Climate Justice Act of 2021 This bill requires the President to establish a Climate Justice Working Group that must advise federal entities on a just and equitable transition towards a clean, climate-resilient, and zero-emission economy.
Remove the Stain Act This bill rescinds each Medal of Honor awarded for acts that occurred on December 29, 1890, at Wounded Knee Creek, Lakota Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota. The bill requires the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard to remove the names of those award recipients from the Medal of Honor Roll.
Asuncion Valdivia Heat Illness and Fatality Prevention Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Labor to promulgate an occupational safety or health standard on prevention of exposure to excessive heat. Excessive heat includes outdoor or indoor exposure to heat at levels that exceed the capacities of the body to maintain normal body functions and may cause heat-related injury, illness, or fatality. In addition, the bill establishes requirements concerning (1) training and education to prevent and respond to heat illness, and (2) whistle-blower protections.
Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Enhancement Act This bill modifies the requirements for calculating taxable income to exclude from gross income payments under the federal veterinary medicine loan repayment program or any state loan repayment or forgiveness program that is intended to provide for increased access to veterinary services in such state.
Farmers Fighting Climate Change Act This bill expands the Conservation Stewardship Program of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide for the establishment of climate change mitigation bundles. Climate change mitigation bundle is defined as a group of conservation activities carried out together to achieve substantial progress toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions or increasing carbon sequestration and improving soil health. Specifically, USDA must make state- or region-specific climate change mitigation bundles available to producers in all regions of the country to promote agricultural practices that increase carbon sequestration and reduce green gas emissions, including by making available bundles that are appropriate for cropland, pastureland, rangeland, and forestland.
Taxpayer Research and Coronavirus Knowledge Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to coordinate with specified federal entities to compile a public database of federal contracts, tax benefits, and other support for COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) biomedical research and development. HHS must develop the database within one month and update it every two weeks.
Gluten in Medicine Disclosure Act of 2021 This bill prohibits the sale of any drug intended for human use that contains an ingredient derived from a gluten-containing grain unless the drug's label (1)states that the drug contains such an ingredient, and (2)identifies the type of grain from which the ingredient is derived.
Community Navigator Reporting Act of 2021 This bill requires the Small Business Administration to report annually on the performance and effectiveness of the Community Navigator pilot program, which was established to improve access to assistance programs and resources for small businesses in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).
Student Loan Forgiveness for Frontline Health Workers Act This bill establishes temporary programs to provide federal and private student loan forgiveness to certain frontline health care workers. Frontline health care workers are those individuals who have made significant contributions to the medical response (e.g., patient care, medical research, or testing) to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) national emergency. Specifically, the Department of Education (ED) must carry out a program to forgive the outstanding balance of principal and interest due on federal student loans for borrowers who are frontline health care workers. Additionally, the Department of the Treasury must carry out a program to repay in full the outstanding balance of principal and interest due on certain private student loans for borrowers who are frontline health care workers. ED and Treasury must coordinate to ensure that eligibility determinations are consistent across both programs and that frontline health care workers who are eligible for both programs may apply for loan forgiveness with a single application. Further, such programs must be available to frontline health care workers who were borrowers of eligible loans and who died as a result of COVID-19. The bill specifies the notification requirements related to the availability of these programs. ED, Treasury, and the Department of Health and Human Services must jointly establish an intergovernmental working group to assist with the administration of these programs, including the development of the application process. The bill also excludes discharged student loan debt under these programs from an individual's gross income.
Electric Power Infrastructure Improvement Act This bill allows a tax credit through 2031 for investment in a qualifying electric power transmission line property. The bill defines qualifying electric power transmission line property as (1) any overhead, submarine, or underground transmission facility that is capable of transmitting electricity at a voltage of not less than 275 kilovolts, has a transmission capacity of not less than 500 megawatts, is an alternating current or direct current transmission line, and delivers power produced in either a rural area or offshore; and (2) conductors or cables, or other specified equipment, necessary for the proper operation of the facility.
Providing Responsible Emergency Plans for Animals at Risk of E merging Disasters Act or the PREPARED Act This bill establishes requirements governing the care of animals by entities, such as zoos, in emergencies or disasters. Specifically, the bill requires each research facility, dealer, exhibitor, intermediate handler, and carrier to develop and follow a contingency plan to provide for the humane handling, treatment, transportation, housing, and care of their animals in the event of an emergency or disaster.
Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act This bill addresses employment standards for individuals with disabilities. The bill directs the Department of Labor to award grants to states and certain eligible entities to assist them in transforming their business and program models to support individuals with disabilities by providing competitive integrated employment, assisting disabled individuals in finding and retaining work in such employment, providing integrated employment and integrated community participation and wraparound services for such individuals, and ensuring that such services comply with federal regulations for individuals receiving home and community-based services. The bill also prohibits the issuance of new special certificates that allow payment of subminimum wages to disabled individuals and phases out existing certificates over a four-year period. The bill directs Labor's Office of Disability Employment to award grants to provide technical assistance and other strategic support to employers transitioning from special certificates to competitive integrated employment for disabled individuals. Labor must contract with a nonprofit entity to conduct an evaluation of the impact of these transitions.
