Rep. Scott Franklin

Transparency in Reporting for an Accurate Count of Combat Equipment (TRACCE) Act This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to report the theft or loss of any ammunition, destructive device, or explosive material from its stocks to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives within the Department of Justice. Currently, DOD only reports on such thefts or losses to the Department of the Treasury. The bill also requires DOD to annually report on all instances of missing, lost, or stolen weapons, large amounts of ammunition, destructive devices, or explosive material from its stocks.

Manatee Protection Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of the Interior to include the West Indian manatee ( Trichechus manatus ) in the endangered species list and give the species protections provided to endangered species.

Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers for Veterans Therapy Act or the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act This bill implements a program and a policy related to service dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health program. Eligible veterans are those who are enrolled in the VA health care system and have been recommended for participation by a qualified mental health care provider or clinical team. The VA must seek to enter agreements containing specified elements with accredited nongovernmental entities that have demonstrated ability to provide canine training. Veterans who participate in the program are authorized to adopt the dog they assisted in training if their health provider determines it is in the best interest of the veteran. The VA must establish processes to document and track the progress of participating veterans with respect to health benefits and improvements. The Government Accountability Office must brief Congress and submit a report on the program. The bill also authorizes the VA to provide service dogs to veterans with mental illnesses, regardless of whether they have a mobility impairment.

This resolution condemns the President's failure to heed military and intelligence advisors about the speed and nature of the Taliban offense in Afghanistan and urges the President to commit to maintaining the evacuation operation as long as necessary to evacuate any U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, or Afghan partner who requests evacuation assistance .

Prioritize Evacuation of U.S. Citizens in Afghanistan Act This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of State to immediately submit to Congress a joint report with (1) a plan to remove U.S. persons from Afghanistan; and (2) a detailed list of DOD equipment and materials that were not fully dispositioned before the withdrawal from Afghanistan, along with the value of such equipment and materials.

Empowering Local Curriculum Act This bill specifies that nothing in federal education law shall be construed to require the use, teaching, promotion, or recommendation of any academic discipline, program, or activity that holds certain principles related to race or sex.

Border Security for America Act of 2021 This bill addresses border security and related issues. For example, the bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to resume all activities to construct a border barrier system along the U.S.-Mexico border that were underway or planned prior to January 20, 2021; requires DHS to deploy, in addition to physical barriers, tactical infrastructure and technology to achieve situational awareness and operational control of the southwest border; authorizes U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to carry out a program to acquire innovative commercial items through a competitive selection of proposals; imposes certain requirements for DHS border security technology acquisition programs that have a total expenditure of at least $300 million; requires CBP to implement certain technologies, including a program to establish a biometric exit data system at ports of entry; requires CBP to increase or maintain certain staffing levels for agents, officers, processing coordinators, and other positions; requires CBP to implement a workload staffing model for the U.S. Border Patrol and for CBP's Air and Marine Operations; and provides statutory authority through FY2026 for Operation Stonegarden, a Federal Emergency Management Agency program that provides grants to states and territories involved in certain active CBP border security operations.

American Shores Protection Act This bill extends a moratorium on oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico through June 30, 2032, and expands the moratorium to include the South Atlantic Planning Area and the Straits of Florida Planning Area.

Leadership in Global Tech Standards Act of 2021 This bill requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to establish a program that supports the participation of U.S. small businesses in meetings and proceedings of standards development organizations to develop voluntary technical standards. To carry out this program, the SBA must award grants to small businesses for the reasonable costs of participation in standards development organizations. These grants may only be awarded to small businesses that (1) demonstrate technical expertise in key emerging technologies and technical standards (e.g., artificial intelligence), (2) commit personnel with such expertise to regular participation in global bodies responsible for developing standards for those technologies, (3) agree to coordinate between the public and private sectors to ensure protection of national security interests in the setting of global standards, and (4) provide a plan detailing the relationship between the above activities and the proposed standards to be adopted.

This resolution condemns the Chinese Communist Party and its violation of the human rights of the people of China.