Guard the Border Act This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to reassign 95% of National Guard members deployed to the National Capital Region on or after January 6, 2021, in response to the attacks on the U.S. Capitol building and grounds. Specifically, DOD must reassign such members to support U.S. Customs and Border Protection in (1) securing the southern land border of the country, and (2) management and care for migrants at the border. DOD must report on the results of a study assessing the effects of such reassignment.
SPF Act This bill makes daylight savings time permanent.
Medicaid Report on Expansion of Access to Coverage for Health Act or the Medicaid REACH Act This bill reduces federal payment for Medicaid administrative expenses incurred by states that have not elected to participate in Medicaid expansion under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (i.e., nonexpansion states) if the state does not comply with specified reporting requirements. The bill requires nonexpansion states to report, among other information, the number of uninsured individuals under the age of 65 and the estimated percentage of such individuals who would be eligible to receive coverage if the state expanded Medicaid.
Ensuring Survivor Benefits during COVID-19 Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to get a medical opinion to determine if a service-connected disability was the principal or contributory cause of death in situations where a veteran's death certificate identifies COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) as the principal or contributory cause of death, the certificate does not clearly identify any of the veteran's service-connected disabilities as the principal or contributory cause of death, and a claim for dependency and indemnity compensation is filed with respect to the veteran.
Veterans Economic Recovery Act of 2021 This bill addresses the employment and retraining of veterans, specifically during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency. The bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a program under which the VA must provide up to 12 months of nontransferable retraining assistance (including a housing stipend) to up to 35,000 eligible veterans for the pursuit of a specified program of education. Under the bill, an eligible veteran is an individual who, among other requirements, is unemployed due to COVID-19. Veterans who receive retraining assistance may only use such assistance to pursue specified programs, including those designed to provide training for high-demand occupations. The bill requires the Department of Labor to conduct outreach to veterans participating in the program to notify them of employment placement services and facilitate employment placement. Additionally, the VA must enter into a memorandum of understanding with one or more qualified nonprofit organizations to facilitate the employment of veterans participating in the program. The Government Accountability Office must report on the outcomes and effectiveness of the retraining assistance program. The program will terminate 21 months after the date of the enactment of this bill.
This resolution designates March 29, 2021, as Vietnam Veterans Day. The resolution also recognizes the contributions of veterans who served in Vietnam during war and peace.
This resolution designates April 5, 2021, as Gold Star Wives Day. The resolution also recognizes the contributions of the members of the Gold Star Wives of America, Inc., and their dedication to the members and veterans of the Armed Forces.
American Innovation and Jobs Act This bill revises and expands the deductibility of research and experimental expenditures to allow immediate expensing of such expenditures. It also allows the amortization over a period of at least 60 months of certain other types of research and experimental expenditures not treated as expenses. The bill increases the maximum amount eligible for the tax credit for new and small businesses and increases to 20% the rate of the credit for business startups.
Pharmacy Benefit Manager Accountability Study Act of 2021 This bill requires the Government Accountability Office to report on the role of pharmacy benefit managers in the pharmaceutical supply chain and recommend legislative actions to lower the cost of prescription drugs. The report must address the use of rebates and fees, the average prior authorization approval time, and the use of step therapy within the 10 largest pharmacy benefit managers.
Funding for Aviation Screeners and Threat Elimination Restoration Act or the FASTER Act This bill repeals the requirement that a portion of aviation security service fees collected from passengers be credited as offsetting receipts and deposited in the general fund of the Treasury. It requires such fees to be deposited into a separate account in the Treasury for expenditure to pay only the costs of activities and services for which the fee is imposed (i.e., aviation security screening).
This bill designates the portion of U.S. Route 80 from Selma, Alabama, to Montgomery, Alabama, as the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Highway.
Highway Formula Fairness Act This bill modifies the formula that the Department of Transportation uses to apportion federal highway funds among the states for the national highway performance program, the surface transportation block grant program, the highway safety improvement program, the congestion mitigation and air quality improvement program, the national highway freight program, and metropolitan transportation planning.
