Home for the Brave Act of 2021 This bill excludes from income veterans' service-connected disability or death benefits for purposes of determinations made in connection with the Department of Housing and Urban Development's housing assistance programs.
21st Century FTC Act This bill eliminates certain requirements with respect to the rulemaking authority of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Specifically, the FTC may promulgate a rule under the Administrative Procedure Act defining an unfair or deceptive trade practice without (1) publishing advance notice of the rulemaking, (2) finding a widespread pattern of an applicable unfair practice, or (3) providing the opportunity for an informal hearing. It also limits the opportunity for the FTC or a petitioner of a rule to make additional oral submissions and written presentations while a rule is under judicial review. Further, a court may not set aside a rule promulgated through such notice and comment process on the basis that the FTC failed to complete a regulatory analysis.
Consumer Equity Protection Act of 2021 This bill establishes a task force within the Federal Trade Commission's Bureau of Consumer Protection to advise the commission on matters related to equity in consumer protection. The task force also must collaborate with relevant agencies to (1) monitor the market for unfair and deceptive acts targeting or affecting specified consumers or groups of consumers, and (2) educate the public about such acts. Finally, the task force must support the processing of complaints involving unfair and deceptive acts.
Facilitating Innovative Nuclear Diagnostics Act of 2021 This bill establishes separate payment requirements for diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals under the Medicare prospective payment system for hospital outpatient department services. The bill's requirements apply to diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals that have an average daily cost of $500 or more in 2022 and as adjusted based on a specified fee schedule factor in each year thereafter.
Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act This bill imposes importation limits on goods produced using forced labor in China, especially the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and imposes sanctions related to such forced labor. The Department of Homeland Security shall report to Congress a strategy for preventing the importation of goods produced in China using forced labor. The strategy must contain certain information, including a list of entities working with the government in Xinjiang to move forced labor or Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, or members of other persecuted groups out of Xinjiang. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall generally presume that goods produced by these entities and certain other entities, generally those sourcing material from Xinjiang or involved with Chinese government forced labor programs, are barred from importation into the United States. The bill also expands existing asset- and visa-blocking sanctions related to Xinjiang to cover foreign individuals and entities responsible for serious human rights abuses in connection with forced labor. The Department of State shall report to Congress a strategy to enhance international awareness of forced labor in Xinjiang and to address such forced labor.
Promoting Equitable Access to Paid Family Leave Act of 2021 This bill allows the parent of a child who is eligible for child care assistance to receive payments equal to the average subsidy payment for such assistance in lieu of receiving the assistance during the three-month period beginning on the date of the child's birth or adoption.
End Double Taxation of Successful Consumer Claims Act This bill allows a deduction from gross income (above-the-line deduction) for attorney fees and court costs in connection with a claim of a consumer protection violation.
This bill provides supplemental FY2021 appropriations to the National Guard for its response to the events at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. The bill designates the funding as emergency spending, which is exempt from discretionary spending limits.
Green New Deal for Public Schools Act of 2021 This bill provides environmental and educational resources to public elementary and secondary schools and Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) schools. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy to provide climate capital facilities grants to eligible entities (e.g., public schools and BIE schools). Grant recipients must use these funds to construct new, or convert existing facilities into, healthy zero-carbon schools. Healthy zero-carbon school refers to a school with highly energy-efficient facilities that produce or procure sufficient carbon-free and pollution-free renewable energy to meet the school's needs. Next, the bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to award resource block grants to qualified local educational agencies (LEAs) to hire and retain educators and support staff in high-need schools. ED must award grants to eligible consortia of LEAs for educational equity planning and implementation. In addition, ED must establish the Climate Change Resiliency Program to increase the resiliency of public and BIE schools during climate change-related events, natural disasters, and public health crises. Further, ED must establish a related grant program for state educational agencies. Grant recipients must use these funds for certain activities (e.g., green infrastructure projects). The bill establishes the Office of Sustainable Schools within ED to (1) administer the resource block grant and educational equity grant programs, and (2) coordinate with DOE and the White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy on climate capital facilities grants and the Climate Change Resiliency Program.
Pathways to Health Careers Act This bill provides funding for, reauthorizes through FY2026, and makes a variety of changes to certain grants administered by the Department of Health and Human Services that provide education and training to low-income individuals for health care occupations, including by establishing a new competitive grant for projects designed to train low-income individuals in allied health professions.
This resolution designates June 2021 as African-American Music Appreciation Month. The resolution also recognizes the contributions of African Americans to the musical heritage of the United States. Finally, the resolution recognizes Black History Month and African-American Music Appreciation Month as important times to celebrate this impact and to encourage greater access to music education.
Fairness in Federal Disaster Declarations Act of 2021 This bill requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to amend the rules concerning the factors it considers when evaluating a governor's request for a major disaster declaration. FEMA must (1) provide that, with respect to the evaluation of the need for public assistance, specific weighted valuations shall be assigned to the estimated cost of the assistance (10%), localized impacts (40%), insurance coverage in force (10%), hazard mitigation (10%), recent multiple disasters (10%), programs of other federal assistance (10%), and economic circumstances (10%); and (2) consider the economic circumstances of both the local economy of the affected area (including the local assessable tax base and local sales tax, median income, and poverty rate) and the state economy (including the unemployment rate). Such rules are applicable to any disaster for which a governor requested a major disaster declaration and was denied on or after January 1, 2012.
