Rep. Adriano Espaillat

Philippine Human Rights Act This bill imposes limitations on providing assistance to the police or military of the Philippines. No federal funds may be used to provide such assistance until the Philippines government has taken certain actions, including (1) investigating and successfully prosecuting members of its military and police forces who have violated human rights, (2) withdrawing the military from domestic policing activities, and (3) establishing that it effectively protects the rights of journalists and civil society activists. The President shall also direct U.S. representatives at multilateral development banks to vote against providing loans to the police or military of the Philippines.

Children Don't Belong on Tobacco Farms Act This bill prohibits as a form of oppressive child labor the employment of any employee under age 18 who has direct contact with tobacco plants or dried tobacco leaves.

LGBTQ Essential Data Act This bill directs the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to more frequently collect information on the sexual orientation and gender identity of deceased individuals through the National Violent Death Reporting System.

Supporting Providers of English Language Learning Act or the SPELL Act This bill allows elementary and secondary school teachers who teach English learners, bilingual students, or dual language immersion students to receive additional amounts of student loan forgiveness and loan cancellation.

Equal Dignity for Married Taxpayers Act of 2021 This bill modifies several tax provisions that refer to married couples to make the provisions equally applicable to legally married same-sex couples.

Supplemental Security Income Restoration Act of 2021 This bill modifies eligibility for, and other components of, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, including by (1) increasing applicable income and resource limits used to determine SSI eligibility, (2) equalizing treatment of married couples when both spouses receive SSI as compared to two unmarried individuals, and (3) eliminating the penalty on SSI applicants or recipients who transfer resources to another individual for less than fair market value.

Stronger Communities through Better Transit Act This bill requires the Department of Transportation to establish a grant program to support operating projects for public transportation (e.g., service expansion) and related capital improvements, particularly in underserved communities and areas of persistent poverty.

Reaching English Learners Act This bill directs the Department of Education to establish a grant program for preparing future teachers to effectively instruct English learners to achieve at high levels in early childhood education programs and in elementary and secondary schools. Under the program, grants must be given to partnerships between (1) certain institutions of higher education, and (2) high-need local educational agencies or high-need early childhood education programs.

Supplemental Security Income Restoration Act of 2021 This bill modifies eligibility for, and other components of, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, including by (1) increasing applicable income and resource limits used to determine SSI eligibility, (2) equalizing treatment of married couples when both spouses receive SSI as compared to two unmarried individuals, and (3) eliminating the penalty on SSI applicants or recipients who transfer resources to another individual for less than fair market value.

Keep It in the Ground Act of 2021 This bill eliminates new fossil fuel production projects on federal public land and waters. Specifically, it prohibits the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) from issuing, renewing, reinstating, or extending any nonproducing lease, or issuing any authorization for the exploration or production of fossil fuel on the Outer Continental Shelf. BOEM must also cancel any lease issued in the Beaufort Sea, Cook Inlet, or Chukchi Sea (three of the five bodies of water that encompass the Alaska Outer Continental Shelf). Further, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) may not issue, renew, reinstate, or extend any nonproducing lease for the exploration or production of any onshore fossil fuels on land subject to the Mineral Leasing Act. The bill provides for exceptions if there is an imminent national security threat that would be significantly reduced by granting an exception. In addition, BOEM and the BLM may allow a nonproducing lease to be renewed or extended if (1) the lease contract was signed before enactment of this bill, and (2) it is determined that giving effect to any provision of this bill is likely to lead to a judicial ruling that there was a material breach of the nonproducing lease contract.