The Pioneering Antimicrobial Subscriptions To End Up surging Resistance Act of 2021 or the PASTEUR Act of 2021 This bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to enter into subscription contracts for critical-need antimicrobial drugs, provides $11 billion in appropriations for activities under the bill, and contains other related provisions. A manufacturer of a Food and Drug Administration-approved antimicrobial drug may apply to HHS to have the drug designated as a critical-need antimicrobial, and HHS may enter into a subscription contract for such a critical-need antimicrobial. The bill imposes certain requirements related to such contracts, including a mechanism to lower payments under the contract in certain instances to limit the manufacturer's revenue from the drug. Furthermore, HHS and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shall award grants to support efforts to encourage the appropriate use of antimicrobial drugs and efforts to combat antimicrobial resistance. The CDC shall also track and assess data relating to antibacterial resistance and human antibiotic use and make such data publicly available. HHS shall also establish a Committee on Critical Need Antimicrobials. The committee shall develop a list of prioritized infections for which new antimicrobial drug development is needed, among other duties. Within six years of the bill's enactment, the Government Accountability Office shall report to Congress a study on the bill's effectiveness in developing priority antimicrobial drugs.
Sponsored bills
This resolution designates June 19, 2021, as Juneteenth Independence Day to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.
Stopping and Excluding Chinese Rip-offs and Exports with United States Trade Secrets Act of 2021 or the SECRETS Act of 2021 This bill expands the authority of the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) to exclude from the United States the importation of products that contain, were produced using, benefit from, or use trade secrets that were acquired by improper means or misappropriation by a foreign agent or instrumentality. Further, the bill establishes the Interagency Committee on Trade Secrets to review related complaints and submit allegations to the ITC.
Expedited Delivery of Airport Infrastructure Act of 2021 This bill makes incentive payments incurred for expedited completion of certain federally financed airport development projects an allowable project cost standard.
This resolution condemns the recent rise in anti-Semitic violence and harassment targeting Jewish Americans. The resolution (1) recommits to combating anti-Semitism in all forms; and (2) calls on elected officials, faith leaders, and civil society leaders to denounce and combat all manifestations of anti-Semitism. The resolution urges the President to continue the leadership role of the United States in combating anti-Semitism internationally, advance accurate Holocaust education and counter Holocaust denial and distortion, ensure the physical security of Jewish institutions and organizations, and produce an analysis that accounts for the level and scope of the threat that anti-Semitism poses to the people of the United States. The resolution urges law enforcement agencies to fully participate in the data collection process of the Federal Bureau of Investigation to improve anti-Semitic hate crime data collection.
COVID-19 Vaccine Developers Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to recognize all those whose efforts led to the development of COVID-19 vaccines that received emergency use authorizations.
Central American Women and Children Protection Act of 2021 This bill temporarily authorizes the Department of State to enter into bilateral compacts with the governments of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras to strengthen criminal justice systems, social supports, and other means to protect women and children from domestic and gender-based violence. At least 15 days before entering a compact, the State Department must submit to Congress a copy of the proposed agreement and related materials. Authority to enter a compact terminates on September 30, 2023, and a compact may last no more than six years. To support the objectives outlined in a compact, the State Department may provide assistance to international organizations, civil society, or other private entities for programs and activities to prevent and respond to domestic and gender-based violence in a compact country. The bill bars the provision of assistance to the government of a compact country as direct budgetary support. The State Department may suspend or terminate the assistance if a compact country or entity receiving the assistance engaged in conduct contrary to U.S. national security interests or inconsistent with the objectives of the compact. The State Department must notify Congress at least 15 days before suspending or terminating assistance. The bill also requires the State Department to annually report on progress made under each compact, including its effect on reported violence against women and children and other domestic and gender-based violence indicators.
Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2021 This bill modifies a program providing special immigrant visas to eligible citizens or nationals of Afghanistan who assisted U.S. efforts there and addresses related issues. The bill extends the program through 2023 and increases the number of visas available. An individual may become eligible for a visa after assisting U.S. efforts in Afghanistan for one year, whereas currently some individuals must have served for two years. Furthermore, for an applicant qualifying for a visa by performing duties with a NATO mission in Afghanistan, the bill eliminates a requirement that the duties performed qualify as sensitive and trusted duties. The bill removes a requirement that the individual has experienced or is facing an ongoing serious threat due to their assistance to the United States or NATO. The Department of State or the Department of Homeland Security may postpone the program's medical examination requirement. An individual who received a postponement must undergo a medical exam within 90 days of admission into the United States. The bill also expands surviving family member benefits for the Afghanistan program (and a similar program for Iraq) to a surviving spouse or child of an individual who submitted an application to the Chief of Mission that would have been approved but for the individual's death. Currently, such survivor benefits only apply if the deceased individual's petition was approved.
Iran Nuclear Treaty Act This bill requires Senate approval of certain actions with respect to Iran's nuclear program. Specifically, the bill deems any agreement reached between the President and Iran relating to Iran's nuclear program to be a treaty that is subject to the advice and consent of the Senate. Further, the bill prohibits the President from (1) limiting the application of certain sanctions, or (2) refraining to apply such sanctions pursuant to an agreement unless the agreement is subject to the advice and consent of the Senate as a treaty.
Furthering Our Recovery With American Research & Development Act or the FORWARD Act This bill makes several changes to the income tax credit for business expenses for increasing research activities. Specifically, the bill expands eligibility for the credit by increasing the maximum amount of gross receipts of an entity for the taxable year and using an eight-year (rather than five-year) period in the calculation of those amounts; removes the business credit carryforward from calculation of the payroll tax credit portion of the credit; includes among qualified research expenses wages paid in connection with research activity training expenses; and increases the credit rate for expenses incurred in certain collaborative research activities (i.e., conducted with higher education institutions, tax-exempt scientific research organizations, or charitable grant organizations) and qualified domestic manufacturers. The bill appropriates to the Social Security trust funds amounts equal to the reduction in revenues from payroll taxes by reason of this bill. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) shall develop partnership agreements to provide for development of basic training relating to federal tax credits benefitting small business concerns and startups, especially credits for research and experimentation, and informational materials relating to such credits, including IRS guidance documents. Small business development centers shall provide informational materials, education, and basic training to small business concerns relating to federal tax credits, including those available to (1) businesses generally; and (2) small business concerns and startups specifically, especially credits for research and experimentation.