Rep. Elaine G. Luria

Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act This bill reauthorizes through FY2026, revises, and establishes grants and activities to promote access to broadband internet and other telecommunication services. The bill addresses digital equity and inclusion through grants and by requiring studies on barriers to adoption of broadband services and related matters. The bill addresses broadband affordability and access. It (1) reauthorizes and expands various programs that subsidize or otherwise support broadband services for eligible households, schools and libraries, and tribal lands and populations; and (2) establishes a program for expanding broadband service for underserved areas and community support organizations (e.g., schools and religious organizations). Additionally, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) must award grants and take other actions to expand programs that verify an individual's eligibility for subsidized services. The bill addresses broadband data collection, disclosure, and sharing. The FCC must (1) issue rules regarding the collection of pricing data and labels that disclose information about broadband plans to consumers, and (2) collaborate and share data with federal agencies and other stakeholders. The bill makes financing (e.g., low-interest loans) available to communities and public-private partnerships for broadband infrastructure investments. Additionally, the Department of Transportation must require states to install conduits for broadband cables as part of certain highway projects. The bill also sets up a task force on nationwide dig once requirements (i.e., policies or practices to minimize excavations of highway rights-of-way when installing telecommunications infrastructure). Further, the bill preempts state laws that prohibit certain telecommunications service providers (e.g., public providers) from providing high-speed broadband services.

Saudi Arabia Accountability for Gross Violations of Human Rights Act This bill imposes visa-blocking sanctions on specified foreign persons determined to have played a role in the killing of Jamal Khashoggi, and it requires the Department of State to report on incidents of arbitrary detention, violence, and state-sanctioned harassment by Saudi Arabia against U.S. citizens and their family members. The bill also requires the State Department to make publicly available a report that describes whether and how a concurrence with Saudi Arabia for U.S. security assistance will avoid identifying the United States with governments that deny human rights and fundamental freedoms to their people.

Do No Harm Act This bill prohibits the application of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 (RFRA) to specified federal laws or the implementation of such laws. Currently, RFRA prohibits the government from substantially burdening a person's exercise of religion even if the burden results from a rule of general applicability, except in furtherance of a compelling governmental interest when using the least restrictive means. Under the bill, RFRA is inapplicable to laws or the implementation of laws that protect against discrimination or the promotion of equal opportunity (e.g., the Civil Rights Act of 1964); require employers to provide wages, other compensation, or benefits, including leave; protect collective activity in the workplace; protect against child labor, abuse, or exploitation; or provide for access to, information about, referrals for, provision of, or coverage for, any health care item or service. The bill prevents RFRA from being used to deny (1) goods or services the government has contracted, granted, or made an agreement to provide to a beneficiary of or participant in a program or activity funded by such government contract, grant, agreement, or other award; or (2) a person's full and equal enjoyment of a government-provided good, service, benefit, facility, privilege, advantage, or accommodation. In order for a person to assert a RFRA claim or defense in a judicial proceeding, the government must be a party to the proceeding.

Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act of 2021 This bill removes the requirement that a health care practitioner apply for a separate waiver through the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to dispense certain narcotic drugs (e.g., buprenorphine) for maintenance or detoxification treatment (i.e., substance use disorder treatment). Further, a community health aide or community health practitioner may dispense certain narcotic drugs for maintenance or detoxification treatment without registering with the DEA if the drug is prescribed by a health care practitioner through telemedicine. It preempts state laws related to licensure for this activity. The bill also directs the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to conduct a national campaign to educate health care practitioners and encourage them to integrate substance use disorder treatment into their practices.

Eliminate Network Distribution of Child Exploitation Act or the END Child Exploitation Act This bill modifies the reporting requirements for electronic communication service providers and remote computing service providers (providers) that report information to the CyberTipline of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Specifically, the bill increases the amount of time—from 90 days to 180 days—that a provider must preserve the contents of a report. Additionally, the bill permits a provider to voluntarily retain the contents for longer than 180 days to reduce the proliferation of or to prevent the online sexual exploitation of children.

The American PPE Supply Chain Integrity Act This bill requires specified federal departments to purchase certain items, including medical supplies, personal protective equipment (PPE), and clothing, from the United States, with exceptions. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Department of Veterans Affairs to purchase items such as specified medical supplies (including disinfecting wipes), PPE, and fabric products (including clothing, bags, and tents) from products that are 100% grown, reprocessed, reused, or produced in the United States. The bill requires regulations to (1) prohibit the use by any federal department or agency of reverse auctions or lowest price technically acceptable contracting methods for the procurement of PPE if the level of quality or failure of the item could result in infection, illness, or death; and (2) establish a preference for the use of best value contracting methods for the procurement of such equipment. The bill applies the Berry Amendment (which requires the Department of Defense to give preference in procurement to domestically produced, manufactured, or homegrown products) to specified supplies and equipment, such as surgical dressing materials, hospital and surgical clothing, and textile medical supplies and equipment.

PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support Program Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish the PFC Joseph P. Dwyer Peer Support Program to make grants to eligible entities for peer-to-peer mental health programs for veterans. Eligible entities include (1) a nonprofit organization that has historically served the mental health needs of veterans; (2) a congressionally chartered veteran service organization; or (3) a state, local, or tribal veteran service agency, director, or commissioner. The VA shall establish an advisory committee to create appropriate program standards.

Supplying Help to Infrastructure in Ports, Yards, and America's Repair Docks Act of 2021 or the SHIPYARD Act This bill provides supplemental appropriations to the Department of Defense (DOD) for improving naval shipyard infrastructure. The bill designates the funding as emergency spending, which is exempt from discretionary spending limits. DOD must make this funding directly available to the Department of the Navy. Funds must be used for specified purposes, including for public and private shipyard facilities, docks, dry docks, capital equipment improvements, and dredging efforts needed by shipyards.

Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021 This bill directs multi-agency efforts to improve maternal health, particularly among racial and ethnic minority groups, veterans, and other vulnerable populations. It also addresses maternal health issues related to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other specified departments must address the social determinants of maternal health, which include child care, housing, food security, transportation, and environmental conditions. The bill also extends to 24 months postpartum eligibility for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Woman, Infants, and Children. Additionally, HHS and other agencies must take actions to grow and diversify the maternal health workforce. To increase access to maternity care, HHS and other agencies must (1) award specified grants; (2) test an alternative payment model for perinatal care under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP); and (3) support training, technology, and telehealth initiatives. The bill also increases research and data collection on maternal morbidity and mortality, particularly among tribal populations and minority groups. The Bureau of Prisons and the Department of Justice must establish programs to improve maternity care for incarcerated populations. The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission must also report on the impact of Medicaid ineligibility for pregnant and postpartum prisoners. Additionally, as a condition for certain grants, states and territories must have laws limiting the use of restraints on pregnant individuals in prisons. The bill also directs activities to mitigate adverse maternal health outcomes associated with climate change and to improve maternal vaccination rates.

Growing Climate Solutions Act of 2021 This bill authorizes the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a voluntary Greenhouse Gas Technical Assistance Provider and Third-Party Verifier Certification Program to help reduce entry barriers into voluntary environmental credit markets for farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners. A voluntary environmental credit market is a market through which agriculture and forestry credits may be bought or sold. Entities eligible to participate in the program are (1) providers of technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, or private forest landowners in carrying out sustainable land use management practices that prevent, reduce, or mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, or sequester carbon; or (2) third-party verifiers that conduct the verification of the processes described in the protocols for voluntary environmental credit markets. Among other requirements, USDA must publish (1) a list of protocols and qualifications for eligible entities; (2) information describing how entities may self-certify under the program; (3) information describing how entities may obtain the expertise to meet the protocols and qualifications; and (4) instructions and suggestions to assist farmers, ranchers, and private forest landowners in facilitating the development of agriculture or forestry credits and accessing voluntary environmental credit markets. USDA must also establish an advisory council to make recommendations regarding the list of protocols and qualifications, best practices, and voluntary environmental credit markets. The bill also rescinds certain funds provided in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and makes the funds available for the certification program.