Sen. Mike Braun

This bill invalidates certain provisions of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations as added by the final rulemaking of the State Superintendent of Education of the District of Columbia issued on December 7, 2016, that require a staff member of a child development facility to have a degree, a certificate, or a minimum number of credit hours from an institution of higher education. The requirements of this rulemaking apply to personnel including child development center directors, teachers, and assistant teachers; expanded child development home caregivers; and out-of-school time program directors and group leaders.

Cattle Market Transparency Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish and maintain a library or catalog of each type of contract offered by packers to producers for the purchase of all or part of the production of fed cattle (including cattle that are purchased or committed for delivery). Fed cattle means a steer or heifer that has been feeding on a ration of roughage and feed concentrates prior to slaughter, including grains, protein meal, grass, and other nutrient-rich feeds. USDA must create and maintain a publicly available library of the types of contracts that are being offered by packers to, and are open to acceptance by, producers for the purchase of fed cattle. Additionally, USDA must also establish (1) regional mandatory minimum thresholds to enhance price discovery and transparency for cattle market participants; and (2) methods for establishing such thresholds, which shall be publicly available. Further, the bill revises daily reporting requirements for packer processing plants by requiring them to include the number of cattle scheduled to be delivered for slaughter each day for the subsequent 14 days.

Recovery Startup Assistance Act This bill expands the employee retention tax credit to include recovery startup businesses. The bill defines recovery startup business as any employer that began a trade or business after February 15, 2020, had less than 50 full-time employees, and did not have gross receipts in excess of $25,000 in the preceding five-year period.

This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the Constitution to require that the Supreme Court consist of nine Justices.

This resolution supports the designation of February 20-February 27, 2021, as National FFA Week. It also (1) recognizes the important role of the National FFA Organization (Future Farmers of America) in developing the next generation of leaders who will change the world, and (2) celebrates 50 years of National FFA alumni and supporters.

Earmark Elimination Act of 2021 This bill establishes a point of order in the Senate against considering legislation that includes an earmark. An earmark is generally any congressionally directed spending, tax benefit, or tariff benefit that benefits a specific entity, state, locality, or congressional district other than through a statutory or administrative formula or competitive award process. The point of order may be waived by an affirmative vote of two-thirds of the Senate. If the point of order is successfully raised and sustained, the earmark must be stricken from the legislation.

This bill creates a point of order against considering legislation in the Senate that modifies the total number of Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. The bill allows the point of order to be waived by a vote of two-thirds of the Senate.

Stop Tip-overs of Unstable, Risky Dressers on Youth Act or the STURDY Act This bill requires the Consumer Product Safety Commission to revise the safety standards for freestanding clothing storage units such as dressers, bureaus, or chests of drawers. Such standards must include specified testing related to tip overs and new warning requirements for all such products entering the U.S. market.

This bill prohibits the Export-Import Bank from providing financing to a person with seriously delinquent tax debt or for a project in which any participant has seriously delinquent tax debt.

End Pensions in Congress Act or the EPIC Act This bill excludes future Members of Congress from the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS) and requires Members currently enrolled in FERS or the Civil Service Retirement System to opt in to continue their enrollment.