Rescinding DHS' Waiver Authority for Border Wall Act This bill rescinds the authority of the Department of Homeland Security to waive legal requirements in order to ensure the expeditious construction of barriers and roads in the vicinity of the U.S. border.
Honoring Family-Friendly Workplaces Act This bill establishes the family-friendly certification program that requires the Department of Labor to award certifications and recognize employers that implement certain policies such as (1) assisting employees with paying for adoption services, (2) providing paid family and sick leave, and (3) providing subsidies for child care and other employee support.
Domestic Workers Bill of Rights Act This bill provides rights and protections for domestic workers (e.g., housekeepers, nannies, caretakers, personal assistants, and chauffeurs), including pay and leave rights, and health and safety protections. Specifically, the bill repeals the exemption of domestic live-in employees from certain minimum wage and maximum hour requirements. Employers must provide written notice of termination and provide at least 30 days of lodging and two weeks of severance pay to terminated live-in employees. Live-in employees also must be provided with reasonable access to telephone and internet service during their employment. The bill requires employers to provide domestic workers with a written agreement covering wages, sick leave, benefits, and other matters. Further, domestic workers may request and be granted changes to work schedules due to personal events. The bill also provides domestic workers with certain privacy rights, extends to domestic workers protections against discrimination in employment, and increases the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for certain Medicaid-funded medical services provided by domestic workers. The Department of Labor must (1) award grants for a domestic worker national hotline for reporting emergencies, training on hazards facing domestic workers, and workforce investment activities for domestic workers; and (2) establish a Domestic Worker Wage and Standards Board to investigate standards in the domestic workers industry. Labor must publish online a document that describes the rights and protections for domestic workers under this bill.
Border Health Security Act of 2021 This bill modifies the duties and activities of the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission and the Canada-United States Pan-Border Public Health Preparedness Council and makes other changes to address health issues along the U.S. border. Specifically, the commission must cooperate with the council where appropriate, and both the commission and the council must develop strategic plans, work plans, evaluations, and reports concerning their activities. The Department of Health and Human Services must award grants to (1) eligible entities in border areas to address recommendations of the commission and the council to improve the health of border area residents; and (2) trauma centers, public health entities, and state, local, or tribal entities for infectious disease surveillance activities in border areas. In addition, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response may coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security in establishing a system that alerts clinicians and public health officials to emerging health threats in border areas. The Government Accountability Office must evaluate commission and council activities every two years.
Alexander Lofgren Veterans in Parks (VIP) Act This bill makes the America the Beautiful-National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass available, without charge, to members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and Gold Star Families. The pass covers the entrance fee and standard amenity recreation fee for all federal recreational lands and waters.
This resolution supports the work of the United States African Development Foundation as it creates pathways to prosperity for underserved communities on the African continent through community-led development, and it commits to continue supporting the work of the foundation as an independent agency.
Diversity and Inclusion at the Department of State Act This bill establishes a new position and requires other activities to promote diversity and inclusion in the Department of State. The bill creates the presidentially-appointed position of Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer in the Office of the Deputy Secretary of State to, among other activities, develop a strategic plan to guide implementation of diversity and inclusion efforts and support State Department personnel from traditionally underrepresented groups. The officer reports directly to the Secretary of State. Additionally, the State Department must establish a Diversity and Inclusion Leadership Council to coordinate applicable strategic plans, initiatives, and policies. The bill also modifies merit selection processes for promotions, performance pay, and related matters to promote diversity and inclusion in the Foreign Service. Specifically, it adds factors (e.g., testimony from peers and subordinates or demonstrated support for diversity and inclusion) that may be considered in recommendations and rankings related to a Foreign Service officer's performance. The State Department must also establish a mentorship program for entry- and mid-level members of the Foreign Service and periodically offer a Senior Executive Service development program to members of the civil service in the top two pay grades. Senior Executive Service members serve as high-level managers within federal agencies. The bill requires the State Department to report on its diversity and inclusion efforts, as well as demographic information about members of boards that make personnel decisions and candidates for the Senior Executive Service.
Extinction Prevention Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of the Interior to provide financial assistance for the conservation of butterflies and moths in North America; plant species in Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands; freshwater mussels in the United States; and bony fish found in desert ecosystems in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. Among other things, the bill establishes the North America Butterfly Conservation Fund, the Pacific Islands Plant Conservation Fund, the Freshwater Mussels Conservation Fund, and the Southwest Desert Fish Conservation Fund. In selecting projects for assistance, Interior must prioritize projects that conserve threatened and endangered species.
Monarch Action, Recovery, and Conservation of Habitat Act of 2021 or the MONARCH Act of 2021 This bill provides support for the conservation of western monarch butterflies (the monarch butterfly population that overwinters along the coast of California and breeds across California, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Utah). Specifically, the bill establishes the Western Monarch Butterfly Rescue Fund. The Department of the Interior must use amounts in the fund to provide grants for the conservation of such butterflies. In addition, Interior must enter into an agreement with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to facilitate the implementation of the Western Monarch Butterfly Conservation Plan, which was prepared by the Western Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies.
Exercise and Fitness for All Act This bill requires the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) to develop guidelines for exercise or fitness service providers regarding the provision of accessible exercise or fitness equipment. The Access Board must subsequently promulgate regulations, consistent with the guidelines, requiring that exercise or fitness classes and instruction provided by fitness providers are accessible to people with disabilities. The regulations also must require that each provider make at least one employee available to assist people with disabilities with using the accessible exercise or fitness equipment.
