John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021 This bill establishes new criteria for determining which states and political subdivisions must obtain preclearance before changes to voting practices may take effect. Preclearance is the process of receiving preapproval from the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before making legal changes that would affect voting rights. The bill also includes provisions related to federally protected activities at polling places and voting access on tribal lands. A state and all of its political subdivisions shall be subject to preclearance of voting practice changes for a 10-year period if 15 or more voting rights violations occurred in the state during the previous 25 years; or 10 or more violations occurred during the previous 25 years, at least 1 of which was committed by the state itself. A political subdivision as a separate unit shall also be subject to preclearance for a 10-year period if three or more voting rights violations occurred there during the previous 25 years. States and political subdivisions that meet certain thresholds regarding minority groups must preclear covered practices before implementation, such as changes to methods of election and redistricting. Further, states and political subdivisions must notify the public of changes to voting practices. Next, the bill authorizes DOJ to require states or political subdivisions to provide certain documents or answers to questions for enforcing voting rights. The bill also outlines factors courts must consider when hearing challenges to voting practices, such as the history of official voting discrimination in the state or political subdivision. In addition, the bill (1) includes certain protections for election workers, polling places, and election infrastructure; and (2) expands voting access on tribal lands.
This resolution recognizes the efforts and sacrifices of the wildland firefighters who have risked their lives to fight intense wildfires in 2021. The resolution also (1) expresses support for communities throughout the West as they focus on recovery and rebuilding areas and communities affected by wildfires, and (2) extends gratitude to the families and loved ones of wildland firefighters for supporting the wildland firefighter community.
This bill prohibits the use of federal funds to require a member of the Armed Forces to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. The bill also prohibits adverse action (e.g., punishment) being taken against a member of the Armed Forces because the member refuses to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.
This concurrent resolution celebrates the first anniversary of the signing of the Geneva Consensus Declaration on Promoting Women's Health and Strengthening the Family.
Circumspectly Reducing Unintended Consequences Impairing Alliances and Leadership Act of 2021 or the CRUCIAL Act of 2021 This bill establishes requirements relating to the President's ability to impose sanctions on individuals or entities that engage in a significant transaction with the defense or intelligence sectors of Russia's government if the transaction involves a member of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue. (The dialogue is a coalition comprised of the governments of the United States, Japan, India, and Australia.) Specifically, before imposing such sanctions for a transaction involving a member of the dialogue, the President must certify to Congress that the government in question is not participating in the dialogue on security matters that are critical to U.S. strategic interests.
SRES 429 designates October 26, 2021, as the "Day of the Deployed" to honor currently deployed members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. The resolution calls on the public to reflect on their service and encourages observance through appropriate ceremonies and activities. This is a commemorative resolution, not a law creating new obligations, and it aligns with an annual designation first established in 2011.
Food Security is National Security Act of 2021 This bill places the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Health and Human Services on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Further, the bill requires CFIUS to consider the potential effects of a proposed or pending transaction on the security of the U.S. food and agriculture systems, including any effects on the availability of, access to, or safety and quality of food.
Cancer Drug Parity Act of 20 21 This bill requires group health plans that cover anticancer medications administered by a health care provider to provide no less favorable cost sharing for patient-administered anticancer medications. This requirement applies to medications that are (1) approved by the Food and Drug Administration; (2) medically necessary for the cancer treatment; and (3) clinically appropriate in terms of type, frequency, extent site, and duration. To comply with this requirement, plans may not, with respect to anticancer medications (1) change or replace benefits to increase out-of-pocket costs, (2) reclassify benefits to increase costs, or (3) apply more restrictive limitations to orally administered medications than to intravenously administered or injected medications.
Keeping Our COVID-19 Heroes Employed Act This bill exempts essential workers from COVID-19 vaccination requirements imposed by the federal government and contractors, public entities that received federal COVID-19 relief funds, and private entities that received any federal funds. An essential worker is an individual who was deemed to be essential or exempted from response measures during the COVID-19 pandemic by a state, tribe, or territory.
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.
Championing our Parents Act of 2021 This bill prohibits the use of federal funds to facilitate certain law enforcement partnerships to address threats against school personnel.
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.
