Rep. Eric A. "Rick" Crawford

Community Bank Relief Act of 2021 This bill requires banking agencies to set the community bank leverage ratio between 8% and 8.5% for calendar years 2022, 2023, and 2024 for community banks seeking to satisfy simplified capital adequacy requirements. Currently, banking agencies are statutorily required to set the rate between 8% and 10% through rulemaking. Under current regulations, the rate will increase from 8.5% to 9% on January 1, 2022.

Eliminating Global Market Distortions to Protect American Jobs Act of 2021 This bill addresses unfair trade practices by making various changes to U.S. antidumping and countervailing duty law. Antidumping provides relief to U.S industries and workers that are materially injured or threatened with injury due to imports of like products sold in the U.S. market at less than fair value, while countervailing duty provides such relief from imports of products subsidized by a foreign government or public entity. Specifically, the bill establishes a process for successive antidumping and countervailing duty investigations. Successive investigations may be concurrent (an ongoing investigation of the same product from different countries) or recently completed (not more than two years before the date of the initiation of the successive investigation). Further, the bill establishes a time line for the Department of Commerce to issue determinations in successive investigations. Among other provisions, the bill authorizes Commerce to apply countervailing duty law to subsidies provided by a foreign government or public entity to a company operating in a different country, use another method for calculating the cost of production in specific circumstances, and require importers to provide a certification that the imported merchandise is not subject to an antidumping or countervailing duty order. Additionally, the bill establishes procedures for Commerce to conduct circumvention inquiries, including by specifying the deadlines for preliminary and final determinations. The bill repeals the Softwood Lumber Act of 2008, which addresses the importation of softwood lumber and softwood lumber products.

Protect American IPR Act This bill addresses the effects of violations of U.S. intellectual property rights in China or by Chinese persons. The bill directs the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to study the losses of revenue to holders of those rights. It directs the USTR to impose duties on merchandise from China in an amount equivalent to the annual loss of revenue to U.S. intellectual property rights holders reduced by the amount of tariffs collected for such violations. Duties collected must be used to compensate U.S. intellectual property rights holders injured by such violations.

Crucial Communism Teaching Act This bill directs the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation to develop a civic education curriculum and oral history resources for high school students to promote understanding of certain political ideologies (e.g., communism and totalitarianism) that conflict with principles of U.S. democracy.

Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act of 2021 or the HELP Act of 2021 This bill extends through FY2035 the special duty-free rules for Haiti. It also extends through December 19, 2035, the duty-free treatment provided for apparel articles assembled in Haiti and imported from Haiti or the Dominican Republic.

Exemptions for Critical Workers Act This bill exempts critical infrastructure workers from any federal mandate requiring federal employees or contractors to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. Critical infrastructure workers are identified in guidance from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency.

This resolution commemorates the 125th anniversary of the National Grain and Feed Association. It also recognizes the National Grain and Feed Association for 125 years of promoting the noble purpose of its members in transforming the American farmer's bounty into safe, nutritious, sustainable, and affordable human and animal food.

Improving Chassis Capacity for Memphis' Supply Chain Act This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to undertake a process, in coordination with the Federal Maritime Commission, to create a voluntary chassis pool operated by a private sector entity at the rail ramps near Memphis, TN. (Chassis are special trailers used to transport shipping containers.) DOT must solicit proposals from private sector entities to develop a model for operating such a pool. The proposals must address, among other matters, a sustainable fee structure, estimates of the number of chassis needed in the pool, and real property necessary to operate the pool. If any entities submit satisfactory proposals, DOT must (1) contract with one of those entities to operate the pool, and (2) evaluate the effectiveness of the pool within one year of its implementation. In the event there are no satisfactory proposals submitted, DOT must provide Congress with alternative options to improve the availability of chassis at the rail ramps.

Improving Chassis Capacity for Memphis' Supply Chain Act This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to undertake a process, in coordination with the Federal Maritime Commission, to create a voluntary chassis pool operated by a private sector entity at the rail ramps near Memphis, TN. (Chassis are special trailers used to transport shipping containers.) DOT must solicit proposals from private sector entities to develop a model for operating such a pool. The proposals must address, among other matters, a sustainable fee structure, estimates of the number of chassis needed in the pool, and real property necessary to operate the pool. If any entities submit satisfactory proposals, DOT must (1) contract with one of those entities to operate the pool, and (2) evaluate the effectiveness of the pool within one year of its implementation. In the event there are no satisfactory proposals submitted, DOT must provide Congress with alternative options to improve the availability of chassis at the rail ramps.

Conscience Protection Act of 2021 This bill provides statutory authority for certain protections for health care providers that refuse to participate in abortions based on religious beliefs or other convictions. Health care providers include individual professionals, medical facilities, health insurance organizations, and social services providers that refer clients to health care services. The federal government and entities that receive federal funding for health-related activities, including state and local governments, may not discriminate against a health care provider that refuses to be involved in, or provide coverage for, abortions. Currently, similar requirements apply to various related activities, including certain employment or personnel decisions (the Church Amendments), abortion services training (the Coats-Snowe Amendment), qualified health plans offered through health insurance exchanges, and annual appropriations bills for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other federal agencies (the Weldon Amendment). The HHS Office for Civil Rights must investigate complaints of this kind of discrimination. Furthermore, HHS may terminate or reduce HHS funding for health-related activities if a person or entity fails to comply with nondiscrimination requirements. Additionally, the Department of Justice or any entity adversely affected by such discrimination may bring a civil action to obtain appropriate relief. A plaintiff does not need to seek or exhaust administrative remedies before bringing the action. A plaintiff may also bring an action, including one for money damages, against a governmental entity. In many cases, principles of sovereign immunity shield states and some localities from these kinds of actions.