Safe Environment from Countries Under Repression and Emergency Act or the SECURE Act This bill allows qualified nationals of a country that has or had a temporary protected status designation to obtain permanent resident status. Such an alien qualifies for permanent residence if the alien had temporary protected status, qualified for such status on certain dates, or was present in the United States due to having been granted deferred enforced departure status that extended past a certain date; has been continuously present in the United States for three years before applying for adjustment or before being removed after a certain date; is not inadmissible or deportable for certain reasons; and passes applicable background checks. The continuous presence requirement may be waived in certain instances. A spouse, domestic partner, child, or unmarried child of a qualifying alien may also obtain permanent resident status under the bill upon meeting certain requirements. An alien with a pending application shall receive work authorization and be eligible for travel authorization. An alien may not be removed if the alien (1) has a pending application, or (2) is prima facie eligible for permanent resident status under this bill and intends to apply. Information from applications may not be used or shared for immigration enforcement, with limited exceptions such as for identifying fraudulent claims. The Department of Homeland Security must report to Congress when terminating a country's temporary protected status designation with an explanation justifying the termination.
Sponsored bills
Arctic Refuge Protection Act of 2021 This bill designates approximately 1,559,538 acres of land within Alaska in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as a component of the National Wilderness Preservation System.
Gun Violence Prevention Research Act of 2021 This bill authorizes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct or support research on firearms safety or gun violence prevention.
Emergency Relief for Farmers of Color Act of 2021 This bill provides funds for the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide assistance to address historical discrimination and disparities in the agriculture sector. For example, USDA must provide debt forgiveness to help socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers pay off outstanding farm loan debts and address issues relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Additionally, USDA must provide a competitive grant to a school of law or legal research entity to establish the National Center for Minority Farmer Agricultural Law Research and Information. It must also provide grants and loans to resolve property issues relating to ownership and succession on farmland. The bill provides financial assistance to cooperative development centers, individual cooperatives, or groups of cooperatives that serve socially disadvantaged groups. It also provides financial assistance and technical assistance to certain nonprofit organizations that provide services to socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers. USDA must provide support for research, education, and extension at historically Black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions. It must also provide grants to land-grant colleges and universities for student scholarships, including for students who are members of Indian tribes and pursuing an agricultural field of study. The bill also requires USDA to establish an equity commission to address and mitigate discrimination across its agency.
Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit Enhancement Act of 2021 This bill modifies the tax credit for employment-related expenses incurred for the care of a taxpayer's dependent to (1) increase to $400,000, the adjusted gross income threshold level above which the credit is incrementally reduced; (2) increase the dollar limits on the allowable amount of the credit; (3) specify rules for married couples filing separate returns; (4) allow an inflation adjustment to the adjusted gross income threshold and the maximum credit amounts, beginning after 2022; and (5) make the credit refundable.
Jamal Khashoggi Press Freedom Accountability Act of 2021 This bill establishes measures to protect the human rights of journalists. Specifically, the bill (1) expands the scope of required reports related to violations of the human rights of journalists, (2) requires the President to impose certain property- and visa-blocking sanctions on persons responsible for gross violations of the human rights of journalists, and (3) prohibits certain foreign assistance to a governmental entity of a country if an official acting under authority of the entity has committed a gross violation of human rights against a journalist.
This bill provides funds for assistance to homeowners to prevent mortgage defaults, foreclosures, and displacements of individuals and families experiencing financial hardship after January 21, 2020. The Department of the Treasury must disburse the funds to state housing finance agencies, territories, and Indian tribes for the provision of such assistance.
Family and Medical Insurance Leave Act or the FAMILY Act This bill entitles every employee to a family and medical leave insurance (FMLI) monthly benefit payment of two-thirds of the employee's regular pay, limited to a maximum of $4,000, for not more than 60 days of qualified caregiving. The bill establishes the Office of Paid Family and Medical Leave within the Social Security Administration to administer the FMLI program. An FMLI benefit payment must be coordinated with any periodic benefits received under a state or local temporary disability insurance or family leave program. The bill imposes a tax on employers, employees, and self-employed individuals to fund FMLI benefits. It also establishes the Federal Family and Medical Leave Insurance Trust Fund to hold tax revenues.
All Dependents Count Act of 2021 This bill extends the 2020 recovery rebates of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to all taxpayer dependents.
United States-Cuba Trade Act of 2021 This bill repeals the trade embargo on Cuba and other provisions restricting trade and travel to Cuba. Specifically, the bill (1) removes restrictions on certain transactions related to trademarks used in connection with a confiscated business or asset, (2) extends nondiscriminatory trade treatment to Cuban products, and (3) prohibits and rescinds limits on remittances to Cuba. The bill authorizes common carriers to provide telecommunications services between the United States and Cuba. In addition, travel by U.S. citizens and residents to Cuba may not be regulated or prohibited if such travel would be lawful in the United States. The President shall take all necessary steps to engage with Cuba to (1) negotiate settlements relating to claims that Cuba had taken the property of U.S. nationals, and (2) secure the protection of internationally recognized human rights. The President may, with respect to Cuba, impose new export controls and exercise powers related to declared national emergencies. The President must submit a specified determination about a foreign country to Congress prior to denying an income tax credit for taxes paid to the foreign country.