Captive Primate Safety Act This bill limits the trade and possession of nonhuman primates. For example, the bill prohibits most individuals from owning a nonhuman primate as a pet.
Monarch Action, Recovery, and Conservation of Habitat Act of 2021 or the MONARCH Act of 2021 This bill provides support for the conservation of western monarch butterflies (the monarch butterfly population that overwinters along the coast of California and breeds across California, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Utah). Specifically, the bill establishes the Western Monarch Butterfly Rescue Fund. The Department of the Interior must use amounts in the fund to provide grants for the conservation of such butterflies. In addition, Interior must enter into an agreement with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to facilitate the implementation of the Western Monarch Butterfly Conservation Plan, which was prepared by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
Saving America's Pollinators Act of 2021 This bill addresses the use of certain pesticides and the health and status of native bees and other pollinators. First, the bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish a Pollinator Protection Board to develop an independent review process for pesticides that pose a threat to pollinators and their habitats. All active ingredients and pesticide products that contain one or more specified neonicotinoid pesticides must be deemed to generally cause unreasonable adverse effects to the environment. Under the bill, the registration of all uses of neonicotinoid pesticides must be immediately and permanently canceled. The EPA must revoke any tolerance or exemption that allows the presence of a neonicotinoid pesticide, or any pesticide chemical residue that results from neonicotinoid pesticide use, in or on food. The continued sale or use of existing stocks of neonicotinoid pesticides is prohibited, and the EPA may not register any such pesticides under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. The bill requires the Department of the Interior, the EPA, and the Department of Agriculture to coordinate monitoring activities and report on the health and population status of native bees and other pollinators. Finally, a state or federal agency may be granted an exemption to use neonicotinoid pesticides if the board votes that use of the pesticide is warranted (1) in an emergency situation to avert significant risk to threatened or endangered species, (2) to quarantine invasive species, or (3) to protect public health.
Living Shorelines Act This bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to establish grant programs to support living shoreline projects and research on nature-based infrastructure. NOAA must award grants to state or local governments, nonprofit organizations, and Indian tribes to (1) implement climate-resilient living shoreline projects; and (2) encourage innovation in the use of natural materials to protect coastal communities, habitats, and natural system functions. NOAA shall establish an engineering standard applicable to living shoreline projects for each region of the United States and use such standard to select eligible entities to receive such grants. A grant to carry out a living shoreline project may be used only to carry out the project, including administration, design, permitting, entry into negotiated indirect cost rate agreements, and construction; monitor, collect, and report data on the performance of the project, in accordance with the engineering standard; or incentivize landowners to engage in such projects. NOAA shall award competitive research grants to eligible entities, including U.S. territories, to carry out projects focused on developing and assessing the effectiveness of innovative approaches to nature-based infrastructure for specified climate-related purposes. NOAA shall award grants to such entities for projects that focus on, among other things assessing the effectiveness of installed nature-based infrastructure, or novel approaches to nature-based infrastructure and living shorelines.
Rebuilding Economies and Creating Opportunities for More People Everywhere To Excel Act or the RECOMPETE Act This bill establishes a grant program to assist economically distressed local communities and labor markets that meet specified economic criteria, including employment criteria. The Economic Development Administration (EDA) must award 10-year grants to a local government, tribal government, economic development district, or consortium of local government units located in such areas. Each grant recipient must develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to address the economic challenges specific to the area. The grants may be used to increase employment opportunities, increase local per capita income, support economic development, and develop infrastructure and housing. Additionally, the EDA must periodically evaluate each grant recipient based on certain benchmark criteria and annually report on the implementation of the program. The bill specifies formulas for determining the grant amount for each community or market and the federal share of the cost of each program or activity conducted under the program.
Pathways to Health Careers Act This bill provides funding for, reauthorizes through FY2026, and makes a variety of changes to certain grants administered by the Department of Health and Human Services that provide education and training to low-income individuals for health care occupations, including by establishing a new competitive grant for projects designed to train low-income individuals in allied health professions.
National Infrastructure Development Bank Act of 2021 This bill establishes the National Infrastructure Development Bank as a government corporation to finance energy, environmental (e.g., drinking water or waste facilities), telecommunications, and transportation infrastructure projects. The bill establishes the National Infrastructure Development Bank Board, which must oversee the infrastructure projects. The board may make loans and loan guarantees to assist in financing infrastructure projects. Further, the board must establish an executive committee, a risk management committee, an audit committee, and a compliance office. To be eligible for financial assistance from the bank, an infrastructure project (1) must have a public benefit, as determined by the board; and (2) may not have a sole use or purpose that is private. An infrastructure project must use iron, steel, and manufactured products that are made in the United States. The bill also establishes accounting and reporting requirements. In particular, the Government Accountability Office must, within five years of this bill's enactment, submit a report to Congress evaluating the bank's activities.
This resolution expresses support for the designation of Journeyman Lineworkers Recognition Day. (A journeyman lineworker is a person who builds and maintains electrical power systems.)
Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act This bill prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs from requiring payment from a veteran for any contraceptive item that is required to be covered by health insurance plans without a cost-sharing requirement.
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.
