Tax-Free Pell Grant Act This bill excludes from gross income, for income tax purposes, any amount received as a federal Pell Grant. It also expands the definition of qualified tuition and related expenses under the American Opportunity and Lifetime Learning tax credit to include computer or peripheral equipment (up to a maximum of $1,000), child and dependent care expenses, and course materials.
Securing Universal Communications Connectivity to Ensure Students Succeed Act or the SUCCESS Act This bill provides additional funding for the Emergency Connectivity Fund, which supports remote learning during the COVID-19 emergency period by covering reasonable costs of laptop and tablet computers, Wi-Fi hotspots, modems, routers, and broadband connectivity purchases for off-campus use by students, school staff, and library patrons.
American Workforce Investment in Next Generation of Students Act This bill directs the Secretary of Education to award grants to eligible entities to carry out a program for students to enroll in and complete science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses, STEM-focused career and technical education courses, and other career pathway courses during grades 11 and 12 at a secondary school served by a local educational agency (LEA) partner; enroll in a course of study related to such a career pathway or in a youth apprenticeship program at a partner community college upon graduating from the secondary school; enroll, for a two-year period, in the youth apprenticeship program or the joint-labor management training program upon receiving an associate's degree from a partner community college; receive assistance from a student career workforce navigator; and receive work training and job placement through a workforce development consortium employer established under the bill. An eligible entity is a partnership (1) among at least one LEA, at least one community college, and at least one youth apprenticeship program or joint labor-management training program; and (2) that works with an employer in a state-identified high-skill, high-wage, or in-demand industry sector or occupation that is serving, or seeking to expand its capacity to serve, youth apprenticeship programs.
United States Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act of 2021 This bill establishes restrictions on businesses that relocate call centers or redirect customer service calls to locations outside the United States. Specifically, a business must notify the Department of Labor that it intends to move its customer service call center overseas and Labor must maintain a publicly available list of such businesses. Subject to narrow exceptions, a business appearing on such list is ineligible to receive federal grants or guaranteed loans for five years after the business is added to the list. Further, agencies must condition the awarding of government contracts on the requirement that any call center activity pursuant to the contract must be performed in the United States. Additionally, the bill requires call center employees to disclose their physical location at the beginning of each call initiated or received, unless all employees of the business participating in the communication are located in the United States, among other exceptions.
Averting Loss of Life and Injury by Expediting SIVs Act of 2021 or the Allies Act of 2021 This bill increases the number of special immigrant visas available to qualified Afghan nationals who worked for the U.S. government or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) missions in Afghanistan. The bill also relaxes certain qualifications for such visas. Specifically, this bill makes available an additional 8,000 visas for principal aliens under this special visa program, to be available until all such visas have been issued. (The numerical limitations in this program apply only to the principal alien who applies for the visa, not to any accompanying spouse or child.) Under this bill, an alien may qualify based on a credible basis for concern about the possibility of an ongoing serious threat in Afghanistan due to their work with the U.S. government or a NATO mission, where currently the alien must have experienced such a threat. The bill also eliminates a requirement for each applicant to submit a credible sworn statement describing that threat. Furthermore, for an applicant qualifying for a visa by performing duties for U.S. military personnel stationed with a NATO mission, this bill eliminates a requirement that the duties performed qualify as sensitive and trusted duties. If an alien submits a visa application that included an accompanying spouse or child but the alien passes away before the application is granted, the surviving spouse or child shall remain eligible to receive a visa under that application. Currently, a surviving spouse or child retains eligibility only if the application was approved before the alien passed away.
PFAS Action Act of 2021 This bill establishes requirements and incentives to limit the use of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS, and remediate PFAS in the environment. PFAS are man-made and may have adverse human health effects. A variety of products contain PFAS, such as nonstick cookware or weatherproof clothing. The bill directs the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to designate the PFAS perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) as a hazardous substances under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, thereby requiring remediation of releases of those PFAS into the environment. Within five years, the EPA must determine whether the remaining PFAS should be designated as hazardous substances. The EPA must publish human health water quality criteria under the Clean Water Act for each measurable PFAS and class of such substances and establish standards to limit discharges of PFAS from industrial sources into waters of the United States. In addition, the EPA must issue a national primary drinking water regulation for PFAS that, at a minimum, includes standards for PFOA and PFOS. Among other requirements, the EPA must also issue a final rule adding PFOA and PFOS to the list of hazardous air pollutants, test all PFAS for toxicity to human health, and regulate the disposal of materials containing PFAS. The EPA must also require PFAS manufacturers to submit analytical reference standards for PFAS. The EPA and states may use those standards for (1) the development of information, protocols, and methodologies, and (2) activities relating to the implementation of enforcement of requirements. Finally, the bill provides incentives to address PFAS, such as grants to help community water systems treat water contaminated by PFAS and grants to schools for testing and filtrating PFAS from drinking water.
VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act of 2021 This bill adds a new source of revenue for the Crime Victims Fund and makes changes to formula grants supported by the fund. Specifically, the bill directs revenues collected from deferred prosecution and non-prosecution agreements to be deposited into the Crime Victims Fund. Currently, such revenues are deposited into the general fund of the Treasury. Additionally, the bill increases the percentage—from 60% to 75%—of state compensation payments to crime victims in the prior fiscal year used to calculate formula grants for state victim compensation programs. Finally, the bill directs states to waive the matching requirement for recipients of state victim assistance formula grants during and for one year after a pandemic-related national emergency. It also allows states to waive the matching requirement pursuant to a policy established by the state.
Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2021 This bill requires states to direct their local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish policies that prevent and prohibit bullying and harassment of elementary and secondary school students. In particular, these policies must prohibit bullying and harassment based on race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or religion. Further, LEAs must provide (1) students, parents, and educational professionals with annual notice of the conduct prohibited in their disciplinary policies; (2) students and parents with grievance procedures that target such conduct; and (3) the public with annual data on the incidence and frequency of that conduct at the school and LEA level. The Department of Education must conduct and report on an independent biennial evaluation of programs and policies to combat bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools. The National Center for Education Statistics must collect state data to determine the incidence and frequency of the conduct prohibited by LEA disciplinary policies.
Fight Notario Fraud Act of 2021 This bill prohibits certain types of fraud or misrepresentations related to immigration matters, provides for criminal penalties for such actions, and contains related provisions. Specifically, a person shall be subject to fines, imprisonment, or both, if that person knowingly executes a scheme related to immigration laws to (1) defraud another, or (2) receive anything of value from another based on false pretenses or representations. Such a person shall be subject to additional criminal penalties if that person (1) threatens to report another to federal or state authorities, (2) takes actions or makes attempts to adversely impact another's immigration status, or (3) demands or retains anything of value for services fraudulently performed or not performed. Similarly, a person shall be subject to fines, imprisonment, or both, if the person knowingly and falsely claims to be an attorney or an accredited representative in any matter arising under the immigration laws. (An accredited representative is an individual authorized by the Executive Office of Immigration Review to represent clients in certain immigration matters.) The bill provides for longer terms of imprisonment for a person who causes a cumulative loss of more than $10,000 through actions prohibited under this bill. The Department of Justice shall establish at least 15 Special U.S. Attorney positions to enforce these provisions and take other actions related to enforcement and protecting consumers from fraudulent immigration schemes.
CISA Cyber Exercise Act This bill establishes the National Cyber Exercise Program to evaluate the National Cyber Incident Response Plan and related plans and strategies. (The National Cyber Incident Response Plan outlines the roles and responsibilities, capabilities, and coordinating structures that support how the United States responds to and recovers from significant cyber incidents posing risks to critical infrastructure.) Based on current risk assessments, the exercise program shall be designed to (1) simulate partial or complete incapacitation of a government or critical infrastructure network resulting from a cyber incident, (2) provide for the systematic evaluation of cyber readiness and enhance operational understanding of the cyber incident response system and relevant information sharing agreements, and (3) develop after-action reports and plans that can incorporate lessons learned into future operations.
Consumer Protection and Recovery Act This bill authorizes the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to seek monetary relief in federal court from businesses that engage in unlawful commercial practices such as false advertising, consumer fraud, and anticompetitive conduct. Specifically, the FTC may seek restitution in these cases for losses, rescission or reformation of contracts, refund of money, return of property, or disgorgement of unjust enrichment. On April 22, 2021, the Supreme Court held in AMG Capital Management, LLC v. Federal Trade Commission that the Federal Trade Commission Act does not authorize the FTC to seek, or a court to award, such relief.
Securing America From Epidemics Act This bill authorizes the United States to participate in the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, an alliance of countries and private partners whose mission is to finance and coordinate the development of vaccines for high-priority, epidemic-potential threats. The President must report on certain matters concerning U.S. participation in coalition activities, including how this participation supports health security and biodefense priorities.
