Hearing Protection Act This bill removes silencers from the definition of firearms for purposes of the National Firearms Act. It also treats persons acquiring or possessing a firearm silencer as meeting any registration and licensing requirements of such Act. The Department of Justice must destroy certain records relating to the registration, transfer, or making of a silencer. The bill also revises the definitions of firearm silencer and firearm muffler under the federal criminal code and includes such items in the 10% excise tax category.
Legal Workforce Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to create an electronic employment eligibility confirmation system modeled after and to replace the E-Verify system, which allows employers and recruiters to verify the immigration status of individuals. The bill also mandates the use of such a system, where currently only some employers, such as those with federal contracts, are required to use E-Verify. The bill specifies documents that can establish an individual's identity and employment authorization. During the period starting when a job offer is made until three business days after hiring, the individual must attest to his or her employment authorization, and the employer or recruiter must attest that it has examined the individual's required documents. Employers shall reverify certain types of employees who were not previously verified using E-verify. The Social Security Administration shall notify employees if their Social Security number has been used multiple times in an unusual manner. DHS shall establish programs for blocking and suspending misused numbers. Employers that are required to use the verification system shall not be liable for any employment-related action based on a good-faith reliance on the information from the system. The bill establishes a phased-in participation deadline for different categories of employers, including agricultural employers. The bill increases civil penalties related to hiring individuals without work authorization. It also preempts state laws relating to hiring and employment eligibility verification, but states may use their authority of business licensing to penalize employers for failing to comply with the bill's provisions.
Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act This bill establishes a federal statutory framework to regulate the carry or possession of concealed firearms across state lines. Specifically, an individual who is eligible to carry a concealed firearm in one state may carry or possess a concealed handgun (other than a machine gun or destructive device) in another state that allows its residents to carry concealed firearms. It sets forth requirements for the lawful concealed carry across state lines. The bill preempts most state and local laws related to concealed carry and establishes a private right of action for a person adversely affected by interference with a concealed-carry right established by this bill.
This resolution expresses support for the designation of Rare Disease Day.
Telehealth Improvement for Kids' Essential Services Act or the TIKES Act This bill requires several agencies to promote and evaluate the use of telehealth under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Specifically, the bill requires (1) the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to issue guidance to states on ways to increase access to telehealth; (2) the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission to study the impact of telehealth on health care access, utilization, costs, and outcomes; and (3) the Government Accountability Office to evaluate federal interagency collaboration with respect to the provision of telehealth services to individuals under the age of 18.
COVID-19 Health Disparities Action Act of 2021 This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to raise awareness about COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) and promote vaccination among racial and ethnic minority groups and other populations that have experienced health disparities related to the disease. The CDC must conduct, subject to available funding, a public awareness campaign that targets those populations. The CDC must coordinate the campaign with the White House COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force and other federal, state, tribal, and local entities. The CDC must also award grants to health departments for similar COVID-19 awareness campaigns. Grant-funded campaigns must complement the CDC's campaign, as well as other efforts to inform the public about the disease. In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services must develop prototype materials for grantees to use in their campaigns.
Protecting Providers Everywhere in America Act or the PPE in America Act This bill makes temporary changes to the management of the inventory of diagnostic testing supplies and personal protective equipment in the Strategic National Stockpile. Through FY2026, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must source a certain amount of those products from domestic manufacturers. Additionally, HHS must periodically assess and take steps to manage the inventory of those products. This includes, as appropriate, transfers or sales to federal agencies and health care facilities. The bill also provides HHS with additional authorities to manage the inventory. For example, HHS may enter into arrangements with manufacturers to establish revolving stockpiles to mitigate the risk of products expiring. HHS must report on its efforts to maintain the stockpile's inventory of testing supplies and personal protective equipment.
This concurrent resolution expresses the sense of Congress that school administrators should safely reopen schools for in-person instruction as soon as possible.
This resolution recognizes Black History Month as an important time to celebrate the unique contributions of all LGBTQ+ Black Americans in U.S. history.
Buffalo Soldiers Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2021 This bill provides for a Congressional Gold Medal to be awarded to the Buffalo Soldier regiments (six all-Black calvary and infantry regiments authorized by Congress in 1866 to serve in the U.S. Armed Forces), in recognition of their vital service to the United States. Following the award of the medal, it shall be given to the National Museum of African American History and Culture of the Smithsonian Institution, where it shall be displayed as appropriate and made available for research.
Black History is American History Act This bill requires entities (e.g., institutions of higher education, libraries, and museums), in order to be eligible for certain grants administered by the Department of Education (ED), to include Black history in their teaching of American history. It also requires Black history to be included in tests administered by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Specifically, the bill mandates the inclusion of Black history as a required component of American history for such entities to be eligible for American History and Civics Academies' competitive grants. These grants support the establishment of (1) Presidential Academies for Teachers of American History and Civics, which offer workshops to teachers of American history and civics to strengthen their knowledge and prepare them to teach in these subjects; and (2) Congressional Academies for Students of American History and Civics, which support high school students in developing an understanding of these subjects. (Currently, Black history is not a required component of American history for either academy.) In addition, ED must give priority to grant applicants that align their activities with programs and resources of the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of African American History and Culture. The bill also requires the inclusion of Black history in tests administered by the NAEP, which measures student academic achievement in various subjects.
Restoring Integrity to America's Elections Act This bill revises provisions regarding the Federal Election Commission (FEC), including to change FEC membership. Specifically, the bill reduces the number of appointed members of the FEC from six to five and permits no more than two members to be affiliated with the same political party. Further, it removes the Secretary of the Senate and Clerk of the House as ex officio members. Next, the bill establishes the Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel to recommend to the President individuals for nomination to the FEC. The President shall appoint the FEC chair, subject to Senate confirmation. The bill distributes the FEC's powers between the chair and the other FEC members. Further, it requires the FEC to ensure that its forms allow for the use of an accent mark as part of an individual's identification. The bill modifies the process for (1) the FEC to initiate an investigation, and (2) a party aggrieved by the FEC's dismissal of the party's complaint or the FEC's failure to take action on the party's complaint to seek judicial review in federal court. Additionally, individuals who submit written comments regarding requests for advisory opinions must be given an opportunity to appear at FEC hearings on those requests. The bill also permanently extends the FEC's administrative penalty authority. Finally, the bill provides statutory authority for limitations on ex parte communications as applied to FEC members and employees. It also specifies that FEC attorneys may represent the FEC before the Supreme Court.
