Rep. Jimmy Panetta

Promoting Advancement Through Transit Help to College Act or the PATH to College Act This bill authorizes grants for improving transit connections for students at institutions of higher education, such as by adding transit stops within walking distance of a campus or subsidizing transit costs for students. The Department of Transportation may award the grants to partnerships of public transit providers and one or more community colleges, historically Black colleges and universities, tribal colleges and universities, and other minority-serving institutions.

Maddy summaryHR 6020, the Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2021, extends temporary Medicare payment increases for physicians through 2022 instead of ending them on January 1, 2022. It updates specific dates in Medicare law (Section 1848(t) of the Social Security Act) to maintain current payment rates for doctors treating Medicare patients. This directly affects physicians and clinics participating in Medicare who rely on these temporary payment adjustments. The bill makes no new policy changes but ensures existing payment levels continue for providers during 2022.

Access to Birth Control Act This bill requires pharmacies to comply with certain rules related to ensuring access to contraceptives. Specifically, pharmacies must provide without delay a customer with any contraceptive or related medication that is in stock. If the contraceptive is not in stock, the pharmacy must immediately inform the customer and either order the contraceptive or refer the customer to a pharmacy that has it in stock. Laws in some states provide pharmacists with the right to refuse to dispense contraceptive-related drugs on religious or conscience grounds. Pharmacies may refuse to provide a contraceptive to a customer (1) if the customer lacks a valid prescription for a prescription contraceptive or is unable to pay for the contraceptive, or (2) based on a pharmacy employee's professional clinical judgment. The bill also establishes a private cause of action and civil monetary penalties for violations of the bill.

IDEA Full Funding Act This bill provides permanent, mandatory funding for the grant program that assists states and outlying areas in providing special education and related services to children with disabilities.

National Wildland Fire Risk Reduction Program Act This bill directs the President to establish a National Wildland Fire Risk Reduction Program to achieve major measurable reductions in the losses of life and property from wildland fires. This program shall coordinate federal efforts to improve the assessment of fire environments and the understanding and prediction of wildland fires, associated smoke, and their impacts; develop and encourage the adoption of science-based and cost-effective measures to prevent and mitigate wildland fire and associated smoke impacts; and improve the understanding and mitigation of the impacts of climate change and variability on wildland fire risk, frequency, and severity and inform the other goals described here. Not later than 90 days after enactment of this bill, the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall establish an Interagency Coordinating Committee on Wildland Fire Risk Reduction to oversee the planning, management, and coordination of the program. The committee shall submit a strategic plan for the program to Congress. The Government Accountability Office shall submit a report to Congress on the progress and performance of the program. Further, the bill sets forth the responsibilities of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, National Science Foundation, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Federal Emergency Management Agency, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Environmental Protection Agency, and Department of Energy with respect to the program.

Leveraging and Energizing America's Apprenticeship Programs Act or the LEAP Act This bill allows employers a business-related tax credit of $1,500 for hiring an apprenticeship employee who has not attained age 25 at the close of the taxable year or $1,000 for an apprenticeship employee who has attained age 25. The bill allows the credit for no more than two taxable years with respect to any apprenticeship employee. An apprenticeship employee is an employee who is employed in an officially-recognized apprenticeable occupation pursuant to an apprentice agreement registered with the Office of Apprenticeship of the Employment and Training Administration of the Department of Labor or a state apprenticeship agency. The Office of Management and Budget must coordinate with federal departments and independent agencies to (1) determine which government publications could be available on government websites and no longer printed, (2) devise a strategy to reduce overall government printing costs over the 10-year period beginning with FY2020, (3) establish government-wide guidelines on employee printing, and (4) issue guidelines for publicly disclosing information about the publication of government documents.

Maddy summaryHRES 785 is a symbolic resolution designating November 8, 2021, as "National First-Generation College Celebration Day." It urges all Americans to celebrate this day, recognize the contributions of first-generation college students (those whose parents did not earn bachelor's degrees), and honor the Higher Education Act of 1965. The resolution highlights existing federal programs like TRIO and Pell Grants that support underrepresented students but does not create new laws or funding. As a non-binding resolution, it has no direct policy impact but aims to raise awareness about first-generation students' challenges and achievements.

This resolution supports the designation of National School Psychology Week and recognizes the contributions of school psychologists to the success of students in schools across the United States.

Honoring Our Promises through Expedition for Afghan SIVs Act of 2021 or the HOPE for Afghan SIVs Act of 2021 This bill authorizes the Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to postpone the medical exam requirement for qualifying citizens or nationals of Afghanistan seeking entry into the United States as special immigrants. Specifically, this bill applies to an existing program that provides special immigrant status to an individual (or the spouse or child of such an individual) who (1) faithfully performed sensitive and trusted duties for the U.S. government or the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan on or after October 7, 2001, and (2) has experienced or is experiencing an ongoing serious threat due to the performance of those duties. Under this bill, the State Department and DHS may jointly issue a blanket waiver of any requirement for such individuals to undergo a medical exam before admission into the United States. DHS shall ensure, to the greatest extent practicable, that individuals admitted under such a waiver undergo medical exams no later than 30 days after admission into the United States. Such an individual shall be admitted as a conditional permanent resident. DHS shall remove the conditions once the individual receives and passes a medical examination.

Federal Initiative to Guarantee Health by Targeting Fentanyl Act This bill places fentanyl-related substances as a class into schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. A schedule I controlled substance is a drug, substance, or chemical that has a high potential for abuse; has no currently accepted medical value; and is subject to regulatory controls and administrative, civil, and criminal penalties under the Controlled Substances Act. Additionally, the bill prohibits the application of a mandatory minimum prison term for certain drug offenses involving fentanyl-related substances.