Sen. Edward J. Markey

Supplemental Security Income Restoration Act of 2021 This bill modifies eligibility for, and other components of, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, including by (1) increasing applicable income and resource limits used to determine SSI eligibility, (2) equalizing treatment of married couples when both spouses receive SSI as compared to two unmarried individuals, and (3) eliminating the penalty on SSI applicants or recipients who transfer resources to another individual for less than fair market value.

This resolution condemns the recent rise in anti-Semitic violence and harassment targeting Jewish Americans. The resolution (1) recommits to combating anti-Semitism in all forms; and (2) calls on elected officials, faith leaders, and civil society leaders to denounce and combat all manifestations of anti-Semitism. The resolution urges the President to continue the leadership role of the United States in combating anti-Semitism internationally, advance accurate Holocaust education and counter Holocaust denial and distortion, ensure the physical security of Jewish institutions and organizations, and produce an analysis that accounts for the level and scope of the threat that anti-Semitism poses to the people of the United States. The resolution urges law enforcement agencies to fully participate in the data collection process of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to improve anti-Semitic hate crime data collection.

National Institutes of Health Director Protection Act This bill specifies that the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) may only fire a director of a national research institute or national center of the NIH on the basis of malfeasance, neglect of office, or incapacity.

Refund Equality Act of  2021 This bill permits legally married same sex couples to amend their tax returns to file as married filing jointly for returns outside of the statute of limitations.

Medical Nutrition Equity Act of 2021 This bill expands coverage under Medicare, Medicaid, other specified federal health care programs, and private health insurance to include foods, vitamins, and individual amino acids that are medically necessary for the management of certain digestive and metabolic disorders and conditions.

Basic Assistance for Students In College Act or the BASIC Act This bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to award planning and implementation grants to institutions of higher education in order to identify and meet the basic needs of students, including food, housing, transportation, and health care. ED must also implement an agreement to (1) share data with other federal agencies in order to identify students who may be eligible for certain federal benefits; and (2) coordinate efforts to enroll those students in federal benefits programs, including Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Hastening Arms Limitations Talks Act of 2021 or the HALT Act of 2021 This bill prohibits the obligation or expenditure of funds to conduct an explosive nuclear weapons test that produces yield unless (1) the President details any change to the condition of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile from the previous year, and (2) Congress enacts a joint resolution approving the test. Further, the bill declares it to be U.S. policy to lead international negotiations on specific arms-reduction measures.

This resolution expresses support for the designation of May 2021 as National Brain Tumor Awareness Month.

Greater Leadership Overseas for the Benefit of Equality Act of 2021 or the GLOBE Act of 2021 This bill contains provisions related to (1) the protection of LGBTQI individuals globally; and (2) immigration protections for vulnerable individuals. The bill establishes (1) an interagency group to respond to urgent threats to LGBTQI people in foreign countries, and (2) a permanent Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTQI Peoples in the Department of State. The President shall impose visa-blocking sanctions on foreign persons responsible for violating the human rights of individuals based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics. The State Department shall establish the Global Equality Fund to provide assistance to nongovernmental organizations working to advance and protect human rights. The U.S. Agency for International Development shall establish the LGBTQI Global Development Partnership to work with the private sector and nongovernmental organizations to support LGBTQI rights. The bill contains several immigration-related provisions, such as those  establishing that persecution based on sexual orientation or gender identity may form the basis of an asylum request, allowing certain applicants to file asylum claims more than a year after their arrival in the United States, including a permanent partnership between two partners as a marriage for immigration law purposes, providing for free counsel in certain immigration proceedings, and granting U.S. citizenship to a child born abroad through assistive reproductive technology from a U.S. citizen who is the child's nonbiological parent.

Enhancing Oversight to End Discrimination in Policing Act This bill expands the capacity to enforce a law that prohibits patterns or practices of misconduct by state and local law enforcement agencies. Current law prohibits state and local law enforcement agencies from engaging in patterns or practices of conduct that violate constitutional or federal rights. Further, current law authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ) to file civil cases to eliminate the pattern or practice of misconduct. Typically, DOJ's Civil Rights Division conducts pattern-or-practice investigations and resolves any misconduct through a consent decree instead of a trial. This bill provides statutory authority for state attorneys general to bring pattern-or-practice cases in federal court. The bill also authorizes grants to help states pursue pattern-or-practice investigations and cases. Additionally, the bill authorizes additional amounts for DOJ's Civil Rights Division and requires a certain portion to be used for enforcement and technical assistance related to pattern-or-practice cases. Finally, the bill requires DOJ's Civil Rights Division to modify the procedures for consent decrees and settlement agreements to ensure that the consent decrees and settlement agreements (1) foster the creation and use of alternative remedies such as mental health support or community-based restorative justice mechanisms; and (2) incorporate community oversight requirements, such as a community oversight body.