Second Amendment is Essential Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security to designate the business of importing, manufacturing, or dealing firearms, or importing or manufacturing ammunition, as a critical infrastructure sector. Additionally, the bill states that individuals who are employed by those entities are critical infrastructure workers. The term critical infrastructure means systems and assets, physical or virtual, so vital to the United States that the incapacity or destruction of such systems and assets would have a debilitating impact on security, national economic security, national public health and safety, or any combination of those matters.
Drug Policy Reform Act of 2021 or the DPR Act of 2021 This bill transfers federal regulatory authority over controlled substances, eliminates federal penalties for some drug-related offenses, and removes some collateral consequences for certain criminal convictions. A collateral consequence is a penalty (e.g., a restriction on access to a program or service) imposed on an individual in addition to the penalty associated with the sentence. Specifically, the bill transfers regulatory authority over controlled substances from the Department of Justice to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Additionally, the bill directs HHS to establish a commission to determine a benchmark amount of a controlled substance for personal use supply. The bill eliminates federal criminal and civil penalties for simple possession of a controlled substance in an amount equal to or less than the benchmark. Finally, the bill removes the collateral consequences of certain convictions. For example, the bill removes some restrictions on eligibility for federal assistance and benefits for individuals who are convicted of certain drug-related offenses, reinstates the right to vote in federal elections for persons convicted of criminal offenses, and repeals the requirement for states to revoke or suspend driver's licenses of individuals who are convicted of drug offenses as a condition of receiving a full allocation of certain federal grant funds.
Disarm Hate Act The bill expands the categories of persons who are prohibited from receiving or possessing a firearm. Specifically, it prohibits firearm sale or transfer to and receipt, possession, shipment, or transport by a person (1) who has been convicted of a misdemeanor hate crime, or (2) who has received an enhanced hate crime misdemeanor sentence.
H-2B Returning Worker Exception Act of 2021 This bill modifies the H-2B (temporary nonagricultural workers) nonimmigrant visa program, including by exempting certain workers from an annual numerical limit on such visas and requiring civil penalties for program violations. Under this bill, if a worker seeking a H-2B visa has been counted toward the 66,000 annual cap on such visas in one of the three preceding fiscal years, that worker shall not be counted against the cap again. Furthermore, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must impose a civil monetary penalty on an employer for (1) failing to meet requirements related to an H-2B visa petition, or (2) making a willful misrepresentation of material fact in such a petition. DHS must also ensure the establishment of an electronic platform (1) for employers to submit and request approval of an H-2B petition, and (2) to act as a single point of access for applicants and the relevant government agencies. The Department of Labor must maintain a publicly available online database of all job orders by H-2B employers. Furthermore, Labor may take certain actions to enforce program requirements, such as imposing penalties and seeking injunctions. The bill provides statutory authority for the current practice of limiting the program to workers who are nationals of countries approved by DHS. DHS may make exceptions to this limitation in individual cases if it is in the U.S. interest to do so. DHS shall select approved countries based on various factors, such as the rate of overstay by H-2B visa holders from each country.
Handgun Licensing and Registration Act of 2021 This bill establishes a statutory framework for the licensing and registration of all handguns owned, possessed, or controlled in the United States.
Migrant Resettlement Transparency Act This bill requires the federal government to, before resettling, transporting, or relocating any aliens not in detention, consult with the affected state and local governments. Specifically, the department taking the action, either the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), must consult with the affected state and local governments at least three days before the action. HHS and DHS must also submit to Congress monthly state-specific reports about such actions.
Stars and Stripes Act of 2021 This bill prohibits the Department of State from displaying any flag or banner at a diplomatic or consular post other than specified flags. Such flags are (1) the U.S. flag; (2) the flag of the country wherein the post is located; (3) the flag of a state, territory, or possession of the United States; (4) a departmental or secretarial flag; (5) the flag of an Armed Force; or (6) a flag to honor prisoners of war or those missing in action.
Menstrual Equity For All Act of 2021 This bill expands access to free sanitary napkins and tampons (i.e., menstrual products) in certain locations and for particular groups. It also requires Medicaid to cover menstrual products, as well as liners, cups, and similar items used by individuals with respect to menstruation. Specifically, the bill imposes requirements to make free menstrual products available in federal and state correctional facilities (including facilities that house aliens detained by the Department of Homeland Security) and restrooms in federal buildings that are open to the public. It also establishes a demonstration grant program to support the provision of free menstrual products on campuses of institutions of higher education and permits elementary and secondary schools to use certain grants to provide menstrual products to students. Furthermore, the bill requires employers with at least 100 employees to provide free menstrual products for employees. It also permits the use of certain grants for emergency food and shelter to provide menstrual products to homeless individuals.
Keeping Our Promise Act This bill authorizes issuing visas to certain individuals who were previously refused a diversity immigrant visa or admission into the United States because of certain executive orders or the COVID-19 public health emergency. (Diversity immigrant visas are available to eligible immigrants from countries with relatively low rates of immigration to the United States.) Specifically, this bill applies to individuals who were refused such a visa solely due to certain executive orders from 2017 to 2020, including orders which suspended the entry of individuals from certain countries. The bill also applies to diversity visa applicants who, because of the COVID-19 emergency, were (1) unable to receive a visa interview despite requesting one, or (2) unable to be admitted into the United States despite being approved for a visa. The Department of State must notify each individual covered under this bill of the individual's visa eligibility. To retain eligibility, an individual must respond to the State Department's notice within one year of the notice. An individual may also lose eligibility if the State Department determines that the applicant fails to meet certain requirements. The bill also relaxes certain annual numerical limits for individuals obtaining a visa under this bill. An individual who was a child when initially selected for a visa shall be treated as a child for the purposes of a visa application under this bill.
Human-Animal Chimera Prohibition Act of 2021 This bill establishes new federal crimes related to conduct involving certain types of human-animal chimeras. The term human-animal chimera means an organism that, from an early stage of development, contains human and nonhuman parts. This bill makes is unlawful to create or attempt to create a prohibited human-animal chimera, transfer or attempt to transfer a human embryo into a nonhuman womb, transfer or attempt to transfer a nonhuman embryo into a human womb, or transport or receive for any purpose a prohibited human-animal chimera. A violator is subject to civil and criminal penalties.
Second Chance Opportunity for Re-Entry Education Act of 2021 or the SCORE Act of 2021 This bill directs the Bureau of Justice Assistance within the Department of Justice to establish a grant program—the Second Chance Opportunity for Re-Entry Education Grant Program—to promote reentry training programs and reduce recidivism to county jails for qualified nonviolent inmates.
Tulsa-Greenwood Massacre Claims Accountability Act of 2021 This bill provides a cause of action for the victims of the 1921 race massacre that occurred in the Greenwood community of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Specifically, any person who acted under color of authority of the State of Oklahoma or the City of Tulsa to deprive a victim, on account of race, of any constitutional right secured to the victim at that time shall be liable to the victim or the victim's beneficiary or heir in a civil action for compensation.
