Sen. Michael F. Bennet

Teachers and School Leaders need Education And Development to be Empowered Resources in Schools Act of 2021 or the Teachers and School LEADERS Act of 2021 This bill reauthorizes through FY2027 and otherwise revises the Teacher Quality Partnership program. This grant program provides training and professional development opportunities for prospective and new teachers through partnerships between (1) high-need school districts, schools, or early childhood education programs; and (2) institutions of higher education. Specifically, the bill expands the program to include training and professional development opportunities for principals and other school leaders. In addition, the bill expands the types of entities that qualify as partners to high-need schools or programs to include entities that are educational organizations, entities operating programs that provide alternative routes to state certification of teachers or school leaders, or educational service agencies.

This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment authorizing Congress and the states to set reasonable limits on the raising and spending of money by candidates and others to influence elections. The amendment grants Congress and the states the power to implement and enforce this amendment by legislation. They are allowed to distinguish between natural persons and corporations or other artificial entities created by law, including by prohibiting such entities from spending money to influence elections.

This bill posthumously provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal in commemoration of the 13 service members who died on August 26, 2021, while stationed at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan.

Climate Risk Disclosure Act of 2021 This bill directs the Securities and Exchange Commission to require an issuer of securities to annually disclose information regarding climate change-related risks posed to the issuer, including an issuer's strategies and actions to mitigate these risks. Specifically, issuers must report their direct and indirect greenhouse-gas emissions and disclose their fossil fuel-related assets.

Fiscal Analysis by Income and Race Scoring Act or the FAIR Scoring Act This bill requires the Congressional Budget Office's (CBO's) cost estimates for legislation to include a distributional analysis by race and income if the legislation will have a gross budgetary effect of at least 0.1% of gross domestic product in any fiscal year during the 10-year budget window. CBO's analysis must show the transfers that would result by race and income level, and the effects must be shown both in dollars and as a percent change in after-tax-and-transfer-income. The bill also requires CBO to report to Congress on methods for conducting such a distributional analysis by gender.

For the People Act of 2021 This bill addresses voter access, election integrity and security, campaign finance, and ethics for the three branches of government. Specifically, the bill expands voter registration (e.g., automatic and same-day registration) and voting access (e.g., vote-by-mail and early voting). It also limits removing voters from voter rolls. The bill requires states to establish independent redistricting commissions to carry out congressional redistricting. Additionally, the bill sets forth provisions related to election security, including sharing intelligence information with state election officials, supporting states in securing their election systems, developing a national strategy to protect U.S. democratic institutions, establishing in the legislative branch the National Commission to Protect United States Democratic Institutions, and other provisions to improve the cybersecurity of election systems. Further, the bill addresses campaign finance, including by expanding the prohibition on campaign spending by foreign nationals, requiring additional disclosure of campaign-related fundraising and spending, requiring additional disclaimers regarding certain political advertising, and establishing an alternative campaign funding system for certain federal offices. The bill addresses ethics in all three branches of government, including by requiring a code of conduct for Supreme Court Justices, prohibiting Members of the House from serving on the board of a for-profit entity, and establishing additional conflict-of-interest and ethics provisions for federal employees and the White House. The bill requires the President, the Vice President, and certain candidates for those offices to disclose 10 years of tax returns.

Nursing Home Improvement and Accountability Act of 2021 This bill establishes reporting, staffing, and other quality control requirements for Medicare skilled nursing facilities and Medicaid nursing facilities. For example, the bill requires facilities to have registered professional nurses available 24-7 and to provide infection control services overseen by infection preventionists at least 40 hours per week. It also establishes civil penalties for facilities that submit inaccurate reports relating to staffing data and prohibits facilities from entering into pre-dispute arbitration agreements. Additionally, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must conduct additional quality control and oversight, including (1) auditing facility cost reports; (2) reviewing the quality and effectiveness of compliance surveys; and (3) establishing on-site educational programming for facilities that fail to meet applicable standards. The CMS must also establish minimum staff-to-resident ratios for nursing staff, as it determines appropriate. The bill also establishes a demonstration program to evaluate the impact of certain changes to facility design, staffing, and care coordination on the health outcomes of residents in skilled nursing facilities. Among other requirements, selected facilities must serve between 5 and 14 residents, offer private rooms, and have resident and family councils.

Frank Harrison, Elizabeth Peratrovich, and Miguel Trujillo Native American Voting Rights Act of 2021 This bill addresses the voting rights of Native American and Alaska Native voters and voting access on tribal lands. The bill includes provisions expanding the types of facilities that can be used as voter registration agencies; increasing polling site accessibility, including by expanding early in-person voting and providing ballot drop boxes; providing enforcement power to citizens and attorneys general; requiring approval for actions like moving a polling place; validating certain tribal identification for voting or registering to vote; permitting voters to designate another individual to return a ballot on their behalf; and expanding requirements for bilingual voting accessibility. In addition, the bill establishes a Native American voting task force grant program for the purpose of increasing voter outreach, education, registration, turnout, and accessibility for Native American communities. The bill also directs the Government Accountability Office to study and report on (1) the prevalence of nontraditional or nonexistent mailing addresses among Indians, members of tribes, and individuals residing on Indian lands; and (2) the alternatives for removing barriers to voter registration, receipt of voter information and materials, and receipt of ballots.

This resolution expresses the condolences of the Senate regarding the death of the Honorable Maurice Robert Gravel, former Senator from Alaska.

Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act This bill specifically includes pharmacy services as part of covered home infusion therapy under Medicare, and specifies that certain payment components still apply regardless of whether or not a qualified supplier is physically present in the beneficiary's home. The bill also allows nurses and physician assistants to establish and review the plan of care for home infusion therapy.