.S. Agency for International Development must increase specified activities to address the threats and causes of zoonotic (animal-to-human transmission) disease outbreaks. Additionally, the United States must work with other United Nations member states to urge a global ban on commercial wildlife markets and enforcement of laws to end wildlife trafficking. Further, the President may impose sanctions against a foreign country or foreign nationals that the Department of State has determined are taking certain actions that enable or facilitate commercial wildlife markets. Among other reports required by the bill, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine must conduct a study and submit a report that includes an evaluation of (1) the impact that consumption of terrestrial wildlife as food or medicine has on the transmission of novel viral and other pathogens, (2) the role of consuming terrestrial wildlife as food or medicine in the transmission of microbes from animals to humans, and (3) the conditions at live wildlife markets that lead to this transmission.
Protecting Consumer Access to Generic Drugs Act of 2021 This bill prohibits the manufacturer of a brand-name, generic, or biosimilar drug from entering into certain agreements to resolve or settle a patent infringement claim in connection with the sale of a drug or biological product. Specifically, such an agreement shall, with some exceptions, be a violation of the bill if the filer of a subsequent application to market a drug or biological product receives anything of value and agrees to limit or forego research, development, manufacturing, marketing, or sales of the subsequent drug or biological product. (Typically, a subsequent application seeks to market a generic or biosimilar version of a patented drug or biological product.) Penalties for violations of the bill include civil penalties and loss of the 180-day exclusivity period for a generic drug. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) shall have exclusive authority to litigate to enforce the bill. When a generic or biosimilar drug manufacturer enters into an agreement with another drug manufacturer related to the manufacturing, marketing or sale of a drug, the manufacturers shall certify that the material they have given the FTC concerning the agreement contains (1) the complete agreement; and (2) any agreements related to the main agreement, including descriptions of any oral agreements or representations.
This concurrent resolution calls for the removal of retired Lieutenant General Russel Honoré, U.S. Army, from his interim role investigating the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Further, it urges the Speaker of the House of Representatives to appoint a nonpartisan, bicameral panel of former Members of Congress, law enforcement officials, and military servicemen to investigate those events.
This joint resolution eliminates the deadline for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment, which prohibits discrimination based on sex. The amendment was proposed to the states in House Joint Resolution 208 of the 92nd Congress, as agreed to in the Senate on March 22, 1972. The amendment shall be part of the Constitution whenever ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the states.
This resolution declares that mothers, especially mothers of color, have been pushed to the brink of economic, social, and emotional collapse during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic because of the existing economic and social inequalities that women have long faced. The resolution also states that any relief and long-term recovery package to address the COVID-19 crisis should recognize and rebuild moms in the workforce by including certain policies such as establishing a robust paid leave plan; rebuilding and stabilizing the child care industry; providing recurring child benefits—expanded and improved child tax credit and earned income tax credit—to help reduce child poverty and provide economic security for families; establishing an expanded unemployment insurance program that benefits struggling workers, including those experiencing long-term unemployment; and providing access to mental health support for mothers. Finally, the resolution declares that employers and policymakers must prioritize addressing the economic cliff facing mothers and make permanent the policies set forth in this resolution so that mothers are protected against any future economic calamities.
This resolution designates February 1-February 5, 2021, as National School Counseling Week.
This resolution supports the designation of February 2021 as Career and Technical Education Month to celebrate career and technical education across the United States.
