Funding Iron Dome by Defunding the Taliban Act This bill provides $1 billion in supplemental appropriations for the Department of Defense to provide to the government of Israel for the procurement of the Iron Dome defense system to counter short-range rocket threats. The bill also rescinds certain unobligated funds that were provided for reconstruction activities in Afghanistan.
This concurrent resolution (1) recognizes the 131 years of significant and meaningful contributions the 1890 Institutions (i.e., historically Black universities established under the Second Morrill Act of 1890) have made to the United States, (2) supports the efforts of the Department of Agriculture and other federal agencies to build stronger partnerships with such institutions, and (3) commits to working in a bipartisan way to address the past funding and program inequities of such institutions.
This resolution requests the President and directs the Department of State to transmit to the House of Representatives, not later than 14 days after the adoption of this resolution, copies of both classified and unclassified documents that refer or relate to certain information on the withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan, including reactions, concerns, or objections expressed by certain allies and partners; any agreement reached with the Taliban related to the evacuation of specified individuals; and numbers of specified individuals in contact with the State Department to request evacuation assistance from Afghanistan, from July 30, 2021, to the present.
Animal Freedom from Testing, Experiments, and Research Act of 2021 or the AFTER Act of 2021 This bill requires federal research facilities to facilitate the adoption or nonlaboratory placement of certain warm-blooded animals (e.g., dogs, cats, monkeys, guinea pigs, hamsters, and rabbits) with animal rescue organizations, animal sanctuaries, animal shelters, or individuals. In order to be adopted or placed, the animals must (1) no longer be needed for research; (2) be suitable for release; (3) not be birds, rats, or mice.
Minks in Narrowly Kept Spaces are Superspreaders Act or the MINKS are Superspreaders Act This bill makes it unlawful to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase American mink ( Neovison vison ) raised in captivity for fur production, whether dead or alive.
Terry Technical Correction Act This bill broadens the scope of crack cocaine offenders who are eligible for a retroactive sentencing reduction under the First Step Act of 2018. The First Step Act made the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 retroactive and authorized sentencing reductions for certain crack cocaine offenders convicted and sentenced before the Fair Sentencing Act became effective. Under current law, crack cocaine offenders whose conduct triggered a mandatory minimum sentence are eligible for a retroactive sentencing reduction under the First Step Act. However, in 2021, the Supreme Court held in Terry v. United States that low-level crack cocaine offenders whose conduct did not trigger a mandatory minimum sentence are not eligible for a retroactive sentencing reduction under the First Step Act. This bill extends eligibility for a retroactive sentencing reduction under the First Step Act to all crack cocaine offenders convicted and sentenced before the Fair Sentencing Act became effective, including low-level offenders whose conduct did not trigger a mandatory minimum sentence.
Protecting Financial Privacy Act of 2021 This bill prohibits a federal agency from creating, implementing, or administering a program that requires financial institutions or individuals to report on the balances of, transactions involving, or transfers into and out of financial accounts. This prohibition does not apply to laws or regulations in effect on September 1, 2021, or to the Bank Secrecy Act (laws that require financial institutions and other entities to report on certain financial transactions to prevent money laundering, the financing of terrorism, and other criminal activity). This prohibition does apply, however, to regulations issued under the Bank Secrecy Act after September 1, 2021.
This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to conduct outreach to build awareness among former members of the Armed Forces of the process established for the review of discharge characterizations related to sexual orientation (i.e., on the basis of Don't Ask, Don't Tell or a similar policy). DOD must also provide for specified relief for former members of the Armed Forces who were impacted by the discharge characterizations and ensure that DOD oral historians review related facts and receive testimony from affected individuals.
Israel Relations Normalization Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of State to take certain actions promoting the normalization of relations between Israel, Arab states, and other relevant countries and regions. Specifically, the State Department must develop a strategy on expanding and strengthening the Abraham Accords (the term used to refer collectively to agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and between Israel and Bahrain marking the public normalization of relations between the two Arab countries and Israel). The strategy must include a description of how the U.S. government will encourage further normalization of relations with Israel. In addition, the State Department must report on options for U.S. international efforts to promote the strengthening of ties between Israel, Arab states, and other relevant countries and regions. The State Department must also report on the status of the normalization of relations with Israel, including information on (1) laws that punish individuals for people-to-people relations with Israelis (i.e., anti-normalization laws), and (2) evidence of steps taken by Arab governments toward permitting or encouraging normalized relations between their citizens or residents and Israeli citizens.
This resolution expresses support for the designation of National Workforce Development Month.
Debt Ceiling Reform Act This bill authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to increase the public debt limit. Under current law, the debt limit restricts the amount of funds that the Department of the Treasury may borrow to fund the federal government.
Save our Stages Extension Act This bill extends to March 11, 2023, the time frame during which Shuttered Venue Operators Grant recipients may use grant funds to cover their expenses. These grants provide funds to certain types of entities in the arts and entertainment industry affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, a recipient may use such funds to cover expenses incurred between March 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021.
