Sen. Marsha Blackburn

Guarding Readiness Resources Act of 2021 This bill modifies the treatment of funds received by the National Guard Bureau as a reimbursement from a state or other U.S. territory (e.g., Guam) for the use of military property. Specifically, the funds must be credited to (1) the appropriation, fund, or account used in incurring the obligation; or (2) an appropriation, fund, or account currently available for the purposes of which the expenditures were made.

Toxic Exposure in the American Military Act or the TEAM Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to expand health care, benefits, and resources for veterans with conditions related to exposure to toxic substances. Specifically, the bill expands eligibility for VA hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care to include veterans who (1) were exposed to toxic substances, radiation, or other conditions, and were awarded certain medals (e.g., the Armed Forces Service Medal); (2) are eligible for inclusion in the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry; or (3) have been identified by the Department of Defense to have been possibly exposed during service to an open burn pit, toxic substance, or specified hazardous sites. (A burn pit is an area used for burning solid waste in open air without equipment.) The bill establishes a presumption of service-connection for diseases associated with exposure to certain toxic substances and that become manifest within a certain time period; the VA must specify such diseases and requirements through regulations. Under a presumption of service-connection, specific conditions diagnosed in certain veterans are presumed to have been caused by the circumstances of their military service. Health care benefits and disability compensation may then be awarded. The bill also requires the VA to take specified actions to (1) evaluate scientific evidence regarding associations between diseases and exposure to toxic substances; (2) train its health care personnel on identifying, treating, and assessing illnesses related to such exposure; and (3) provide resources to veterans exposed to toxic substances.

Veterans Burn Pits Exposure Recognition Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to concede, for the purposes of health care benefits and wartime disability compensation, that a veteran was exposed to certain toxic substances, chemicals, and hazards from burn pits if such veteran served on active duty in a covered location during a specified time frame (unless there is affirmative evidence to establish that the veteran was not exposed during such service). A burn pit is an area used for burning solid waste in open air without equipment. Specifically, the bill covers the following locations and corresponding time periods: Iraq between August 2, 1990, and February 28, 1991, as well as from March 19, 2003, until burn pits are no longer used in this location; Southwest Asia (including Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Qatar) from August 2, 1990, until burn pits are no longer used in these locations; and Afghanistan, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Yemen, and Djibouti from September 11, 2001, until burn pits are no longer used in these locations. Under the bill, if an exposed veteran submits insufficient evidence to establish a service-connection for purposes of disability compensation, the VA shall provide a medical examination and request a medical opinion regarding a causal link between the disability and a toxin, chemical, or hazard.

Abortion Providers Loan Elimination Act This bill makes abortion providers ineligible to receive a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program, which was established to support small businesses in response to COVID-19. This prohibition shall not apply to hospitals or entities that exclusively provide abortions (1) where the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, or (2) where the pregnancy endangers the life of the mother. The Inspector General of the Small Business Administration must report on the number of paycheck protection loans made to the Planned Parenthood Federation of America and to other abortion providers.

This bill requires educational institutions that participate in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program to report certain information regarding that institution's dealings with China's government. Specifically, when an institution petitions for certification or recertification with the program, its petition must include (1) the final copies of any documentation of financial transactions between the institution (or any affiliated groups or entities) and an entity funded by China's government, and (2) a detailed description of any financial contribution from China's government to any student or faculty groups affiliated with the institution. An institution that fails to provide such information shall lose its approval (or be denied approval) under the program, and visas for students attending the institution under the program shall be revoked or denied. Furthermore, the program shall conduct an out-of-cycle review of such an institution.

This resolution designates April 2021 as Financial Literacy Month.

Safeguarding Educational Institutions, Colleges, Universities, and Research Entities from China's Attempts to Misappropriate Property of the United States Act of 2021 or the SECURE CAMPUS Act of 2021 This bill prohibits certain Chinese citizens from receiving visas to participate in graduate or post-graduate studies in science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) and contains other related provisions. This prohibition applies to F (academic student) and J (exchange visitor) visas and does not apply to citizens or permanent residents of Taiwan or Hong Kong. (China considers Taiwan a Chinese province. Hong Kong is a special administrative region within China, and most of its permanent inhabitants are Chinese citizens.) The Department of State may waive this prohibition on a case-by-case basis for national security purposes or if the applicant is a member of a religious or ethnic group that is systematically oppressed by the Chinese Communist Party. Institutions of higher education in the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Program must annually certify that no prohibited Chinese citizens are permitted to participate in the institution's graduate or post-graduate STEM programs. A recipient of a federal STEM research grant must certify that the recipient (1) is not a Chinese citizen or a participant in a Chinese government foreign researcher recruitment program (a program that compensates individuals to conduct STEM-related research and development), and (2) will not knowingly use grant funds to employ such an individual. Entities that receive certain federal research or education assistance shall not knowingly employ any individual participating in a Chinese government foreign researcher recruitment program. An individual who recruits or performs research for such a program must register as an agent of a foreign principal.

Promotion and Expansion of Private Employee Ownership Act of 2021 This bill expands tax incentives and federal assistance for employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) that are sponsored by S corporations. The bill extends to all domestic corporations, including S corporations, provisions allowing deferral of tax on gain from the sale of employer securities to an ESOP. The Department of the Treasury must establish the S Corporation Employee Ownership Assistance Office to foster increased employee ownership of S corporations. The bill defines an ESOP business concern and allows such a concern to continue to qualify as a small business for the purposes of programs under the Small Business Act. An ESOP business concern is a business concern that was a small business concern eligible for a loan, preference, or other program under the Small Business Act before more than 49% of the business concern was acquired by an ESOP.

Woman's Right To Know Act This bill specifies requirements for informed consent that health care providers must obtain before performing an abortion procedure. Providers must present a woman seeking an abortion with an authorization form at least 24 hours before performing the procedure. The form must (1) include specified information concerning gestational age, associated developmental characteristics, and medical risks; (2) disclose penalties that providers may face for failing to obtain the requisite informed consent; and (3) include an affirmation that the individual signing the form understands the information. The form must be signed and witnessed in person and retained in the medical file. Providers do not have to obtain such consent if, in reasonable medical judgment, obtaining it would pose a greater risk of death or substantial physical impairment of a major bodily function, excluding psychological or emotional conditions, of the pregnant woman. The bill also establishes civil penalties for providers who do not comply with these requirements.

This resolution extends condolences to the family and friends of former Vice President Walter Mondale. The resolution acknowledges Mondale's lifetime service to the United States, including as a U.S. Senator and as the first presidential candidate from a major party to select a woman, Geraldine Ferraro, as his running mate.