Securing the Rights our Veterans Earned Act or the SERVE Act This bill provides eligibility for specified Department of Veterans Affairs benefits to former members of the Armed Forces who were separated or discharged (honorably or otherwise) by reason of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Extend Unemployment Assistance Act of 2021 This bill extends pandemic unemployment compensation provisions set to expire on September 6, 2021, until February 1, 2022. Extended provisions include benefits to covered individuals who are not eligible for regular unemployment compensation or traditional extended benefits, the $300 weekly benefit increase, waiting week benefits, and federal reimbursement of short-time compensation. The bill also increases the maximum duration of compensation from 79 weeks to 100 weeks.
Emergency Rental Assistance Program Improvement Act of 2021 or the ERAP Improvement Act of 2021 This bill modifies the Department of Treasury's Emergency Rental Assistance program to increase the portion of funding that state and local government grant recipients may use for administrative costs. The bill also encourages grant recipients to utilize these administrative funds to provide application assistance in coordination with public entities such as libraries, elementary schools, courts, and public housing. The program continues to provide grants to state and local governments to assist eligible households in paying rent, utility costs, and other housing costs incurred due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fossil Free Finance Act This bill requires large bank holding companies to develop and implement emission reduction plans. Such a plan must include strategies for a company to equitably reduce and eventually eliminate financed greenhouse gas emissions by January 1, 2050, and to discontinue specified fossil fuel projects and financing. The bill also prohibits the use of carbon offsets in such a plan, sets forth technological requirements for reductions, and requires the prioritization of specified social impacts. Plans must be submitted to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System for approval every two years.
John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2021 This bill establishes new criteria for determining which states and political subdivisions must obtain preclearance before changes to voting practices may take effect. Preclearance is the process of receiving preapproval from the Department of Justice (DOJ) or the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia before making legal changes that would affect voting rights. A state and all of its political subdivisions shall be subject to preclearance of voting practice changes for a 10-year period if 15 or more voting rights violations occurred in the state during the previous 25 years; 10 or more violations occurred during the previous 25 years, at least 1 of which was committed by the state itself; or 3 or more violations occurred during the previous 25 years and the state administers the elections. A political subdivision as a separate unit shall also be subject to preclearance for a 10-year period if three or more voting rights violations occurred there during the previous 25 years. States and political subdivisions that meet certain thresholds regarding minority groups must preclear covered practices before implementation, such as changes to methods of election and redistricting. Further, states and political subdivisions must notify the public of changes to voting practices. Next, the bill authorizes DOJ to require states or political subdivisions to provide certain documents or answers to questions for enforcing voting rights. The bill also outlines factors courts must consider when hearing challenges to voting practices, such as the extent of any history of official voting discrimination in the state or political subdivision.
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States shall recognize kind actions in our country, encourage kindness, spread love, and foster a culture of being kind to one another.
This resolution calls on all Americans to observe the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks and honor those who lost their lives.
Medicare Negotiation and Competitive Licensing Act of 2021 This bill establishes several requirements relating to the prices of prescription drugs. Specifically, the bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies regarding prices for drugs covered under Medicare. (Current law prohibits the CMS from doing so.) If the CMS is unable to negotiate the price of a drug, such drug is subject to competitive licensing in order to further its sale under health insurance programs, notwithstanding existing government-granted exclusivities. The negotiated prices also apply to other federal health care programs, private health insurance, and the uninsured; pharmacies that charge more than the negotiated price for uninsured individuals are subject to civil penalties. Manufacturers must also comply with specified reporting requirements relating to prices and licensing, subject to civil penalties. The bill also institutes an excise tax on drugs for which the price spikes beyond a certain limit, subject to specified exemptions, as well as on drugs for which the price exceeds the negotiated price.
Improving Medicare Coverage Act This bill temporarily expands eligibility for Medicare. It also temporarily establishes a premium and cost-sharing assistance program for low-income beneficiaries. Specifically, the bill lowers the age of eligibility for Medicare from 65 to 60. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must establish procedures to provide for automatic enrollment of qualifying individuals. Enrollment must be completed within 11 months of the bill's enactment. The bill also establishes a program under Medicare to assist low-income Medicare beneficiaries with premiums, coinsurance, deductibles, and other costs. Currently, such assistance is provided through Medicare Savings Programs, which are administered by state Medicaid programs. The bill also establishes a related special enrollment period under Medicare, expands eligibility for assistance to beneficiaries with income up to 200% of the federal poverty line, and provides for joint eligibility determinations with respect to the bill's program and the low-income subsidy program under the Medicare prescription drug benefit. The bill's provisions generally take effect six months after the bill's enactment and terminate five years later.
Harlem Hellfighters Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to the 369th Infantry Regiment, commonly known as the Harlem Hellfighters, in recognition of their bravery and outstanding service during World War I.
