District of Columbia-Maryland Reunion Act This bill cedes the District of Columbia to Maryland after Maryland's acceptance of the retrocession. Furthermore, the bill declares that the National Capital Service Area in the District shall not be ceded and relinquished to Maryland and shall continue to serve as the permanent seat of the federal government. The bill maintains the exclusive legislative authority and control of Congress over the area. Finally, excluding the District Building, the area shall include the principal federal monuments, the White House, the U.S. Capitol, the U.S. Supreme Court Building, the federal executive, legislative, and judicial office buildings located adjacent to the Mall and the U.S. Capitol, including any federal real property affronting or abutting such area, such as the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Energy buildings.
Veterans Medical Marijuana Safe Harbor Act This bill provides guidance related to veterans and medical marijuana that shall be effective for five years. Specifically, the bill authorizes (1) a veteran to use, possess, or transport medical marijuana in accordance with applicable state or Native American tribal law; (2) a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) physician to discuss with a veteran the use of medical marijuana as a treatment if the physician is in a state or on tribal land that authorizes such treatment; or (3) a VA physician to recommend, complete forms for, or register veterans for participation in a medical marijuana treatment program in accordance with applicable state or tribal law. The bill requires the VA to report on (1) the effects of medical marijuana on veterans in pain; and (2) the relationship between state-approved medical marijuana treatment programs, program access, and opioid use and abuse reduction.
Article I Regulatory Budget Act This bill requires the establishment of a federal regulatory budget to limit the costs of federal regulations. It also establishes requirements for disclosing the projected costs of federal regulations and procedures for enforcing the regulatory budget.
Drug Cartel Terrorist Designation Act This bill directs the Department of State to designate the Reynosa/Los Metros faction of the Gulf Cartel and the Cartel Del Noreste faction of Los Zetas as foreign terrorist organizations and to submit a detailed report on those drug cartels and any other cartels it may identify. Based on this report, the State Department must designate as a foreign terrorist organization any such identified cartel (or faction thereof) that meets certain criteria for designation as a foreign terrorist organization.
Community Protection in Sports Act of 2021 This bill provides localities injured by the cancellation or relocation of certain sporting events a remedy for such action. Specifically, the bill makes it unlawful for Major League Baseball to cancel or relocate a competition that is not a part of the regular season unless it is a reasonable response to a pandemic, natural disaster, inclement weather, or emergency declared by the federal government or by the state in which the game is scheduled to occur. A locality that is injured by a violation may commence a civil action for damages from the league for canceling or relocating the game.
Competition in Professional Baseball Act This bill removes the limited exemption from the antitrust laws for professional baseball clubs. For purposes of this bill, the term antitrust laws means laws to protect against unlawful restraints and monopolies (Clayton Act) and to protect against unfair methods of competition (Federal Trade Commission Act).
Voter Empowerment Act of 2021 This bill expands voter registration and voting access. Specifically, the bill expands voter registration by requiring states to (1) make available online voter registration, (2) establish automatic voter registration systems, (3) permit same-day voter registration, and (4) accept voter registration applications from individuals under age 18. Further, the bill limits removing voters from voter rolls and prohibits interference with voter registration or voting. Next, the bill requires states to allow individuals with disabilities to use absentee registration procedures and to vote by absentee ballot in federal elections. The bill also prohibits voter caging (the practice of sending mail to addresses on voter rolls, compiling a list of the undeliverable mail, and using the list to remove registered voters from voter rolls). Next, the bill expands voting access by requiring states to allow early voting and voting by mail without additional conditions. It also requires states to provide secured drop boxes at which individuals may drop off their completed absentee ballots. In addition, the bill declares that the right of a U.S. citizen to vote in any federal election shall not be denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense unless, at the time of the election, such individual is serving a felony sentence. Finally, the bill permanently reauthorizes the Election Assistance Commission (EAC). It also directs the EAC to make grants to states for specified activities, including to implement automatic voter registration systems.
We Will Not Comply Act This bill prohibits discrimination based on an individual's COVID-19 vaccination status. Specifically, the bill bars certain commercial businesses from discriminating on the basis of an individual's COVID-19 vaccination status. In addition, the bill generally prohibits using federal funds to establish or enforce COVID-19 vaccination requirements. Further, federal funds may not be used to compel an individual with a religious objection to vaccinations to receive a vaccine. The bill also prohibits federal funding of educational institutions that require an individual to receive a COVID-19 vaccine to participate in academic or extracurricular activities. Additionally, a public school or public college may not deny access to the school or college based on whether an individual has received a vaccine, including the COVID-19 vaccine. Furthermore, air carriers may not deny an individual access to air transportation solely on the basis of COVID-19 vaccination status. The bill also prohibits proof of a COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of receiving a U.S. passport. The bill establishes a private right of action for individuals who have been discriminated against based on COVID-19 vaccine status or failure to comply with a requirement to wear a face covering.
Red Tape Reduction Act This bill grants the force and effect of law to various executive orders relating to administrative procedures that were rescinded on January 20, 2021, including orders requiring agencies to (1) identify at least two regulations for repeal before publishing notice of a proposed new rule, and (2) rescind guidance documents that are no longer in effect.
Protect Our Police Act This bill provides statutory authority for Executive Order 13809, which was issued on August 28, 2017. The order revoked a 2015 executive order establishing an interagency working group to recommend improvements to the process through which state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies acquire controlled equipment (e.g., firearms or military-style equipment) from the federal government.
Accountability Through Electronic Verification Act This bill expands the E-Verify program by requiring all employers to use it and permanently reauthorizes the program. Currently, E-Verify use is voluntary for most employers, although some states mandate its use. All employers shall use E-Verify to confirm the identity and employment eligibility of all recruited, referred, or hired individuals, including current employees who were never verified under the program. Failure to use E-Verify shall create a rebuttable presumption that the employer is violating immigration law. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services shall generate weekly reports about individuals who have received a final nonconfirmation of employment eligibility. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall use the report to enforce immigration laws. DHS shall establish a program to help certain small businesses verify employee eligibility. DHS shall also update E-Verify's design to help prevent and detect fraud and identity theft. The bill increases civil and criminal penalties for hiring unauthorized aliens. DHS shall debar repeat offenders and those criminally convicted from holding federal contracts, grants, or cooperative agreements. The Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury, and DHS shall jointly establish a program to share information to help identify unauthorized aliens. The bill establishes the Employer Compliance Inspection Center within Homeland Security Investigations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The center's duties include processing I-9 employment eligibility verification forms and ensuring compliance with employment eligibility laws. DHS shall report to Congress on ways to simplify procedures relating to I-9 forms and on whether the I-9 process should be eliminated.
Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2021 This bill allows certain individuals to sue and recover damages for harm from exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987. This action is available only to individuals who were exposed to contaminated water for at least 30 days. The bill prohibits the U.S. government from asserting specified immunity from litigation in response to such a lawsuit. The bill also prohibits an individual who brings such an action from bringing a separate tort action against the United States based on the same harm.
