Just and Unifying Solutions To Invigorate Communities Everywhere Act of 2021 or the JUSTICE Act This bill addresses policies and issues regarding policing practices and law enforcement accountability. The bill funds state and local grants, incentivizes state and local reporting on the use of certain policing practices, creates new federal offenses for certain misconduct, and establishes best practices and training requirements. The bill funds state and local grants, including to support the use of body-worn cameras, to implement information sharing systems for disciplinary records of law enforcement officers, and to prohibit officers from engaging in sexual acts under color of the law. Further, it requires state and local governments that receive grants under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program to report information related to use-of-force incidents and the use of no-knock warrants. At the federal level, the bill establishes new criminal offenses related to falsifying police reports and engaging in sexual acts under color of law. The bill directs the Department of Justice to develop training on de-escalation tactics, behavioral health crises, alternatives to the use of force, and the duty to intervene when another officer uses excessive force. Finally, the bill establishes and funds the National Criminal Justice Commission. Among other tasks, the commission must develop best practices for policing tactics and procedures.
Sponsored bills
Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act This bill establishes requirements for the degree of care a health care practitioner must provide in the case of a child born alive following an abortion or attempted abortion. Specifically, a health care practitioner who is present must (1) exercise the same degree of care as would reasonably be provided to any other child born alive at the same gestational age, and (2) ensure the child is immediately admitted to a hospital. Additionally, a health care practitioner or other employee who has knowledge of a failure to comply with the degree-of-care requirements must immediately report such failure to law enforcement. A health care practitioner who fails to provide the required degree of care, or a health care practitioner or other employee who fails to report such failure, is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, up to five years in prison, or both. An individual who intentionally kills or attempts to kill a child born alive is subject to prosecution for murder. The bill bars the criminal prosecution of a mother of a child born alive under this bill and allows her to bring a civil action against a health care practitioner or other employee for violations.
This resolution condemns the military coup that took place in Burma (Myanmar) on February 1, 2021. It also calls on the Burmese military to (1) release all those detained arbitrarily in the coup, (2) restore all forms of communications, and (3) return to power all members of the civilian government.
Taiwan PLUS Act This bill provides Taiwan with preferential treatment when receiving U.S. defense articles and services. Specifically, Taiwan shall be subject to the requirements and procedures that apply to certain U.S. partners and allies, such as North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member countries, South Korea, and Australia. Under this bill, certain defense transfers to Taiwan shall be subject to less stringent requirements, such as shorter waiting periods and higher minimum value thresholds before various oversight requirements kick in. Taiwan shall also be eligible to receive certain fee reductions and waivers related to defense transfers. Taiwan shall receive such treatment for the five-year period starting from this bill's enactment, and the Department of State may extend this treatment for additional five-year periods if doing so would support U.S. national security interests.
College Transparency Act This bill requires the National Center for Education Statistics to establish a secure and privacy-protected data system that contains information about postsecondary students. Specifically, the data system must evaluate student enrollment patterns, progression, completion, and postcollegiate outcomes, and higher education costs and financial aid; provide complete and customizable information for students and families making decisions about postsecondary education; reduce the requirements for reporting by institutions of higher education; and periodically match with other federal systems of data. The bill also establishes a postsecondary student data system advisory committee.
Protect Seniors and Cut Waste Act This bill prohibits the budgetary effects of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 from being counted for the purposes of determining whether a specified sequester occurs under the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010. (The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 provided funding to address the impact of COVID-19. Sequestration is a process of automatic, usually across-the-board spending reductions under which budgetary resources are permanently cancelled to enforce specific budget policy goals.) The bill also modifies several other provisions related to COVID-19 spending. Among other modifications, the bill provides supplemental appropriations for the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund to reimburse certain health care providers for health care related expenses or lost revenues that are attributable to the coronavirus; rescinds certain funds that were provided for payments to states, territories, and tribal governments to mitigate the fiscal effects stemming from the COVID-19 public health emergency; prohibits individuals who are incarcerated or unlawfully present in the United States from receiving 2021 recovery rebates; and rescinds funds that were provided by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 for the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Emergency Federal Employee Leave Fund.
Pharmacy Benefit Manager Accountability Study Act of 2021 This bill requires the Government Accountability Office to report on the role of pharmacy benefit managers in the pharmaceutical supply chain and recommend legislative actions to lower the cost of prescription drugs. The report must address the use of rebates and fees, the average prior authorization approval time, and the use of step therapy within the 10 largest pharmacy benefit managers.
Responsible Additions and Increases to Sustain Employee Health Benefits Act of 2021 This bill modifies the tax exclusion for distributions from health flexible spending arrangements provided to employees under a cafeteria plan to (1) increase the annual limit on employee salary reduction contributions to $5,000, with an additional $500 for each additional employee dependent above two dependents that has not been taken into account by another person for the year; (2) revise the adjustment for inflation after 2021; and (3) allow a carryforward into the next year for unused amounts in such plans.
Developing Responsible Individuals for a Vibrant Economy Act or the DRIVE-SAFE Act This bill directs the Department of Transportation to promulgate regulations to implement an apprenticeship program for licensed commercial motor vehicle drivers under the age of 21. Under the program, an apprentice must complete two probationary periods that total 400 hours of on-duty time, of which at least 240 hours must be driving time in a commercial motor vehicle. Additionally, the apprentice must be accompanied in the cab of the commercial motor vehicle by an experienced driver. Further, the bill requires all commercial motor vehicles used in the program for training to be equipped with safety technology such as active braking collision mitigation systems and video event capturing systems. An employer shall not knowingly allow, require, permit, or authorize a driver under the age of 21 to operate a commercial motor vehicle unless the driver is participating in, or has completed, an apprenticeship program that meets the requirements set forth in this bill.
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Iran's decision to enrich uranium to 20% purity (a point from which it is quicker to develop weapons-grade uranium) is escalatory and that Iran should immediately reverse this decision and abandon its pursuit of a nuclear weapon.