Rep. Veronica Escobar

Protect DREAMer Confidentiality Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to prevent disclosing information from applications to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), except to implement the program. Application information may be shared only to identify or prevent fraudulent claims, for particularized national security purposes relating to the applicant, or to investigate or prosecute a felony not related to immigration status. The bill also prohibits DHS from referring any individual with deferred action status to ICE, CBP, the Department of Justice, or any law enforcement agency.

Reconciliation in Place Names Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior to establish the Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names to advise the Board on Geographic Names with regard to renaming geographic features with offensive place names. The board shall rename a geographic feature with an offensive name in accordance with a recommendation of the committee unless the board determines that (1) there is a compelling reason and substantial public interest in rejecting the recommendation, or (2) approving the recommendation would violate federal law. The board shall accept or reject a recommendation within three years of receiving the recommendation.

This resolution recognizes sexual violence against girls as a serious global issue. The resolution encourages the implementation of certain measures to protect girls from abuse, including (1) increased international efforts to eliminate female genital mutilation and cutting, and (2) the widespread dissemination of surveys that measure levels of sexual violence.

Animal Freedom from Testing, Experiments, and Research Act of 2021 or the AFTER Act of 2021 This bill requires federal research facilities to facilitate the adoption or nonlaboratory placement of certain warm-blooded animals (e.g., dogs, cats, monkeys, guinea pigs, hamsters, and rabbits) with animal rescue organizations, animal sanctuaries, animal shelters, or individuals. In order to be adopted or placed, the animals must (1) no longer be needed for research; (2) be suitable for release; (3) not be birds, rats, or mice.

Minks in Narrowly Kept Spaces are Superspreaders Act or the MINKS are Superspreaders Act This bill makes it unlawful to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase American mink ( Neovison vison ) raised in captivity for fur production, whether dead or alive.

Indigenous Peoples' Day Act This bill designates Indigenous Peoples' Day as a legal public holiday in lieu of Columbus Day.

Israel Relations Normalization Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of State to take certain actions promoting the normalization of relations between Israel, Arab states, and other relevant countries and regions. Specifically, the State Department must develop a strategy on expanding and strengthening the Abraham Accords (the term used to refer collectively to agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and between Israel and Bahrain marking the public normalization of relations between the two Arab countries and Israel). The strategy must include a description of how the U.S. government will encourage further normalization of relations with Israel. In addition, the State Department must report on options for U.S. international efforts to promote the strengthening of ties between Israel, Arab states, and other relevant countries and regions. The State Department must also report on the status of the normalization of relations with Israel, including information on (1) laws that punish individuals for people-to-people relations with Israelis (i.e., anti-normalization laws), and (2) evidence of steps taken by Arab governments toward permitting or encouraging normalized relations between their citizens or residents and Israeli citizens.

This resolution condemns and denounces the actions of the Customs and Border Patrol agents who confronted Haitian migrants on horseback using their reins as lashes.

Keeping Renters Safe Act of 2021 This bill expressly authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to place a moratorium on residential evictions to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. The bill also requires HHS to implement a moratorium nationwide to reduce the spread of COVID-19. This moratorium must remain in effect for at least 60 days following the termination of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Current law authorizes HHS to take measures to prevent the spread of communicable diseases. As part of the COVID-19 response, HHS delegated this authority to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which then issued (and extended) several orders banning residential evictions. Whether these orders exceed the CDC's statutory and constitutional authority has been the subject of multiple legal challenges; the Supreme Court blocked enforcement of the most recent order on August 26, 2021.

Extend Unemployment Assistance Act of 2021 This bill extends pandemic unemployment compensation provisions set to expire on September 6, 2021, until February 1, 2022. Extended provisions include benefits to covered individuals who are not eligible for regular unemployment compensation or traditional extended benefits, the $300 weekly benefit increase, waiting week benefits, and federal reimbursement of short-time compensation. The bill also increases the maximum duration of compensation from 79 weeks to 100 weeks.