Sen. Bill Cassidy

Blocking Lawlessness from Undermining Enforcement Act or the BLUE Act This bill generally prohibits the use of Highway Safety Program or National Priority Safety Program funds for traffic control or enforcement by a state or locality that defunds the police (i.e., reduces its police budget and reallocates the funds to other government agencies). However, states and localities may use such funds for traffic control and enforcement if (1) reducing the police budget is part of an overall budget reduction, or (2) the police chief decides to reallocate a portion of the police budget for mental health programs. Additionally, a state or locality may request an exemption from the prohibition.

Arctic Diplomacy Act of 2021 This bill authorizes the position of Assistant Secretary of State for Arctic Affairs within the Department of State. The position shall maintain continuous observation and coordination of matters pertaining to foreign policy in the Arctic, including trade, the environment, and political-military affairs.

Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act of 2021 This bill extends liability protection for harm caused by acts or omissions by volunteer health care professionals in the course of providing certain health care services during specified public-health or national emergencies or major disasters. However, such liability protection shall not apply if (1) the harm was caused by willful or criminal misconduct, gross negligence, reckless misconduct, or a conscious flagrant indifference to the rights or safety of the individual harmed; or (2) the health care professional provided services under the influence of alcohol or an intoxicating drug.

This bill extends the authority of the Department of the Interior to provide any assistance to the Atchafalaya Trace Commission for the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area in Louisiana for another 15-year period.

This bill modifies the employee retention tax credit (the credit for payment of wages of employees in businesses adversely affected by COVID-19) to eliminate stock attribution rules for individuals related to a taxpayer.

Strategic Planning for Emergency Medical Manufacturing Act This bill requires the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to maintain a voluntary network of domestic manufacturers that have agreed to produce critical supplies during emergencies and other supply chain disruptions. As part of maintaining the network, the office must identify critical supplies and share information about the network with state, tribal, and local governments when supply shortfalls are anticipated. In addition, a participating manufacturer must develop a plan that identifies the supplies the manufacturer could produce, its manufacturing capacity, and support it would need to produce the supplies in an emergency. The bill also requires HHS to issue guidance on applicable quality standards for supplies produced by manufacturers in the network.

Pregnant Workers Fairness Act This bill prohibits employment practices that discriminate against making reasonable accommodations for qualified employees affected by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. A qualified employee is an employee or applicant who, with or without reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of the position, with specified exceptions. Specifically, the bill declares that it is an unlawful employment practice to fail to make reasonable accommodations to known limitations of such employees unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on an entity's business operation; require a qualified employee affected by such condition to accept an accommodation other than any reasonable accommodation arrived at through an interactive process; deny employment opportunities based on the need of the entity to make such reasonable accommodations to a qualified employee; require such employees to take paid or unpaid leave if another reasonable accommodation can be provided; or take adverse action in terms, conditions, or privileges of employment against a qualified employee requesting or using such reasonable accommodations. The bill sets forth enforcement procedures and remedies that cover different types of employees in relation to such unlawful employment practices. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission must provide examples of reasonable accommodations that shall be provided to affected employees unless the employer can demonstrate that doing so would impose an undue hardship. The bill prohibits state immunity under the Eleventh Amendment to the Constitution from an action for a violation of this bill.

This resolution commemorates the 25th anniversary of the 1996 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games held in Atlanta, Georgia.

NFIP Risk Rating 2.0 Delay Act of 2021 This bill freezes premium rates for flood insurance provided through the National Flood Insurance Program through September 30, 2022.

Unclaimed Savings Bond Act of 2021 This bill establishes requirements and procedures for the Department of the Treasury to transfer ownership of certain matured, unredeemed savings bonds and related records to states.