Students Voicing Opinions in Today's Elections (VOTE) Act This bill directs the Election Assistance Commission to carry out a pilot program providing funds, during FY2021, to local educational agencies (LEAs) for initiatives that provide 12th graders with voter registration information. LEAs must consult with their state and local election officials in developing the initiatives.
Improving Access to Homes for Heroes Act of 2021 This bill requires public housing agencies to consider the housing needs of veterans when creating their annual plans and housing strategies, the latter in consultation with agencies that serve veterans. Similarly, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) must revise its regulations to require jurisdictions that receive funding from HUD to include information relating to veterans in their consolidated plans. HUD must also conduct an assessment of the housing needs of very low-income veteran families and report annually on its activities relating to veterans.
FairTax Act of 2021 This bill imposes a national sales tax on the use or consumption in the United States of taxable property or services in lieu of the current income taxes, payroll taxes, and estate and gift taxes. The rate of the sales tax will be 23% in 2023, with adjustments to the rate in subsequent years. There are exemptions from the tax for used and intangible property; for property or services purchased for business, export, or investment purposes; and for state government functions. Under the bill, family members who are lawful U.S. residents receive a monthly sales tax rebate (Family Consumption Allowance) based upon criteria related to family size and poverty guidelines. The states have the responsibility for administering, collecting, and remitting the sales tax to the Treasury. Tax revenues are to be allocated among (1) the general revenue, (2) the old-age and survivors insurance trust fund, (3) the disability insurance trust fund, (4) the hospital insurance trust fund, and (5) the federal supplementary medical insurance trust fund. No funding is authorized for the operations of the Internal Revenue Service after FY2025. Finally, the bill terminates the national sales tax if the Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution (authorizing an income tax) is not repealed within seven years after the enactment of this bill.
Alternative Data for Additional Credit FHA Pilot Program Reauthorization Act This bill establishes a pilot program for an additional credit rating system for use by mortgage lenders. Specifically, the program utilizes one or more commercially available credit scoring models that apply additional credit information about borrowers who have insufficient credit histories for purposes of determining their creditworthiness for mortgages insured by the Federal Housing Administration.
Reentry and Reunification Act This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to admit certain aliens for lawful permanent residence if the alien is the spouse, parent, or guardian of a U.S. citizen. Qualifying aliens shall be those who were removed from the United States before the bill's enactment, or are subject to a removal order or in removal proceedings on the bill's enactment date. A qualifying alien shall also (1) be of good moral character; (2) not be deportable or inadmissible for various grounds, including those related to health or having been convicted of certain crimes; (3) not have participated in the persecution of any person on account of characteristics such as race, religion, or nationality; and (4) not have been convicted for certain crimes under federal or state law where the maximum sentence was more than one year. DHS may waive the requirement relating to a conviction for a state or federal crime and other specified requirements for humanitarian, family unity, or public interest purposes. For an alien subject to a removal order or under removal proceedings, the alien must have been continuously physically present in the United States for the four years before the bill's enactment date.
Inaction Has Consequences Act This bill withholds the salaries of Members of a chamber of Congress that has not passed each of the annual appropriations bills before the beginning of the fiscal year, beginning with FY2022. Salaries are released on the earlier of (1) the date on which the chamber of Congress passes the bills, or (2) the last day of the Congress.
No Budget, No Pay Act This bill withholds the salaries of Members of a chamber of Congress that has not agreed to a budget resolution for FY2022 by April 15, 2021, as required by the Congressional Budget Act of 1974. Salaries are withheld from April 16, 2021, until the earlier of (1) the day on which the chamber of Congress agrees to a budget resolution, or (2) the last day of the 117th Congress.
This bill directs the Speaker of the House and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the posthumous award of a Congressional Gold Medal to President Lyndon B. Johnson in recognition of his contributions to the nation. The bill requires such medal to be given to the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum following its award, where it will be available for display and research.
Cyber Defense National Guard Act This bill requires the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to report to Congress regarding the feasibility of establishing a Cyber Defense National Guard. The report shall address topics including (1) the cost of creating a Cyber Defense National Guard, (2) the number of persons needed to defend critical U.S. infrastructure from a cyberattack, (3) the sources of potential members of the Cyber Defense National Guard, and (4) which federal government elements would be best equipped to train and manage the Cyber Defense National Guard.
This bill requires the Government Accountability Office to report on the feasibility of a national disaster insurance program that covers all hazards.
National Jazz Preservation, Education, and Promulgation Act of 2021 This bill establishes a National Jazz Preservation Program and a National Jazz Appreciation Program, to be carried out by the Smithsonian Institution through the National Museum of American History, to (1) preserve knowledge and promote education about jazz, and (2) further the appreciation of jazz music throughout the nation. The Smithsonian Institution shall (1) record interviews with leading jazz artists; (2) acquire, preserve, and interpret jazz artifacts; (3) continue to recognize Jazz Appreciation Month; (4) establish collaborative agreements for the sharing of such artifacts; and (5) encourage, consult with, and engage in capacity building with community-based and regional organizations with the potential to establish jazz archival collections. The bill amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to allow the use of certain funds for programs to promote jazz education, which may include (1) a Jazz Artists in the Schools program, (2) a program for the development and distribution of educational materials about jazz and teacher training on jazz education, and (3) an Ambassadors of Jazz program. The Smithsonian Institution shall establish a series of jazz performances at Smithsonian affiliates that provides broad geographic access to jazz and supports public appreciation for the diversity of jazz music.
FTO Passport Revocation Act of 2021 This bill authorizes the Department of State to revoke or refuse to issue a passport for an individual who has aided an organization that the State Department has designated as a foreign terrorist organization. The individual may request a hearing with the State Department upon being notified of a revocation or refusal.
