Student Assisted Vaccination Effort Act or the SAVE Act This bill expands the types of medical personnel authorized to administer or use a covered countermeasure (i.e., a qualified pandemic or epidemic product, a security countermeasure, certain drugs, biomedical products, or medical devices, or a respiratory protective device) during a federally-declared public health emergency to include specified health profession students with appropriate training in administering vaccines and supervision by a licensed health professional.
Bring Animals Relief and Kibble Act of 2021 or as the BARK Act of 2021 This bill extends federal protection from civil and criminal liability that applies to donations of food or grocery products for needy individuals to the donation of pet food or supplies.
College Student Hunger Act of 20 21 This bill expands the eligibility of students at institutions of higher education to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP eligibility for students is expanded to include certain low-income students who (1) are employed a minimum of 10 hours per week (currently 20 hours) during the regular school year, (2) are eligible for a federal Pell Grant, (3) have an expected family contribution equal to zero, or (4) are independent. Additionally, the bill directs the Department of Education to provide notification to certain students regarding their eligibility for SNAP benefits, the Inspector General of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to conduct an audit of the operations of the Food and Nutrition Service to examine the procedures and outreach practices used by the service to provide to states information about the eligibility of students at institutions of higher education for participation in the program, USDA to update its state outreach plan guidance, and USDA to implement projects to decrease student hunger at institutions of higher education and to reduce barriers to college students fully utilizing SNAP benefits at these institutions.
This concurrent resolution recognizes the disparity between wages paid to Latina women, and its impact on women, families, and the nation and reaffirms Congress' commitment to supporting equal pay and to narrowing the gender wage gap.
This resolution designates October 2021 as National Co-Op Month, commends the cooperative business model for its contributions to the economy, and expresses confidence in cooperatives to continue their successes.
This resolution recognizes the ultimate sacrifice of the unknown soldiers interred at Arlington National Cemetery and expresses gratitude and appreciation of all the members of the Armed Forces who have served during wars and peacetime. Additionally, the resolution commends all members of the 3d Infantry Regiment, specifically those who guard the Tomb of the Unknown Solider.
This resolution strongly disapproves of the escalation of political tensions between the government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People's Liberation Front into armed conflict, and it calls for the immediate cessation of hostilities in the Tigray region as well as an end to violence throughout Ethiopia. Further, the resolution urges all parties to work to protect human rights, and it calls on relevant U.S. agencies to take specified actions that encourage an end to the conflict and that provide humanitarian support.
Equity in Pretrial Health Coverage Act This bill allows an otherwise eligible individual who is in custody pending disposition of charges (i.e., pretrial detainees) to receive health care benefits through Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Higher Education Mental Health Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Education to establish an Advisory Commission on Serving and Supporting Students with Mental Health Disabilities in Institutions of Higher Education. The commission must conduct a study and report on services available to students with mental health disabilities in institutions of higher education (IHEs) and the effectiveness of such services in supporting these students; the impact of policies and procedures, such as reasonable accommodation and disciplinary policies, that help or hinder the goal of providing equal opportunity to these students; the use of protected health information of these students by IHEs; the impact of providing mental health services on a student's academic performance, well-being, and ability to complete college; conclusions on the major challenges facing these students; and recommendations to improve the overall education, retention, and graduation of these students.
Wildfire Emergency Act of 2021 This bill provides for programs and activities in support of forest restoration, wildfire mitigation, and energy resilience. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) shall select landscape-scale forest restoration projects located west of the 100th meridian to implement on National Forest System land and on land adjoining National Forest System land. USDA shall establish a pilot program under which USDA may enter into conservation finance agreements with public or private persons to implement and monitor such projects. The Department of Energy shall establish a program to support critical infrastructure and microgrids, including by improving the energy resilience and power needs of critical facilities (e.g., hospitals) through the use of microgrids, renewable energy, energy efficiency, reduced electricity demand, and on-site storage. USDA and the Department of the Interior shall establish one or more centers in western states to train individuals in methods relevant to the mitigation of wildfire risk. USDA shall establish a competitive grant program to support workforce development in forestry and fire management.
Wildfire Resilient Communities Act This bill provides funding and sets forth provisions to address wildland fire management in certain at-risk communities that are within the vicinity of federal lands that are at high risk from wildfire. The bill provides funding for specified federal agencies to carry out hazardous fuels reduction projects. These federal agencies shall prioritize projects that (1) are conducted in areas that are within or adjacent to at-risk communities or high value watersheds, have very high wildfire hazard potential, or are in fire regime I, II, or III; or (2) are designed to integrate and advance two or more of the goals established in a specified wildland fire management report to create fire-adapted communities, to restore and maintain resilient landscapes, and to achieve safe, effective fire response. The Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior shall furnish financial and technical assistance to at-risk communities that are adjacent to federal land, including through states, to assist such communities in planning and preparing for wildfire. The bill makes permanent the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program. The bill removes the limits on the number of proposals that may be funded for ecological restoration treatments for priority forest landscapes under the program. The Forest Service may continue to select the number of proposals that are determined likely to receive adequate funding. The bill establishes the County Stewardship Fund for making payments to counties that have a contract for a stewardship contracting project on federal land within their boundaries.
National Prescribed Fire Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of the Interior to significantly increase the number and size of prescribed fires conducted on federal lands. Before the end of FY2023, Interior and USDA shall each have carried out a minimum of one prescribed fire on each unit of the National Forest System (with exceptions), unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System, unit of the National Park System, and Bureau of Land Management district (1) that includes an area that has a historical low-severity fire regime, has a historical fire-return interval of not more than 35 years, and is larger than 100 acres; and (2) less than half of which was burned by a wildland fire during the previous 10-year period. Interior shall establish a collaborative prescribed fire program to provide financial assistance to eligible entities to conduct prescribed fires in priority landscapes. Interior shall establish an incentive program to encourage the implementation of large, cross-boundary prescribed fires. Interior and USDA shall hire additional employees and provide training to increase the number of skilled and qualified prescribed fire practitioners in the departments and other organizations. To address the public health and safety risk of the expanded use of prescribed fire, USDA and Interior shall conduct research to improve or develop, among other things, cost-effective, and consistent mitigation strategies for communities impacted adversely by smoke from prescribed fire.
