Veterans and Consumers Fair Credit Act This bill applies certain military consumer credit protections to all consumers. Specifically, the bill caps the interest rate on extensions of consumer credit at 36%.
Protect Older Job Applicants Act of 2021 or the POJA Act of 2021 This bill prohibits employers from limiting, segregating, or classifying job applicants based on an applicant's age. It also requires the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to study and report on claims received from job applicants involving age discrimination.
This resolution expresses support for the goals and values of the 53rd anniversary of the Fair Housing Act and for efforts to strengthen housing protections, particularly during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Early Childhood Nutrition Improvement Act This bill makes various changes to the Child and Adult Care Food Program, which reimburses child care centers, day care homes, and other sites for meals and snacks provided to low-income individuals. Among these changes, the bill authorizes reimbursements for an additional meal or snack provided to children who are in care for at least eight hours, allows certain child care centers to certify their eligibility on an annual (rather than a monthly) basis, and establishes an advisory committee to make recommendations to reduce unnecessary recordkeeping requirements for program participants.
Greyhound Protection Act of 2021 This bill modifies the federal criminal statute commonly known as the Wire Act. Currently, the Wire Act contains four prohibitions on the use of a wire transmission facility (e.g., the telephone or internet) for certain gambling activities. All four prohibitions apply to sports gambling. However, there have been conflicting interpretations of the applicability of the prohibitions to nonsports gambling (e.g., state lotteries). This bill amends the Wire Act to expressly state that the statute does not authorize the use of wire communications to gamble on commercial greyhound racing or permit the transport of animals for commercial dog racing or related activities.
United States Postal Service Shipping Equity Act This bill authorizes the mailing of alcoholic beverages by certain entities in accordance with the delivery requirements otherwise applicable to a privately carried shipment. The authorization applies to an entity (including a winery, brewery, beverage distilled spirits plant, or other wholesaler, distributer, importer, or retailer of alcoholic beverages) that has registered with, obtained a permit from, or obtained approval of an application from the Department of the Treasury. The bill directs the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to prescribe regulations (1) requiring direct delivery to a duly authorized agent at a postal facility or to the addressee, who must be at least 21 years of age and present a valid, government-issued photo identification at the time of delivery; (2) prohibiting such alcoholic beverages from being for resale or any other commercial purpose; and (3) requiring such entity to certify that the mailing is not in violation of applicable laws or regulations and to provide other information as directed by the USPS. The U.S. district courts shall have jurisdiction to render judgment upon any claim brought by a state, local, or tribal government against the USPS of a violation of state, local, or tribal law regarding the sale, mailing, transportation, or importation of alcoholic beverages into any U.S. state, territory, or district. The USPS shall not be liable for interest prior to judgment or for punitive damages.
Raise the Age Act This bill establishes new restrictions on the sale or transfer of certain semiautomatic firearms to individuals under 21 years of age. Specifically, this bill makes it unlawful for a licensed gun dealer, importer, manufacturer, or collector to sell or deliver a semiautomatic center-fire rifle that has (or has the capacity to accept) an ammunition feeding device with a capacity of more than five rounds to an individual who the licensee knows or has reasonable cause to believe is under age 21. The prohibition does not apply if the individual under age 21 is a full-time law enforcement officer or active-duty member of the Armed Forces. The bill also requires the Federal Bureau of Investigation to report on the operation of its public access line, including a description of information sharing protocols and recommendations for improving such protocols.
Student Loan Borrower Safety Net Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Education (ED) to carry out a program to notify borrowers that normal payment obligations on their federal student loans will resume. Not later than 60 days before payment obligations are no longer suspended (as determined by ED), ED must provide at least six notices to borrowers indicating that their payment obligations will resume. These notices must also indicate the options for (1) enrolling in income-driven repayment plans, and (2) rehabilitating or consolidating loans. ED must provide priority notification to certain borrowers, including those who missed a payment in the first three months of entering repayment on a loan. The bill allows borrowers to (1) submit an application or reapplication for an income-contingent or income-based repayment plan and self-certify their income and family size, (2) change their repayment plan without a fee, and (3) apply for an economic hardship deferment. If a borrower misses a payment or payments on a loan during the 60 days after the payment suspension ends, then the loan must be held in administrative forbearance for 90 days.
Protection of Social Security Benefits Restoration Act This bill prohibits the application of, and repeals authority for, administrative offsets to Social Security, railroad retirement, and black lung benefits. (An administrative offset is the withholding of funds payable by or held by the United States to satisfy a debt.)
Burial Equity for Guards and Reserves Act of 2021 This bill prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from establishing a condition for a cemetery grant that restricts the ability of a state to inter certain reservists (or their spouses and children) at a state-owned veterans' cemetery solely because such individuals are ineligible for burial in an open national cemetery. Specifically, as a condition for grants, the VA cannot restrict the ability of a state to inter a member of a reserve component whose service was terminated under honorable conditions; member of the Army National Guard or Air National Guard whose service was terminated under honorable conditions; member of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps of the Army, Navy, or Air Force who died under honorable conditions while a member; and spouse, minor child, or unmarried adult child of any member described above. The VA is prohibited from (1) denying an application for a grant solely on the basis that the recipient state may use funds to expand, improve, operate, or maintain a veterans' cemetery to allow for the internment of the specified individuals; and (2) enforcing certain conditions on grants for state veterans' cemeteries that were established before the date of enactment of this bill. The bill also provides for plot allowances for the individuals listed in the bill.
