Homeless Youth Menstrual Product Access Act of 20 21 This bill expands the permissible uses of federal grants by local centers serving runaway and homeless youth to include the provision of menstrual hygiene products.
United States Army Rangers Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to the U.S. Army Rangers Veterans of World War II in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II.
Social Security Caregiver Credit Act of 2021 This bill credits certain individuals who provide at least 80 hours of care per month to dependent relatives without monetary compensation with up to five years of deemed wages (determined by a specified formula) for purposes of determining their Social Security benefit amounts. However, if an individual is otherwise entitled to a larger benefit amount, this provision shall not apply.
Reducing Barriers for Military Voters Act This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to develop a plan for providing end-to-end electronic voting services (e.g., services for registering to vote and returning a ballot) in participating states for absent uniformed service members who are deployed or mobilized in locations with limited or no postal service. Specifically, DOD must develop the plan by consulting with state and local election officials. Further, the plan must include (1) methods to ensure that voters have the opportunity to verify that their ballots are received and tabulated, (2) methods to generate a verifiable and auditable vote trail, and (3) an assessment of whether commercially available technologies may be used to carry out the plan. DOD must implement the plan for a trial group of voters in participating states for the 2024 federal elections. The plan must be implemented for all voters in participating states for the 2026 federal elections and subsequent years.
Computer Science for All Act of 2021 This bill establishes a program through which the Department of Education must award grants to states, local educational agencies, and eligible tribal schools to serve as models for national replication of computer science education expansion efforts. Grant recipients must use these funds for certain activities, including training teachers to teach computer science and expanding access to high-quality learning materials and online options.
Veteran Education Empowerment Act This bill reauthorizes through FY2029 and otherwise revises a Department of Education (ED) grant program for student veteran centers. Specifically, ED must make grants to institutions of higher education (IHEs) or consortia of IHEs to establish, maintain, improve, or operate a student veteran center. A student veteran center is a dedicated space on a campus that provides students who are veterans or members of the Armed Forces with (1) a lounge or meeting space for themselves, their spouses or partners, their children, and veterans in the community; and (2) a centralized office for student veteran services that serves as a single point of contact to coordinate comprehensive support services for student veterans.
Reproductive Rights are Human Rights Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of State to include in its annual reports on human rights in countries receiving U.S. development and security assistance a discussion of the status of reproductive rights in each country. This must include whether a country has adopted and enforced policies to (1) promote access to contraception and accurate, nondiscriminatory family planning and sexual health information; (2) provide services to ensure safe and healthy pregnancy and childbirth; (3) expand or restrict access to safe abortion services; and (4) prevent and treat sexually transmitted diseases. For each country, the reports shall also contain (1) data concerning pregnancy-related injuries and deaths; and (2) a description of the nature and extent of discrimination and violence against women, girls, and LGBTQI+ individuals in health care settings and the relevant government's response to such actions.
Global Pandemic Prevention and Biosecurity Act This bill establishes a task force and requires the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to take specified measures to respond to and prevent zoonotic (animal-to-human) disease outbreaks. Specifically, the bill establishes the Global Zoonotic Disease Task Force to ensure an integrated approach to preventing, detecting, preparing for, and responding to zoonotic spillover and zoonotic disease outbreaks that may pose a threat to global health security. The bill directs the State Department and the USAID to work with international stakeholders on measures that include (1) preventing zoonotic spillover events, (2) preventing degradation and fragmentation of forests and other ecosystems to minimize interactions between wildlife and human populations, and (3) strengthening global capacity for detection of zoonotic diseases with pandemic potential. Further, the USAID must develop and publish a strategy for food security, global health, and biodiversity protection, including information about zoonotic disease surveillance. To help implement and finance the strategy, the USAID must establish a Conservation Corps to provide Americans eligible for service abroad to deliver technical and strategic assistance. The bill also authorizes a program within the USAID to prevent spillover events, epidemics, and pandemics through specified activities.
Trees for Residential Energy and Economic Savings Act of 2021 or the TREES Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a grant program for states, local governments, Indian tribes, and other entities to facilitate tree planting projects that reduce residential energy consumption. Under the program, DOE may award grants to facilitate the planting of at least 300,000 trees annually in residential neighborhoods.
John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act This bill prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or religion in the provision of child welfare programs and services by entities receiving federal funding. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must provide technical assistance to help states follow this requirement, including (1) guidance for bringing state laws into compliance, (2) developing training to increase cultural competency related to social identity, and (3) training for judges and attorneys involved in child welfare cases, among other supports. Additionally, HHS must establish the National Resource Center on Safety, Well-Being, Placement Stability, and Permanency for LGBTQ Children and Youth Involved with Child Welfare Services to provide training, technical assistance, and guidance to applicable state and local agencies and service providers. Further, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act may not be the basis for challenging the application or enforcement of this bill. The Government Accountability Office must study and report on states' compliance with the requirements of the bill no later than three years after enactment.
