Rep. Suzanne Bonamici

Nullifying Opportunities for Variants to Infect and Decimate Act or the NOVID Act This bill establishes the Pandemic Preparedness and Response Program to coordinate and carry out the U.S. government's global health response to COVID-19, its variants, and other pathogens with pandemic potential. As part of the program, the bill requires, within 30 days, the development of a comprehensive strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic. The strategy must outline efforts to increase COVID-19 vaccinations worldwide, including through the immediate release of the COVID-19 vaccine doses that the United States committed to sending abroad. The bill also requires a long-term strategy for the program to prevent future pandemics.

State-Based Universal Health Care Act of 20 21 This bill establishes the option for states, or groups of states, to apply to waive certain federal health insurance requirements and provide residents with health insurance benefits plans through a state-administered program. Such programs must cover 95% of the residents in the state within five years and plan benefits must be at least as comprehensive and affordable as the coverage under the equivalent federal program. State programs are supported with funds from the federal programs the state programs replace, which may include Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program, the Federal Employee Health Benefits program, certain federal tax credits, and premium-assistance funds, among others. The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to appoint an Independent Assessment Panel for Comprehensive Care to review and recommend whether to approve state applications. Each approved state program must be independently reviewed every five years to evaluate changes in health benefits access, quality, and coverage, including whether the state has met the 95% coverage requirement. The federal government must pay all health insurance costs for American Indians and Alaska Natives who enroll in a plan through a state insurance program.

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.

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.

Smarter Approaches to Nuclear Expenditures Act This bill imposes prohibitions and limitations on funding for various Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Energy (DOE) weapons programs. Weapons subjected to prohibitions or limitations under this bill include Columbia-class submarines, intercontinental ballistic missiles, low-yield nuclear warheads, and space-based missile defense systems. The bill also requires various reports to Congress, including a joint report from DOD and DOE outlining the estimated cost savings resulting from this bill.

Surface Transportation Research and Development Act of 202 1 This bill addresses provisions related to surface transportation research, development, and deployment programs of the Department of Transportation (DOT). Among other provisions, the bill reauthorizes through FY2026 DOT highway research and development programs, including highway safety, technology and innovation deployment, training and education, and intelligent transportation systems; sets forth a program to provide awards to institutions of higher education or nonprofit research organizations to establish regional road weather research and development centers; reauthorizes through FY2026 the University Transportation Centers Program, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the public transportation research and development program, the National Cooperative Rail Research Program, the hazardous materials research and development program, and the National Cooperative Freight Transportation Research Program; establishes Centers of Excellence to advance research and development that improves the resilience of regions of the United States to natural disasters, extreme weather, and the effects of climate change on modal and multimodal transportation and infrastructure; directs DOT to carry out and publish the results of a study for the purpose of informing land use and transportation planning for accessible health, food, education, and other essential services and activities; and requires DOT to establish a multimodal national cooperative freight transportation research program, a Heavy Freight Automated Trucking Research Initiative, and an Advanced Transportation Research and Innovation Program.

United States Army Rangers Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to the U.S. Army Rangers Veterans of World War II in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II.

Choosing Healthy Investments and not Lunch Deductions (CHILD) Care Act of 2021 or the CHILD Care Act of 2021 This bill repeals the temporary increase (from 50% to 100%) of the tax deduction for business meals and entertainment expenses in 2021 and 2022. The bill also provides additional appropriations in FY2021 for payments under the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990.

Increasing Access to Mental Health in Schools Act This bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to establish a grant program and a student loan forgiveness program to increase the number of school-based mental health services providers in elementary and secondary schools. First, ED must award grants to partnerships between educational agencies and graduate institutions to increase the number of school-based mental health services providers employed by low-income local educational agencies (LEAs). Grant funds may be used for specified purposes, including to provide student loan forgiveness and tuition credits and to support recruitment, hiring, and training. In addition, ED must establish a program to provide student loan forgiveness for individuals who (1) are not, and have never been, participants in the grant program established by the bill; and (2) have been employed by low-income LEAs for five or more consecutive school years as mental health services providers.

Reproductive Rights are Human Rights Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of State to include in its annual reports on human rights in countries receiving U.S. development and security assistance a discussion of the status of reproductive rights in each country. This must include whether a country has adopted and enforced policies to (1) promote access to contraception and accurate, nondiscriminatory family planning and sexual health information; (2) provide services to ensure safe and healthy pregnancy and childbirth; (3) expand or restrict access to safe abortion services; and (4) prevent and treat sexually transmitted diseases. For each country, the reports shall also contain (1) data concerning pregnancy-related injuries and deaths; and (2) a description of the nature and extent of discrimination and violence against women, girls, and LGBTQI+ individuals in health care settings and the relevant government's response to such actions.