Justice for Victims of Sanctuary Cities Act of 2021 This bill provides a private right of action against state and local jurisdictions with certain policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement efforts, and contains additional provisions related to such jurisdictions. Currently, such cooperation is generally not required. An individual (or certain relatives of such an individual) who is the victim of any felony for which an alien has been arrested, convicted, or sentenced to a prison term of at least one year may sue a state or local jurisdiction if the jurisdiction failed to comply with (1) certain Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requests related to arresting and detaining aliens, and (2) a DHS request to detain the alien in question or provide a notification about the release of the alien. A jurisdiction that accepts certain federal grants may not assert immunity in such a civil action. A jurisdiction (or employee of a jurisdiction) that complies with certain DHS detainer requests shall be deemed to be acting as an agent of DHS. A complying jurisdiction or employee of the jurisdiction shall not be liable in any lawsuit relating to compliance with such requests. In a lawsuit against an employee of the jurisdiction, the United States shall be substituted in as the defendant, and remedies shall be limited to provisions for bringing tort claims against the federal government.
Sponsored bills
Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act This bill establishes a new criminal offense for performing or attempting to perform an abortion if the probable post-fertilization age of the fetus is 20 weeks or more. A violator is subject to criminal penalties—a fine, a prison term of up to five years, or both. The bill provides exceptions for an abortion (1) that is necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or (2) when the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. A physician who performs or attempts to perform an abortion under an exception must comply with specified requirements. A woman who undergoes a prohibited abortion may not be prosecuted for violating or conspiring to violate the provisions of this bill.
Adversarial Platform Prevention Act of 2021 or the APP Act This bill establishes requirements for owners and operators of certain software (e.g., TikTok) from specified countries who make their software available to consumers in the United States. Specifically, before making such software available for download, the software must provide users with a warning that includes the name of the owner and the owner's country of principal operation. Further, owners of such software must annually disclose to the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice certain information about the consumer data of U.S. users, including any data protection measures in place and any internal content moderation practices. Such owners may not collect or store data from U.S. users if they comply with any requests from specified foreign governments to disclose consumer data about U.S. users or any requests from such governments to censor U.S. users. The protections from liability for third-party publishers of content are not applicable to owners of foreign software who are subject to the requirements of this bill. Such software owners in violation of these requirements are subject to civil penalties enforced by the Federal Trade Commission and may be subject to criminal penalties for intentional violations.
Venezuela Temporary Protected Status Act of 2021 This bill provides assistance to eligible nationals of Venezuela. Under this bill, eligible nationals of Venezuela shall qualify for temporary protected status, which prevents their removal from the United States and allows them to obtain employment and travel authorization. Such status shall be available to qualifying nationals of Venezuela for 18 months starting from this bill's enactment. The Department of State shall work with international partners to increase the capacity of countries in the region to provide migration services and asylum to eligible Venezuelan citizens.
Strengthening America's Health Care Readiness Act This bill establishes an emergency services demonstration program within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide supplemental student loan repayment to current and former National Health Services Corps (NHSC) participants. The NHSC provides scholarships and student loan repayment awards to health care providers who agree to work in areas with health care provider shortages. To receive supplemental payments, individuals must agree to participate in the National Disaster Medical System. This system is a partnership between HHS, the Department of Defense, and other federal departments that responds to public health and other emergencies, including by deploying medical response teams. The bill also increases FY2021 funding for the NHSC, as well as similar programs for nurses. It reserves some of this funding for individuals who are members of groups that are historically underrepresented in health care professions. The funds for the Nurse Corps Scholarship and Repayment Program are designated as an emergency requirement, which exempts the funds from discretionary spending limits and other budget enforcement rules.
This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the Constitution requiring the Supreme Court to be composed of not more than nine Justices.
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment limiting Representatives to three terms and Senators to two terms. Terms beginning before the ratification of this amendment do not count towards term limits.
This resolution calls for the International Olympic Committee to rebid the 2022 Winter Olympics if China fails to demonstrate significant progress in securing fundamental human rights. The resolution also expresses support for the well-being of Olympic athletes and the integrity of sport.
Local Water Protection Act This bill reauthorizes through FY2025 programs within the Environmental Protection Agency that award grants to states for managing nonpoint source water pollution or protecting groundwater quality. Water pollution from nonpoint sources is caused by precipitation picking up pollution as it moves over or through the ground.
Florida Shores Protection and Fairness Act This bill revises the Gulf of Mexico outer Continental Shelf revenue sharing program. Specifically, it expands the program to include Florida.Currently, only Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas are included in the program that shares the revenues from oil and gas leasing on the Gulf of Mexico outer Continental Shelf. Additionally, the bill extends to June 30, 2032, the moratorium on oil and gas leasing in certain areas of the Gulf of Mexico.