Rep. Shontel M. Brown

Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 20 21 This bill provides minimum collective bargaining rights and procedures for public employees and prohibits strikes by certain public safety workers. The Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) shall determine for each state whether the laws of such state substantially provide for each of the minimum standard collective bargaining rights and procedures specified by this bill, including the right of public employees and supervisory employees to self-organize, form or join a labor organization, or collectively bargain. The FLRA must issue rules and take actions to establish and administer bargaining rights and procedures for those states that do not substantially provide for them. No employers, emergency services employees, or law enforcement officers may engage in a lockout, strike, or any other organized job action that is likely to result in a measurable disruption of the delivery of emergency or public safety services. Furthermore, no labor organization may be the cause of a violation of such prohibition.

College Student Hunger Act of 20 21 This bill expands the eligibility of students at institutions of higher education to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). SNAP eligibility for students is expanded to include certain low-income students who (1) are employed a minimum of 10 hours per week (currently 20 hours) during the regular school year, (2) are eligible for a federal Pell Grant, (3) have an expected family contribution equal to zero, or (4) are independent. Additionally, the bill directs the Department of Education to provide notification to certain students regarding their eligibility for SNAP benefits, the Inspector General of the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to conduct an audit of the operations of the Food and Nutrition Service to examine the procedures and outreach practices used by the service to provide to states information about the eligibility of students at institutions of higher education for participation in the program, USDA to update its state outreach plan guidance, and USDA to implement projects to decrease student hunger at institutions of higher education and to reduce barriers to college students fully utilizing SNAP benefits at these institutions.

This resolution recognizes the opportunity for Black Maternal Health Week to raise national awareness of the state of Black maternal health in the United States.

Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2021 This bill allows certain individuals to sue and recover damages for harm from exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina between August 1, 1953, and December 31, 1987. This action is available only to individuals who were exposed to contaminated water for at least 30 days. The bill prohibits the U.S. government from asserting specified immunity from litigation in response to such a lawsuit. The bill also prohibits an individual who brings such an action from bringing a separate tort action against the United States based on the same harm.

Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish standards for facilities holding aliens in its custody, phases out using non-DHS facilities for such purposes, and contains other related provisions. The standards shall comply with the American Bar Association's Civil Immigration Detention Standards. The DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG) shall conduct periodic unannounced inspections of each facility and shall take various actions against noncompliant facilities, including imposing fines, cancelling contracts, and closing facilities. DHS shall report to Congress any death of an alien in its custody within 24 hours and conduct an investigation within 30 days that identifies policy changes that could reduce the likelihood of such a death. DHS is prohibited from entering into contracts for third parties to operate detention facilities or alternatives to detention programs and shall terminate existing contracts within three years of the bill's enactment. The bill establishes that OIG facility inspection reports and contracts for an outside entity to operate a detention facility are records available to the public under the Freedom of Information Act. DHS shall maintain certain information relating to detained aliens, including the alien's location and whether the alien was separated from family. The bill provides for various requirements and procedures related to detaining aliens, including (1) prohibiting DHS from detaining children, (2) imposing a presumption that an alien should be released, and (3) establishing that aliens in custody shall be subject to the least restrictive conditions. The bill also abolishes mandatory detention for asylum seekers.

Equal Access to Abortion Coverage in Health Insurance Act of 2021 or the EACH Act of 2021 This bill requires federal health care programs to provide coverage for abortion services and requires federal facilities to provide access to those services. The bill also permits qualified health plans to use funds attributable to premium tax credits and reduced cost sharing assistance to pay for abortion services.

Outdoors for All Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior to establish an outdoor recreation legacy partnership grant program under which Interior may award grants to states, certain political subdivisions of a state, special purpose districts, Indian tribes, or Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian communities or organizations. Funds must be used for projects to (1) acquire land and water for parks and other outdoor recreation purposes in qualifying areas, and (2) develop new or renovate existing outdoor recreation facilities that provide outdoor recreation opportunities to the public in qualifying areas. A qualifying area is an area that has a population of 30,000 or more in the most recent census, or that is administered by an Indian tribe or an Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian community organization. Interior shall give priority to projects that create or significantly enhance access to park and recreational opportunities in an urban neighborhood or community, engage and empower underserved communities and youth, provide opportunities for employment or job training for youth or underserved communities, establish or expand public-private partnerships, and take advantage of coordination among various levels of government.

Cosmetic Supply Chain Transparency Act of 2021 This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to maintain a list of certain nonfunctional constituents in cosmetics that are harmful to human health or the environment, authorizes the FDA to request from a brand owner (i.e., the entity bringing a cosmetic to market) certain information about a cosmetic's ingredients, and addresses related issues. For each listed nonfunctional constituent, the list must identify the ingredient or cosmetic (or category of ingredient or cosmetic) in which the constituent is known or reasonably expected to be present. The FDA must also (1) establish procedures for petitions to add substances to the list, (2) issue guidance for industry related to testing and detecting such nonfunctional constituents, and (3) establish a committee to provide advice on creating the list and developing the required industry guidance. Within a year of a nonfunctional constituent being added to the list, a supplier of an ingredient or cosmetic must test for that constituent and provide a brand owner the results and other information before selling the ingredient or cosmetic to the brand owner. A supplier of an ingredient or cosmetic must provide additional information about the item upon a brand owner's request. Brand owners must maintain records with information about the suppliers of ingredients and raw materials used in their cosmetics and provide such information to the FDA upon request. The bill also imposes civil penalties for brand owners and suppliers that violate this bill's provisions.

Maddy summaryHR 5537, the Toxic-Free Beauty Act of 2021, bans specific chemicals in cosmetics under federal law. It prohibits the use of substances like certain PFAS (water-repellent chemicals), phthalates (e.g., dibutyl phthalate), formaldehyde, mercury, and specific parabens in cosmetic products. The ban directly affects cosmetic manufacturers, requiring them to reformulate products, and benefits consumers by removing these chemicals from beauty items. The law takes effect on January 1, 2025, with the ban applying to products bearing or containing the listed substances.

Cosmetic Fragrance and Flavor Ingredient Right to Know Act of 2021 This bill imposes disclosure and labeling requirements on cosmetics products that contain certain ingredients. A cosmetics product that fails to meet such requirements may not be sold. Within two years of this bill's enactment, a cosmetics product's labeling or packaging must indicate the use of any ingredient that (1) is identified on specified lists of harmful or potentially harmful chemicals, such as chemicals identified as carcinogenic to humans by the Environmental Protection Agency or toxic air contaminants under California regulations; or (2) must be disclosed under certain European Union laws and is present in a product above specified concentrations. The Food and Drug Administration must publish and periodically update on its website a list of the ingredients subject to this requirement. Within one year of this bill's enactment, a brand owner (i.e., the entity bringing a cosmetics product to market) must disclose certain information on its website if a cosmetics product contains any fragrance or flavor ingredient that is (1) present in the product above a certain concentration, or (2) subject to this bill's labeling or packaging requirement. The website must disclose the use of the ingredient in question and other information, such as the ingredient's functional purpose. The use of an ingredient subject to this bill's requirements shall not be treated as a confidential trade secret, but the concentration of such an ingredient shall be treated as confidential commercial information.