Sen. Richard J. Durbin

PrEP Access and Coverage Act This bill requires private health insurance plans to cover prescription drugs that prevent HIV, including related screenings, diagnostic procedures, administrative fees, and clinical follow-ups, without any cost-sharing obligation for the plan holder. Further, insurance plans must not impose any preauthorization requirement for this coverage. These coverage requirements also apply to public health insurance programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program. Additionally, the bill prohibits denying, limiting, or qualifying coverage or increasing premiums for disability insurance, long-term care insurance, or life insurance policies based on an individual taking medication for HIV prevention. The bill further requires the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to states, or directly to eligible local organizations, to provide uninsured individuals and underinsured individuals access to prescription drugs and related services that prevent HIV. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also must develop a public awareness campaign that focuses efforts in communities with a high need for HIV prevention treatment.

Maddy summarySRES 460 is a non-binding Senate resolution designating November 2021 as "National Runaway Prevention Month." It aims to raise public awareness about youth homelessness by highlighting statistics on vulnerable groups, including LGBTQ youth, youth of color, and those in foster care. The resolution encourages community engagement and collaboration among organizations, schools, and local groups to address the crisis. It does not create new laws or funding but formally recognizes the issue and supports existing awareness efforts led by groups like the National Runaway Safeline.

This resolution supports (1) the goals and ideals of World AIDS Day, including the goal to achieve zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS-related deaths; (2) efforts to end the HIV epidemic in the United States and around the world by 2030; (3) continued funding for prevention, care and treatment services, and research programs for communities impacted by HIV and people living with HIV in the United States and globally; and (4) continued leadership by the United States in domestic, bilateral, multilateral, and private sector efforts to fight HIV. Finally, the resolution urges other members of the international community to sustain and scale up their support for, and financial contributions to, efforts around the world to combat HIV.

Maddy summarySRES 437 is a Senate resolution designating November 8, 2021, as "National First-Generation College Celebration Day." It symbolically recognizes first-generation college students - those whose parents did not earn bachelor’s degrees - and honors the 1965 Higher Education Act, which established key programs like Federal TRIO and Pell Grants supporting these students. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but urges nationwide acknowledgment of first-gen students’ contributions to education and workforce development. It directly affects awareness and recognition for this student group, linking their experiences to the historical context of the Higher Education Act.

Haiti Economic Lift Program Extension Act of 2021 This bill extends through FY2035 the special duty-free rules for Haiti. It also extends through December 19, 2035, the duty-free treatment provided for apparel articles assembled in Haiti and imported from Haiti or the Dominican Republic.

Sentencing Commission Improvements Act This bill adds one nonvoting member to the U.S. Sentencing Commission and requires the new member to be a public defender.

Criminal Judicial Administration Act of 2021 This bill expands the authority of federal judges to reimburse defendants for expenses related to attending court proceedings. The bill also broadens the authority of magistrate court judges. Currently, when a defendant is released pending further court appearances, federal judges may order the U.S. Marshals Service to provide transportation and subsistence (food and lodging) expenses for a defendant to travel to court appearances, but not expenses during or to return home from such court appearances. This bill allows federal judges to order the Marshals Service to provide a defendant's transportation and subsistence expenses to return home from court proceedings, as well as subsistence expenses during such proceedings. Additionally, the bill authorizes magistrate court judges to rule on post-judgment motions pertaining to misdemeanor cases they tried and disposed of. Current law permits magistrate judges to try and dispose of misdemeanors in the district courts if the defendant consents.

Court Legal Access and Student Support Act of 2021 or the CLASS Act of 2021 This bill prohibits institutions of higher education (IHEs) that participate in federal student-aid programs from restricting students' ability to pursue claims against IHEs in court. In addition, the bill makes mandatory arbitration agreements inapplicable to enrollment agreements between students and IHEs.

Smaller Class Sizes for Students and Educators Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Education to award grants for local educational agencies to reduce class sizes in the early elementary grades (grades K-3) in targeted public elementary schools by recruiting, hiring, and supporting qualified teachers.

Clean Cooking Support Act This bill provides for a way of increasing the number of clean cookstoves and fuels for household, institutional, or commercial use throughout the world. The Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) shall jointly establish the Clean Cooking Interagency Working Group to assist with overseeing the planning, management, and coordination of initiatives to increase the number of clean cookstoves and fuels worldwide. The State Department, USAID, the Department of Energy, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Environmental Protection Agency shall work with the Clean Cooking Alliance to carry out clean cooking activities that relate to the missions of such departments or agencies.