Rep. Zoe Lofgren

Universal School Meals Program Act of 2021 This bill revises requirements under the food and nutrition programs of the Department of Agriculture, such as the school lunch and breakfast programs. For example, the bill permanently provides free meals to all school children regardless of income. The bill increases the reimbursement rate for school food authorities participating in the food and nutrition programs. The bill also prohibits school food authorities from (1) physically segregating or otherwise discriminating against any child participating in the free breakfast program, or (2) overtly identifying a child participating in the program with a special token or announcement. Additionally, the bill expands the summer food service program by making all children eligible for participation in the program. Further, the bill revises eligibility determinations for measuring poverty to include runaway or homeless youth, foster children, migratory children, and children participating in specified programs (e.g., Head Start).

This concurrent resolution recognizes the service and sacrifice of those who served and perished in California at Port Chicago Naval Magazine during World War II. The concurrent resolution also exonerates the 50 Port Chicago sailors convicted of the charge of mutiny against the United States and all other charges brought against them after the July 17, 1944, explosion that killed 320. It upgrades the general and summary discharges of the Port Chicago sailors to honorable discharges.

This bill reauthorizes through FY2022 and otherwise revises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) national awareness campaign regarding gynecologic cancers. The CDC must target specified populations of women at higher risk for gynecologic cancers in the campaign. Additionally, the CDC may establish a grant program to evaluate different strategies to increase knowledge and awareness of gynecologic cancers among women and health care providers. In awarding these grants, the CDC must give preference to (1) grantees with expertise in gynecologic cancer education or treatment or expertise in working with groups of women at increased risk of such cancers; and (2) projects that will establish links between health care providers, hospitals, insurance companies, and state health departments.

Veterans Preventive Health Coverage Fairness Act This bill eliminates veterans' copayments for medication, hospital care, and medical services related to preventive health services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The bill expands the definition of preventive health services to include (1) evidence-based items or services that have an A or B rating in the recommendations of the United States Preventive Services Task Force; (2) immunizations that have a recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with respect to the individual involved; and (3) with respect to women, the preventive care and screenings provided for in the Health Resources and Services Administration Preventive Services Guidelines in effect as of January 1, 2017.

Veterans Burn Pits Exposure Recognition Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to concede, for the purposes of health care benefits and wartime disability compensation, that a veteran was exposed to certain toxic substances, chemicals, and hazards from burn pits if such veteran served on active duty in a covered location during a specified time frame (unless there is affirmative evidence to establish that the veteran was not exposed during such service). A burn pit is an area used for burning solid waste in open air without equipment. Specifically, the bill covers the following locations and corresponding time periods: Iraq between August 2, 1990, and February 28, 1991, as well as from March 19, 2003, until burn pits are no longer used in this location; Somalia and Southwest Asia (including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar) from August 2, 1990, until burn pits are no longer used in these locations; and Afghanistan, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Yemen, Uzbekistan, the Philippines, and Djibouti from September 11, 2001, until burn pits are no longer used in these locations. Under the bill, if an exposed veteran submits insufficient evidence to establish a service-connection for purposes of disability compensation, the VA shall provide a medical examination and request a medical opinion regarding a causal link between the disability and a toxin, chemical, or hazard.

Department of Energy Science for the Future Act This bill supports specified research and development activities of the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science. The bill establishes various programs, including a basic energy sciences research and development program; a program of research and development for the application of advanced computing practices to foundational and emerging research problems in chemistry and materials science; a web-based platform to develop and provide access to a database of computed information on known and predicted materials properties and computational tools to accelerate breakthroughs in materials discovery and design; a biological systems science and climate and environmental science research and development program; research and development activities in biomolecular characterization and imaging science; earth and environmental systems science research; a coastal zone research initiative; an initiative focused on the development of engineered ecosystems; a program to implement a strategy for achieving computing systems with capabilities beyond exascale computing systems; a program of fundamental research and development of energy efficient computing and data center technologies relevant to advanced computing applications; a Quantum User Expansion for Science and Technology program or QUEST program; a collaborative research and development program of fusion energy technologies; a research program in elementary particle physics and advanced technology research and development to improve the understanding of the fundamental properties of the universe, including constituents of matter and energy and the nature of space and time; research activities on the nature of the primary contents of the universe, including the nature of dark energy and dark matter; a research program to discover and understand various forms of nuclear matter; a program across the DOE for the production of isotopes, including the development of techniques to produce isotopes, that the DOE determines are needed for research, medical, industrial, or related purposes; a midscale instrumentation program to enable the development and acquisition of novel, state-of-the-art instruments ranging in cost from $1 million to $20 million each that would significantly accelerate scientific breakthroughs at user facilities; and a high intensity laser research initiative. The DOE Office of Science shall continue to leverage U.S. participation in the Large Hadron Collider and prioritize expanding international partnerships and investments in the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility and Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment. DOE shall support construction of a Facility for Rare Isotope Beams to advance the understanding of rare nuclear isotopes and the evolution of the cosmos. DOE shall expand opportunities to increase the number, diversity, equity, and inclusion of highly skilled science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals working in DOE mission-relevant disciplines and broaden the recruitment pool to increase diversity, including expanded partnerships with Historically Black Colleges, Tribal Colleges, Minority Serving Institutions, emerging research institutions, and scientific societies. DOE shall establish within the DOE Office of Science, a cross-cutting research initiative to leverage the federal government's innovative analytical resources and tools, user facilities, and advanced computational and networking capabilities in order to prevent, prepare for, and respond to emerging infectious diseases, including COVID-19. DOE may not carry out gain-of-function research of concern.

National Science Foundation for the Future Act This bill reauthorizes the National Science Foundation (NSF) through FY2026 and authorizes programs and activities at the NSF. The bill establishes requirements for the NSF, including to enter into a contract with the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine to assess the status and opportunities for Pre-K through 12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, including computer science, (STEM) education research; award grants to establish no fewer than three multidisciplinary Centers for Transformative Education Research and Translation to support research and development of STEM education innovations; provide grants for research on programming that engages students in grades Pre-K through 8, including underrepresented and rural students, in STEM in order to prepare such students to pursue degrees or careers in STEM; award grants to support research and development activities to encourage greater collaboration and coordination between institutions of higher education and industry to enhance education, foster hands-on learning experiences, and improve alignment with workforce needs; award grants to establish a network of centers for science and technical education; award grants to advance research on the nature of learning and teaching at community colleges; award grants to establish traineeship programs for graduate students who pursue artificial intelligence-related research leading to a masters or doctorate degree; award grants to carry out research on the cyber workforce; establish a cybersecurity workforce data initiative; carry out a national initiative to facilitate the development of networks and partnerships to broaden participation in STEM studies and careers of groups historically underrepresented in such studies and careers; maintain a Research Security and Policy office to coordinate all research security policy issues across the NSF; award grants to support research to improve our understanding of the climate system and related human and environmental systems; support research to significantly advance our understanding of the food-energy-water system; award grants to advance knowledge of risk assessment and predictability to improve our ability to predict extreme events and natural hazards, including pandemics; and award grants to support basic research that will accelerate innovation to advance critical minerals mining strategies and technologies. The bill also establishes within the NSF a Directorate for Science and Engineering Solutions to advance research and development solutions to address societal and national challenges.

Global Health Security Act of 2021 This bill directs the United States to implement a strategy to strengthen global health security, including by requiring the President to create the Global Health Security Agenda Interagency Review Council to implement the Global Health Security Agenda. The agenda is an initiative launched by nearly 30 nations to address global infectious disease threats. The council's responsibilities include (1) providing policy recommendations on agenda-related goals, objectives, implementation, and other international efforts to strengthen pandemic preparedness and response; (2) helping federal agencies with implementation; and (3) reviewing the progress and challenges in achieving U.S. commitments, including assistance to help other countries meet agenda targets. The bill also directs the federal agencies involved with the agenda to prioritize its implementation and to take certain steps to achieve that goal. The President shall coordinate a strategy for responding to global health security emergencies and submit a report on the implementation of this strategy. Additionally, the Department of State should seek to enter into negotiations with donors, relevant United Nations agencies, and other multilateral stakeholders to establish a Fund for Global Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness that (1) closes gaps in global health security and pandemic preparedness; and (2) builds capacity in eligible partner countries related to global health security, infectious disease control, and pandemic preparedness. The fund should provide grants, technical assistance, and innovative funding mechanisms to achieve its purposes.

Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2021 This bill requires states to direct their local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish policies that prevent and prohibit bullying and harassment of elementary and secondary school students. In particular, these policies must prohibit bullying and harassment based on race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or religion. Further, LEAs must provide (1) students, parents, and educational professionals with annual notice of the conduct prohibited in their disciplinary policies; (2) students and parents with grievance procedures that target such conduct; and (3) the public with annual data on the incidence and frequency of that conduct at the school and LEA level. The Department of Education must conduct and report on an independent biennial evaluation of programs and policies to combat bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools. The National Center for Education Statistics must collect state data to determine the incidence and frequency of the conduct prohibited by LEA disciplinary policies.

Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act of 2021 This bill provides for Medicare coverage of dental, vision, and hearing care. Coverage includes (1) routine dental cleanings and exams, basic and major dental services, emergency dental care, and dentures; (2) routine eye exams, eyeglasses, and contact lenses; and (3) routine hearing exams, hearing aids, and exams for hearing aids. With respect to such care, the bill establishes special payment rules, limitations, and coinsurance requirements.