Sen. Thom Tillis

Mens Rea Reform Act of 2021 This bill establishes a default mens rea standard (i.e., state of mind requirement) for federal criminal offenses—statutory and regulatory—that lack an explicit standard. The government must generally prove that a defendant acted willfully with respect to each element of an offense for which the text does not specify a state of mind.

This resolution condemns the Chinese Coast Guard's military aggression against foreign vessels and the government of China's unlawful claims to the South China Sea. It also applauds the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard for their continued efforts to conduct freedom of navigation operations.

Developing Responsible Individuals for a Vibrant Economy Act or the DRIVE Safe Act This bill directs the Department of Transportation to promulgate regulations to implement an apprenticeship program for licensed commercial motor vehicle drivers under the age of 21. Under the program, an apprentice must complete two probationary periods that total 400 hours of on-duty time, of which at least 240 hours must be driving time in a commercial motor vehicle. Additionally, the apprentice must be accompanied in the cab of the commercial motor vehicle by an experienced driver. Further, the bill requires all commercial motor vehicles used in the program for training to be equipped with safety technology such as active braking collision mitigation systems and video event capturing systems. An employer shall not knowingly allow, require, permit, or authorize a driver under the age of 21 to operate a commercial motor vehicle unless the driver is participating in, or has completed, an apprenticeship program that meets the requirements set forth in this bill.

Achieving Thorough Transparency and Accessibility for Information Navigation on Mental Health Act of 2021 or the ATTAIN Mental Health Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a public-facing, online dashboard to publicize federally funded mental health grants. The dashboard must contain, for example, program names and opening and closing dates for applications. In addition, HHS must establish a process to include information voluntarily provided by states about their federally supported mental health grants on the dashboard. In developing the dashboard, HHS must consult with appropriate federal departments and agencies and other stakeholders.

Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act of 2021 This bill generally prohibits the federal government, states, tribal nations, or localities from discriminating or taking adverse action against a child welfare provider that declines to provide services due to the provider's sincerely held religious beliefs or moral convictions. However, government entities may still take adverse action against a provider that declines to provide adoption or foster care services based on race, color, or national origin. The Department of Health and Human Services must withhold a portion of federal funding for family services and child welfare activities from a government entity that discriminates against a child welfare provider in violation of this bill. Child welfare providers may also sue the government entity for such discrimination. A prevailing provider may recover reasonable attorney's fees and costs. Furthermore, government entities that accept certain federal funding for family services and child welfare activities must waive sovereign immunity as a defense to lawsuits brought under this bill. (In many cases, sovereign immunity shields states, territories, tribal nations, and some localities against private suits.)

Strengthening and Amplifying Vaccination Efforts to Locally Immunize all Veterans and Every Spouse Act or the SAVE LIVES Act This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to furnish a COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) vaccine to covered individuals during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Under the bill, covered individuals are veterans who are not eligible to enroll in the VA health care system; specified veterans who are eligible for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care abroad; beneficiaries who are eligible for care due to a specified disability or death of a veteran; family caregivers of veterans who are participating in the VA's Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers; caregivers of veterans participating in the VA's Program of General Caregiver Support Services; caregivers of veterans participating in the VA's Medical Foster Home Program, Bowel and Bladder Program, Home Based Primary Care Program, or Veteran Directed Care Program; and the spouses of veterans. The VA must prioritize the vaccination of (1) veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system, (2) veterans who fail to enroll but receive hospital care and medical services for specified disabilities in their first 12 months of separation from service, and (3) caregivers accompanying such prioritized veterans. Under the bill, the VA is authorized to offer a vaccine to the spouse of a veteran near the same time the veteran receives the vaccine.

One Agency Act This bill consolidates antitrust enforcement authority in one agency by transferring all Federal Trade Commission (FTC) antitrust functions, employees, assets, and funding to the Department of Justice (DOJ). The bill also transfers to DOJ the responsibility for reviewing specified communications transactions that are currently the duty of the Federal Communications Commission. The bill does not remove the authority of the FTC to police certain unfair and deceptive acts and practices.

Guidance Out Of Darkness Act or the GOOD Act This bill establishes requirements concerning the posting of agency guidance documents. Specifically, an agency must publish guidance documents online on the dates they are issued, publish all of its guidance documents that are in effect in a single location on a designated website, display a hyperlink on its website that provides access to the guidance documents on such website, and indicate on such website if a guidance document has been rescinded. The documents must be categorized as guidance documents and further divided into subcategories.

Concerns Over Nations Funding University Campus Institutes in the United States Act or the CONFUCIUS Act This bill addresses China's influence on postsecondary educational institutions through Confucius Institutes, which are cultural institutes directly or indirectly funded by the Chinese government. Specifically, the bill establishes requirements for postsecondary educational institutions that receive federal funding and that have contracts or agreements with Confucius Institutes. The contracts or agreements must include clear provisions that (1) protect the academic freedom of the institutions; (2) prohibit the application of foreign law on the institutions' campuses; and (3) grant full managerial authority of the institutes to the institutions, including full control over teaching plans, activities, research grants, and employment decisions.

Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act of 2021 This bill establishes specified measures to combat forced organ harvesting and the international trafficking in persons for the purpose of removing their organs. These measures include (1) establishing property-blocking and visa-blocking sanctions, (2) prohibiting exports of certain surgery devices to entities that are identified as being responsible for forced organ harvesting or related human trafficking, and (3) requiring the Department of State to report on these practices.