Countering Russian and Other Overseas Kleptocracy Act or the CROOK Act This bill requires various actions designed to combat public corruption in foreign countries. The bill establishes within the Department of the Treasury the Anti-Corruption Action Fund to help foreign states fight public corruption and develop rule-of-law-based governance structures. For certain fines and penalties imposed under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, an additional fine shall be imposed and deposited into the fund. The Department of State must (1) manage U.S. government efforts to fight foreign public corruption, and (2) establish an interagency task force to assist in coordinating such efforts. Each U.S. embassy must have a point of contact responsible for coordinating the embassy's anti-corruption efforts. The State Department must report to Congress on its anti-corruption activities and make various reports publicly available online.
Combating Chinese Purloining of Trade Secrets Act or the CCP Trade Secrets Act This bill increases relevant criminal penalties, imposes visa and immigration-related restrictions, and sets out other provisions to deter espionage, theft of trade secrets, and improper interference with U.S. elections by foreign persons, with a particular focus on China.
American Workforce Empowerment Act This bill allows tax-preferred college savings plans (529 plans) to fund certain postsecondary certificate programs and apprenticeship programs.
Working Families Childcare Access Act of 2021 or the WFCA Act of 2021 This bill allows certain additional expenses in a dependent care flexible spending arrangement (FSA), specifically qualified sports, tutoring, and music or art expenses. It also increases the eligibility age for dependent care benefits to 15, allows a carry forward of unused benefits to the next plan year, and increases to $15,000 the maximum amount of dependent care benefits excludible from employee gross income.
Saving Hypodermic Injections and Offering vaccines to Taxpayers Swiftly Act of 2021 or the SHOTS Act of 2021 This bill prohibits any alien who is not a lawful permanent resident from receiving a COVID-19 vaccine until the earlier of (1) the date when all U.S. nationals and lawful permanent residents who wish to receive a vaccine have been fully vaccinated, or (2) December 31, 2021.
Withstanding Attempts to Encroach on our Resources Act of 2021 or the WATER Act This bill specifies which bodies of water fall under the scope of the Clean Water Act and are thereby under federal jurisdiction. Specifically, the bill provides statutory authority for the definition of waters of the United States , commonly known as WOTUS, included in the 2020 Navigable Waters Protection Rule: Definition of "Waters of the United States." The 2020 rule replaced a 2015 rule that included a more expansive definition of WOTUS.
Chiropractic Medicare Coverage Modernization Act of 2021 This bill expands Medicare coverage of chiropractic services to include all services provided by chiropractors, rather than only subluxation corrections through manual manipulation of the spine.
PUA Eligibility Clarification Act of 2021 This bill revokes the authority of the Department of Labor to establish additional eligibility criteria for COVID-19 pandemic unemployment assistance with respect to self-certification by individuals who are directly affected by the COVID-19 public health emergency. Labor must rescind the guidance titled Expanded Eligibility Provisions for the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) Program , issued on February 25, 2021. The guidance makes individuals eligible to receive regular unemployment compensation and COVID-19 PUA if they (1) refuse an offer to work or return to work because of certain safety concerns, (2) provide services to educational institutions or educational service agencies, and (3) experience a reduction of hours or a temporary or permanent layoff. A recipient of such PUA before enactment of this bill is not required to repay it. However, this requirement excludes individuals who, as of such enactment, were approved for PUA but have not received it.
Protecting Life and Taxpayers Act of 2021 This bill requires federally funded entities to certify that they will not, subject to certain exceptions, perform abortions or provide funding to other entities that perform abortions. The bill provides exceptions for abortions (1) in cases of rape or incest; or (2) when the life of the woman is in danger due to a physical disorder, injury, or illness.
Ensuring Seniors Access to Local Pharmacies Act of 2021 This bill establishes several requirements for prescription drug plans under the Medicare prescription drug benefit. Specifically, the bill requires prescription drug plans to allow any pharmacy located in a health professional shortage area, a medically underserved area, or a rural area to be included as an in-network pharmacy if the plan already has other in-network pharmacies in the same area. The bill also establishes certain standards for prescription drug plans regarding pharmacy reimbursements and related disclosures. Among other things, the bill prohibits prescription drug plans from reimbursing a pharmacy in an amount that is less than the amount the pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) reimburses an affiliated pharmacy (i.e., a pharmacy that has a shared ownership interest with the PBM) for the same services.
FDA Modernization Act of 2021 This bill allows an applicant for market approval for a new drug to use methods other than animal testing to establish the drug's safety and effectiveness. Under this bill, these alternative methods may include cell-based assays, organ chips and microphysiological systems, sophisticated computer modeling, and other human biology-based test methods.
Careful Resumption Under Improved Safety Enhancements Act or the CRUISE Act This bill requires various activities to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the operation of cruise ships. Specifically, the bill establishes a working group comprised of specified federal departments and industry stakeholders to develop recommendations for resuming cruise ship operations. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must issue (within 30 days) separate recommendations on mitigating the introduction, transmission, and spread of COVID-19 onboard cruise ships and to communities onshore. The CDC must consult with the working group on these recommendations. Furthermore, the Department of Health and Human Services must revoke by July 4, 2021, its order issued on November 4, 2020, which restricts the operation of cruise ships in U.S. waters.
