Improving Housing Outcomes for Veterans Act of 2021 This bill requires the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to provide medical center staff and homelessness service providers of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with information related to best practices for the collaboration on centralized or coordinated assessment systems established and operated by Continuums of Care. The VA must also ensure that the information and related resources are accessible to VA medical center staff and homelessness service providers. Additionally, the bill requires the VHA to communicate with VA employees who have responsibilities related to homelessness assistance programs regarding (1) the measurement of performance by the VA's Homeless Program Office, and (2) how to obtain and provide feedback about the performance measures.
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This resolution designates July 30, 2021, as National Whistleblower Appreciation Day.
This bill authorizes the Office of the National Cyber Director to accept officers or employees of the United States or members of the Armed Forces on a detail from an element of the intelligence community or from another element of the federal government on a nonreimbursable basis for up to three years. The Office of the National Cyber Director is the principal advisor to the President on cybersecurity policy and strategy and, among other duties, leads the coordination and implementation of national cyber policy and strategy.
Ensuring Survivor Benefits during COVID-19 Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to obtain a medical opinion that determines whether a service-connected disability was the principal or contributory cause of death for a veteran who died from COVID-19. Specifically, the VA must obtain this determination before notifying a claimant for survivor benefits of the final decision regarding such benefits in any case where a dependency and indemnity compensation claim is filed in relation to a veteran with one or more service-connected disabilities who dies, the death certificate for the veteran identifies COVID-19 as the principal or contributory cause of death, the death certificate does not clearly identify any of the service-connected disabilities as the principal or contributory cause of death, the veteran's service-connected disability includes a condition more likely to cause severe illness from COVID-19, the claimant is not entitled to certain dependency and indemnity compensation benefits, and the evidence to support the claim does not result in a preliminary finding in favor of the claimant. The VA must provide information to veterans, their dependents, and veterans service organizations about applying for dependency and indemnity compensation when a veteran dies from COVID-19. Such information must be available through the VA's website and via other outreach mechanisms.
Local Journalism Sustainability Act This bill allows individual taxpayers a tax credit up to $250 in any taxable year for subscriptions to one or more local newspapers for the taxpayer's personal use. It also allows a local news journalist employer a payroll credit for wages paid to local news journalists. The bill allows certain small businesses a tax credit for amounts paid for advertising in a local newspaper or through a broadcast of a radio or television station serving a local community.
Safe Schools Improvement Act of 2021 This bill requires states to direct their local educational agencies (LEAs) to establish policies that prevent and prohibit bullying and harassment of elementary and secondary school students. In particular, these policies must prohibit bullying and harassment based on race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or religion. Further, LEAs must provide (1) students, parents, and educational professionals with annual notice of the conduct prohibited in their disciplinary policies; (2) students and parents with grievance procedures that target such conduct; and (3) the public with annual data on the incidence and frequency of that conduct at the school and LEA level. The Department of Education must conduct and report on an independent biennial evaluation of programs and policies to combat bullying and harassment in elementary and secondary schools. The National Center for Education Statistics must collect state data to determine the incidence and frequency of the conduct prohibited by LEA disciplinary policies.
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to award additional FY2022 funds to the Indian Health Service Sanitation Facilities Construction Program. This program provides American Indian and Alaska Native homes and communities with water supply, sewage disposal, and solid waste disposal facilities.
Federal Permitting Reform and Jobs Act This bill revises and makes permanent Title 41 of the Fixing America's Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, commonly known as FAST-41. FAST-41 revised the environmental review and permitting process to expedite certain infrastructure projects.
This concurrent resolution expresses the sense of Congress that tax-exempt fraternal benefit societies provide critical benefits to the people and communities of the United States and their work should continue to be promoted.
This resolution honors the memory of the fallen firefighters of the Granite Mountain Interagency Hotshot Crew of the Prescott, Arizona, Fire Department. The resolution extends condolences to the surviving families of the 19 firefighters lost in the line of duty and commends their bravery and sacrifice.