Rep. Steve Cohen

Forbidding Airlines from Imposing Ridiculous Fees Act of 2021 or the FAIR Fees Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Transportation to prescribe regulations (1) prohibiting an air carrier from imposing specified fees relating to a flight in passenger air transportation that are unreasonable or disproportional to the costs it incurs, and (2) establishing standards for assessing whether such fees are reasonable and proportional to those costs.

Humane Cosmetics Act of 2021 This bill generally prohibits animal testing in the evaluation of cosmetic products, and it prohibits the sale or transport of cosmetics developed using animal testing, subject to civil penalties. These prohibitions begin one year after enactment. The bill specifies exceptions to these prohibitions, including if such animal testing (1) is conducted outside the United States to comply with a foreign regulatory authority; (2) is pursuant to a specified finding that there are no nonanimal alternatives to test the safety of a potentially dangerous cosmetic product or ingredient; (3) is of a product or ingredient for a drug or device subject to regulation by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA); or (4) is required for a noncosmetic purpose pursuant to a state, federal, or foreign regulatory authority. Further, no animal-testing evidence may be used to establish the safety of a cosmetic product or ingredient that is regulated by the FDA after the effective date of this bill, subject to limited exceptions.

Telehealth Extension Act of 2021 This bill expands and otherwise modifies coverage of telehealth services under Medicare. Specifically, the bill permanently (1) removes geographic restrictions on originating sites (i.e., the location of the beneficiary), (2) allows the home of the beneficiary to serve as the originating site for all services, and (3) allows federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics to serve as the distant site (i.e., the location of the health care practitioner). The bill also extends any Medicare telehealth flexibilities that were granted during the COVID-19 public health emergency until two years after the emergency ends and generally allows such flexibilities to be granted during any public health emergency. In addition, the bill (1) allows for Medicare payment of outpatient critical access hospital services consisting of telehealth behavioral therapy until two years after the COVID-19 public health emergency ends; and (2) after the emergency ends, conditions payment for certain high-cost laboratory tests and durable medical equipment that are ordered via telehealth on at least one in-person visit during the preceding six-month period.

Mental Health in International Development and Humanitarian Settings Act or the MINDS Act This bill directs the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Department of State to integrate mental health and psychosocial support activities across all U.S. foreign assistance programs, with a particular focus on children and other vulnerable populations. To facilitate this integration, the bill makes organizational changes at the USAID. It authorizes the USAID to appoint a coordinator to oversee and direct mental health and psychosocial support activities. The coordinator must ensure that these activities focus on children, adult caretakers and families, displaced populations, and other vulnerable groups. In addition, the bill establishes a working group comprised of representatives from every USAID bureau and the Department of State to coordinate interagency efforts related to, promote best practices for, and ensure sustainability and continuity of mental health and psychosocial support activities. The USAID and the State Department must brief Congress about the amount of foreign assistance spending on mental health and psychosocial support activities and related matters.

EDUCATORS for America Act This bill provides resources to support the recruitment, retention, and preparation of educators. These resources include, among others, expanding the Teacher Quality Partnership program to include training and professional development opportunities for principals and other school leaders, updating the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence program to support underrepresented candidates in educator preparation programs, and revising the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) grant program to raise the maximum amount for TEACH grants. The bill also directs the Department of Education to carry out a program to provide loan credits to eligible educator borrowers enrolled in income-contingent or income-based repayment plans.

Maddy summaryHRES 845 is a procedural resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives to remove Representative Lauren Boebert (Colorado) from two standing committees: the Committee on the Budget and the Committee on Natural Resources. The resolution directly affects Boebert's committee assignments, which are part of her official duties as a House member. It does not change laws or policies but alters her participation in specific legislative committees. This action was taken under House rules requiring members to "reflect creditably on the House," though the resolution itself only addresses committee membership. The resolution was submitted by multiple House members and referred to the Committee on Ethics.

Radiation Exposure Compensation Act Amendments of 2021 This bill expands two programs that compensate individuals who were exposed to radiation during certain nuclear testing or uranium mining and subsequently developed medical conditions, including cancers. First, the bill expands and extends a program that compensates individuals who were exposed to radiation from atmospheric nuclear testing or other sources and subsequently developed specified cancers. Under current law, this program compensates individuals who were present in a designated geographic area during a period of nuclear testing and certain individuals employed in uranium mining. The bill expands the designated areas to include Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, and Guam and additional areas in Arizona, Nevada, and Utah; makes more individuals who worked in uranium mining eligible for the program; increases the amount of compensation awarded to and provides medical benefits for eligible claimants; and extends for 19 years following the bill's enactment the fund that supports this program and the statute of limitations for filing claims (currently, the program terminates on July 10, 2022). Second, the bill makes certain individuals employed in uranium mines or mills eligible for a program that compensates workers, including Department of Energy employees and contractors, for illnesses caused by occupational exposure to radiation and hazardous substances during development and testing of the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile. The bill also establishes a grant program in the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences for institutions of higher education to study the epidemiological impacts of uranium mining and milling among individuals without occupational exposure.

Allied Health Workforce Diversity Act of 2021 This bill allows the Department of Health and Human Services to provide grants to accredited education programs to increase diversity in the physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, and speech-language pathology professions. Grants may be used to provide scholarships or to support recruitment and retention of students from underrepresented groups.

Making Advances Kinetic Education, Research, and Skills Act or the MAKERS Act This bill directs the National Science Foundation to award competitive grants to institutions of higher education or their consortia to support the research and development of makerspaces to assist in the formation of a workforce capable of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Makerspaces are community spaces that (1) provide access to tools, technology, and knowledge for learners and entrepreneurs; (2) result in prototyping or creation of physical goods, interdisciplinary learning, and educational innovation; and (3) support the development of educational opportunities for personal growth, workforce training, and early stage business ventures. Grants may be used for (1) research on the effectiveness of makerspaces in engaging students and the community in STEM skills and in teaching and learning, (2) the compilation and dissemination of best practices on the use of makerspaces for STEM learning and workforce preparedness, and (3) equipment to achieve such purposes. Funds furnished through a grant may not be used for the construction of a building or facility to hold a makerspace unless such construction is necessary for safety reasons or the use of relevant equipment.

Maternal Vaccination Act This bill includes a focus on pregnant and postpartum individuals in existing public health activities to increase vaccination rates. First, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must incorporate a focus on pregnant and postpartum individuals, including by disseminating information to obstetric health care providers, into its existing public awareness campaign about the importance of vaccinations. Second, the bill expressly allows certain project grants for preventive health services to be used for activities to increase vaccination rates of pregnant and postpartum individuals (and their children).