Sen. Tim Kaine

EMBRACE Stormwater Management Act or the Enhancing Military Base Resilience And Conserving Ecosystems through Stormwater Management Act This bill authorizes the Department of Defense and each military department to implement stormwater management projects on or related to military installations. Specifically, such projects are authorized for the purpose of (1) protecting nearby waterways and stormwater-stressed ecosystems, and (2) improving military installation resilience or the resilience of a defense access road or other essential civilian infrastructure supporting the installation.

Vet Center Support Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to report on its provision of mental health care to veterans in covered states. A covered state is each state (including Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, and any territory or possession of the United States) that has a ratio of one or fewer Vet Centers per 100,000 or more veterans residing in the state or territory. Vet Centers are community-based counseling centers that provide social and psychological services to eligible veterans, active duty service members, and their families. The VA must also report on the marketing and outreach funding of Vet Centers in covered states.

Jamal Khashoggi Human Rights Act This bill imposes sanctions on individuals involved in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, establishes requirements for arms transfers to Saudi Arabia, and addresses other related issues. The bill imposes sanctions on persons named in an Office of the Director of National Intelligence report assessing the role of Saudi Arabia's government in Khashoggi's killing. The President may waive the sanctions for national security interests on a case-by-case basis upon providing certain information and certifications to Congress. Such a waiver may last for up to 90 days and may be renewed. If the President determines that Saudi Arabia's government has engaged in a pattern of intimidation and harassment against U.S. persons or their family members, the President must suspend the provision of certain defense-related assistance until the pattern has ceased. The Department of State must provide certain information to Congress before concluding a sale or authorizing the export or transfer of controlled defense articles (or defense services) to Saudi Arabia, including a certification that Saudi Arabia's government has provided a written commitment to not use such articles to violate human rights. The U.S. government may not provide or authorize the export of services for military, paramilitary, security, or intelligence-gathering activities to Saudi Arabia, with certain exceptions. The State Department may annually present the Jamal Khashoggi Press Freedom Award to recognize extraordinary efforts in journalism in the face of harassment, detention, or obstruction by foreign governments or non-state actors.

Rural Health Equity Act This bill establishes within the Office of the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the Office of Rural Health. The office must serve as the primary point of contact within the CDC on rural health matters, coordinate public health research on issues affecting rural populations, and carry out related activities.

John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021 This bill establishes new criteria for determining which states and political subdivisions must obtain preclearance before changes to voting practices may take effect. Preclearance is the process of receiving preapproval from the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before making legal changes that would affect voting rights. The bill also includes provisions related to federally protected activities at polling places and voting access on tribal lands. A state and all of its political subdivisions shall be subject to preclearance of voting practice changes for a 10-year period if 15 or more voting rights violations occurred in the state during the previous 25 years; or 10 or more violations occurred during the previous 25 years, at least 1 of which was committed by the state itself. A political subdivision as a separate unit shall also be subject to preclearance for a 10-year period if three or more voting rights violations occurred there during the previous 25 years. States and political subdivisions that meet certain thresholds regarding minority groups must preclear covered practices before implementation, such as changes to methods of election and redistricting. Further, states and political subdivisions must notify the public of changes to voting practices. Next, the bill authorizes DOJ to require states or political subdivisions to provide certain documents or answers to questions for enforcing voting rights. The bill also outlines factors courts must consider when hearing challenges to voting practices, such as the history of official voting discrimination in the state or political subdivision. In addition, the bill (1) includes certain protections for election workers, polling places, and election infrastructure; and (2) expands voting access on tribal lands.

This resolution expresses the Senate's support for the celebration of Filipino American History Month in October 2021 as a testament to the advancement of Filipino Americans and a time to renew efforts toward researching and examining the history of Filipino Americans to give all people of the United States an opportunity to learn about their contributions.

This bill authorizes the Department of State to initiate a U.S. plan to endorse Taiwan's membership in the Inter-American Development Bank as a nonborrowing member. (The bank's nonborrowing members, such as the United States, provide capital and have voting representation in the bank's board of governors and board of executive directors.) The State Department may also instruct the U.S. governor at the bank to work with the board of governors to admit Taiwan as a nonborrowing member.

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.

State Justice Improvement Act This bill reauthorizes through FY2027 the State Justice Institute, a nonprofit corporation established by federal law, and authorizes the institute to award grants for the development and implementation of best policies and practices for the constitutional and equitable enforcement of fines and fees. Specifically, the institute may award these grants to state and local courts, nonprofit organizations, institutions of higher education, and other specified entities. The policies and practices must incorporate guidance that courts should, among other things, consider alternatives to incarceration for defendants who are unable to pay fines.