Rep. Vicente Gonzalez

Jumpstart Our Businesses by Supporting Students Act of 2021 or the JOBS Act of 2021 This bill expands student eligibility for Pell Grants by establishing the Job Training Federal Pell Grant program. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Education to award a job training Pell Grant to a student who does not have a degree; attends an institution of higher education (IHE); is enrolled in a career and technical education program at an IHE that provides 150 to 600 clock hours of instructional time over a period of 8 to 15 weeks and provides training aligned with high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industry sectors (i.e., job training programs); and meets all other eligibility requirements for a Pell Grant. It also specifies that any period during which a student receives a job training Pell Grant counts toward that student's Pell Grant eligibility period.

This resolution honors the life and legacy of former Representative Ronald Wright and extends the condolences of the House of Representatives to his wife and family.

Alice Cogswell and Anne Sullivan Macy Act This bill expands special education and related services for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, students with visual disabilities, and children and youth who are deaf-blind. The individualized education program for each child who is visually and/or hearing impaired must include specified components and must provide the child with instruction that meets the child's unique learning needs. In addition, a state's closure of a special school serving deaf or blind children shall count as a reduction of its financial support for special education and related services. Among other provisions, the bill authorizes support, including grants for training special education personnel, to be used in preparing individuals to become qualified teachers and early intervention specialists for children with hearing disabilities. The bill establishes within the Department of Education the Anne Sullivan Macy Center on Visual Disability and Educational Excellence to better support students with visual disabilities.

Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act of 2021 This bill provides for Medicare coverage and payment for multi-cancer early detection screening tests that are approved by the Food and Drug Administration and that are used to screen for cancer across many cancer types.

This bill directs the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award of three Congressional Gold Medals to the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) and other law enforcement agencies that protected the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. Following the award of these medals, one medal shall be given to the USCP, one medal shall be given to the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, and one medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution and displayed with a plaque listing all law enforcement agencies that participated in protecting the Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Global War on Terrorism Memorial Location Act This bill authorizes the establishment of a National Global War on Terrorism Memorial in the area of the National Mall.

Equality Act This bill prohibits discrimination based on sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity in areas including public accommodations and facilities, education, federal funding, employment, housing, credit, and the jury system. Specifically, the bill defines and includes sex, sexual orientation, and gender identity among the prohibited categories of discrimination or segregation. The bill expands the definition of public accommodations to include places or establishments that provide (1) exhibitions, recreation, exercise, amusement, gatherings, or displays; (2) goods, services, or programs; and (3) transportation services. The bill allows the Department of Justice to intervene in equal protection actions in federal court on account of sexual orientation or gender identity. The bill prohibits an individual from being denied access to a shared facility, including a restroom, a locker room, and a dressing room, that is in accordance with the individual's gender identity.

Student Loan Refinancing and Recalculation Act This bill provides for the refinancing or deferral of certain federal student loans. Specifically, the bill directs the Department of Education to establish a program to refinance the outstanding principal, interest, and late charges on federal student loans in order to give borrowers fixed interest rates equal to the 10-year Treasury note rate plus one percentage point. Further, the bill eliminates origination fees on the loans. In addition, the bill allows borrowers in medical, veterinary, or dental internship or residency programs to defer student loan payments until the completion of their programs.

Medicaid Report on Expansion of Access to Coverage for Health Act or the Medicaid REACH Act This bill reduces federal payment for Medicaid administrative expenses incurred by states that have not elected to participate in Medicaid expansion under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (i.e., nonexpansion states) if the state does not comply with specified reporting requirements. The bill requires nonexpansion states to report, among other information, the number of uninsured individuals under the age of 65 and the estimated percentage of such individuals who would be eligible to receive coverage if the state expanded Medicaid.

VAWA Protections for Rural Women Act of 2021 This bill adds the Rural Development Voucher Program to the list of covered housing programs under the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 (VAWA). Specifically, it extends VAWA's housing protections (e.g., protection from eviction or denial of housing) to residents and applicants under the Rural Development Voucher Program who are victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.