Rep. David Schweikert

Finding Orphan-disease Remedies With Antifungal Research and Development Act of 2021 or the FORWARD Act of 2021 This bill establishes programs to support research on endemic fungal diseases and the development of antifungal drugs, with a particular focus on Valley Fever. Endemic fungal diseases are fungal infections that tend to occur in specific geographic areas and affect older adults and other at-risk populations. Specifically, the bill establishes the Endemic Fungal Disease Working Group to review, coordinate, and make recommendations about the Department of Health and Human Services' efforts to address endemic fungal diseases. The working group is comprised of experts from both relevant federal agencies and the private sector. In addition, the National Institutes of Health must continue its support for research on endemic fungal diseases. Furthermore, the Food and Drug Administration must issue guidance for entities seeking approval for therapies, diagnostics, and vaccines to prevent and treat Valley Fever. Additionally, the bill provides for the use of priority reviews and other fast-track procedures to incentivize and expedite development and approval of these medical products. The bill also requires the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority to implement the Combating Antimicrobial Resistance Biopharmaceutical Accelerator Program to reduce and prevent antimicrobial resistance.

Healthy Technology Act of 2021 This bill establishes that artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning technology may be eligible to prescribe drugs. Currently, certain drugs may be dispensed only upon a prescription provided by a practitioner licensed by law to administer the drug. Under this bill, an AI or machine learning technology may qualify as such a prescribing practitioner if the technology is (1) authorized by state law to prescribe the drug involved; and (2) approved, cleared, or authorized under certain federal provisions pertaining to medical devices and products.

Israel Relations Normalization Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of State to take certain actions promoting the normalization of relations between Israel, Arab states, and other relevant countries and regions. Specifically, the State Department must develop a strategy on expanding and strengthening the Abraham Accords (the term used to refer collectively to agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and between Israel and Bahrain marking the public normalization of relations between the two Arab countries and Israel). The strategy must include a description of how the U.S. government will encourage further normalization of relations with Israel. In addition, the State Department must report on options for U.S. international efforts to promote the strengthening of ties between Israel, Arab states, and other relevant countries and regions. The State Department must also report on the status of the normalization of relations with Israel, including information on (1) laws that punish individuals for people-to-people relations with Israelis (i.e., anti-normalization laws), and (2) evidence of steps taken by Arab governments toward permitting or encouraging normalized relations between their citizens or residents and Israeli citizens.

This resolution supports the designation of National Clean Energy Week.

Paws Off Act of 2021 This bill forbids the sale of food that contains xylitol unless the food's label contains a warning about the toxic effects of xylitol for dogs if ingested.

This bill requires the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to report to Congress on projections of the estimated tax gap (i.e., the difference between tax liabilities owed to the IRS and those liabilities that the IRS actually collects). The IRS may use artificial intelligence and related data analysis tools to calculate a tax gap projection. The bill also requires the Joint Committee on Taxation to issue periodic reports to the congressional tax committees on the tax gap projection. The bill restricts IRS funding to FY2021 levels for audits and enforcement until it publishes an updated tax gap projection. Funding is also restricted for certain purposes, including (1) targeting U.S. citizens who exercise their First Amendment rights, (2) targeting a group for regulatory scrutiny based on its ideological beliefs, and (3) auditing individual taxpayers with an adjusted gross income of less than $400,000. The bill directs the IRS to establish a fellowship program to recruit private sector tax experts to join the IRS to create and participate in the audit task force. The purposes of the tax force include performing audit case selection, educating IRS employees on emerging issues, auditing selected taxpayers, addressing offshore tax evasion, and identifying, mentoring, and training IRS junior employees with respect to audits.

Working Dog Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue 50,000 $5 gold coins, 500,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins in commemoration of the service that working dogs provide to society. The designs of the coins minted under this bill shall be emblematic of the contributions of working dogs to society, including in detection, military service, therapy and assistance. Treasury may issue coins only during the one-year period beginning on January 1, 2023. All sales of coins shall include a surcharge, which shall be paid to America's VetDogs for general expenses associated with the fulfillment of its mission.

Advanced Safe Testing at Residence Telehealth Act of 2021 This bill temporarily establishes several programs to provide telehealth services for at-home testing, evaluations, and other health care. Specifically, the bill establishes a demonstration program to provide assistive telehealth consultations and home- and community-based care for certain Medicare beneficiaries through Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. Covered services include certain at-home diagnostic tests, telehealth consultations, transportation services, and meal benefits. Beneficiaries must be (1) age 65 or older and eligible to enroll in a qualifying MA plan and to receive certain low-income subsidies under the Medicare prescription drug benefit, or (2) dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid benefits. The bill also establishes a grant program for state Medicaid programs to cover similar at-home tests and related telehealth consultations. Additionally, the Department of Veterans Affairs must establish a pilot program to provide tests and related telehealth consultations free of charge to veterans.

Advancing America's Interests Act This bill limits the ability of certain persons (e.g., patent or trademark holders) to bring complaints before the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), and it requires the ITC to consider the public interest when determining whether to exclude articles that are under investigation. A complainant before the ITC must satisfy a domestic industry requirement obliging them to have made significant investment in the United States related to the articles that are the subject of the matter. One method to establish domestic industry is through reliance on licensing activities. The bill requires a complainant attempting to demonstrate domestic industry through licensing activities to show that those activities led to the adoption and development of articles that incorporate the patent, copyright, trademark, mask work, or design at issue. Further, the bill prohibits a complainant from relying upon activities by a licensee to demonstrate domestic industry unless the license leads to the adoption and development of articles that incorporate the claimed patent, copyright, trademark, mask work, or design for sale in the United States. In addition, the bill requires the ITC to determine that any exclusion of articles pursuant to an investigation is in the public interest. The ITC must also identify at the beginning of an investigation whether the matter involves a dispositive issue that is appropriate for expedited initial determination and direct the assigned judge to issue such determination not later than 100 days after the investigation is instituted.

This resolution impeaches Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken for high crimes and misdemeanors related to his role in the withdrawal of U.S. forces and diplomatic assets from Afghanistan.