Accounting STEM Pursuit Act of 2021 This bill authorizes states and local educational agencies (LEAs) to use grant funds provided through the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Program for accounting education. In particular, LEAs may use these grant funds to implement programs to teach accounting, including by increasing access to high-quality accounting courses through 12th grade for students who are members of underrepresented groups.
Supplemental Security Income Restoration Act of 2021 This bill modifies eligibility for, and other components of, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, including by (1) increasing applicable income and resource limits used to determine SSI eligibility, (2) equalizing treatment of married couples when both spouses receive SSI as compared to two unmarried individuals, and (3) eliminating the penalty on SSI applicants or recipients who transfer resources to another individual for less than fair market value.
Promoting Respect for Individuals' Dignity and Equality Act of 2021 or the PRIDE Act of 2021 This bill requires the equal treatment of same sex married couples for tax purposes. It permits such couples to amend their filing status to married filing jointly for tax returns outside of the statute of limitations and modifies tax rules relating to married couples to include same sex couples.
Protecting our Students in Schools Act of 2021 This bill prohibits the use of corporal punishment in schools that receive federal funding. Specifically, the bill authorizes the Department of Education (ED) to take specified actions (e.g., withholding funds and issuing cease-and-desist orders) for schools that allow school personnel, law enforcement officers, or school security guards to subject students to corporal punishment. The bill also establishes enforcement provisions, including a private right of action for a student who has been subjected to corporal punishment. Each state educational agency (SEA) that receives federal funding must submit specified information to ED, including a school climate report that describes the SEA's policies and procedures related to exclusionary and aversive discipline practices in schools. Additionally, the bill authorizes ED to award three-year grants to SEAs and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies to implement positive behavioral interventions and supports to address student behavior and reduce exclusionary and aversive discipline practices. ED must promulgate regulations as necessary to ensure compliance with the bill. The Department of Defense and the Department of the Interior must ensure that the schools they operate or fund also comply with these regulations.
Refund Equality Act of 2021 This bill permits legally married same sex couples to amend their tax returns to file as married filing jointly for returns outside of the statute of limitations.
Medical Nutrition Equity Act of 2021 This bill expands coverage under Medicare, Medicaid, other specified federal health care programs, and private health insurance to include foods, vitamins, and individual amino acids that are medically necessary for the management of certain digestive and metabolic disorders and conditions.
COVID-19 Vaccine Developers Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to recognize all those whose efforts led to the development of COVID-19 vaccines that received emergency use authorizations.
Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2021 This bill modifies a program providing special immigrant visas to eligible citizens or nationals of Afghanistan who assisted U.S. efforts there and addresses related issues. The bill extends the program through 2023 and increases the number of visas available. An individual may become eligible for a visa after assisting U.S. efforts in Afghanistan for one year, whereas currently some individuals must have served for two years. Furthermore, for an applicant qualifying for a visa by performing duties with a NATO mission in Afghanistan, the bill eliminates a requirement that the duties performed qualify as sensitive and trusted duties. The bill removes a requirement that the individual has experienced or is facing an ongoing serious threat due to their assistance to the United States or NATO. The Department of State or the Department of Homeland Security may postpone the program's medical examination requirement. An individual who received a postponement must undergo a medical exam within 90 days of admission into the United States. The bill also expands surviving family member benefits for the Afghanistan program (and a similar program for Iraq) to a surviving spouse or child of an individual who submitted an application to the Chief of Mission that would have been approved but for the individual's death. Currently, such survivor benefits only apply if the deceased individual's petition was approved.
Pipeline and LNG Facility Cybersecurity Preparedness Act This bill requires the Department of Energy to implement a program to ensure the security, resiliency, and survivability of natural gas pipelines, hazardous liquid pipelines, and liquefied natural gas facilities.
Greater Leadership Overseas for the Benefit of Equality Act of 2021 or the GLOBE Act of 2021 This bill contains provisions related to (1) the protection of LGBTQI individuals globally; and (2) immigration protections for vulnerable individuals. The bill establishes (1) an interagency group to respond to urgent threats to LGBTQI people in foreign countries, and (2) a permanent Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTQI Peoples in the Department of State. The President shall impose visa-blocking sanctions on foreign persons responsible for violating the human rights of individuals based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics. The State Department shall establish the Global Equality Fund to provide assistance to nongovernmental organizations working to advance and protect human rights. The U.S. Agency for International Development shall establish the LGBTQI Global Development Partnership to work with the private sector and nongovernmental organizations to support LGBTQI rights. The bill contains several immigration-related provisions, such as those establishing that persecution based on sexual orientation or gender identity may form the basis of an asylum request, allowing certain applicants to file asylum claims more than a year after their arrival in the United States, including a permanent partnership between two partners as a marriage for immigration law purposes, providing for free counsel in certain immigration proceedings, and granting U.S. citizenship to a child born abroad through assistive reproductive technology from a U.S. citizen who is the child's nonbiological parent.
Enhancing Oversight to End Discrimination in Policing Act This bill expands the capacity to enforce a law that prohibits patterns or practices of misconduct by state and local law enforcement agencies. Current law prohibits state and local law enforcement agencies from engaging in patterns or practices of conduct that violate constitutional or federal rights. Further, current law authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ) to file civil cases to eliminate the pattern or practice of misconduct. Typically, DOJ's Civil Rights Division conducts pattern-or-practice investigations and resolves any misconduct through a consent decree instead of a trial. This bill provides statutory authority for state attorneys general to bring pattern-or-practice cases in federal court. The bill also authorizes grants to help states pursue pattern-or-practice investigations and cases. Additionally, the bill authorizes additional amounts for DOJ's Civil Rights Division and requires a certain portion to be used for enforcement and technical assistance related to pattern-or-practice cases. Finally, the bill requires DOJ's Civil Rights Division to modify the procedures for consent decrees and settlement agreements to ensure that the consent decrees and settlement agreements (1) foster the creation and use of alternative remedies such as mental health support or community-based restorative justice mechanisms; and (2) incorporate community oversight requirements, such as a community oversight body.
Promising Pathway Act This bill establishes a provisional approval pathway for medicines intended for serious or life-threatening diseases, including illnesses posing a threat of epidemic or pandemic. The period of the provisional approval is for two years and is potentially renewable. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must establish a priority review system to evaluate completed provisional approval applications within 90 days of receipt. A provisional approval application may be approved if the FDA determines that (1) there is substantial evidence of safety for the drug; and (2) there is relevant early evidence of efficacy, based on adequate and well-controlled investigations. During the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, or another epidemic or pandemic, the FDA must accept and review various portions of a provisional approval application on a rolling basis. The manufacturer of a provisionally approved drug must require patients to participate in an observational registry. A manufacturer that fails to comply with registry requirements is subject to civil penalties. A provisionally approved drug must be labeled as such. If a drug that receives provisional approval status is not brought to market within 180 days of the approval, the approval must be rescinded. The bill also limits the liability of a manufacturer of a provisionally approved drug with respect to any claim under state law alleging that the drug is unsafe or ineffective. Private health insurers and federal health care programs shall not deny coverage of a provisionally approved drug on the basis of it being experimental.
