Sen. Chris Van Hollen

Social Security 2100: A Sacred Trust This bill makes changes to Social Security benefits, taxes, and other aspects of the program, including by raising the primary insurance amount, increasing the maximum taxable earnings that are subject to Social Security payroll taxes, and requiring Social Security account statements to be mailed unless the individual recipient opts for electronic delivery.

Promoting Reentry through Education in Prisons Act of 2021 or the PREP Act This bill establishes, within the Bureau of Prisons, an Office of Prison Education. The office must provide educational services to incarcerated individuals in federal prisons and correctional institutions.

Fresh Start Act of 2021 This bill authorizes the Department of Justice to award grants for states to implement automatic expungement laws (i.e., laws that provide for the automatic expungement or sealing of an individual's criminal records).

Social Determinants Accelerator Act of 2021 This bill establishes the Social Determinants Accelerator Interagency Council and a grant program to address social determinants of health. These are nonmedical factors that influence health outcomes, such as income, educational attainment, and place of residence. Specifically, the bill establishes the council, comprised of federal and nonfederal members, to increase coordination among health and social service programs and provide technical assistance to increase the impact of such programs. In consultation with the council, the Department of Health and Human Services must award up to 25 grants to state, tribal, territorial, or local health agencies, certain nongovernmental entities, or consortia of entities (which must include a health agency) for social determinants accelerator plans. These plans must address at least one health and one social outcome for a specified target population.

Higher Education Mental Health Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Education to establish an Advisory Commission on Serving and Supporting Students with Mental Health Disabilities in Institutions of Higher Education. The commission must conduct a study and report on services available to students with mental health disabilities in institutions of higher education (IHEs) and the effectiveness of such services in supporting these students; the impact of policies and procedures, such as reasonable accommodation and disciplinary policies, that help or hinder the goal of providing equal opportunity to these students; the use of protected health information of these students by IHEs; the impact of providing mental health services on a student's academic performance, well-being, and ability to complete college; conclusions on the major challenges facing these students; and recommendations to improve the overall education, retention, and graduation of these students.

Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act of 2021 This bill establishes several requirements and standards relating to prior authorization processes under Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. Specifically, MA plans must (1) establish an electronic prior authorization program that meets specified standards, including the ability to provide real-time decisions in response to requests for items and services that are routinely approved; (2) annually publish specified prior authorization information, including the percentage of requests approved and the average response time; and (3) meet other standards, as set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, relating to the quality and timeliness of prior authorization determinations.

Save Our Servicemembers Act of 2021 This bill requires the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness within the Department of Defense (DOD) to evaluate and standardize DOD's suicide prevention efforts. Specifically, the bill directs the Defense Suicide Prevention Office to collaborate with each military department to (1) develop and implement a process to ensure that individual nonclinical suicide prevention efforts are assessed for effectiveness, and (2) develop consistent suicide-related definitions for use throughout DOD. The bill also requires the use of such suicide-related definitions in any updated policies of DOD or each military department.

Freedom to Vote Act This bill addresses voter registration and voting access, election integrity and security, redistricting, and campaign finance. Specifically, the bill expands voter registration (e.g., automatic and same-day registration) and voting access (e.g., vote-by-mail and early voting). It also limits removing voters from voter rolls. Next, the bill establishes Election Day as a federal holiday. The bill declares that the right of a U.S. citizen to vote in any election for federal office shall not be denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense unless, at the time of the election, such individual is serving a felony sentence. The bill establishes certain federal criminal offenses related to voting. In particular, the bill establishes a new criminal offense for conduct (or attempted conduct) to corruptly hinder, interfere with, or prevent another person from registering to vote or helping someone register to vote. Additionally, the bill sets forth provisions related to election security, including by requiring states to conduct post-election audits for federal elections. The bill outlines criteria for congressional redistricting and generally prohibits mid-decade redistricting. The bill addresses campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals, requiring additional disclosure of campaign-related fundraising and spending, requiring additional disclaimers regarding certain political advertising, and establishing an alternative campaign funding system for certain federal offices.

Easy Enrollment in Health Care Act This bill revises the procedures related to enrollment in health insurance affordability programs, including Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and state-operated Basic Health Programs. The bill provides funding to support the changes. Specifically, the bill permits individuals who do not have minimum essential coverage to, in conjunction with filing their tax return, determine whether any members of their household are eligible for an insurance affordability program and enroll in minimum essential coverage. The bill makes individuals eligible for Medicaid or CHIP based on a prior finding of eligibility for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. It also revises the continuous coverage standards under Medicaid and CHIP. Additionally, the bill provides access to certain information to support enrollment in insurance affordability programs.

This resolution recognizes (1) the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 - October 15, 2021; and (2) the integral role of Latinos and their manifold heritage in the economy, culture, and identity of the United States.