Sen. Margaret Wood Hassan

International Pandemic Preparedness and COVID-19 Response Act of 2021 This bill outlines U.S. foreign policy to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and to future pandemics and disasters. With respect to COVID-19, the Department of State must develop a strategy to expand and expedite access to COVID-19 vaccines in other countries. The bill also allows for the use of any foreign assistance for activities to combat COVID-19, regardless of the original purpose of the funding. Additionally, the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development must protect and support humanitarian actors responding to secondary effects of the pandemic (e.g., food insecurity). Furthermore, the State Department must report on, and take other steps to address, restrictions and violations of human rights in the COVID-19 response measures of other countries, and the U.S. Agency for Global Media must focus its communication programs on combating propaganda and providing accurate information related to COVID-19. With respect to future pandemics and disasters, the bill (1) designates agencies responsible for carrying out preparedness and response activities, and (2) authorizes a committee within the National Security Council to coordinate government-wide response efforts. Additionally, the President must establish a strategy for advancing U.S. global health security; the bill creates a position in the State Department to promote this strategy. Moreover, the State Department must work with other international actors to establish a financing mechanism and otherwise promote global health security, including by strengthening health systems and disease surveillance in developing countries. Additionally, funding authorized by this bill may not be made available to China.

Respond, Innovate, Succeed, and Empower Act of 2021 or the RISE Act of 2021 This bill establishes requirements for institutions of higher education (IHEs) concerning students with disabilities. Specifically, the bill requires IHEs to allow students to use certain documents, such as individualized education programs, to establish their disabilities. In addition, IHEs must make the process for determining the eligibility for accommodations transparent. Finally, IHEs must submit key data related to their undergraduate students with disabilities for inclusion in federal postsecondary institution data collection efforts.

Choose Home Care Act of 2021 This bill provides for coverage of home-based extended care services under Medicare. Specifically, the bill provides for coverage of services that are furnished to Medicare beneficiaries in their homes by home health agencies, including nursing care, meals and nutritional support, home medical supplies, nonemergency medical transportation, and care coordination. Coverage includes 30 days of post-hospital care and other periods of extended illness, as determined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Home health agencies that provide such services may receive additional payments in accordance with a specified methodology. The CMS may make payments for covered services furnished before 2022 during any period in which there is a public health emergency.

VA Supply Chain Resiliency Act This bill addresses the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) supply chain processes, particularly during emergency periods. The bill requires the VA to submit a report containing a description of the items and quantities of items that are critical with respect to the VA's ongoing response to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic and future epidemic, pandemic, emergency, national emergency, or natural disaster scenarios. The VA and the Department of Defense (DOD) must enter into an agreement to provide for the participation of the VA in the Warstopper Program of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) of DOD. The Warstopper Program was established to satisfy requirements for sudden and sustained increases in production of critical industrial and medical items. Under such an agreement, the DLA must ensure the maintenance and stability of the items the VA identifies as critical in its report (and that the VA and DOD determine are appropriate for the program), establish guidance for the participation of the VA in the program, and use existing and new contracts and agreements to reserve the supply of critical items. Finally, the VA must ensure it does not exclusively rely on holding regional, physical inventories of critical items in order to respond to greater than expected needs during epidemic, pandemic, emergency, national emergency, or natural disaster situations.

Improving Housing Outcomes for Veterans Act of 2021 This bill requires the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to provide medical center staff and homelessness service providers of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with information related to best practices for the collaboration on centralized or coordinated assessment systems established and operated by Continuums of Care. The VA must also ensure that the information and related resources are accessible to VA medical center staff and homelessness service providers. Additionally, the bill requires the VHA to communicate with VA employees who have responsibilities related to homelessness assistance programs regarding (1) the measurement of performance by the VA's Homeless Program Office, and (2) how to obtain and provide feedback about the performance measures.

This resolution designates July 30, 2021, as National Whistleblower Appreciation Day.

Fair Sugar Policy Act of 20 21 This bill makes several modifications to the Department of Agriculture's sugar program. Among other modifications, the bill decreases the rate for price support loans, repeals the marketing allotments, revises the administration of import quotas, and repeals the Feedstock Flexibility Program.

Reporting Efficiently to Proper Officials in Response to Terrorism Act of 2021 or the REPORT Act This bill requires the primary government agency investigating an act of terrorism to submit to Congress an unclassified report within one year after the agency completes its investigation. The agency shall conduct such investigation in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the National Counterterrorism Center. Such requirement shall not apply in instances in which DHS, DOJ, the FBI, or the center determines that the information required to be reported could jeopardize an ongoing investigation or prosecution, in which case the principal agency making such determination must notify Congress. Such a report shall (1) identify any gaps in national security that could be addressed to prevent future acts of terrorism, and (2) include any recommendations for additional measures that could be taken to improve homeland security.

Ensuring Survivor Benefits during COVID-19 Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to obtain a medical opinion that determines whether a service-connected disability was the principal or contributory cause of death for a veteran who died from COVID-19. Specifically, the VA must obtain this determination before notifying a claimant for survivor benefits of the final decision regarding such benefits in any case where a dependency and indemnity compensation claim is filed in relation to a veteran with one or more service-connected disabilities who dies, the death certificate for the veteran identifies COVID-19 as the principal or contributory cause of death, the death certificate does not clearly identify any of the service-connected disabilities as the principal or contributory cause of death, the veteran's service-connected disability includes a condition more likely to cause severe illness from COVID-19, the claimant is not entitled to certain dependency and indemnity compensation benefits, and the evidence to support the claim does not result in a preliminary finding in favor of the claimant. The VA must provide information to veterans, their dependents, and veterans service organizations about applying for dependency and indemnity compensation when a veteran dies from COVID-19. Such information must be available through the VA's website and via other outreach mechanisms.

United States Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act of 2021 This bill establishes restrictions on businesses that relocate call centers or redirect customer service calls to locations outside the United States. Specifically, a business must notify the Department of Labor that it intends to move its customer service call center overseas and Labor must maintain a publicly available list of such businesses. Subject to narrow exceptions, a business appearing on such list is ineligible to receive federal grants or guaranteed loans for five years after the business is added to the list. Further, agencies must condition the awarding of government contracts on the requirement that any call center activity pursuant to the contract must be performed in the United States. Additionally, the bill requires call center employees to disclose their physical location at the beginning of each call initiated or received, unless all employees of the business participating in the communication are located in the United States, among other exceptions.