Ending Passenger Rail Forced Arbitration Act This bill prohibits all pre-dispute arbitration agreements and pre-dispute joint-action waivers with respect to consumer and civil rights disputes between Amtrak and its customers.
This bill authorizes the Department of State to initiate a U.S. plan to endorse Taiwan's membership in the Inter-American Development Bank as a nonborrowing member. (The bank's nonborrowing members, such as the United States, provide capital and have voting representation in the bank's board of governors and board of executive directors.) The State Department may also instruct the U.S. governor at the bank to work with the board of governors to admit Taiwan as a nonborrowing member.
Cancer Drug Parity Act of 20 21 This bill requires group health plans that cover anticancer medications administered by a health care provider to provide no less favorable cost sharing for patient-administered anticancer medications. This requirement applies to medications that are (1) approved by the Food and Drug Administration; (2) medically necessary for the cancer treatment; and (3) clinically appropriate in terms of type, frequency, extent site, and duration. To comply with this requirement, plans may not, with respect to anticancer medications (1) change or replace benefits to increase out-of-pocket costs, (2) reclassify benefits to increase costs, or (3) apply more restrictive limitations to orally administered medications than to intravenously administered or injected medications.
Taiwan Actions Supporting Security by Undertaking Regular Engagements Act or the Taiwan ASSURE Act This bill authorizes activities pertaining to Taiwan and requires reports on related topics. This bill authorizes from FY2022 through FY2025 (1) activities and trainings to increase Taiwan's economic and international integration, and (2) Department of State activities to support strategic dialogues facilitated by independent nonprofit organizations to discuss stability issues related to China and Taiwan. The Department of Defense (DOD) must report to Congress on (1) the feasibility and advisability of establishing a partnership between the U.S. National Guard and Taiwan's Armed Forces Reserve Command, and (2) an assessment of the implementation of Taiwan's asymmetric defense strategy. The State Department, in coordination with DOD, must report annually on (1) military-to-military dialogues and confidence-building measures between the United States and China, and (2) diplomatic engagements with China that involved discussions about issues concerning China and Taiwan.
Equity in Pretrial Health Coverage Act This bill allows an otherwise eligible individual who is in custody pending disposition of charges (i.e., pretrial detainees) to receive health care benefits through Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act of 2021 This bill establishes several requirements and standards relating to prior authorization processes under Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. Specifically, MA plans must (1) establish an electronic prior authorization program that meets specified standards, including the ability to provide real-time decisions in response to requests for items and services that are routinely approved; (2) annually publish specified prior authorization information, including the percentage of requests approved and the average response time; and (3) meet other standards, as set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, relating to the quality and timeliness of prior authorization determinations.
Community Re-Entry through Addiction Treatment to Enhance Opportunities Act or the CREATE Opportunities Act This bill establishes the Medication-assisted Treatment Corrections and Community Reentry Program in the Department of Justice. Under the program, the National Institute of Corrections may award grants to support state or local programs that provide medication-assisted treatment for incarcerated individuals who have opioid-use disorders.
Freedom to Vote Act This bill addresses voter registration and voting access, election integrity and security, redistricting, and campaign finance. 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. Next, the bill establishes Election Day as a federal holiday. The bill declares that the right of a U.S. citizen to vote in any election for federal office shall not be denied or abridged because that individual has been convicted of a criminal offense unless, at the time of the election, such individual is serving a felony sentence. The bill establishes certain federal criminal offenses related to voting. In particular, the bill establishes a new criminal offense for conduct (or attempted conduct) to corruptly hinder, interfere with, or prevent another person from registering to vote or helping someone register to vote. Additionally, the bill sets forth provisions related to election security, including by requiring states to conduct post-election audits for federal elections. The bill outlines criteria for congressional redistricting and generally prohibits mid-decade redistricting. 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.
Prevent Release Of Toxics Emissions, Contamination, and Transfer Act of 2021 or the PROTECT Act of 2021 This bill adds specified perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, commonly referred to as PFAS, as hazardous air pollutants under the Clean Air Act. These substances are man-made and may have adverse human health effects.
This resolution recognizes (1) the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 - October 15, 2021; and (2) the integral role of Latinos and their manifold heritage in the economy, culture, and identity of the United States.
