Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon

This bill establishes the Advisory Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer Veterans to consult with the Department of Veterans Affairs regarding the administration of benefits for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) veterans, reports and studies pertaining to LGBTQ veterans, and the needs of such veterans with respect to compensation, health care, rehabilitation, outreach, and other benefits and programs.

Commission to Study the Stigmatization, Criminalization, and Ongoing Exclusion and Inequity for LGBTQ Servicemembers and Veterans Act This bill establishes the Commission to Study the Stigmatization, Criminalization, and Ongoing Exclusion and Inequity for LGBTQ Servicemembers and Veterans. The Commission must identify and compile information about the history of military policy regarding homosexuality from 1778 onward, including regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) sexual orientation and gender identity. The Commission must hold public hearings, gather public testimony, examine lasting and disparate impacts of the discriminatory policies on the physical and mental well-being of members of the Armed Forces, and make recommendations on appropriate remedies.

Ending the Monopoly of Power Over Workplace Harassment through Education and Reporting Act or the EMPOWER Act This bill makes it an unlawful labor practice for an employer to enter into, or attempt to enforce, a contract with an employee or job applicant that contains a nondisparagement or nondisclosure clause that covers workplace or sexual harassment, including retaliation for participating in a workplace harassment proceeding. The bill exempts certain settlement or separation agreements from such prohibition. The bill also requires the Securities and Exchange Commission to promulgate a regulation that requires any issuer of securities to submit a report for the most recent five-year period with respect to workplace and sexual harassment. The commission must provide for the development and dissemination of training programs and information regarding workplace and sexual harassment. The bill denies a tax deduction for amounts related to judgments and expenses in connection with litigation related to workplace or sexual harassment. It also excludes from gross income, for income tax purposes, any amount received in connection with a claim or settlement related to workplace or sexual harassment, or other unlawful discrimination.

White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, Hunger, and Health Act This bill directs the President to convene a conference to make policy recommendations for ending hunger, creating sustainable markets for agricultural producers, and improving nutrition and the resiliency of the food system. The bill also requires specified congressional committees to hold hearings on the conference recommendations and on the status of hunger, nutrition security, and food systems.

Behavioral Health Crisis Services Expansion Act This bill establishes requirements, expands health insurance coverage, and directs other activities to support the provision of behavioral health crisis services along a continuum of care. Specifically, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must establish standards for a behavioral health crisis continuum of care that health care providers and communities may use in responding to individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis. This continuum of care must include 24-7 crisis hotlines, emergency treatment, stabilization services, and other specified components. In addition, the bill expands health insurance coverage for behavioral health crisis services. It also expands the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant to assist states and territories with developing the infrastructure to provide crisis response services. Furthermore, HHS, in consultation with the Department of Justice, must convene an expert panel to make recommendations concerning training for emergency services dispatchers and crisis call center personnel to respond appropriately to individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis.

This resolution supports the designation of Public Radio Music Day. It also expresses deep appreciation for the role of public radio music stations, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, in serving listeners, musicians, and hundreds of communities in the United States.

This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should enact the Voters with Disabilities Bill of Rights to ensure that voters with disabilities have equal access to the ballot.

Companion Animal Release from Experiments Act of 2021 or the CARE Act of 2021 This bill requires, as a condition of receiving funding from the National Institutes of Health, entities that carry out animal-based research to establish adoption policies for dogs, cats, and rabbits when they are no longer used for research. It also limits, under certain conditions, an entity's liability related to these adoptions.

Booster Seat Safety Act This bill addresses labeling requirements and testing standards for booster seats used in motor vehicles. Specifically, the bill requires labels on booster seats to include the minimum recommended age (4 years) and weight (40 pounds) for a child to use the seat. It also requires that a label on a car seat or combination car seat list the maximum weight and height limits of the seat, as well as a recommendation to continue using the seat until the child exceeds the listed limits. Additionally, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) must either establish a minimum height recommendation for booster seats or a method for manufacturers to use to determine a minimum height recommendation. Once the minimum height or method is established, booster seat labels must also contain the minimum height recommendation. The NHTSA must also establish a standard for side-impact crash tests for booster seats and provide guidelines for creating a testing dummy that approximates a six-year old child for such crash tests. Further, the NHTSA must study systems for tethering child restraint systems in vehicles and make recommendations about using or modifying tether systems to maximize child safety.

Social Security 2100: A Sacred Trust This bill makes changes to Social Security benefits, taxes, and other aspects of the program, including by raising the primary insurance amount, increasing the maximum taxable earnings that are subject to Social Security payroll taxes, and requiring Social Security account statements to be mailed unless the individual recipient opts for electronic delivery.