Sen. Debbie Stabenow

Supplemental Security Income Restoration Act of 2021 This bill modifies eligibility for, and other components of, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, including by (1) increasing applicable income and resource limits used to determine SSI eligibility, (2) equalizing treatment of married couples when both spouses receive SSI as compared to two unmarried individuals, and (3) eliminating the penalty on SSI applicants or recipients who transfer resources to another individual for less than fair market value.

Refund Equality Act of  2021 This bill permits legally married same sex couples to amend their tax returns to file as married filing jointly for returns outside of the statute of limitations.

Medical Nutrition Equity Act of 2021 This bill expands coverage under Medicare, Medicaid, other specified federal health care programs, and private health insurance to include foods, vitamins, and individual amino acids that are medically necessary for the management of certain digestive and metabolic disorders and conditions.

COVID-19 Vaccine Developers Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to recognize all those whose efforts led to the development of COVID-19 vaccines that received emergency use authorizations.

Meat Packing Special Investigator Act This bill establishes within the Department of Agriculture's Packers and Stockyards Division the Office of the Special Investigator for Competition Matters. Specifically, the office must use all available tools (e.g., subpoenas) to investigate and prosecute violations of the Packers and Stockyards Act of 1921 by packers. Further, the bill grants the office the authority to bring any civil or administrative action authorized by that act against a packer. Additionally, the office must serve as a liaison to the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission with respect to competition and trade practices in the food and agricultural sector, consult with the Department of Homeland Security on national security and critical infrastructure security in the food and agricultural sector, and maintain a staff of attorneys and other professionals with appropriate expertise.

Protecting Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services Act of 2021 This bill modifies Medicare payment of ground ambulance services in rural areas. Specifically, the bill extends the specialized rate increase for such services for an additional five years (until January 1, 2028). The bill also requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to (1) allow an area that has 1,000 or fewer individuals per square mile to retain its status as a rural area even if it would otherwise no longer qualify, and (2) establish an appeals process for providers to seek reconsideration of a change in an area's status.

Greater Leadership Overseas for the Benefit of Equality Act of 2021 or the GLOBE Act of 2021 This bill contains provisions related to (1) the protection of LGBTQI individuals globally; and (2) immigration protections for vulnerable individuals. The bill establishes (1) an interagency group to respond to urgent threats to LGBTQI people in foreign countries, and (2) a permanent Special Envoy for the Human Rights of LGBTQI Peoples in the Department of State. The President shall impose visa-blocking sanctions on foreign persons responsible for violating the human rights of individuals based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics. The State Department shall establish the Global Equality Fund to provide assistance to nongovernmental organizations working to advance and protect human rights. The U.S. Agency for International Development shall establish the LGBTQI Global Development Partnership to work with the private sector and nongovernmental organizations to support LGBTQI rights. The bill contains several immigration-related provisions, such as those  establishing that persecution based on sexual orientation or gender identity may form the basis of an asylum request, allowing certain applicants to file asylum claims more than a year after their arrival in the United States, including a permanent partnership between two partners as a marriage for immigration law purposes, providing for free counsel in certain immigration proceedings, and granting U.S. citizenship to a child born abroad through assistive reproductive technology from a U.S. citizen who is the child's nonbiological parent.

Increasing Access to Quality Cardiac Rehabilitation Care Act of 2021 This bill accelerates and expands certain changes that are scheduled to take effect relating to the coverage of cardiac, intensive cardiac, and pulmonary rehabilitation programs under Medicare. Currently, such programs require physician supervision. Effective January 1, 2024, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists may also supervise these programs. The bill expedites the effective date of these changes to January 1, 2022, and also allows these practitioners to administer programs in their offices, prepare and sign treatment plans, and prescribe exercise.

This bill excludes certain purchases of employee-owned stock from being considered as outstanding voting stock for the purpose of the excise tax on excess business holdings of a private foundation in a business enterprise. The bill applies to any voting stock that is (1) not readily tradable on an established securities market; (2) purchased by the business enterprise on or after January 1, 2005, from an employee stock ownership plan in which employees of the business enterprise participate, in connection with a distribution from the plan; and (3) held by the business enterprise as treasury stock, cancelled, or retired.

This resolution expresses support for the rights, freedoms, and equal treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) individuals. The resolution r ecognizes that LGBTQ rights are human rights and protected by the laws of the United States and international treaties. Additionally, the resolution encourages the celebration of LGBTQ Pride Month in June.