This concurrent resolution (1) recognizes the 131 years of significant and meaningful contributions the 1890 Institutions (i.e., historically Black universities established under the Second Morrill Act of 1890) have made to the United States, (2) supports the efforts of the Department of Agriculture and other federal agencies to build stronger partnerships with such institutions, and (3) commits to working in a bipartisan way to address the past funding and program inequities of such institutions.
This resolution requests the President and directs the Department of State to transmit to the House of Representatives, not later than 14 days after the adoption of this resolution, copies of both classified and unclassified documents that refer or relate to certain information on the withdrawal of the United States from Afghanistan, including reactions, concerns, or objections expressed by certain allies and partners; any agreement reached with the Taliban related to the evacuation of specified individuals; and numbers of specified individuals in contact with the State Department to request evacuation assistance from Afghanistan, from July 30, 2021, to the present.
Bicameral Congressional Trade Authority Act of 2021 This bill requires congressional approval for a presidential import adjustment due to a national security threat from an import related to military equipment, energy resources, or critical infrastructure essential to national security. Specifically, the bill requires the President to submit a proposal to Congress, which Congress may approve by a joint resolution. Under current law, the President determines whether any adjustment of an import is necessary and must submit to Congress the reasons for any action taken or not taken. The Department of Defense (currently, the Department of Commerce) must investigate the effect of these imports on national security. The bill retroactively applies to any proposed action made four years before enactment of this bill. In general, any rate of duty modification occurring in the time period beginning four years before and ending the day before enactment of this bill must revert to the previous rate unless it receives congressional approval.
Foreign Adversary Risk Management Act or the FARM Act This bill places the Secretary of Agriculture on the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, and it requires the committee to review any investment that could result in foreign control of any U.S. agricultural business. Further, it includes agricultural systems and supply chains in the definitions of critical infrastructure and critical technologies for the purposes of reviewing such investments. The Department of Agriculture and the Government Accountability Office must each analyze and report on foreign influence in the U.S. agricultural industry.
Clarity for Digital Tokens Act of 2021 This bill excludes certain offerings of digital tokens (i.e., a digital representation of value or rights recorded on a publicly available ledger) from securities registrations. The exclusion from securities registration is in effect until the later of 3 years from the date of the first sale of a token or 3 years after the effective date of the bill. During this exclusionary period, the initial development team of a token must disclose every 6 months details of the network—the system of connected devices that create and validate the ledger of transactions. This includes disclosure of the source code, the transaction history, the economics of the token, the plan to achieve network maturity, prior token sales, information regarding the team, trading platforms used, and certain material transactions. On or before the end of this period, the team must report to the Securities and Exchange Commission regarding the maturity of the network. Network maturity is reached either through decentralization of the network or through network functionality, as specified by the bill. If network maturity is not reached within 3 years, the initial development team must register the tokens as a security.
Animal Freedom from Testing, Experiments, and Research Act of 2021 or the AFTER Act of 2021 This bill requires federal research facilities to facilitate the adoption or nonlaboratory placement of certain warm-blooded animals (e.g., dogs, cats, monkeys, guinea pigs, hamsters, and rabbits) with animal rescue organizations, animal sanctuaries, animal shelters, or individuals. In order to be adopted or placed, the animals must (1) no longer be needed for research; (2) be suitable for release; (3) not be birds, rats, or mice.
Joint Select Committee on Afghanistan Act of 2021 This bill establishes the Joint Select Committee on Afghanistan as a joint committee of Congress, required to investigate the 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Blocking Joseph Robinette Biden's Overreaching Vaccine Mandates Act This bill restricts implementation and enforcement of COVID-19 vaccine mandates, including in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Specifically, the Department of Health and Human Services may not require, as a condition of participation in the programs, that providers mandate COVID-19 vaccination for their employees, or otherwise penalize participating providers that do not mandate such vaccination. The bill also prohibits the use of federal funds to implement or enforce a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
No Taxation Without Congressional Consent Act This bill prohibits assessing a fine, fee, or tax against any person who violates a COVID-19 vaccine mandate issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or other executive agency.
Minks in Narrowly Kept Spaces are Superspreaders Act or the MINKS are Superspreaders Act This bill makes it unlawful to import, export, transport, sell, receive, acquire, or purchase American mink ( Neovison vison ) raised in captivity for fur production, whether dead or alive.
Protecting Critical Infrastructure Act This bill imposes an enhanced general penalty on any person who is sentenced to imprisonment for violating certain communications laws and who willfully or maliciously destroys any communications facility during and in relation to such violation.
This resolution expresses the sense of the Senate that Marine Corps Sergeant Nicole L. Gee, Army Staff Sergeant Ryan C. Knauss, and their fellow members of the Armed Forces served the country with honor and distinction and the United States honors those members of the Armed Forces and their families.
