Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee

Department of State Student Internship Program Act This bill requires the Department of State to establish the Department of State Student Internship Program to offer paid internship opportunities at the State Department to raise awareness of the role of diplomacy in the conduct of U.S. foreign policy. Participants must be enrolled at an institution of higher education (IHE) and able to receive and hold an appropriate security clearance. The State Department must pay participating interns a specified amount, as well as provide housing and travel assistance. The State Department may also enter agreements with IHEs to ensure these internships satisfy criteria for the academic programs in which participants are enrolled. Additionally, the State Department must transition all of its unpaid internship programs to internship programs that offer compensation.

African Descent Affairs Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of State to establish an Office of Global African Descent Affairs, to be headed by the Director and Special Envoy to the Secretary on Global African Descent Affairs. The functions of the office shall include directing policies, programs, and funding relating to the human rights and advancement of people of African descent internationally; developing and managing the Fund for African Descent Affairs to invest in solutions to combat racial discrimination and create opportunities for people of African descent internationally; directing U.S. government resources to support the protection, integration, resettlement, and empowerment of people of African descent; and compiling an annual report on U.S. government activities relating to people of African descent. The bill requires that a description of the status of the people of African descent in each country be included in a specified annual human rights report. The U.S. Agency for International Development must appoint a Senior Advisor to the Administrator on Global African Descent Affairs who shall (1) direct policies, programs, and funding relating to the human rights and advancement of people of African descent internationally; and (2) develop a uniform set of indicators and standards for monitoring and evaluating foreign assistance for people of African descent. The Office of Global African Descent Affairs must develop or update annually (for 10 years after the initial report) a U.S. global strategy to prevent and respond to discrimination and violence against people of African descent.

Iran Hostages Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill requires the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal commemorating the bravery and endurance of the 53 hostages of the Iran Hostage Crisis. Following its award, the medal shall be given to the National Museum of American History of the Smithsonian Institution for display and research. The Department of the Treasury must strike duplicate medals in silver for presentation to a hostage (or the personal representative of a deceased hostage), and Treasury may also strike and sell duplicate medals in bronze.

Teacher Victims' Family Assistance Act of 2021 This bill establishes the Teacher Victims' Family Trust Fund, from which the Department of Education (ED) must provide financial assistance to certain family members of elementary and secondary school teachers and staff members who are killed by an act of violence while performing their school duties. The bill also increases from 11% to 13% the excise tax on shells and cartridges and provides the trust fund with funding equivalent to the revenues received from the tax increase. Specifically, ED must provide victims' families with (1) funeral assistance; (2) a death benefit payment for the surviving spouse, dependent child, or other next of kin; (3) a monthly living allowance for the surviving spouse until death or remarriage or, if there is no surviving spouse, for each dependent child until age 18; and (4) undergraduate education assistance for each dependent child for five years. Additionally, the bill excludes from a victim's income, for tax purposes, the amount of wages earned in the year of death. It also excludes victims' family assistance received under the bill from gross income for any taxable year.

This resolution impeaches President Donald John Trump for high crimes and misdemeanors. Specifically, the resolution sets forth an article of impeachment stating that President Trump incited an insurrection against the government of the United States. The article states that prior to the joint session of Congress held on January 6, 2021, to count the votes of the electoral college, President Trump repeatedly issued false statements asserting that the presidential election results were fraudulent and should not be accepted by the American people or certified by state or federal officials; shortly before the joint session commenced, President Trump reiterated false claims to a crowd near the White House and willfully made statements to the crowd that encouraged and foreseeably resulted in lawless action at the Capitol; members of the crowd, incited by President Trump, unlawfully breached and vandalized the Capitol and engaged in other violent, destructive, and seditious acts, including the killing of a law enforcement officer; President Trump's conduct on January 6, 2021, followed his prior efforts to subvert and obstruct the certification of the presidential election, which included a threatening phone call to the Secretary of State of Georgia on January 2, 2021; President Trump gravely endangered the security of the United States and its institutions of government, threatened the integrity of the democratic system, interfered with the peaceful transition of power, and imperiled a coequal branch of government; and by such conduct, President Trump warrants impeachment and trial, removal from office, and disqualification to hold U.S. office.

COVID-19 Language Access Act This bill requires each federal agency that receives federal assistance related to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic to translate any English language written material prepared for the general public relating to the pandemic, including COVID-19 vaccine distribution and education, into specified languages not later than seven days after such material is made available in English. Such languages shall include, at a minimum, the following: Spanish, Arabic, Cambodian, Chinese, Haitian Creole, French, Hindi, Hmong, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Laotian, Russian, Tagalog, Urdu, Vietnamese, Greek, Polish, Thai, and Portuguese.

"Six Triple Eight" Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2021 This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal in honor of the women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion (commonly known as the Six Triple Eight) in recognition of their pioneering military service, devotion to duty, and contributions to increase the morale of personnel stationed in the European theater of operations during World War II. The medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution and made available for display and research.

Delivering COVID-19 Vaccinations to All Regions and Vulnerable Communities Act of 2021 or the COVID-19 Delivery Act This bill directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) vaccination programs. To assist state or local governments with vaccination efforts, FEMA must coordinate certain activities. Specifically, FEMA must manage vaccine deliveries, set up vaccination centers, design communication systems and software applications, and develop a public education program on vaccine safety and availability. Additionally, HHS must carry out a program to increase vaccination rates to achieve herd immunity. As part of this program, HHS must temporarily collect data on COVID-19 vaccine administrations. Data collected under this program is subject to relevant privacy protections that apply to other health data. HHS must report on its activities on a daily or weekly basis. The CDC must also report on the effectiveness of state and local COVID-19 vaccination programs.

Investing in Community Healing Act of 2021 This bill requires, with a focus on racial and ethnic minority groups, research on adverse health impacts associated with violent interactions with law enforcement and additional activities to promote access to mental and behavioral health care. Specifically, the Office of Minority Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must research the health consequences of trauma related to violent interactions with law enforcement. In addition, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration must award grants to community-based programs or organizations to increase access to trauma-support services and mental health care. The Department of Health and Human Services must also carry out a campaign to raise awareness of, and reduce stigma associated with, mental and behavioral health conditions.

Marketing and Outreach Restoration to Empower Health Education Act of 2021 or the MORE Health Education Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct outreach and educational activities regarding federally facilitated exchanges (i.e., health insurance exchanges that are established and operated within states by HHS). The activities must inform potential enrollees of the availability of coverage and related financial assistance under the exchanges and must be provided in culturally and linguistically appropriate formats. The bill provides funding for the activities.