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.
JAB Act or the Justice for All Businesses Act This bill restricts the Department of Labor from engaging in rulemaking to require that employers mandate COVID-19 vaccination or testing of employees. Specifically, Labor may not use any funds to draft, promulgate, or enforce such a rule. Additionally, Labor may not assess civil monetary or criminal penalties for violations.
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.
Fire Fauci Act This bill reduces the annual rate of pay of the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to $0. This reduction applies until there is a new director who is not Anthony Fauci, MD. In addition, the Government Accountability Office must audit digital correspondence, policy memoranda, and financial transactions of the Office of the Director of NIAID from October 1, 2019, through December 31, 2021.
Simon Crosier Act This bill requires hospitals and other health care providers, as a condition of Medicare and Medicaid participation, to have certain written policies and procedures in place that limit the implementation of do-not-resuscitate (DNR) orders for unemancipated minors in accordance with specified criteria. Among other provisions, such policies and procedures must (1) require the informed consent of at least one parent and a reasonable attempt to contact the other parent before instituting a DNR order, (2) allow either parent to refuse to consent to a DNR order, and (3) allow a parent to transfer a minor to another facility after being informed of an intent to institute a DNR order.
This resolution recognizes the ultimate sacrifice of the unknown soldiers interred at Arlington National Cemetery and expresses gratitude and appreciation of all the members of the Armed Forces who have served during wars and peacetime. Additionally, the resolution commends all members of the 3d Infantry Regiment, specifically those who guard the Tomb of the Unknown Solider.
Prohibiting IRS Financial Surveillance Act This bill prohibits the Department of the Treasury from requiring a financial institution to report the balances, transactions, or the transfers into and out of a financial account. This prohibition does not apply to laws or regulations in effect on the date of enactment.
Open RAN Outreach Act This bill requires the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to conduct outreach and provide technical assistance to small communications network providers to raise awareness of the benefits, uses, and challenges of Open RAN networks and other open network architectures. Open RAN networks are wireless networks that follow the Open Radio Access Network approach to standardization, promoting the use of open interface standards in the portion of the telecommunications network that connects wireless devices (e.g., mobile phones) to the core of the network. The NTIA must also conduct outreach and provide assistance regarding participation in the Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Grant Program.
This resolution supports the designation of National Dyslexia Awareness Month and calls on Congress, schools, and educational agencies to recognize that dyslexia has significant educational implications that must be addressed.
Campus Free Speech Restoration Act This bill addresses expressive activities (e.g., peacefully assembling, distributing literature, or carrying signs) on college campuses. First, the bill generally prohibits a public institution of higher education (IHE) that participates in federal student-aid programs from restricting noncommercial expressive activities in a generally accessible outdoor area on campus. Further, the bill prohibits a public IHE from receiving federal funds if the Department of Education determines that the public IHE (1) maintains a policy that infringes upon the expressive rights of students; or (2) maintains or enforces time, place, or manner restrictions on expressive activities in a generally accessible outdoor area on campus, except in limited circumstances. In addition, the bill prohibits retaliation against an individual because the individual reported or complained about restrictions on expressive activities or participated in an investigation or hearing. The bill also requires a private IHE that receives federal funds to provide students with its policies related to expressive rights. The bill also establishes a framework for investigating complaints and for IHEs to regain eligibility for federal funds.
