Freedom from Mandates Act This bill nullifies certain executive orders regarding COVID-19 safety and prohibits the Departments of Labor and Health and Human Services (HHS) from taking specified actions with respect to vaccination against COVID-19. Specifically, the bill nullifies Executive Order 14042 (relating to ensuring adequate COVID-19 safety protocols for federal contractors) and Executive Order 14043 (requiring COVID-19 vaccination for federal employees). Labor may not issue any rule requiring employers to mandate vaccination of employees against COVID-19 or requiring testing of employees who are unvaccinated. HHS may not (1) require a health care provider, as a condition of participation in the Medicare or Medicaid program, to mandate vaccination of employees against COVID-19 or require testing of employees who are unvaccinated; or (2) otherwise penalize such a provider for failure to mandate such vaccination or require such testing.
This resolution honors the life of Robert Dove, Parliamentarian Emeritus of the Senate, and offers the condolences of the Senate regarding his death.
This resolution condemns and denounces the actions of the Customs and Border Patrol agents who confronted Haitian migrants on horseback using their reins as lashes.
Preserving Employment Visas Act This bill reclaims unused employment-based immigrant visas from FY2020 and FY2021 and makes such unused visas available in FY2022, for the purposes of calculating the total number of employment-based immigrant visas available each fiscal year. If, at the end of FY2022, there are still unused FY2020 and FY2021 visas, these unused visas shall be available in subsequent fiscal years until they are all used.
Two-State Solution Act This bill addresses U.S. policy and related activities to preserve conditions for a two-state solution to resolve territorial disputes between Israel and Palestine. The bill prohibits the United States from providing support for projects in geographic regions that came under Israeli control after June 5, 1967. It also prohibits the use of any U.S. security assistance, defense articles, or defense services provided to Israel for efforts to annex or exercise permanent control over any part of the West Bank or Gaza. Current law designates the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) as a terrorist organization and restricts its activities (e.g., prohibiting it from maintaining an office in the United States). The President may waive for up to six months some of these restrictions to serve U.S. national security or diplomatic interests. If the President certifies that the PLO has ceased supporting terrorist actions and met other conditions, the bill automatically terminates the terrorist organization designation. Goods produced in the West Bank or Gaza that are imported into the United States must indicate those areas as the country of origin on their labels. The bill expands the scope of certain foreign and development assistance to foster initiatives, including shared educational opportunities and youth activities, that connect Israelis and Palestinians. Additionally, the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development may jointly award grants to private, nonprofit organizations to promote human rights and democracy, strengthen civil society, and otherwise address the needs of the Palestinian people.
This resolution honors the contributions of small businesses in the United States and supports the designation of National Small Business Week.
Extending Government Funding and Delivering Emergency Assistance Act This bill provides continuing FY2022 appropriations for federal agencies, provides supplemental appropriations, and extends several expiring programs and authorities. Specifically, the bill provides continuing FY2022 appropriations to federal agencies through the earlier of December 3, 2021, or the enactment of the applicable appropriations act. It is known as a continuing resolution (CR) and prevents a government shutdown that would otherwise occur if the FY2022 appropriations bills have not been enacted when FY2022 begins on October 1, 2021. The CR funds most programs and activities at the FY2021 levels with several exceptions that provide funding flexibility and additional appropriations for various programs. In addition, the bill provides supplemental appropriations to several federal agencies for activities related to natural disasters and the evacuees from Afghanistan. The bill also extends several expiring programs and authorities, including the National Flood Insurance Program, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, the United States Advisory Commission on Public Diplomacy, the temporary scheduling order issued by the Drug Enforcement Administration to place fentanyl-related substances in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, and the authority for the Department of Agriculture to waive certain requirements for the school meal programs.
Chinese Military and Surveillance Company Sanctions Act of 2021 This bill requires the President to impose property-blocking sanctions on Communist Chinese military companies upon certain findings. Specifically, if the President determines that imposing sanctions on a foreign person would address certain threats related to the financing of Chinese Communist military companies, the President must impose sanctions on that person provided that the person is identified (1) as a Communist Chinese military company in a specified report to Congress or in a November 17, 2020, executive order, or (2) by the Department of the Treasury as having engaged in transactions in the publicly traded securities (or derivatives) of a Communist Chinese military company.
Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act of 2021 This bill addresses harassment at institutions of higher education (IHEs). Specifically, the bill requires each IHE to include in its annual security report a statement of policy regarding harassment on the basis of a student's actual or perceived race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, childbirth, a medical condition related to pregnancy or childbirth, and a sex stereotype), disability, or religion. In addition, the Department of Education may award grants to IHEs to initiate, expand, or improve programs to (1) prevent the harassment of students; (2) provide counseling or redress services to students who have been harassed or accused of subjecting other students to harassment; or (3) educate and train students, faculty, or staff to prevent harassment or address harassment if it occurs.
Acting on the Annual Duplication Report Act of 2021 This bill establishes requirements to facilitate the implementation of certain recommendations made by the Government Accountability Office. Specifically, the Department of Defense, through the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, must review options for expanding the use of administrative surcharges under the foreign military sales program. The bill modifies the calculation of military housing contractor pay for privatized military housing. With respect to the Department of Education, the bill revises requirements regarding forbearance rules and default rates. The Department of Energy must conduct a review of options for a long-range target for the optimal size and configuration of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. The Department of Housing and Urban Development must report on the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), including (1) the adequacy of Ginnie Mae's guarantee fee for single-family mortgage-backed securities, (2) Ginnie Mae's workforce, and (3) alternate ways of overseeing Ginnie Mae. The Department of the Treasury must prescribe certain standards for the security of tax return information and information technology systems. The bill establishes a penalty for authorized providers of electronic filing services that fail to comply with electronic return security standards. The Internal Revenue Service must develop an organizational plan to coordinate all aspects of its efforts to protect return information while it is being held or transmitted by authorized providers of electronic filing services.
COVID-19 Vaccine Dishonorable Discharge Prevention Act This bill provides that a member of the Armed Forces who was discharged on the basis of choosing not to receive a COVID-19 vaccine may only receive an honorable discharge.
America's Children Act or the Protecting Children of Long-term Visa Holders Act of 2021 This bill provides lawful permanent resident status to certain college graduates who entered the United States as children and addresses other immigration-related issues. Specifically, this bill allows an alien to apply for lawful permanent resident status if the alien (1) was lawfully admitted into the United States as a dependent child of an alien on a temporary worker visa, (2) was in the United States with such status for at least four years, (3) has graduated from an institution of higher education in the United States, and (4) is not deportable or otherwise inadmissible. In addition, the alien must have been lawfully present in the United States for at least 10 years at the time of the application. The bill also modifies various provisions related to the calculation of an alien's age for immigration purposes and the priority date of certain immigration-related applications.
