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.
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.
Anti-Hunger Pandemic Recovery Act of 2021 This bill authorizes the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to award grants to community-based nonprofit feeding and anti-hunger groups to partner with small and mid-sized restaurants or food contractors to expand meal access and food security to meet the needs of children, families, and vulnerable populations during a pandemic such as COVID-19. Grants awarded may not exceed $500,000.
America's Red Rock Wilderness Act This bill designates specified lands in the following areas of Utah as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System: (1) Great Basin, (2) Grand Staircase-Escalante, (3) Moab-La Sal Canyons, (4) Henry Mountains, (5) Glen Canyon, (6) San Juan-Anasazi, (7) Canyonlands Basin, (8) San Rafael Swell, and (9) Book Cliffs and Uinta Basin. The bill sets forth administrative requirements for (1) the exchange of state-owned lands within such areas, (2) federal reservation of water rights, (3) measurement of setbacks for roads with adjacent wilderness, (4) authorized livestock grazing, and (5) withdrawal of such lands from disposition under certain public land laws.
COVID-19 and Pandemic Response Centers of Excellence Act This bill establishes and provides funding for the COVID-19 and Pandemic Response Centers of Excellence Program Fund. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must use the funds to set up at least 10 centers of excellence at academic medical centers to address issues associated with COVID-19 and future pandemic preparedness and response efforts. In addition, HHS must establish an advisory committee comprised of representatives from relevant federal agencies, each center of excellence, and national organizations that work with populations disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and other health disparities. The committee must facilitate collaboration, information-sharing, and dissemination of best practices relating to COVID-19 and future pandemic responses.
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.
Supporting America's Young Entrepreneurs Act of 2021 This bill provides deferment and cancellation of federal student loans for certain founders and employees of small business start-ups. The bill also establishes a young entrepreneurs business center. First, the bill allows a founder of a small business start-up to defer student loan payments for up to three years. Next, the bill directs the Department of Education (ED) to cancel up to $20,000 in federal student loan debt for a borrower who (1) has made 24 monthly payments on the loan while employed as a founder of a small business start-up in a distressed area, (2) is approved for loan cancellation by the young entrepreneurs business center established by the bill, and (3) is not currently in default on the loan. Further, ED must cancel up to $3,000 in federal student loan debt for a borrower who (1) has made 12 monthly payments on the loan while employed full-time by a small business start-up, and (2) is not currently in default on the loan. The bill also excludes from an individual's gross income, for income tax purposes, the amount of such canceled student loan debt. Finally, the bill establishes a young entrepreneurs business center within the Small Business Administration to certify small business start-ups, identify distressed areas, and approve loan cancellations. To be certified by the center, a start-up must have a founder who is a recent graduate of an institution of higher education.
Preserving Cash for Transit Access Act of 2021 This bill requires, as a condition of federal funding, that public transit systems accept cash for fares.
Vieques Recovery and Redevelopment Act of 2021 This bill provides a framework to compensate certain residents of the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico, for the use of such island for military readiness. The bill sets forth provisions regarding award amounts for individuals and for claims by the municipality of Vieques. An individual claimant who has resided on the island of Vieques for not less than five years shall be awarded monetary compensation if the claimant contracted a chronic or life threatening case of cancer, hypertension, cirrhosis, kidney disease, diabetes, or heavy metal poisoning during or after the government used the island for military readiness. The bill limits total amounts awarded to $1 billion and bars claims not filed within 15 years of enactment.
Tenant Empowerment Act of 2021 This bill generally expands the rights of tenants in federally assisted housing. Specifically, the bill allows tenants to place rent in an escrow account in the event that a housing project is found to be in violation of certain housing standards; seek judicial enforcement of specified housing agreements; and access information related to a housing project, including the ownership, specified reports, and contracts. The bill also provides for continuing rental assistance payments for tenants if the property is in foreclosure.
