Investing in Domestic Semiconductor Manufacturing Act This bill expands the incentives program that provides support to produce semiconductors, and related materials and equipment, in the United States.
This resolution authorizes a Senator, Senate officer, or Senate employee to (1) collect donations of clothing, toys, food, and housewares for certain charitable purposes during the holiday season from another Senator, Senate officer, or Senate employee within a Senate building or office; and (2) work with a nonprofit organization to deliver such donations.
Maddy summaryThis bill extends temporary increases in Medicare payments for physicians' services through 2022, instead of ending at the end of 2021. It directly affects Medicare providers (like doctors and clinics) who receive these payments under the Medicare program. The key change modifies the Social Security Act to extend the payment adjustment period from ending January 1, 2022, to January 1, 2023, ensuring continued funding for physician services during 2022. The bill does not alter payment rates or create new programs, only extends the existing temporary increase.
Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation Act or the SOAR Act This bill sets forth and revises provisions regarding special recreation permits for use by individuals and groups to engage in recreational activities on federal recreational lands and waters.
Maddy summarySRES 437 is a Senate resolution designating November 8, 2021, as "National First-Generation College Celebration Day." It symbolically recognizes first-generation college students - those whose parents did not earn bachelor’s degrees - and honors the 1965 Higher Education Act, which established key programs like Federal TRIO and Pell Grants supporting these students. The resolution does not create new laws or funding but urges nationwide acknowledgment of first-gen students’ contributions to education and workforce development. It directly affects awareness and recognition for this student group, linking their experiences to the historical context of the Higher Education Act.
Colonel John M. McHugh Tuition Fairness for Survivors Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to disapprove courses of education provided by public institutions of higher learning if such institutions charge a higher rate for tuition and fees than in-state tuition for individuals who are entitled to educational assistance under the Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance program.
Responsible Education Mitigating Options and Technical Extensions Act of 2021 or the REMOTE Act of 2021 This bill addresses the administration of certain Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) educational assistance benefits, including by authorizing the VA to waive certain enrollment verifications, exempting foreign educational institutions from certain requirements, and extending the time limitations on the use of educational assistance benefits.
Protecting America's First Responders Act of 2021 This bill makes changes to the Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) program. The PSOB program provides death, disability, and education benefits to public safety officers and survivors of public safety officers who are killed in the line of duty or permanently disabled as a result of catastrophic injuries sustained in the line of duty. Among the changes, the bill expands the public safety officers eligible for coverage under the PSOB program to include firefighters whose primary duty during an emergency response is to secure the scene or manage traffic and cadets or trainees in candidate-officer training; extends coverage under the PSOB program to certain public safety officers responding outside their jurisdiction; increases the interim benefit amount payable on a claim for death benefits and requires the interim amount to be adjusted annually for inflation; increases the benefit amount payable on a death or disability claim that has been pending for more than 365 days on the date of the final determination; allows the Department of Justice (DOJ) to use investigative tools, including subpoenas, to expedite the processing of claims and obtain information or documentation from third parties (e.g., public agencies); specifies that an injury resulting from a neurocognitive disorder qualifies as a catastrophic injury for the purposes of disability benefits; requires (currently, authorizes) DOJ to provide retroactive education benefits to qualifying children and spouses; specifies that hearing officers appointed to review claims are special government employees (i.e., employees who perform temporary duties for a limited period of time) and are authorized to conduct examinations; allows responders to the World Trade Center or their surviving family members to file claims for death or disability benefits in certain circumstances; and extends the period during which public safety officers who die or become injured as a result of COVID-19 are eligible for benefits.
This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to establish a working group to (1) evaluate the food safety threat posed by beef imported from Brazil, and (2) make recommendations regarding whether or not the importation of beef from Brazil should be permitted. The bill also suspends imports of beef from Brazil until the working group submits its recommendations to USDA.
Cattle Price Discovery and Transparency Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to take various actions to address transparency in pricing and contract terms in the cattle industry. Among these requirements, USDA must (1) establish regional minimum percentages of cattle that meat packers must procure through negotiated purchases or negotiated grid purchases (i.e., transactions where the price is known and negotiated at the time of the transaction), and (2) maintain a publicly available catalog of contracts offered by meat packers to livestock producers for the purchase of fed cattle.
