Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act This bill prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs from requiring payment from a veteran for any contraceptive item that is required to be covered by health insurance plans without a cost-sharing requirement.
Opening Doors for Youth Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Labor to provide funding to states for the development or expansion of summer and year-round youth employment programs that (1) match youth participants with appropriate employers for high-quality employment opportunities; and (2) provide work-readiness training and educational programs, coaching and mentoring, career and postsecondary education planning services, financial literacy education, and supportive services.
Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2021 This bill requires states to direct their local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish policies that prevent and prohibit bullying and harassment of elementary and secondary school students. In particular, these policies must prohibit bullying and harassment based on race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or religion. Further, LEAs must provide (1) students, parents, and educational professionals with annual notice of the conduct prohibited in their disciplinary policies; (2) students and parents with grievance procedures that target such conduct; and (3) the public with annual data on the incidence and frequency of that conduct at the school and LEA level. The Department of Education must conduct and report on an independent biennial evaluation of programs and policies to combat bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools. The National Center for Education Statistics must collect state data to determine the incidence and frequency of the conduct prohibited by LEA disciplinary policies.
Women and Minorities in STEM Booster Act of 2021 This bill requires the National Science Foundation to award competitive grants to enable eligible entities to carry out the activities specified below in order to increase the participation of women and underrepresented minorities in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). An eligible entity that receives a grant shall use grant funds to carry out one or more of the following activities designed to increase the participation of women or minorities underrepresented in science and engineering, or both: online workshops, mentoring programs that partner STEM professionals with students, internships for undergraduate and graduate students in STEM fields, outreach programs providing elementary and secondary school students with opportunities to increase their exposure to STEM fields, and programs to increase the recruitment and retention of underrepresented faculty.
National Infrastructure Bank Act of 2021 This bill creates the National Infrastructure Bank to facilitate the long-term financing of infrastructure projects. Specifically, the bank must provide loans to public and private entities for financing, developing, or operating eligible infrastructure projects. An eligible project must have a public sponsor as well as local, regional, or national significance. The bill treats the bank as a government corporation exempt from tax and treats contributions to the bank as charitable contributions. The bill also provides for criteria and preferences for deciding whether to provide a loan, such as whether a project promotes job creation or provides environmental benefits. Projects that receive a loan must (1) pay all laborers and mechanics locally prevailing wages, and (2) use only certain U.S.-produced construction materials unless a waiver is secured from the bank. The bank shall issue stock and may also issue bonds and maintain a discount line of credit with the Federal Reserve System. The bank must apply for a national bank charter and, once chartered, accept deposits from individuals, corporations, and public entities and pay interest on those deposits. The bill imposes requirements related to the bank's operation, such as minimum reserve requirements and requirements for handling loan losses. In addition, the bank must facilitate the organization of at least seven regional economic accelerator planning groups to, among other activities, identify infrastructure needs and priorities. Within five years, the Government Accountability Office must report on the bank's activities.
Medicare Dental, Vision, and Hearing Benefit Act of 2021 This bill provides for Medicare coverage of dental, vision, and hearing care. Coverage includes (1) routine dental cleanings and exams, basic and major dental services, emergency dental care, and dentures; (2) routine eye exams, eyeglasses, and contact lenses; and (3) routine hearing exams, hearing aids, and exams for hearing aids. With respect to such care, the bill establishes special payment rules, limitations, and coinsurance requirements.
Build Local, Hire Local Act This bill imposes various requirements on certain federally assisted infrastructure projects. The bill also creates infrastructure-related grant programs and establishes the Buy America Bureau. Such federally assisted infrastructure projects must (1) employ a certain percentage of local workers to the maximum extent practicable; and (2) prioritize hiring certain individuals, such as veterans and those facing barriers to employment. A certain percentage of funds for these projects must be used for contracts with small businesses that have fewer than 10 employees. When applying for a contract, grant, or loan related to a project, the applying entity must disclose whether there are any rulings, such as a civil judgment, finding that the entity has violated certain federal labor and occupational safety laws in the last three years. In addition, the Department of Transportation must award grants to entities in disadvantaged and underserved communities for infrastructure projects that create connected, economically prosperous, and environmentally healthy communities. Further, the Department of Labor must provide grants to workforce development boards and industry partnerships for job training programs to train certain groups, such as individuals with barriers to employment, for jobs in targeted infrastructure industries. The bill also establishes the Buy America Bureau within the Department of Commerce to oversee project compliance with existing laws that require the use of U.S.-made materials in certain federally funded projects.
Animal Welfare Enforcement Improvement Act This bill revises the licensing process of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) for animal dealers and exhibitors to expand USDA's oversight and enforcement of animal welfare requirements. The bill also authorizes citizen suits to enforce the Animal Welfare Act. Dealers and exhibitors must apply to USDA for licenses or renewal licenses each year. In order to obtain the licenses or renewals, dealers and exhibitors must meet certain standards for the humane treatment of animals and pass inspections as specified by this bill. USDA may not issue or renew such licenses if the dealers or exhibitors have violated laws relating to animals or if the issuance of the licenses would facilitate the circumvention of state or local laws that prohibit the private ownership of certain animals. Further, USDA must suspend the licenses of dealers or exhibitors whose violations present a risk to animal welfare. USDA must revoke the licenses if the violations persist or if the licensees commit multiple violations. Dealers and exhibitors with suspended or revoked licenses may not be (1) granted another license, (2) granted another license through another person or entity, or (3) employed by another licensee to work with animals during the period of the suspension or revocation.
Connecting Youth to Jobs Act This bill establishes and provides funding through FY2031 for grant programs to address barriers to youth employment. The bill also excludes certain youth employment income from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) eligibility determinations. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Labor to provide formula grants to states and local areas, and competitive grants to community-based organizations and other eligible entities, to assist in carrying out subsidized public employment programs for youth with barriers to employment. Funding to states and local areas must be used for programs that lead eligible youth to unsubsidized full-time employment or to attainment of at least one recognized postsecondary credential. Grants to eligible entities must be used to match youth with employment barriers to subsidized employment programs funded by the bill and to provide hands-on work experience. The Government Accountability Office must evaluate and report on the activities funded by the bill. The bill also excludes from SNAP income eligibility determinations any income earned by a household member who is younger than 22 years old, is an elementary or secondary school student, and lives with a parent.
Screening With Dignity Act This bill directs the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to develop procedures to appropriately and respectfully screen self-identified transgender air passengers and passengers traveling with religious headwear or other articles of faith and begin training of all TSA Officers on such procedures. The TSA must implement protections for such passengers, including (1) prohibiting human viewing of passenger images and conducting pat downs by an officer of the gender requested by the passenger; and (2) ensuring secondary screening measures are no more intrusive than necessary to resolve an alarm or other concern raised by primary screening, including consideration of the sensitivity of the groin, chest, and other body areas and the sensitivity of religious articles of faith such as religious headwear. The TSA shall separately study and report on (1) the cost and feasibility of retrofitting advanced image technology screening equipment to distinguish between foreign objects and human body parts (including hair) in a manner that is gender neutral; and (2) the impact of imaging technology on transgender passengers, passengers whose religious faith requires them to travel with articles of faith, and passengers traveling with assistive devices. Additionally, the TSA must identify any policy, procedure, or training changes and complete any testing, certification, and assessment for qualifying additional technology to ensure that any advanced imaging utilized for passenger screening meets certain requirements, including not generating alarms based only on passengers' body parts (including hair), undergarments, or religious headwear.
