Rep. Judy Chu

Mental Health Workforce and Language Access Act of 2021 This bill establishes within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) two demonstration programs to increase access to mental health services provided in languages other than English at federally qualified health centers (FQHCs). In carrying out the programs, HHS must give preference to FQHCs at which at least 20% of the patients are best served in a language other than English. First, HHS must provide National Health Service Corps (NHSC) loan repayments to mental health care providers who agree to serve their period of obligated service in an FQHC. HHS may provide enhanced payments to those who serve in an FQHC with non-English language needs. (The NHSC is a scholarship and student loan repayment program for eligible health care providers who agree to work in areas with a shortage of primary care, dental care, and mental health care providers.) Second, HHS must award grants to FQHCs for recruiting and retaining mental health care providers who are fluent in a language other than English.

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.

Sarah Keys Evans Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Sarah Keys Evans in recognition of her achievements relating to the desegregation of passengers on interstate buses in the 1950s.

Greyhound Protection Act of 2021 This bill modifies the federal criminal statute commonly known as the Wire Act. Currently, the Wire Act contains four prohibitions on the use of a wire transmission facility (e.g., the telephone or internet) for certain gambling activities. All four prohibitions apply to sports gambling. However, there have been conflicting interpretations of the applicability of the prohibitions to nonsports gambling (e.g., state lotteries). This bill amends the Wire Act to expressly state that the statute does not authorize the use of wire communications to gamble on commercial greyhound racing or permit the transport of animals for commercial dog racing or related activities.

Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act of 2021 This bill exempts from worldwide or numerical limitations certain family-sponsored immigrant visas for the sons and daughters of Filipino World War II veterans who were naturalized under certain laws providing for naturalization for service during World War II.

Raise the Age Act This bill establishes new restrictions on the sale or transfer of certain semiautomatic firearms to individuals under 21 years of age. Specifically, this bill makes it unlawful for a licensed gun dealer, importer, manufacturer, or collector to sell or deliver a semiautomatic center-fire rifle that has (or has the capacity to accept) an ammunition feeding device with a capacity of more than five rounds to an individual who the licensee knows or has reasonable cause to believe is under age 21. The prohibition does not apply if the individual under age 21 is a full-time law enforcement officer or active-duty member of the Armed Forces. The bill also requires the Federal Bureau of Investigation to report on the operation of its public access line, including a description of information sharing protocols and recommendations for improving such protocols.

Childhood Offenders Rehabilitation and Safety Act of 2021 This bill limits the application of federal criminal law with respect to juvenile offenders, expands the publication of statistics related to juvenile offenders, and authorizes grants to support collaboration between state child-welfare and juvenile-justice agencies to address the needs of children who come into contact with both systems.

Sgt. Isaac Woodard, Jr. and Sgt. Joseph H. Maddox GI Bill Restoration Act of 2021 This bill expands eligibility for Post-9/11 GI bill educational assistance benefits and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) home loan program. Specifically, the bill explicitly includes the following persons as eligible veterans: Black veterans who served on active duty during World War II who can certify they were denied a specific benefit on the basis of race; and the living surviving spouses, children, grandchildren, or other direct descendants of such veterans described above who can certify the veteran was denied a specific benefit on the basis of race. Such veterans described above must apply for educational or home loan benefits within the five-year period after the passage of this bill to be eligible for benefits. The Government Accountability Office must report on the number of individuals who received educational or housing loan benefits and the total value of such benefits administered by the VA due to the amendments made by the bill. Finally, the VA must appoint a panel of independent experts to develop recommendations regarding additional benefits and assistance for female and minority members of the Armed Forces.

Protection of Social Security Benefits Restoration Act This bill prohibits the application of, and repeals authority for, administrative offsets to Social Security, railroad retirement, and black lung benefits. (An administrative offset is the withholding of funds payable by or held by the United States to satisfy a debt.)

This bill expands eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care to include veterans of World War II who are not already covered.