Keeping Women and Girls Safe from the Start Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of State to carry out activities under the Safe from the Start program to prevent, mitigate, and respond to gender-based violence in humanitarian emergencies around the world. (The Safe from the Start program addresses childhood exposure to violence.) These activities shall include (1) training and capacity building for humanitarian personnel; (2) deployment of, and support for, gender advisors and female humanitarian aid workers; (3) use of standards, guidelines, and best practices to address gender-based violence; (4) expanding and improving empowerment activities; and (5) establishing accountability mechanisms and monitoring and reporting tools to prevent and respond to incidents of sexual or other gender-based exploitation or abuse. The State Department must submit an annual report that includes an analysis of data and research regarding the key drivers of gender-based violence in humanitarian emergencies, as well as a detailed description of the programs, diplomatic efforts, and other activities taken to implement Safe from the Start.
Sponsored bills
Protecting Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions Act of 2021 This bill nullifies specified guidance and final rule provisions pertaining to Section 1332 waivers (also known as State Innovation Waivers or State Relief and Empowerment Waivers) issued by the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Health and Human Services. The provisions allow states to forego certain requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in order to implement experimental plans for health care coverage, as long as the resulting coverage meets certain statutory criteria. The provisions, which supersede earlier guidance from 2015, alter agency interpretation of how states may satisfy the statutory criteria for waiver approval. For example, the provisions (1) redefine acceptable coverage under such waivers to include short-term, limited-duration insurance and association health plans; (2) allow the comprehensiveness and affordability of coverage under such waivers to be assessed based on projected availability, rather than enrollment; and (3) allow the level of coverage to be assessed based on the effects over the entire course of the waiver, rather than per year.
American Innovation and Jobs Act This bill revises and expands the deductibility of research and experimental expenditures to allow immediate expensing of such expenditures. It also allows the amortization over a period of at least 60 months of certain other types of research and experimental expenditures not treated as expenses. The bill increases the maximum amount eligible for the tax credit for new and small businesses and increases to 20% the rate of the credit for business startups.
This resolution condemns the February 1, 2021, military coup in Burma (Myanmar) and calls on Burmese authorities to allow journalists, human rights organizations, United Nations monitors, and humanitarian actors full and safe access to every part of the country. The resolution also asks neighboring countries to provide immediate and direct cross-border assistance to address the humanitarian needs of refugees.
Allergy Testing Access Act of 2021 This bill requires equal coverage of two types of allergy tests under Medicaid and Medicare. Specifically, in vitro specific IgE tests (blood tests) and percutaneous tests (skin tests) must be treated equally with respect to (1) medical necessity or other coverage requirements, (2) frequency limits, and (3) allergen unit limits.
This bill provides statutory authority for the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to establish and maintain a portal and corresponding database through which it shall receive information on blocked railroad-highway grade crossings as a three-year pilot program. The FRA must use information from the database (1) to assist in identifying the locations and potential impacts of frequent and long-duration blocked railroad-highway grade crossings; (2) as a basis for outreach to communities, emergency responders, and railroads; and (3) to support collaboration in the prevention of incidents at railroad-highway grade crossings. Additionally, the Department of Transportation must evaluate the requirements of its railway-highway crossing program to determine whether the program provides states sufficient flexibility to adequately address current and emerging grade-crossing safety issues, the structure of the program provides sufficient incentive and resources to states and local agencies to make changes at grade crossings that are most effective at reducing deaths and injuries, there are appropriate tools and resources to support states in using data-driven programs to determine the most cost-effective use of program funds, and any statutory changes are necessary to improve the effectiveness of the program.
Assault Weapons Ban of 2021 This bill makes it a crime to knowingly import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon (SAW) or large capacity ammunition feeding device (LCAFD). The prohibition does not apply to a firearm that is (1) manually operated by bolt, pump, lever, or slide action; (2) permanently inoperable; (3) an antique; or (4) a rifle or shotgun specifically identified by make and model. The bill also exempts from the prohibition the following, with respect to a SAW or LCAFD: importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession related to certain law enforcement efforts, or authorized tests or experiments; importation, sale, transfer, or possession related to securing nuclear materials; and possession by a retired law enforcement officer. The bill permits continued possession, sale, or transfer of a grandfathered SAW, which must be securely stored. A licensed gun dealer must conduct a background check prior to the sale or transfer of a grandfathered SAW between private parties. The bill permits continued possession of, but prohibits sale or transfer of, a grandfathered LCAFD. Newly manufactured LCAFDs must display serial number identification. Newly manufactured SAWs and LCAFDs must display the date of manufacture. The bill also allows a state or local government to use Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds to compensate individuals who surrender a SAW or LCAFD under a buy-back program.
Broadband Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act of 2021 This bill requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration to make financing available for the construction and deployment of broadband infrastructure through a broadband infrastructure finance and innovation program. Specifically, the bill provides a means for communities and public-private partnerships to apply for low-interest secured loans, lines of credit, or loan guarantees to finance broadband infrastructure investments. The bill provides funding to carry out the program, and it requires biennial reports on the financial performance of projects carried out with program assistance.
Hello Girls Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2021 This bill provides for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal in honor of the female telephone operators of the Army Signal Corps, commonly known as the Hello Girls , in recognition of their military service, devotion to duty, and 60-year struggle for veterans' benefits and recognition as soldiers.
Achieving Thorough Transparency and Accessibility for Information Navigation on Mental Health Act of 2021 or the ATTAIN Mental Health Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a public-facing, online dashboard to publicize federally funded mental health grants. The dashboard must contain, for example, program names and opening and closing dates for applications. In addition, HHS must establish a process to include information voluntarily provided by states about their federally supported mental health grants on the dashboard. In developing the dashboard, HHS must consult with appropriate federal departments and agencies and other stakeholders.