Foreign Gain-of-Function Research Prevention Act of 2021 This bill prohibits the use of federal funds to conduct or support gain-of-function research involving potential pandemic pathogens by China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, or other foreign adversaries. Gain-of-function research is any research that is anticipated to confer an attribute on a pathogen to enhance its pathogenicity or transmissibility in mammals. If the Department of State finds that an entity has used funds for prohibited research, the entity may not receive any federal funding for a period of five years.
Lower Costs, More Cures Act of 2021 This bill establishes and modifies several programs and requirements to address prescription drug prices, particularly in relation to Medicare and Medicaid. Among other changes, the bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to publish certain information, as reported by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), relating to generic dispensing rates, drug discounts and rebates, and payments between PBMs, health plans, and pharmacies; caps annual out-of-pocket spending under the Medicare prescription drug benefit; allows prescription drug plan sponsors under the Medicare prescription drug benefit to offer additional plans in a region; establishes requirements under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program for certain gene therapies for which prices are indexed to achieved outcomes; and establishes the position of Chief Pharmaceutical Negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
Restored, Equitable, Coronavirus Adjusted Lodging Act of 2021 or the RECAL Act of 2021 This bill prohibits the General Services Administration (GSA), when determining the FY2022 and FY2023 per diem reimbursement rates for locations within the Continental United States (CONUS), from setting lodging allowances below the FY2020 levels. CONUS per diem reimbursement rates are the maximum allowances that federal employees are reimbursed for official travel expenses. The rates consist of lodging, meals, and incidental expense allowances; the GSA sets rates annually based on data from the prior 12-month period.
Defense Community Teacher Support Act This bill makes certain teachers who teach in military impacted communities eligible for student loan forgiveness. A school in a military impacted community is served by a local educational agency for which at least 20% of the students in average daily attendance in all schools served by the agency during the preceding school year had a parent on active duty. Specifically, the bill directs the Department of Education to cancel up to $17,500 of federal student loans for a borrower who is an elementary or secondary school teacher employed for five consecutive years in a school in a military impacted community. In addition, a teacher who is required to move due to a permanent change in duty station of their spouse may meet the five-year teaching requirement by teaching in multiple schools in different military impacted communities.
Tribal Tax and Investment Reform Act of 2021 This bill treats Indian tribal governments as states for purposes of the annual allocation of the tax-exempt bond volume cap. It also repeals provisions that limit an Indian tribal government's eligibility to issue tax-exempt bonds or to be exempt from specified excise taxes to transactions involving the exercise of an essential government function customarily performed by state and local governments. The bill (1) treats employee benefit or pension plans maintained by Indian tribes and domestic relations orders issued pursuant to tribal law in the same manner as plans maintained by states and domestic relations orders issued pursuant to state law; and (2) treats tribal charities and foundations in the same manner as charities and foundations funded and controlled by other governmental entities for purposes of the tax-exempt status of, and deduction for contributions to, such organizations. The bill gives Indian tribes or tribal organizations access to the Federal Parent Locator Service if they are eligible for a grant to operate a child support enforcement program. It makes those tribes and tribal organizations eligible to participate in the program that collects past-due support from individual tax refunds. An Indian tribal government may determine whether a child has special needs for the purpose of the tax credit for the adoption of a child with special needs.
Trade Preferences and American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2021 This bill reauthorizes and revises specified U.S. trade programs and provisions. Specifically, the bill extends through January 1, 2027, the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), which provides duty-free treatment to products imported from designated beneficiary countries. The bill makes various changes to the GSP, including by (1) adding human rights, environmental, and other criteria for designation as a beneficiary developing country; (2) requiring an assessment of how the GSP supports worker and gender rights; and (3) requiring a study on rules of origin and GSP utilization rates. Additionally, the bill provides through December 31, 2023, and retroactively applies to 120 days before this bill's enactment, temporary duty suspensions or reductions to eligible imported products. This authorization is commonly known as the Miscellaneous Tariff Bill (MTB). The last version of the MTB was enacted in September 2018 and the temporary treatment for those products listed in the MTB expired on December 31, 2020. The bill also extends the American Manufacturing Competitiveness Act of 2016 for two future MTB cycles (one in 2022 and one in 2025). This extension allows the U.S. International Trade Commission to conduct the MTB petition, review, and recommendation process for those additional cycles. The bill extends customs user fees through June 21, 2031.
Water Quality Protection and Job Creation Act of 2021 This bill addresses water infrastructure and the discharge of pollution (e.g., wastewater or stormwater) into waters of the United States, including by reauthorizing through FY2026 and revising the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) program. The clean water SRF program provides communities low-cost financing for water quality infrastructure projects.
Puppy Protection Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture to expand standards that govern the humane handling, care, treatment, and transportation of animals to include new requirements for commercial dog dealers. Specifically, the standards must require dog dealers to provide to dogs adequate housing, exercise, and veterinary care; appropriate and nutritious food; continuous access to potable water; and meaningful socialization with humans and compatible dogs for at least 30 minutes each day. The standards must also include requirements for breeders to use safe breeding practices and make all reasonable efforts to find humane placement for retired breeding dogs.
Traditional Cigar Manufacturing and Small Business Jobs Preservation Act of 2021 This bill exempts traditional large and premium cigars from Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation and FDA-assessed user fees.
This resolution commemorates the 75th anniversary of the founding of the United Spinal Association and recognizes its efforts on behalf of people with spinal cord injuries and neurological disorders.
Student Assisted Vaccination Effort Act or the SAVE Act This bill expands the types of medical personnel authorized to administer or use a covered countermeasure (i.e., a qualified pandemic or epidemic product, a security countermeasure, certain drugs, biomedical products, or medical devices, or a respiratory protective device) during a federally-declared public health emergency to include specified health profession students with appropriate training in administering vaccines and supervision by a licensed health professional.
IRS Customer Service Improvement Act This bill prohibits the use of official time for specified union activities by employees of the Internal Revenue Service during the periods each year (1) beginning on February 12 and ending on May 5, and (2) beginning on September 1 and ending on November 1.
