Rep. Alan S. Lowenthal

Robust International Response to Pandemic Act This bill requires the Department of the Treasury and each U.S. Executive Director at an international financial institution to take certain actions in support of the global response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifically, each U.S. Executive Director at an international financial institution (e.g., the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development or the International Finance Corporation) must seek the suspension of debt service payments to the institution and the relaxation of fiscal targets for certain programs, oppose programs or loan agreements that would reduce countries' health care spending or other spending related to their responses to COVID-19, and require approval of all Special Drawing Rights (a currency support tool) allocation transfers from wealthier member countries to countries that are emerging or developing to ensure the allocations are used for the public good and in response to the global pandemic. Further, the U.S. Governor at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) must advocate for the issuance of Special Drawing Rights so that governments may access additional resources to finance their responses to COVID-19. Of these Special Drawing Rights allocated to the United States, Treasury must lend a specified amount to the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust or other special purpose vehicle of the IMF to help eligible low-income countries respond to COVID-19. Treasury must also advocate for an extension of the current moratorium on debt service payments to official bilateral creditors by the world's poorest countries.

This bill authorizes the Department of Transportation (DOT) to award maritime career training grants to institutions of higher education and postsecondary vocational institutions for the purpose of developing, offering, or improving educational or career training programs for American workers related to the maritime workforce. Each awarded grant may not exceed $20 million. DOT must award grants based on a determination of the merits of the grant proposal submitted by the institution of higher education or postsecondary vocational institution to develop, offer, or improve maritime educational or career training programs to be made available to workers; an evaluation of the likely employment opportunities available to workers who complete a maritime educational or career training program that the institution proposes to develop, offer, or improve; an evaluation of prior demand for training programs by workers in the community served by the institution, as well as the availability and capacity of existing maritime training programs to meet future demand for training programs; and any prior designation of the institution as a Center of Excellence for Domestic Maritime Workforce Training and Education.

Electric Bicycle Incentive Kickstart for the Environment Act or the E-BIKE Act This bill allows a refundable tax credit for 30% of the cost of a qualified electric bicycle. The credit is limited to $1,500 per taxpayer less all credits allowed for the two preceding taxable years. A qualified electric bicycle is a two-wheeled vehicle that is, among other things, equipped with an electric motor of less than 750 watts that is capable of propelling such vehicle.

COVID-19 Language Access Act This bill requires each federal agency that receives federal assistance related to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic to translate any English language written material prepared for the general public relating to the pandemic, including COVID-19 vaccine distribution and education, into specified languages not later than seven days after such material is made available in English. Such languages shall include, at a minimum, the following: Spanish, Arabic, Cambodian, Chinese, Haitian Creole, French, Hindi, Hmong, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Russian, Tagalog, Urdu, Vietnamese, Greek, Polish, Thai, and Portuguese.

"Six Triple Eight" Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2021 This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal in honor of the women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion (commonly known as the Six Triple Eight) in recognition of their pioneering military service, devotion to duty, and contributions to increase the morale of personnel stationed in the European theater of operations during World War II. The medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution and made available for display and research.

Horse Transportation Safety Act of 20 21 This bill prohibits a person from transporting a horse in interstate commerce in a motor vehicle (except a vehicle operated exclusively on rail or rails) containing two or more levels stacked on top of one another. The bill prescribes civil penalties for knowing violations of such prohibition.

Stop the Attack on Local Taxpayers Act of 2021 or the SALT Act This bill repeals the limitation on the deductibility of state and local taxes during 2018-2025. It also increases from $250 to $1,000 the tax deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers and allows a deduction from gross income (above-the-line) for certain training and uniform expenses of first responders (i.e., individuals who are law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics, or emergency medical technicians for at least 1,000 hours during a taxable year). The bill expands individual income tax brackets and increases the top income tax rate for individual taxpayers to 39.6%.

American Family Act of 2021 This bill modifies the child tax credit to (1) make the credit fully refundable, (2) increase the amount of the credit and allow an additional credit for children who are under six years of age, (3) require the amount of the credit to be adjusted annually for inflation, and (4) require the Department of the Treasury to establish a program for making advance payments of the credit on a monthly basis.

Climate Action Planning for Ports Act of 2021 This bill authorizes the Environmental Protection Agency to award grants for developing climate action plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or other air pollutants at ports or port facilities or implementing plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions at one or more ports or port facilities. Climate action plans must demonstrate that the measures proposed to be implemented through the grants will do at least two of the following: improve energy efficiency at ports or port facilities, deploy technology or processes that reduce idling of vehicles at ports or port facilities, or reduce the direct emissions of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants with a goal of achieving zero emissions.

Alerting Localities of Environmental Risks and Threats Act of 2021 This bill requires the owner or operator of a facility where hazardous chemicals are produced, used, or stored to hold a public meeting within 72 hours of the release of an extremely hazardous substance. The owner or operator must publish a notice in a local newspaper, giving at least 24 hours of notice before the public meeting. Such notice must be posted at a local library, other local government buildings, and on the facility's public website. The bill also requires the owner or operator of a facility to hold an annual public meeting, where specified information regarding the extremely hazardous substances at the facility must be disclosed. Notice for such meeting must be published in a local newspaper at least a week in advance of the meeting. The bill provides for a civil penalty if such public meeting and notice requirements are not met.