This resolution expresses support for the goals and values of the 53rd anniversary of the Fair Housing Act and for efforts to strengthen housing protections, particularly during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Sarah Keys Evans Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to Sarah Keys Evans in recognition of her achievements relating to the desegregation of passengers on interstate buses in the 1950s.
Untraceable Firearms Act of 2021 This bill establishes a federal statutory framework to regulate the manufacture, sale, offer to sell, transfer, purchase, and receipt of ghost guns (i.e., guns without serial numbers). Additionally, the bill revises the federal statutory framework regulating the manufacture, possession, sale, import, shipment, delivery, receipt, and transfer of undetectable firearms. Among the revisions, the bill defines undetectable firearm as a firearm without a major component wholly made of detectable material.
Confidentiality Opportunities for Peer Support Counseling Act or the COPS Counseling Act This bill sets forth requirements related to peer support counseling programs. A peer support counseling program is a program provided by a law enforcement agency that provides counseling services from a peer support specialist to a law enforcement officer of the agency. Among other things, the bill does the following: generally prohibits the disclosure of the contents of a peer support communication, and requires the Department of Justice to develop best practices and professional standards for peer support counseling programs.
Raise the Age Act This bill establishes new restrictions on the sale or transfer of certain semiautomatic firearms to individuals under 21 years of age. Specifically, this bill makes it unlawful for a licensed gun dealer, importer, manufacturer, or collector to sell or deliver a semiautomatic center-fire rifle that has (or has the capacity to accept) an ammunition feeding device with a capacity of more than five rounds to an individual who the licensee knows or has reasonable cause to believe is under age 21. The prohibition does not apply if the individual under age 21 is a full-time law enforcement officer or active-duty member of the Armed Forces. The bill also requires the Federal Bureau of Investigation to report on the operation of its public access line, including a description of information sharing protocols and recommendations for improving such protocols.
Freedom for Families Act This bill prohibits using federal funds for facilities used to detain noncitizen families and addresses related issues. Specifically, no funds made available may be used to operate or construct a family detention center, whether operated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or a contractor. This prohibition shall also apply to funds made available before this bill's enactment. Funds obligated to operate such centers must instead be used for implementing and developing nondetention programs that are community-based and consistent with international best practices. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) may place an apprehended noncitizen family into such a nondetention program if DHS makes an individualized determination that doing so will facilitate the family's compliance with immigration laws. The programs must provide to participants a legal orientation and meaningful access to counsel.
Maddy summaryHR 2906, "Carrie’s Law," amends federal law to prevent the use of pre-dispute arbitration agreements in cases involving sexual assault. It specifically invalidates any agreement requiring arbitration before a dispute arises for claims of sexual assault (defined as nonconsensual sexual acts under federal or state law). The bill ensures victims can pursue these claims in court instead of forced arbitration, and requires courts - not arbitrators - to decide if the law applies to a claim. This directly affects sexual assault victims seeking legal recourse and applies to all claims arising after the law’s effective date.
Childhood Offenders Rehabilitation and Safety Act of 2021 This bill limits the application of federal criminal law with respect to juvenile offenders, expands the publication of statistics related to juvenile offenders, and authorizes grants to support collaboration between state child-welfare and juvenile-justice agencies to address the needs of children who come into contact with both systems.
21st Century Children and Families Act This bill modifies the requirements for states receiving federal assistance for child welfare services. Specifically, the bill expands the nondiscrimination requirements for state agencies involved in adoption or foster care placement. It also requires states to address disparities in access to services and extends the time line for modifying parental rights when a child is not in the care of a relative.
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that it is the duty of the Department of Defense (DOD) to reduce the overall environmental impact of military activities and missions and to monitor and report greenhouse gas emissions from all of its operations. The resolution also suggests that DOD take other environmentally conscious actions, including committing to annual greenhouse gas emission reporting mechanisms and repurposing and managing its properties to promote carbon sequestration and biodiversity.
