Rep. Ed Case

Coronavirus Assistance for American Families Act This bill provides individual taxpayers with additional recovery rebates in 2021. The amount of such rebates is $1,400 per individual ($2,800 for married individuals filing joint tax returns) and $1,400 for each dependent of the taxpayer. The rebate is phased out for individuals whose adjusted gross income exceeds $75,000 ($150,000 for joint returns). To be eligible for the rebate, taxpayers must include a valid Social Security account number on their tax returns. The bill directs the Department of the Treasury to conduct a public awareness campaign to inform taxpayers of the availability of the rebate.

Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act or the FAMILY Act This bill entitles every employee to a family and medical leave insurance (FMLI) monthly benefit payment of two-thirds of the employee's regular pay, limited to a maximum of $4,000, for not more than 60 days of qualified caregiving. The bill establishes the Office of Paid Family and Medical Leave within the Social Security Administration to administer the FMLI program. An FMLI benefit payment must be coordinated with any periodic benefits received under a state or local temporary disability insurance or family leave program. The bill imposes a tax on employers, employees, and self-employed individuals to fund FMLI benefits. It also establishes the Federal Family and Medical Leave Insurance Trust Fund to hold tax revenues.

Scientific Integrity Act This bill revises provisions regarding the release of scientific research results by federal agencies. Each agency that funds, conducts, or oversees scientific research must (1) adopt and enforce a scientific integrity policy that includes requirements such as that scientific conclusions are not based on political considerations, and (2) submit such policy to the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) for approval. Each agency must make such policy available to the public and submit such policy to Congress. Agencies and the OSTP must periodically review the policies. The Government Accountability Office shall review implementation of the policies. Each agency shall (1) appoint a Scientific Integrity Officer, (2) establish a process for dispute resolution consistent with the scientific integrity policy, and (3) establish a specified training program for current and new employees.

FEMA Climate Change Preparedness Act This bill requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to (1) revise its 2018-2022 Strategic Plan to ensure that the plan explicitly mentions climate change and addresses the implications of climate change on homeland security and near- and long-term national disaster risk, and (2) ensure that future strategic plans do likewise. The Department of Homeland Security must establish, as a subcommittee of the National Advisory Council, the Climate Change Subcommittee, which shall advise FEMA on how to best incorporate climate change, including risk assessments and strategies for adaptation and mitigation, into and throughout FEMA's policies, plans, programs, and operations. FEMA must publish as a report, submit to specified congressional committees, and make available to Congress and the public, a comprehensive assessment of climate change risks and preparedness.

Air Traffic Noise and Pollution Expert Consensus Act of 20 21 This bill requires the Federal Aviation Administration to enter into an arrangement with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to examine and report on the various health impacts of air traffic noise and pollution.

No Congressional Gun Loophole Act This bill prohibits the Capitol Police Board from allowing Members of Congress or their staff to carry firearms on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol or in its buildings. Members and their staff may store firearms in their cars in Capitol complex garages if their possession complies with the firearms laws of the District of Columbia and the firearms are locked with gun locks while on the complex. Current board regulations allow Members of Congress to keep firearms in their offices; the regulations also allow Members and their staff to transport unloaded and securely wrapped firearms within the Capitol grounds. Firearms are prohibited inside the chambers of the Senate and the House of Representatives, as well as in adjacent lobbies and cloakrooms, the galleries, the Marble Room of the Senate, and the Rayburn Room of the House, unless approved by the Sergeants at Arms for security purposes.

Kobe Bryant & Gianna Bryant Helicopter Safety Act This bill directs the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue regulations to implement National Transportation Safety Board recommendations for crash-resistant systems with respect to existing and new U.S.-registered turbine-powered rotorcraft (e.g., a helicopter) certificated for six or more passenger seats. Specifically, the FAA must require all U.S.-registered turbine-powered rotorcraft certificated for six or more passenger seats to be equipped with a flight data recorder, a cockpit voice recorder, and a terrain awareness and warning system. The FAA may exempt any civilian helicopter from one or more of the equipment requirements.

Innovation Centers Acceleration Act This bill establishes a program to advance economic development by designating nine cities as innovation centers and providing and modifying certain related grants. It also establishes the Innovation Center Selection Committee to designate these cities. The innovation center designation entitles selected cities—and the businesses, research institutions, and other organizations that operate within them—to various federal funding and benefits for research activities, business and workforce development, and transportation infrastructure projects. These benefits include expanding various tax credits and incentives for businesses. The bill also makes it easier for those businesses to access loans and other financial instruments to raise capital. In addition, the bill establishes a grant program for local and tribal governments that partner with innovation centers to develop and preserve affordable housing. It also modifies existing grants, loans, and other programs that support transportation infrastructure to specifically target initiatives in innovation centers.

Safe and Quiet Skies Act of 2021 This bill sets forth requirements for commercial air tour flights. Among other requirements, the bill prohibits tour flights within a half mile of military installations, national cemeteries, national wilderness areas, national parks, and national wildlife refuges; prohibits tour flights from operating at an altitude of less than 1,500 feet; requires tour flights over occupied areas (e.g., residential, commercial, and recreational areas) to be no louder than 55dbA; and allows states and localities to impose additional requirements that are stricter than the minimum federal requirements.

Noncontiguous Shipping Relief Act of 2021 This bill revises coastwise laws, commonly known as the Jones Act, that govern domestic transportation of merchandise or passengers by vessels. The Jones Act requires that vessels transporting merchandise or passengers between Puerto Rico and other U.S. ports be built in the United States, be at least 75% owned by U.S. citizens, and be mostly crewed by U.S. citizens. The bill exempts foreign-flag vessels transporting merchandise on a route in noncontiguous trade from Jones Act requirements. The bill sets forth other requirements, including (1) labor standards, (2) minimum requirements for vessels engaging in the transportation of cargo or merchandise in domestic coastwise trade, (3) environmental standards, and (4) requirements for certain non-citizens that irregularly engage in domestic coastwise trade.