Secure E-Waste Export and Recycling Act This bill prohibits the export or reexport of electronic waste, such as computers, televisions, and consumer electronics, subject to certain exemptions (e.g., items that meet specific criteria designed to ensure they do not become the source of counterfeit products).
Transforming Hiring in Rural Industries and Vital Economies Act of 202 1 This bill establishes the White House Rural Council within the Executive Office of the President to make recommendations and coordinate the efforts of the executive branch regarding economic development in rural areas.
Crash Avoidance System Evaluation Act This bill requires the Department of Transportation to evaluate the performance of crash avoidance systems at detecting and classifying pedestrians, bicyclists, and other vulnerable road users, including those with different skin tones that represent different racial and ethnic groups. Crash avoidance system is defined as a system in a motor vehicle used to prevent or mitigate a crash, including a system using cameras, lidar, or radar.
Helping Ensure Life- and Limb-Saving Access to Podiatric Physicians Act or the HELLPP Act This bill adds podiatrists as covered physicians under the Medicaid program. Additionally, the bill revises certain documentation requirements related to Medicare coverage of therapeutic shoes for individuals with diabetes. Finally, the bill subjects payments made to a Medicaid provider or supplier to a continuing levy for federal taxes owed by the provider or supplier.
Connecting America's Active Transportation System Act This bill directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to carry out an active transportation investment program to provide competitive grants to state, local, and regional government entities, and Indian tribes to construct projects that connect walking and bicycling infrastructure within and between communities, metropolitan regions, or states. The bill sets forth various limitations on the use of funds by DOT, including that it must obligate at least 30% of funds to projects that connect people with public transportation, businesses, workplaces, schools, residences, recreation areas, and other community activity centers; set aside at least $3 million to provide planning grants for eligible entities; and set aside at least $2 million to cover the costs of administration, research, technical assistance, communications, and training activities under the program. The federal share of grants must not exceed 80% of the total project cost. However, DOT may increase the federal share to 100% for disadvantaged communities with a poverty rate of over 40%.
VOW to Hire Heroes Extension Act of 2021 This bill (1) makes permanent the work opportunity tax credit with respect to qualified veterans, (2) revises tax credit eligibility requirements for documenting the status of veterans and their receipt of unemployment compensation, and (3) extends the payroll tax offset for such credit to certain for-profit employers. The Internal Revenue Service must make annual reports to Congress on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of this bill in increasing the employment of veterans. The bill directs the Department of the Treasury to pay to each U.S. possession (i.e., American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands) amounts equal to the losses to such possessions due to this bill.
Military and Veteran Caregiver Student Loan Relief Act of 2021 This bill makes designated primary family caregivers of veterans eligible for student loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Under the PSLF program, the Department of Education must cancel the balance of interest and principal due on a borrower's Federal Direct Loans after the borrower makes 120 monthly loan payments while employed in a public service job. This bill broadens the definition of public service job to include service as a primary family caregiver of an eligible veteran participating in the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers.
National Guard Cybersecurity Support Act This bill authorizes members of the National Guard to perform, at the request of a state and in connection with training or other duty, cybersecurity operations or missions to protect critical infrastructure.
VA Beneficiary Debt Collection Improvement Act This bill addresses the administration of debt related to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) programs and benefits. Specifically, the bill prohibits an individual from incurring a debt to the United States that arises from participation in a VA benefits program and is attributable to the failure of the VA to process information according to its timeliness standards. The VA must notify an individual if it has made an overpayment to the individual and include in the notice information on the right to dispute the overpayment or request a waiver of indebtedness. The VA is prohibited from taking action regarding an overpayment until 90 days after the notice is issued, except in specified circumstances. The VA is prohibited from charging interest or administrative costs for debts related to its disability compensation program, pension program, or educational assistance program. The bill extends from 180 days to one year the deadline by which an individual may request a waiver for relief from paying a debt related to VA benefits. Additionally, the VA is prohibited from seeking to recover a debt if it determines the cost to the VA to recover the debt would exceed the amount of the debt itself. The VA must establish an administrative process for the dispute of a debt's existence or the amount of the debt. The VA is prohibited from deducting from an individual's VA benefits to offset a debt if the amount of the debt is being disputed.
Affordable Housing for Homeless Veterans Act of 2021 This bill reauthorizes and modifies a program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that provides housing assistance to homeless veterans. Specifically, the bill authorizes the VA to enter into agreements with specified entities (e.g., nonprofit organizations or tribal entities) through September 30, 2025, to assist homeless veterans and their families in acquiring shelter or permanent housing. Under the bill, the VA may enter into agreements where an entity that is buying, leasing, or receiving property agrees to sell or rent the property directly to homeless veterans or veterans at risk of homelessness.
VA Supply Chain Resiliency Act This bill addresses the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) supply chain processes, particularly during emergency periods. The bill requires the VA to submit a report containing a description of the items and quantities of items that are critical with respect to the VA's ongoing response to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic and future epidemic, pandemic, emergency, national emergency, or natural disaster scenarios. The VA and the Department of Defense (DOD) must enter into an agreement to provide for the participation of the VA in the Warstopper Program of the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) of DOD. The Warstopper Program was established to satisfy requirements for sudden and sustained increases in production of critical industrial and medical items. Under such an agreement, the DLA must ensure the maintenance and stability of the items the VA identifies as critical in its report (and that the VA and DOD determine are appropriate for the program), establish guidance for the participation of the VA in the program, and use existing and new contracts and agreements to reserve the supply of critical items. Finally, the VA must ensure it does not exclusively rely on holding regional, physical inventories of critical items in order to respond to greater than expected needs during epidemic, pandemic, emergency, national emergency, or natural disaster situations.
Virtual Peer Support Act of 2021 This bill appropriates funding for grants to transition behavioral health peer support services that are provided at no cost to participants from in-person to virtual platforms or to otherwise expand these kinds of virtual services. Specifically, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration must award competitive grants to certain consumer-controlled or consumer-run organizations and tribal communities. Among other eligibility requirements for these grants, entities must have offered certain behavioral health services at no cost to participants before the declaration of the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency.
