Crucial Communism Teaching Act This bill directs the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation to develop a civic education curriculum and oral history resources for high school students to promote understanding of certain political ideologies (e.g., communism and totalitarianism) that conflict with principles of U.S. democracy.
Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to take various actions to address transparency in pricing and contract terms in the cattle industry. Among these requirements, USDA must (1) establish regional minimum percentages of cattle that meat packers must procure through negotiated purchases or negotiated grid purchases (i.e., transactions where the price is known and negotiated at the time of the transaction), and (2) maintain a publicly available catalog of contracts offered by meat packers to livestock producers for the purchase of fed cattle.
This Senate resolution (SRES 464) expresses symbolic support for National Adoption Month (November) and National Adoption Day (November 20), encouraging public awareness of children awaiting adoption. It does not create new laws or allocate funding but urges U.S. citizens to consider adoption and support efforts to provide safety and permanency for children in foster care. The resolution highlights challenges like the pandemic's impact on foster care systems while affirming that every child deserves a permanent family. It directly affects no specific group through policy changes - it is a non-binding statement of support endorsed by 30+ senators.
Children in Family Security Act of 2021 This bill modifies provisions related to U.S. activities to address foreign child welfare issues. The bill establishes the Office of Children in Family Security in the Department of State. The office's responsibilities shall include (1) determining whether a country that is a party to the Hague Adoption Convention has met its obligations under the convention, (2) determining whether such a country is eligible under U.S. law to participate in intercountry adoptions, and (3) developing procedures and criteria related to international adoptions. The bill also establishes the position of Ambassador at Large for Children in Family Security. The position's responsibilities shall include (1) advocating for laws, regulations, policies, and procedures that reflect U.S. policy on international child welfare issues; (2) serving as the primary advisor to the President in matters relevant to children in foreign countries living without family care (or at risk of living without family care); and (3) representing the United States in such matters. The bill transfers various authorities and responsibilities related to international adoption from the State Department to the office and the ambassador at large. The bill also modifies provisions authorizing assistance to orphans and vulnerable children in foreign countries to authorize such assistance for children in adversity in foreign countries, which shall include children who are (1) living without family care, (2) experiencing violence, or (3) living with disabilities.
HRES 820 is a non-binding resolution expressing the U.S. House of Representatives' support for designating May 18 as "National Day of Healing." It highlights the prevalence of violence in the U.S., including gun violence, intimate partner violence, and sexual assault, and frames violence as a public health crisis requiring holistic solutions. The resolution encourages the public to observe May 18 to raise awareness, demonstrate solidarity with affected communities, and promote evidence-based approaches like trauma-informed care and community violence prevention programs. It does not create new laws or allocate funds, but calls for a public health response addressing root causes such as poverty and mental health access.
Conscience Protection Act of 2021 This bill provides statutory authority for certain protections for health care providers that refuse to participate in abortions based on religious beliefs or other convictions. Health care providers include individual professionals, medical facilities, health insurance organizations, and social services providers that refer clients to health care services. The federal government and entities that receive federal funding for health-related activities, including state and local governments, may not discriminate against a health care provider that refuses to be involved in, or provide coverage for, abortions. Currently, similar requirements apply to various related activities, including certain employment or personnel decisions (the Church Amendments), abortion services training (the Coats-Snowe Amendment), qualified health plans offered through health insurance exchanges, and annual appropriations bills for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other federal agencies (the Weldon Amendment). The HHS Office for Civil Rights must investigate complaints of this kind of discrimination. Furthermore, HHS may terminate or reduce HHS funding for health-related activities if a person or entity fails to comply with nondiscrimination requirements. Additionally, the Department of Justice or any entity adversely affected by such discrimination may bring a civil action to obtain appropriate relief. A plaintiff does not need to seek or exhaust administrative remedies before bringing the action. A plaintiff may also bring an action, including one for money damages, against a governmental entity. In many cases, principles of sovereign immunity shield states and some localities from these kinds of actions.
HRES 815 is a symbolic resolution introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on November 18, 2021. It expresses congressional support for National Rural Health Day, which recognizes the importance of rural health care and celebrates providers serving rural communities. The resolution highlights challenges like hospital closures and access barriers faced by rural health facilities but does not create new laws or funding. It simply affirms commitment to improving rural health care accessibility through policy, without specifying concrete changes. As a procedural resolution, it has no binding effect on legislation or funding.
This resolution encourages people around the world to work to achieve the goal of zero new HIV transmissions, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS-related deaths, in order to end the HIV epidemic in the United States and around the world by 2030. The resolution supports continued funding for prevention, care and treatment services, and research programs for communities impacted by HIV and people living with HIV in the United States and globally. The resolution supports continued leadership by the United States in domestic, bilateral, multilateral, and private sector efforts to fight HIV. Finally, the resolution urges other members of the international community to sustain and scale up their support for and financial contributions to efforts around the world to combat HIV.
Parents Bill of Rights Act This bill outlines various rights of parents and guardians regarding the elementary or secondary school education of their children. Among other requirements, the bill (1) directs local educational agencies to publicly post the curriculum for each elementary and secondary school grade level; and (2) requires schools to notify parents and guardians of their rights, including the right to review the school's curriculum and budget.
HRES 816 is a non-binding resolution supporting the designation of the week beginning November 15, 2021, as "National Apprenticeship Week." It does not create new laws or funding but aims to raise public awareness about registered apprenticeships, which provide paid on-the-job training and career pathways. The resolution highlights how these programs help workers gain industry-recognized credentials in high-demand fields like healthcare, advanced manufacturing, and green energy. It emphasizes apprenticeships' role in building a skilled workforce and increasing economic mobility without imposing legal obligations.
Jaime Zapata and Victor Avila Federal Officers and Employees Protection Act This bill explicitly grants extraterritorial jurisdiction over the following criminal offenses: killing (or attempting to kill) a federal officer or employee; assaulting, kidnapping, or murdering (or threatening to do so, or attempting to kidnap or murder) a family member of certain federal officials to retaliate against or to impede, intimidate, or interfere with the federal official; threatening to assault, kidnap, or murder certain federal officials to retaliate against or to impede, intimidate, or interfere with the federal official; and assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers or employees. The United States may prosecute such conduct that occurs outside the United States.
Small Business Lending Disclosure Act of 2021 This bill applies specified commercial lending protections to small business lending and extends the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's regulatory authority regarding consumer financial products and services to include small business financing. Among other requirements, lenders offering financial products to small businesses must disclose the terms of the financing upon extending an offer and are prohibited from charging certain additional fees on a refinanced or modified loan.
