American Housing and Economic Mobility Act of 2021 This bill addresses housing affordability and availability, makes certain changes to the estate and gift taxes, and contains other related provisions. The Department of Housing and Urban Development shall provide grants to (1) state and local governments that remove unnecessary barriers to building affordable units, (2) states to assist borrowers who have negative equity in their homes, (3) state housing finance agencies to construct or acquire affordable rental housing and prevent tenant displacement and harassment, and (4) eligible individuals (generally, lower income individuals who resided in low-income or historically racially segregated areas) to help them purchase their first homes. The bill provides funding through FY2031 for the first-time homeowner grant program established by the bill, through FY2022 for the affordable rental housing construction program established by the bill, and through FY2022 for specified existing rural housing programs. The bill also expands fair housing protections to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, source of income, veteran status, or an individual's perceived membership in a protected class (e.g., an individual's perceived race or sex). Additionally, the bill modifies the estate tax in various ways, including by reducing the number of brackets to three, increasing the tax rates, and reducing the basic exemption amount. The bill also modifies provisions related to gift taxes and transfer taxes.
Safer Schools Act of 2021 This bill establishes a pilot program through which the Department of Justice must award grants to public elementary and secondary schools to conduct independent facility security risk assessments and make hard security improvements (e.g., video monitoring and alert notification equipment).
Honduras Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Act of 2021 This bill temporarily imposes sanctions and other penalties on Honduran president Juan Orlando Hernandez and the government of Honduras for systemic corruption and human rights violations, with particular focus on the Honduran police and military. Specifically, the President must impose asset- and visa-blocking sanctions on Juan Orlando Hernandez due to his corrupt practices, including the use of the state apparatus to protect and facilitate drug trafficking. Additionally, the President must prohibit, within 30 days, the issuance of licenses to export defense articles and services and specified munitions to the Honduran police or military. The bill also (1) makes Honduras ineligible for security assistance to equip and train police and military, and (2) requires U.S. representatives at multilateral development banks to oppose any loans for Honduran police or military. Furthermore, the Department of the Treasury must instruct U.S. leadership of international financial institutions and the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation to promote human rights due diligence and risk management in any loan, grant, policy, or strategy related to Honduras. The sanctions and other penalties put in place under this bill terminate in five years but may be lifted earlier if specified conditions are met.
Lower Costs, More Cures Act of 2021 This bill establishes and modifies several programs and requirements to address prescription drug prices. The bill modifies provisions under Medicare and Medicaid relating to prescription drug coverage and price transparency. Among other changes, the bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to publish certain information, as reported by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), relating to generic dispensing rates, drug discounts and rebates, and payments between PBMs, health plans, and pharmacies; caps annual out-of-pocket spending under the Medicare prescription drug benefit; allows prescription drug plan sponsors under the Medicare prescription drug benefit to offer additional plans in a region; requires pass-through pricing models, and prohibits spread-pricing, for payment arrangements with PBMs under Medicaid; and allows states to include in the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program covered outpatient drugs that are provided as part of physician or outpatient hospital services. The bill also generally modifies other provisions relating to the regulation and costs of generic and brand-name drugs. Among other changes, the bill prohibits the manufacturer of a brand-name, generic, or biosimilar drug from entering into certain agreements to resolve or settle a patent infringement claim in connection with the sale of a drug or biological product; permanently allows high deductible health plans to waive deductibles for insulin and associated products; and establishes the position of Chief Pharmaceutical Negotiator in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.
Maximum Pressure Act This bill expands sanctions and economic penalties on Iran. It also restricts the President from unilaterally lifting or waiving the sanctions or penalties and increases congressional oversight of them. Specifically, the bill requires the President to impose visa- and asset-blocking sanctions. Additionally, it modifies existing sanctions, including by (1) providing statutory authority for executive orders imposing sanctions; (2) applying sanctions to additional sectors of Iran's economy; and (3) broadening sanctionable conduct to cover, for example, assisting Iran with the acquisition of ballistic missiles and the complicity of Iranian officials in human rights violations in specified countries. The bill also requires reporting on licenses that authorize activities subject to sanctions. The bill prohibits U.S. representatives at the International Monetary Fund from voting to allow Iran's access to special drawing rights (a currency support tool) and places restrictions on financial transactions with Iran. The restrictions include requiring domestic financial institutions to implement special measures with respect to foreign financial institutions that conduct significant transactions connected to the Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (a European mechanism that bypasses U.S. sanctions when carrying out trade with Iran). The Department of State must maintain the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' designation as a terrorist organization and must designate Ansharallah (or Houthis), which operates in Syria, as a foreign terrorist organization. The bill also requires reports on U.S. sanctions concerning Iran, the status of Iran's nuclear weapons program, and other matters.
Sunshine for Regulatory Decrees and Settlements Act of 2021 This bill establishes transparency and public accountability standards for federal agencies with respect to (1) certain civil actions seeking to compel agency action, and (2) related consent decrees and settlement agreements. For example, an agency must publish a complaint filed against it within 15 days. Additionally, settlement proceedings must be conducted through mediation or an alternative dispute resolution program of the court, and those proceedings must include intervening parties. The bill also creates a presumption in favor of a motion to intervene in settlement proceedings. Further, at least 60 days prior to entering a consent decree or settlement agreement, an agency must publish, and accept and respond to public comment on, the proposed agreement or decree. An agency also must provide the court with the administrative record, a summary of the public comments, and access to the record of any public hearings on the proposed decree or agreement. The Department of Justice, or the agency litigating a matter independently, must certify to the court its approval of certain terms included in an agreement or decree, including terms that convert a discretionary authority into a nondiscretionary duty. A court may not approve a consent decree or settlement agreement unless the agency has sufficient time and procedures to comply with federal administrative procedures, other rulemaking statutes, and applicable executive orders. Finally, courts must review a consent decree or settlement if an agency files a motion to modify the decree or agreement on the basis of changed facts or circumstances.
Jaime's Law This bill establishes background check requirements for the sale and transfer of ammunition. Specifically, the bill prohibits a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer from transferring ammunition to an unlicensed individual prior to submitting a background check through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. It also establishes penalties for violations. (Currently, background checks are required under these circumstances for the transfer of firearms, but not for ammunition.) Additionally, it prohibits an ammunition transfer between private parties (i.e., unlicensed individuals) unless a licensed importer, manufacturer, or dealer first takes possession of the ammunition to conduct a background check. However, this prohibition does not apply to certain ammunition transfers, such as a gift between spouses in good faith.
Green New Deals for Cities Act of 2021 This bill authorizes the Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide funding to states, local governments, or Native American nations to carry out Green New Deal projects, such as projects to clean up pollution, climate adaptation measures, or conservation projects on family farms. In order to receive such funding, a state, local government, or Native American nation must have a local Green New Deal program proposal and meet other requirements as specified by the bill. A proposal must contain certain commitments, including a commitment to zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 through a fair and just transition for all communities and workers.
Honoring Our Fallen TSA Officers Act This bill extends public safety officers' death benefits to Transportation Security Administration employees performing official duties related to protecting the nation's transportation systems.
HR 2584, the Judiciary Act of 2021, would change the structure of the U.S. Supreme Court by increasing the number of associate justices from eight to twelve. This bill directly affects the Supreme Court's composition and operations, requiring a quorum of eight justices instead of six to conduct business. The key provision amends Title 28 of the U.S. Code to reflect these numerical changes to the Court's membership and quorum requirements. This is a procedural change to the Court's statutory structure, not a policy affecting the public.
Eradicate Crossing of Illegal Tunnels Act of 2021 or the EXIT Act of 2021 This bill authorizes the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to take various actions to facilitate the search for and remediation of unlawful border crossing tunnels on private land. Specifically, DHS may waive federal, state, or local environmental permits and reviews as necessary to search for or remediate such tunnels. U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement may enter into indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contracts with two or more sources to facilitate such border tunnel activities. (Indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contracts provide for an indefinite quantity of services for a fixed time.)
Drug Cartel Terrorist Designation Act This bill directs the Department of State to designate the Reynosa/Los Metros faction of the Gulf Cartel and the Cartel Del Noreste faction of Los Zetas as foreign terrorist organizations and to submit a detailed report on those drug cartels and any other cartels it may identify. Based on this report, the State Department must designate as a foreign terrorist organization any such identified cartel (or faction thereof) that meets certain criteria for designation as a foreign terrorist organization.
