This resolution extends condolences to the family and friends of former Vice President Walter Mondale. The resolution acknowledges Mondale's lifetime service to the United States, including as a U.S. Senator and as the first presidential candidate from a major party to select a woman, Geraldine Ferraro, as his running mate.
This resolution honors and recognizes the service provided to veterans by Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic and commends their efforts to improvise and adapt to the challenges posed by COVID-19. The resolution also supports efforts by VSOs to enable veterans, their families, and their caregivers to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act This bill designates specified National Forest System lands, National Park System lands, and public lands in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming as wilderness and as components or additions to existing components of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The bill also designates specified federal lands as biological connecting corridors and as special corridor management areas. The Department of the Interior and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) shall accept the donation of valid existing permits or leases authorizing grazing on specified public lands or National Forest System lands. The bill designates segments of specified rivers and creeks in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming as components of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The bill designates specified areas as wildland recovery areas. USDA shall develop a wildland recovery plan for each recovery area. A panel of independent scientists shall study roadless lands greater than 1,000 acres that are within the National Forest System in the Wild Rockies bioregion in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, or Wyoming, but not designated as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System, for their role in maintaining biological diversity. The bill prohibits road construction, timber harvest, oil or gas leasing, mining, or other development that impairs the natural and roadless qualities of the land.
Military Spouses Retirement Security Act This bill allows a tax credit for certain small businesses that include military spouses in their retirement plans.
Medicare at 50 Act This bill establishes a Medicare buy-in option for certain qualifying individuals and also repeals restrictions relating to prescription drug prices under the Medicare prescription drug benefit. Specifically, the bill allows individuals aged 50 to 64 to enroll in Medicare if such individuals would otherwise qualify for Medicare at the age of 65. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must determine enrollment periods and set premiums for the buy-in option established under the bill, in accordance with specified requirements. The CMS must also award grants to states and nonprofit organizations for outreach and enrollment activities relating to the buy-in option. The bill also repeals provisions that prohibit the CMS from negotiating the prices of prescription drugs or from establishing a formulary under the Medicare prescription drug benefit.
Future in Logging Careers Act This bill allows individuals who are 16 or 17 years old to work at certain timber harvesting operations that are owned or operated by at least one parent or a person standing in place of a parent. The bill, therefore, exempts such employees from child labor laws.
Hate Crimes Commission Act of 2021 This bill establishes the United States Commission on Hate Crimes. The commission must investigate and report on whether hate crimes have increased; factors that contributed to an increase in hate crimes, if one is determined to exist; policies or actions by law enforcement agencies to reduce the commission of hate crimes; the impact of underreporting on hate crimes statistics and prevention; and successful community bias prevention responses.
Providing Real Opportunities for Growth to Rising Entrepreneurs for Sustained Success (PROGRESS) Act This bill provides for a new small business investor tax credit to promote investment in start-up businesses and a first employee tax credit equal to 25% of employee wages, up to $10,000 in a taxable year. An employer may elect to apply the amount of the first employee tax credit to payroll tax liability.
Improving VA Accountability To Prevent Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement various policies and procedures related to sexual harassment, other harassment, and employment discrimination. The bill requires the VA to ensure that the official who serves as the VA's Equal Employment Opportunity Director reports directly to the Deputy Secretary and does not also serve in a position that has responsibility over personnel functions or functions that conflict with the equal employment functions, each Equal Employment Opportunity program manager at the facility level reports to the head of the Office of Resolution Management (ORM) with respect to equal employment functions, and the employment discrimination complaint resolution system requires any VA manager who receives a harassment or employment discrimination complaint to report such complaint to the ORM immediately (or within two days of receiving the complaint if immediate reporting is impracticable). The VA must provide employees with mandatory annual training on identifying and addressing sexual harassment, other harassment, and employment discrimination, including with respect to processes under the VA's Harassment Prevention Program. The VA must regularly review the policies relating to sexual harassment, other harassment, and employment discrimination to ensure its policies are complete and in accordance with the policies established by the ORM. Additionally, the VA must issue a final directive and handbook for its Harassment Prevention Program.
Access to Contraception for Servicemembers and Dependents Act of 2021 This bill addresses Department of Defense (DOD) contraceptive care and family planning services. Specifically, the bill prohibits cost-sharing requirements with respect to TRICARE beneficiaries for specified prescription contraceptives. Additionally, the bill prohibits cost-sharing requirements for TRICARE Select and TRICARE Prime beneficiaries in relation to any in-network method of contraception or contraceptive care (including with respect to insertion, removal, and follow-up), any sterilization procedure, or any related patient education or counseling service. The bill requires DOD to provide information on all methods of emergency contraception and care to sexual assault survivors at its medical treatment facilities. Upon request by a sexual assault survivor, DOD must provide such emergency contraception or a prescription for emergency contraception. Finally, DOD must establish a uniform standard curriculum for education programs on family planning for all members of the Armed Forces. Such education programs must be provided to service members during their first year of service and at other appropriate times, as determined by each military department.
Domenic and Ed's Law This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to discharge a parent borrower's liability on Federal Family Education Loans if the student on whose behalf the parent incurred the loans becomes disabled. Specifically, ED must discharge the liability on loans that parents incurred on behalf of a student who (1) has become permanently and totally disabled, or (2) is unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity due to a physical or mental impairment that can be expected to result in death or has lasted or is expected to last continuously for at least 60 months. Under current law, ED is required to discharge a parent borrower's liability on these loans only if the student dies.
Temporary Extension of Fentanyl Scheduling Act of 2021 This bill extends until July 6, 2022, the temporary scheduling order issued by the Drug Enforcement Administration to place fentanyl-related substances in schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. The temporary order expires on May 6, 2021.
