Stronger Communities through Better Transit Act This bill requires the Department of Transportation to establish a grant program to support operating projects for public transportation (e.g., service expansion) and related capital improvements, particularly in underserved communities and areas of persistent poverty.
FAIR Leave Act or the Fair Access for Individuals to Receive Leave Act This bill repeals the limit on the aggregate number of workweeks of family and medical leave that spouses employed by the same employer may be entitled to during any 12-month period. The current limit is 12 aggregate workweeks.
Paycheck Fairness Act This bill addresses wage discrimination on the basis of sex, which is defined to include pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics. Specifically, it limits an employer's defense that a pay differential is based on a factor other than sex to only bona fide job-related factors in wage discrimination claims, enhances nonretaliation prohibitions, and makes it unlawful to require an employee to sign a contract or waiver prohibiting the employee from disclosing information about the employee's wages. The bill also increases civil penalties for violations of equal pay provisions. Additionally, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs must train EEOC employees and other affected parties on wage discrimination. The bill directs the Department of Labor to (1) establish and carry out a grant program to provide training in negotiation skills related to compensation and equitable working conditions, (2) conduct studies to eliminate pay disparities between men and women, and (3) make available information on wage discrimination to assist the public in understanding and addressing such discrimination. The bill establishes the National Award for Pay Equity in the Workplace for an employer who has made a substantial effort to eliminate pay disparities between men and women. It also establishes the National Equal Pay Enforcement Task Force to address compliance, public education, and enforcement of equal pay laws. Finally, the bill requires the EEOC to issue regulations for collecting from employers compensation and other employment data according to the sex, race, and national origin of employees for use in enforcing laws prohibiting pay discrimination.
This resolution commends domestic and international efforts to combat human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and calls for additional actions to address the disease.
This bill extends through October 12, 2036, the authority of the Department of the Interior to provide any assistance to the Arabia Mountain National Heritage Area in Georgia.
Armed Forces Transgender Dependent Protection Act This bill expands the policy of the Office of Special Needs within the Department of Defense to address transgender dependents. Specifically, the bill codifies the definition of a medical or educational special need to include gender dysphoria. Under the bill, the policy of the office must prohibit the assignment of a military family with special needs to a permanent duty location where the law restricts medically necessary treatment for a medical or educational special need. A member who is serving at a location when such a law is established may elect to be reassigned.
Clean Water Standards for PFAS Act of 2021 This bill directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop requirements and incentives to limit the discharge of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) into certain waters of the United States. PFAS are man-made and may have adverse human health effects. A variety of products contain the compounds, such as nonstick cookware or weatherproof clothing. Within two years, the EPA must publish water quality criteria for each measurable perfluoroalkyl substance, polyfluoroalkyl substance, and class of PFAS. The water quality criteria must determine how much of these substances can be present in water before it is likely to harm human health. Within four years, the EPA must publish a final rule that establishes, for each priority industry category specified in the bill, effluent limitations guidelines and standards for the discharge of each measurable perfluoroalkyl substance, polyfluoroalkyl substance, and class of PFAS. Under the Clean Water Act, effluent limitations restrict the quantities, rates, and concentrations of chemical, physical, biological, and other constituents which are discharged from point sources (e.g., a discernible source such as a pipe) into navigable waters, the ocean, or other specified waters. In addition, the EPA must award grants to owners and operators of publicly owned treatment works for implementing the effluent limitations guidelines and standards.
National and Regional Greenways Act This bill requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to establish a grant program for states, localities, and tribes to support community greenway paths for walking, bicycling, and other motor vehicle alternatives. DOT must designate eligible greenway paths that are considered regionally or nationally significant through a national greenway paths network; paths must cross multiple localities or states, reduce congestion, improve safety, benefit the environment, support communities, or meet other specified criteria. Eligible projects must support access to public parks, transportation, and other community needs.
Safe Roads Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to implement motor vehicle safety standards that (1) require certain truck-tractors with electronic stability control systems to be equipped with an automatic emergency braking system, (2) establish performance requirements for such braking systems, and (3) require such systems to be used while the truck-tractors are in operation. DOT must also study and report on equipping commercial motor vehicles with automatic emergency braking to avoid or mitigate a collision with an obstacle in the path of the vehicle.
This bill requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to amend its regulations to revise the standards for the emission of ethylene oxide. Specifically, regulations must be revised based on results from the National Center for Environmental Assessment report titled Evaluation of the Inhalation Carcinogenicity of Ethylene Oxide . The bill also requires revisions to apply maximum achievable control technology requirements to chamber exhaust vents. Maximum achievable control technology standards are established for sources of hazardous air pollutants to limit or control emissions. Additionally, the revisions must apply to area sources and major sources of ethylene oxide. The EPA must carry out a residual risk assessment with respect to the revised standards. Finally, the EPA must notify the public of violations under the revised standards, and failure to do so will result in an investigation to assess the health risks and prevent a future failure of notification.
