Global Investment in American Jobs Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Commerce to conduct an interagency review of the global competitiveness of the United States in attracting foreign direct investment and addressing foreign trade barriers that firms in advanced technology sectors face in the global digital economy. Such review shall include an assessment of (1) the current economic impact of foreign direct investment in the United States, (2) trends in global cross-border investment and data flows, (3) federal government policies that are linked to the ability of the United States to attract and retain foreign direct investment, and (4) the adequacy of federal government efforts to increase the ease for foreign firms considering investment in the United States. Commerce must report the findings of such review and submit recommendations for increasing the global competitiveness of the United States in attracting foreign direct investment and developing new technologies and services.
Sponsored bills
Virtual Peer Support Act of 2021 This bill appropriates funding for grants to transition behavioral health peer support services that are provided at no cost to participants from in-person to virtual platforms or to otherwise expand these kinds of virtual services. Specifically, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration must award competitive grants to certain consumer-controlled or consumer-run organizations and tribal communities. Among other eligibility requirements for these grants, entities must have offered certain behavioral health services at no cost to participants before the declaration of the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency.
Accountability of Leaders in Education to Report Title IX Investigations Act or the ALERT Act This bill requires institutions of higher education (IHEs) that participate in federal student-aid programs to certify annually with the Department of Education that they have reviewed reports of misconduct by their employees involving domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking. The certification must include a confirmation that the IHE's president and board members involved in the review did not interfere with or influence investigations or dispositions.
Taiwan International Solidarity Act This bill requires the Department of State to annually report to Congress on efforts by China to undermine Taiwan's participation in international organizations or Taiwan's relationships with other countries.
Deploying Infrastructure with Greater Internet Transactions And Legacy Applications Act or the DIGITAL Applications Act This bill requires the Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior to establish online portals for the acceptance, processing, and disposal of a Form 299. Form 299 is the application form for the right to install, construct, modify, or maintain a communications facility on federal real property. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration must publish links to each portal on its website.
Fairness for All Act This bill prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity, while providing certain benefits and exemptions to religious providers. An otherwise qualified religious provider shall be eligible to receive federal financial assistance for a particular service without regard to the provider's religious views or teachings. The bill expands the definition of public accommodation to which sex discrimination laws apply, including to cover providers of financial services, medical services, and providers of transportation services. Exceptions from these sex discrimination prohibitions are made for (1) religious camps or religious retreat centers unless they also discriminate based on race, color, or national origin; and (2) providers of funeral services or burial plots that primarily limit their services or facilities to those of a particular religion unless the provider discriminates based on those factors. Agencies authorized to administer federal financial assistance for the support of adoption and foster care services shall issue final rules within two years of this bill's enactment to create an indirect funding program that delivers such assistance to eligible prospective parents for the purpose of obtaining adoption and foster care services through a qualified private agency that they select. The bill (1) exempts a church or religious organization from claims of employment discrimination because of sexual orientation or gender identity under specified circumstances; and (2) prohibits sanctions for certain employee speech regarding the employee's religious, political, or moral beliefs in the workplace. The bill establishes certain anti-bullying policies for public elementary and secondary schools, including cyber bullying. Any determination of the tax-exempt status of a charitable organization shall be made without regard to the organization's religious beliefs or practices concerning marriage, family, or sexuality, except insofar as such practices pertain to race or criminal sexual offenses punishable under constitutionally valid federal or state law.
Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act of 2021 This bill removes the requirement that a health care practitioner apply for a separate waiver through the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to dispense certain narcotic drugs (e.g., buprenorphine) for maintenance or detoxification treatment (i.e., substance use disorder treatment). Further, a community health aide or community health practitioner may dispense certain narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment without registering with the DEA if the drug is prescribed by a health care practitioner through telemedicine. It preempts state laws related to licensure for this activity. The bill also directs the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to conduct a national campaign to educate health care practitioners and encourage them to integrate substance use disorder treatment into their practices.
Return Excessive Migrants and Asylees to International Neighbors in Mexico Act of 2021 or the REMAIN in Mexico Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to implement the Migrant Protection Protocols as outlined in the January 25, 2019, memo titled Policy Guidance for Implementation of the Migrant Protection Protocols . (The protocols generally required aliens who are not clearly admissible, including those seeking asylum, arriving by land along the U.S.-Mexico border to be returned to Mexico while their immigration proceedings are pending, rather than remain in the United States. On January 21, 2021, DHS stopped applying the protocols to newly-arrived individuals.)
Defending Against Imitations and Replacements of Yogurt, milk, and cheese to Promote Regular Intake of Dairy Everyday Act or the DAIRY PRIDE Act This bill prohibits the sale of any food that uses the market name of a dairy product (such as milk , yogurt , or cream cheese ) unless the food (1) is the milk of a hooved animal, (2) is derived from such milk, or (3) contains such milk as a primary ingredient.
Animal Cruelty Enforcement Act of 2021 This bill establishes a new section in the Environmental and Natural Resources Division of the Department of Justice to enforce federal laws concerning animal cruelty.