Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act of 20 21 This bill modifies, expands, and reauthorizes through FY2026 the Family Violence and Prevention Services program, which funds emergency shelters and supports related assistance for victims of domestic violence. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants and enter cooperative agreements with state and tribal domestic violence coalitions, and community-based organizations, to support prevention services. Depending on the type of organization, grant recipients must use funding to (1) provide technical assistance; (2) promote evidence-informed prevention strategies; (3) implement coordinated, community responses to reduce risk factors for family violence; and (4) develop prevention partnership strategies. Further, HHS must award specified grants to organizations that provide population-specific services in underserved communities and to community-based organizations that provide culturally specific domestic violence services to racial and ethnic minority groups. The bill also establishes a grants program for tribal domestic violence coalitions to support the provision of local, tribal, family domestic or dating violence services and requires HHS to award a grant for the administration of a hotline dedicated to serving Indians affected by domestic violence. In addition, the bill modifies certain program-wide definitions; changes the requirements for specified grant applications, eligibility criteria, and use of funds; and makes other technical revisions.
Original National Domestic Violence Awareness Month Resolution of 2021 This resolution supports the goals and ideals of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Further, it expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should continue to raise awareness of and support programs to end domestic violence.
Continued State Flexibility To Assist Older Foster Youth Act This bill temporarily extends certain flexibilities for states to assist older youth in foster care during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes expanding through FY2022 eligibility for services until a child reaches age 27 and suspending until December 31, 2021, certain education and training requirements.
Upholding the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Law Act of 2021 This bill prohibits using federal funds to establish any diplomatic facility in Jerusalem other than the U.S. Embassy to Israel.
Ensuring Workers Get PAID Act of 2021 This bill reestablishes the Payroll Audit Independent Determination program, which is administered by the Department of Labor and allows employers to self-report federal minimum wage and overtime violations as an alternative to litigation. Employers may apply to the program by submitting certain information from a self-audit that includes calculations of any unpaid minimum or overtime wages. Labor must verify the calculations and, if the application is approved, supervise a settlement with affected employees that provides payment of any unpaid wages. Employees who accept a settlement under the program waive their private right of action to recover the unpaid wages provided under the settlement.
Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 20 21 This bill provides minimum collective bargaining rights and procedures for public employees and prohibits strikes by certain public safety workers. The Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) shall determine for each state whether the laws of such state substantially provide for each of the minimum standard collective bargaining rights and procedures specified by this bill, including the right of public employees and supervisory employees to self-organize, form or join a labor organization, or collectively bargain. The FLRA must issue rules and take actions to establish and administer bargaining rights and procedures for those states that do not substantially provide for them. No employers, emergency services employees, or law enforcement officers may engage in a lockout, strike, or any other organized job action that is likely to result in a measurable disruption of the delivery of emergency or public safety services. Furthermore, no labor organization may be the cause of a violation of such prohibition.
State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act This bill allows states, tribes, territories, and localities to use certain COVID-19 relief funds for new categories of spending, including for natural disasters and infrastructure projects. It also makes changes to expenditure deadlines and other aspects of this funding. Specifically, recipients may use funds for emergency relief from natural disasters and associated negative economic impacts of natural disasters. In addition, recipients may use a portion of their COVID-19 relief funds for designated infrastructure projects, such as nationally significant freight and highway projects. Furthermore, the bill allows recipients to expend COVID-19 relief funds on these types of infrastructure projects until September 30, 2026. Under current law, recipients must expend the funds by December 31, 2024. Other changes in the bill include (1) modifying eligibility and allocation requirements for funding set aside for counties and Indian tribes that are near public lands, (2) allowing Indian tribes an additional year to expend their COVID-19 relief funds, and (3) establishing a process for government entities to decline COVID-19 relief funds and requiring any declined funds to be used to reduce the federal deficit.
This resolution supports the designation of AADC Deficiency Awareness Day. Aromatic L-Amino Acid Decarboxylase (AADC) Deficiency is a genetic condition that affects an individual's development, motor skills, growth, and cognitive skills.
Student Veteran COVID-19 Protection Act of 2021 This bill addresses the administration of certain Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) educational assistance benefits and home loans, including by authorizing the VA to waive certain enrollment verifications, exempting foreign educational institutions from certain requirements, extending the time limitations on the use of educational assistance benefits, and adjusting certain home loan fees.
Priority Response for Veterans Impacted by Disasters and Emergencies Act or the PROVIDE Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to set forth criteria (1) for the priority processing of claims related to compensation for service-connected disability for certain veterans (e.g., veterans affected by homelessness or major disasters), and (2) to establish flexible evidence requirements for veterans who are unable to meet ordinary evidence requirements for such priority claims due to a major disaster.
Treatment Restoration for Emergency Antibody Therapeutics Act or the TREAT Act This bill prohibits the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from implementing any policy that restricts health care facilities from ordering and receiving COVID-19 monoclonal antibody therapies directly from manufacturers and distributors. In addition, the bill expressly nullifies a policy announced on September 13, 2021, under which HHS allocated supplies of these therapies through state or territorial governments.
Fairness for Rural Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2021 This bill modifies the payment methodology and coinsurance amount for outpatient critical access hospital services under Medicare. Currently, the payment rate for such services is 101% of reasonable costs; the coinsurance amount for such services is 20% of the applicable charges. The bill modifies this methodology so as to base the 20% coinsurance amount on the fee schedule under the Medicare outpatient prospective payment system.
