Sen. Rob Portman

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.

Maddy summarySRES 411 designates October 6, 2021, as "Energy Efficiency Day" to celebrate the economic and environmental benefits of energy efficiency policies and private sector innovation. The resolution calls on the American public to observe the day with programs and activities highlighting how these efforts have saved consumers billions annually in energy costs and reduced energy waste. It references decades of bipartisan support for energy efficiency, including federal policies that have driven significant energy savings and job growth in the sector. The bill does not create new regulations but serves as a symbolic recognition of existing achievements in energy conservation.

Maddy summaryThis resolution designates October 8, 2021, as "National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day" to recognize the importance of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. It does not create new laws, regulations, or funding, serving solely as a symbolic observance. The bill references hydrogen's role in energy, transportation, and space programs but contains no concrete policy changes. It directly affects no individuals or entities, as it is purely a ceremonial designation by the Senate.

Better Enforcement of Grievous Offenses by unNaturalized Emigrants or the BE GONE Act This bill expands, for immigration purposes, the definition of aggravated felony to include sexual assault and aggravated sexual violence. (Under current law, a conviction for an aggravated felony is grounds for deportation and may bar an individual from other immigration-related benefits.)

National Aviation Heritage Area Reauthorization Act This bill reauthorizes through FY2036 assistance from the National Park Service for the National Aviation Heritage Area in Ohio.

This bill reauthorizes through FY2036 the authority of the Department of the Interior to make any grants or provide any financial assistance for the Ohio & Erie National Heritage Canalway in Ohio. The bill increases the total amount that may be appropriated for the canalway.

Excellence in Recovery Housing Act This bill tasks the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) with various activities to promote the availability of high-quality recovery housing for individuals with substance use disorders. Recovery housing refers to shared living environments free from alcohol and illicit drug use and centered on peer support and connection to services that promote sustained recovery from substance use disorders. Specifically, SAMHSA must develop and publish on its website standards and guidelines for recovery housing; award grants to states, tribal nations, territories, and localities to implement such standards and guidelines; convene an interagency working group to coordinate federal activities related to recovery housing; and arrange for research on the supply, quality, and effectiveness of recovery housing.

Transatlantic Telecommunications Security Act This bill directs the Department of State and other federal agencies to help Central and Eastern European countries improve the security of their telecommunications networks. A project located in a Central or Eastern European country shall be eligible for assistance if it (1) improves telecommunications networks with secure equipment or services, (2) removes telecommunications equipment or services from China, or (3) enhances telecommunications market integration across the Central or Eastern European region that is secure against malign actors. To support eligible projects, the State Department must provide, as necessary, diplomatic and political support and must also encourage international financial institutions to provide investment support. The U.S. Trade and Development Agency, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, and other specified federal agencies must also provide project support, such as feasibility studies and finance-related support, as necessary.

This bill provides funding through FY2026 and provides statutory authority for an office and related initiatives within the Department of State to advance U.S. foreign policy concerning the status of women and girls. Specifically, the bill provides statutory authority for an Office of Global Women's Issues. The office, headed by an Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women's Issues, must advise on foreign policy and international programs relating to equal opportunities for and the advancement of women and girls. Additionally, the bill provides statutory authority for the Women's Global Development and Prosperity Initiative, which promotes women in the workforce and otherwise supports economic advancement for women internationally. The bill prohibits the office, ambassador, or initiative from using funding to lobby other countries to change their abortion laws or policies or include abortion as a programmatic requirement. The State Department must report annually on the program, including compliance with the abortion-related funding restrictions.

Providing Officers With Electronic Resources Act or the POWER Act This bill authorizes the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services within the Department of Justice to make grants to law enforcement agencies to purchase a chemical screening device and to train personnel to use, and interpret data collected by, such device.