Sen. Tammy Duckworth

Adjunct Faculty Loan Fairness Act of 2021 This bill allows certain part-time faculty to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Specifically, the bill allows part-time faculty members or instructors to participate in the PSLF program if they (1) teach at least one course at an institution of higher education, a postsecondary vocational institution, or a tribal college or university; and (2) do not have another full-time job.

Investing in Main Street Act of 2021 This bill authorizes certain banking entities, subject to the approval of the appropriate federal banking agency, to invest up to 15% of their capital and surplus in one or more small business investment companies (SBICs) or in any entity established to invest solely in SBICs.

Women's Retirement Protection Act This bill modifies the requirements for employer-sponsored pension plans to (1) extend spousal consent requirements that currently apply to defined benefit pension plans to defined contribution pension plans; and (2) allow certain long-term, part-time workers to participate in pension plans that include either a qualified cash or deferred arrangement or a salary reduction agreement. Financial product or service providers who sell retirement financial products or services must provide purchasers of their products or services an easily accessible link to the website of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to obtain information relating to retirement planning or later life economic security. The Women's Bureau of the Department of Labor shall award grants to certain community-based organizations to (1) improve the financial literacy of women who are working age or in retirement, and (2) assist low-income women and survivors of domestic violence in obtaining qualified domestic relations orders and the benefits they are entitled to through the orders.

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.

Taiwan Partnership Act This bill requires the Department of Defense to submit a report annually to the Congressional defense committees on the feasibility and advisability of enhanced cooperation between the National Guard and Taiwan.

Reconciliation in Place Names Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior to establish the Advisory Committee on Reconciliation in Place Names to advise the Board on Geographic Names with regard to renaming geographic features with offensive place names. The board shall rename a geographic feature with an offensive name in accordance with a recommendation of the committee unless the board determines that (1) there is a compelling reason and substantial public interest in rejecting the recommendation, or (2) approving the recommendation would violate federal law. The board shall accept or reject a recommendation within three years of receiving the recommendation.

Support Through Loss Act This bill provides employees with 24 hours of paid leave time each year for an absence resulting from a pregnancy loss or other specified circumstance related to pregnancy, fertility, or an unsuccessful assisted reproductive procedure or adoption match. Employers must notify each employee about the availability of this paid leave and may not discriminate or discharge an employee for exercising or attempting to exercise the right to such paid leave. The bill provides for enforcement of this requirement by the Department of Labor and through civil action brought by an employee or individual. Further, the bill requires specified federal agencies to conduct research and publish information about pregnancy loss and related evidence-based treatment options.

Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act This bill imposes importation limits on goods produced using forced labor in China, especially the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, and imposes sanctions related to such forced labor. The Department of Homeland Security shall report to Congress a strategy for preventing the importation of goods produced in China using forced labor. The strategy must contain certain information, including a list of entities working with the government in Xinjiang to move forced labor or Uyghurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, or members of other persecuted groups out of Xinjiang. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection shall generally presume that goods produced by these entities and certain other entities, generally those sourcing material from Xinjiang or involved with Chinese government forced labor programs, are barred from importation into the United States. The bill also expands existing asset- and visa-blocking sanctions related to Xinjiang to cover foreign individuals and entities responsible for serious human rights abuses in connection with forced labor. The Department of State shall report to Congress a strategy to enhance international awareness of forced labor in Xinjiang and to address such forced labor.

Fairness in Federal Disaster Declarations Act of 2021 This bill requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to amend the rules concerning the factors it considers when evaluating a governor's request for a major disaster declaration. FEMA must (1) provide that, with respect to the evaluation of the need for public assistance, specific weighted valuations shall be assigned to the estimated cost of the assistance (10%), localized impacts (40%), insurance coverage in force (10%), hazard mitigation (10%), recent multiple disasters (10%), programs of other federal assistance (10%), and economic circumstances (10%); and (2) consider the economic circumstances of both the local economy of the affected area (including the local assessable tax base and local sales tax, median income, and poverty rate) and the state economy (including the unemployment rate). Such rules are applicable to any disaster for which a governor requested a major disaster declaration and was denied on or after January 1, 2012.

Military Housing Oversight and Service Member Protection Act This bill modifies various provisions related to the contracting and provision of privatized military housing. Among other requirements, DOD must establish formal written requirements and guidance for entering into and renewing contracts related to the acquisition and improvement of military housing, employ a sufficient number of independent housing inspectors with appropriate certifications to conduct inspections without notice to landlords, provide oversight to ensure that maintenance for such housing units is completed in accordance with applicable health and building codes, publish the financial details of each contract for the management of housing units, and ensure all military medical treatment facilities screen members of the armed forces or their family members who have resided in unsafe housing units. The bill also extends legal protections afforded to tenants located in a jurisdiction surrounding a military instillation to tenants residing in housing located on a military installation, establishes a presumption of service-connection for certain conditions that are determined to be associated with residing in privatized military housing, provides Department of Veterans Affairs health care for conditions associated with residing in privatized military housing to a family member of a veteran (including a child in utero) during a specified time period, and prohibits specified individuals from owning interest in an entity that owns or manages privatized military housing. DOD is authorized to modify any contract entered into regarding privatized military housing to conform to changes made by this bill.