Ensuring Transparent Honest Information on COVID-19 Act or the ETHIC Act This bill retroactively requires states and other jurisdictions to report specified COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a condition of receiving certain COVID-19 funding. The bill also requires the Department of Health and Human Services to commission a study from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on public health data infrastructure.
COVID-19 Supply Chain Resiliency Act of 2021 This bill establishes the Office of COVID-19 Supply Chain Resiliency to identify and address supply chain issues related to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. Specifically, the office must establish a national strategy to address identified supply chain issues related to the pandemic, serve as a central point of contact for and provide technical assistance to entities dealing with these issues, and develop legislative recommendations to strengthen critical supply chains for pandemics. The office shall cease to exist 18 months after the COVID-19 public health emergency (and any renewal thereof) is terminated.
This joint resolution nullifies the action of the District of Columbia Council in approving the Minor Consent for Vaccinations Amendment Act of 2020, enacted by the council on December 23, 2020, and transmitted on February 1, 2021, to Congress pursuant to the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. The act authorizes a minor, 11 years of age or older, to consent to receive a vaccine if the minor is capable of meeting the informed consent standard and the vaccine is recommended by the United States Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and will be provided in accordance with its recommended immunization schedule.
This resolution urges the U.S. Postal Service to take steps to ensure the continuation of its six-day mail delivery service.
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the U.S. Postal Service should restore mail delivery service standards to those of July 1, 2012.
This resolution recognizes the cultural and historical significance of the Lunar New Year. The resolution expresses, in observance of this Lunar New Year, the Year of the Ox, the deepest respect of the House of Representatives for Asian Americans and all individuals throughout the world who celebrate this significant occasion. The resolution wishes Asian Americans and all individuals who observe this holiday a happy and prosperous new year.
New Business Preservation Act This bill establishes and provides funding for the Innovation and Startups Equity Investment Program, through which the Department of the Treasury must work with states to invest in new businesses and startups. Specifically, the bill requires Treasury to provide certain funds to participating states, which these states must use to administer specified approved programs that provide equity investment in new businesses. Treasury must also award funds to approved state programs to provide follow-on investments. If a state receives funds from an exit, the state shall use such funds to further invest in startups under the approved program. An exit is defined as the (1) acquisition of a startup in which a state has invested under the program; (2) sale of a share of such startup following an initial public offering; or (3) voluntary purchase of a state's ownership interest by the startup, investors, or existing shareholders.
Robust International Response to Pandemic Act This bill requires the Department of the Treasury and each U.S. Executive Director at an international financial institution to take certain actions in support of the global response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifically, each U.S. Executive Director at an international financial institution (e.g., the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development or the International Finance Corporation) must seek the suspension of debt service payments to the institution and the relaxation of fiscal targets for certain programs, oppose programs or loan agreements that would reduce countries' health care spending or other spending related to their responses to COVID-19, and require approval of all Special Drawing Rights (a currency support tool) allocation transfers from wealthier member countries to countries that are emerging or developing to ensure the allocations are used for the public good and in response to the global pandemic. Further, the U.S. Governor at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) must advocate for the issuance of Special Drawing Rights so that governments may access additional resources to finance their responses to COVID-19. Of these Special Drawing Rights allocated to the United States, Treasury must lend a specified amount to the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust or other special purpose vehicle of the IMF to help eligible low-income countries respond to COVID-19. Treasury must also advocate for an extension of the current moratorium on debt service payments to official bilateral creditors by the world's poorest countries.
Law Enforcement Officers Equity Act This bill expands the definition of law enforcement officer under provisions of the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). Specifically, the bill expands the definition to include (1) federal employees whose duties encompass the investigation or apprehension of suspected or convicted criminals and who are authorized to carry a firearm; (2) Internal Revenue Service employees whose duties are primarily the collection of delinquent taxes and the securing of delinquent returns; (3) U.S. Postal Inspection Service employees; (4) Department of Veterans Affairs police officers; and (5) certain U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees who are seized-property specialists with duties relating to custody, management, and disposition of seized and forfeited property. The bill deems service performed by an incumbent law enforcement officer on or after the enactment date of this bill to be service performed as a law enforcement officer for retirement purposes. The past service of such incumbents shall be treated as service performed by a law enforcement officer for retirement purposes only if a written election is submitted to the Office of Personnel Management within five years after the enactment of this bill or before separation from government service, whichever is earlier. An incumbent who makes an election before the enactment of this bill may pay a deposit into the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund to cover prior service. A law enforcement officer shall not be subject to mandatory separation during the three-year period beginning on the enactment of this bill.
Small Business Succession Planning Act This bill requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish a program to assist small businesses with developing and implementing business succession plans. The bill also provides a tax credit for a business that establishes a succession plan or that successfully carries out such a plan. A business succession plan identifies who will assume the ownership responsibilities of a small business upon the owner's death or retirement, and it includes an operational description of the small business to ensure the continuation of operations. To carry out the program, the SBA must develop and make publicly available a toolkit to assist small business with succession planning. Further, it must train resource partners on the toolkit, educate small businesses about the program, and ensure that each SBA district office and each resource partner employs someone to counsel small businesses on using the toolkit.
Save Voters Act This bill prohibits a state from removing registrants from the official list of eligible voters unless it meets certain verification and notice requirements. Specifically, the bill prohibits a state from removing a registrant from the official list of eligible voters unless it verifies, on the basis of objective and reliable evidence, that the registrant is ineligible to vote in federal elections. Further, a state is prohibited from considering failure to vote in an election or failure to respond to a notice as evidence of ineligibility to vote. Additionally, the bill requires a state to provide individual registrants who are removed with a notice, which must include the grounds for the removal and information on contesting the removal. Public notice must be provided after conducting any general program to remove the names of ineligible voters.
Well-Informed, Scientific, and Efficient Government Act of 2021 or the WISE Government Act This bill prohibits an agency from entering into a contract for a journal subscription that prohibits disclosure of the cost of the subscription to another agency or the Library of Congress. Each agency library must make policies and procedures for employee access to library subscriptions easily and clearly available to the agency's employees, including regional employees, through the intranet. The General Services Administration shall submit to Congress and each agency library a report on increasing agency library access to serials.
