Strengthening and Amplifying Vaccination Efforts to Locally Immunize All Veterans and Every Spouse Act or the SAVE LIVES Act This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to furnish a COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) vaccine to covered individuals during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Under the bill, covered individuals are veterans who are not eligible to enroll in the VA health care system; specified veterans who are eligible for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care abroad; beneficiaries who are eligible for care due to a specified disability or death of a veteran; family caregivers of veterans who are participating in the VA's Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers; caregivers of veterans participating in the VA's Program of General Caregiver Support Services; caregivers of veterans participating in the VA's Medical Foster Home Program, Bowel and Bladder Program, Home Based Primary Care Program, or Veteran Directed Care Program; and the spouses of veterans. The VA must prioritize the vaccination of (1) veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system, (2) veterans who fail to enroll but receive hospital care and medical services for specified disabilities in their first 12 months of separation from service, and (3) caregivers accompanying such prioritized veterans. Under the bill, the VA is authorized to determine the timing for offering a vaccine to the spouse of a veteran.
This resolution designates June 19, 2021, as Juneteenth Independence Day to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.
Stopping and Excluding Chinese Rip-offs and Exports with United States Trade Secrets Act of 2021 or the SECRETS Act of 2021 This bill expands the authority of the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) to exclude from the United States the importation of products that contain, were produced using, benefit from, or use trade secrets that were acquired by improper means or misappropriation by a foreign agent or instrumentality. Further, the bill establishes the Interagency Committee on Trade Secrets to review related complaints and submit allegations to the ITC.
Hearing Protection Act This bill removes silencers from the definition of firearms for purposes of the National Firearms Act. It also treats persons acquiring or possessing a firearm silencer as meeting any registration and licensing requirements of such Act. The Department of Justice must destroy certain records relating to the registration, transfer, or making of a silencer. The bill also revises the definitions of firearm silencer and firearm muffler under the federal criminal code and includes such items in the 10% excise tax category.
Expedited Delivery of Airport Infrastructure Act of 2021 This bill makes incentive payments incurred for expedited completion of certain federally financed airport development projects an allowable project cost standard.
Facial Recognition and Biometric Technology Moratorium Act of 2021 This bill imposes limits on the use of biometric surveillance systems, such as facial recognition systems, by federal and state government entities. A federal agency or official may not in an official capacity acquire, possess, or use in the United States any such system or information obtained by such a system unless Congress passes an act that specifically authorizes such a use. Such an act of Congress must contain certain provisions, such as provisions naming the specific authorized entity and auditing requirements relating to the system. Information obtained in violation of this bill shall not be admissible by the federal government in any proceeding or investigation, except in a proceeding alleging a violation of this bill. An individual aggrieved by a violation of these restrictions shall have the right to sue. Any state officer authorized to sue on behalf of the state's residents shall also have the right to sue on behalf of the state's aggrieved residents. A state or local government unit shall not receive certain federal law enforcement grants unless the government unit complies with a law or policy that is substantially similar to this bill's restrictions on acquiring and using biometric surveillance systems.
Financial Stability Oversight Council Improvement Act of 2021 The bill requires the Financial Stability Oversight Council, prior to determining that a U.S. nonbank financial company shall be supervised by the Federal Reserve Board and therefore subject to certain prudential standards, to first determine that certain alternative actions would not mitigate the threat the company may pose to U.S. financial stability.
Critical Mineral Access Act This bill authorizes the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to provide support to high-income economy countries for developing and processing specified critical materials if such support furthers U.S. national security interests. Critical materials include, for example, rare earth elements, aluminum, and uranium. A high-income economy country is one with a per capita gross national income (GNI) that exceeds $12,695 for 2021. Current law limits the corporation's activities to facilitating the economic development of countries with a per capita GNI below that amount.
This bill establishes the Alzheimer's Research and Caregiving Trust Fund to pay for research regarding the treatment or cure of Alzheimer's disease and for education, counseling, respite, and other supportive services for individuals with Alzheimer's disease and their families, caregivers, and health care professionals. The bill allows taxpayers an election to contribute a whole dollar amount to the trust fund when they file their tax returns.
Every Vote Counts Act This bill requires states to take certain actions to facilitate absentee voting for federal elections. First, the bill requires each state to establish an absentee ballot tracking program to track and confirm receipt of absentee ballots for federal elections. The Election Assistance Commission must make payments to states for establishing these programs. Next, the bill requires each state to provide in each county secured drop boxes at which individuals may drop off their completed absentee ballots for federal elections. These drop boxes must be (1) available beginning 45 days before the election; (2) accessible to individuals with disabilities and individuals with limited proficiency in the English language; (3) accessible by public transit; (4) available during all hours of the day; and (5) located in all communities within the county, including rural communities and on tribal lands. States must also post the requirements for absentee ballots to be counted and tabulated in the election. Further, the bill outlines additional requirements that a state must meet in determining the number and location of drop boxes. The bill also requires the National Institute of Standards and Technology to develop alternatives to signature matching for verifying the identity of an individual who is voting by absentee ballot.
Trillion Trees Act This bills establishes a variety of requirements and incentives to plant trees and conduct other land management practices for the purposes of capturing and storing carbon in domestic and international trees and forests. Additionally, the bill provides incentives to research or develop other carbon sequestration tools. Specifically, the bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to set targets to increase forest carbon stock through January 1, 2100, for the purposes of sequestering and storing carbon in U.S. forests. It also establishes and provides funding for the Trillion Trees Challenge Fund to provide grants to nonfederal entities for activities related to reforestation efforts on public or private lands. In addition, it raises the cap on the Reforestation Trust Fund to enhance forest health in the National Forest System and requires the USDA to establish a Tree City USA Grant Program. The bill also allows the U.S. Agency for International Development to enter into an agreement with a nonprofit organization to establish an International Forest Foundation to promote reforestation and prevent deforestation. Additionally, it establishes requirements and incentives to address seedling shortages and support nurseries. Finally, the bill provides market incentives to research or develop other carbon sequestration tools relating to biochar, sustainable building practices, biochemical and bioplastic products, and biomass energy.
Farmworker Pesticide Safety Act This bill addresses the administration of the Pesticide Registration Fund under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA). Under the bill, any amounts collected for FIFRA violations must be deposited to be used as part of the fund. The bill prescribes how the fund must be used for FY2021-FY2023, including by instructing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to utilize a certain amount of money from specified parts of the fund for partnership grants, the pesticide safety education program, and scientific and regulatory activities relating to worker protection. Finally, the bill requires the EPA to include in its annual report a comprehensive statement of fund expenditures and deposits into the fund that come from amounts collected for FIFRA violations.
