Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro

This resolution calls on the President to take executive action to cancel up to $50,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers. Further, it encourages the President to (1) ensure that borrowers have no tax liability from the debt cancellation, (2) ensure that the debt cancellation helps close racial wealth gaps, and (3) pause student loan payments and interest accumulation on federal student loans for the duration of the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.

Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act or the FAMILY Act This bill entitles every employee to a family and medical leave insurance (FMLI) monthly benefit payment of two-thirds of the employee's regular pay, limited to a maximum of $4,000, for not more than 60 days of qualified caregiving. The bill establishes the Office of Paid Family and Medical Leave within the Social Security Administration to administer the FMLI program. An FMLI benefit payment must be coordinated with any periodic benefits received under a state or local temporary disability insurance or family leave program. The bill imposes a tax on employers, employees, and self-employed individuals to fund FMLI benefits. It also establishes the Federal Family and Medical Leave Insurance Trust Fund to hold tax revenues.

American Opportunity Accounts Act This bill establishes tax-exempt American Opportunity Accounts to provide children at birth with a $1,000 savings account with annual contributions up to $2,000 depending on family income. The accounts are available to children at age 18 for specified purposes, including educational expenses, home ownership, and investment that provides long-term returns.

Layoff Prevention Act of 2021 This bill extends temporary funding to reimburse states for making short-time compensation (STC) payments under existing or new STC programs for weeks of unemployment ending on or before five years and six months after enactment of this bill. (STC, also known as work sharing, is a program that provides prorated unemployment compensation to workers whose hours have been reduced in lieu of a layoff.) Under current law, this reimbursement is available for weeks of unemployment ending on or before September 6, 2021. The bill also extends funding to support STC payments by states that do not have STC programs under state law through 2 years and 13 weeks after enactment of this bill. Under current law, this assistance applies to weeks of unemployment ending on or before September 6, 2021. Finally, the bill increases funding to the Department of Labor for awarding grants to states to (1) implement, or improve administration of, STC programs; or (2) promote, and enroll employers in, STC programs. In addition, the bill modifies the formula used to allocate such grants. Labor may not award a grant with respect to an application submitted after December 31, 2026. Such changes are retroactive to March 27, 2020.

Health Care Affordability Act of 2021 This bill revises the tax credit for health care premium assistance to expand the eligibility of low-income taxpayers for such credit and  reduce the cost of health care premiums.

CARES Windfall for the Wealthiest Repeal Act This bill restores and makes permanent the limitation on excess businesses losses of noncorporate taxpayers. It also allows taxpayers a carryback of their net operating losses arising in 2019 and 2020.

Stop Subsidizing Multimillion Dollar Corporate Bonuses Act This bill extends the $1 million limit on the deductibility of executive compensation to all employees of publicly traded corporations.

USPS Fairness Act This bill repeals the requirement that the U.S. Postal Service annually prepay future retirement health benefits.

Ensuring Coverage in Public Health Emergencies Act of 2021 This bill requires private health insurance plans to provide a 30-day special enrollment period for eligible individuals after a public health emergency is declared. An employee who is eligible but not enrolled may enroll in an employer-provided group health plan during the special enrollment period.

Advancing Connectivity during the Coronavirus to Ensure Support for Seniors Act or the ACCESS Act This bill provides funding to increase access to telehealth services and virtual visits in skilled and other nursing facilities during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency. The bill designates the funding as emergency spending, which is exempt from discretionary spending limits. Specifically, the bill provides additional funding for FY2021, to remain available through FY2022, to the Telehealth Resource Center Program to address barriers to telehealth faced by skilled and other nursing facilities. The Office for the Advancement of Telehealth within the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy in the Health Resources and Services Administration manages this program. In addition, the bill provides funding for FY2021, to remain available through one month after the emergency period ends, to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for grants to nursing facilities to support virtual visits for residents during the COVID-19 emergency. HHS must develop relevant guidance for these grants within 15 days. HHS must also coordinate with the Federal Communications Commission to ensure grantees have access to telecommunications and broadband services.