Hong Kong Safe Harbor Act This bill designates certain Hong Kong residents with priority status for refugee consideration and contains other related provisions. An individual and certain family members shall have such priority status if the individual (1) is a Hong Kong resident who suffered persecution or has a well-founded fear of persecution as a result of peaceful political activity; or (2) has been formally charged, detained, or convicted for certain peaceful actions. An individual receiving refugee status under this bill shall not be counted against various numerical limitations. When determining whether an individual shall be admitted as a refugee under this bill, an individual whose citizenship, nationality, or residency was revoked for submitting a nonfrivolous application for a U.S. immigration benefit shall be considered to have suffered persecution on account of political opinion. The general presumption that an alien is seeking immigrant status shall not apply to certain Hong Kong residents seeking asylum into the United States. (Typically, an alien seeking admission as a nonimmigrant must establish that the alien does not intend to immigrate to the United States.) This exception to the presumption shall apply to certain individuals involved in the 2019 and 2020 protests against China's encroachment into Hong Kong's autonomy (Hong Kong is a part of China but has a separate legal and economic system). An individual from Hong Kong may not be denied admission into the United States if the primary reason for the denial is a politically motivated government action against the individual's involvement in protests.
Chinese Communist Party Visa Disclosure Act of 2021 or the CCP Visa Disclosure Act of 2021 This bill requires an applicant for an F, J, or M (student or exchange visitor) visa to disclose in the application certain information about whether the applicant has received or will receive funds from the Chinese government, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), or an entity controlled by either. If an individual receives such funds after receiving such a visa, the individual must inform the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of State. Any visa issued to an alien who violates these disclosure requirements may be revoked.
Reducing the Demand for Human Trafficking Act of 2021 This bill modifies the requirements regarding trafficking victim services grants. Specifically, it creates a preference for applicants who use the grant funds to investigate and prosecute individuals who solicit or purchase commercial sex.
This concurrent resolution states that President Donald J. Trump has acted in a manner grossly incompatible with self-governance and the rule of law. The resolution censures and condemns President Trump for trying to unlawfully overturn the 2020 presidential election and violating his oath of office on January 6, 2021. It affirms that Joseph R. Biden, Jr. was duly elected as the 46th President on November 3, 2020; was certified as the winner of the election by a Joint Session of Congress on January 6, 2021; and will be lawfully sworn into office on January 20, 2021.
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment limiting Representatives to three terms and Senators to two terms. Terms beginning before the ratification of this amendment do not count towards these term limits.
This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the Constitution to require that the Supreme Court consist of nine Justices.
This resolution honors Officers Brian Sicknick and Howard Liebengood of the U.S. Capitol Police, and it commends the bravery and service demonstrated by officers of the U.S. Capitol Police, the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia, and the other law enforcement agencies and protective entities that assisted in responding to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Drone Integration and Zoning Act This bill requires the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to prescribe regulations or standards related to unmanned aircraft systems. Among other requirements, the FAA must designate the area between 200 feet and 400 feet above ground level for use of civil unmanned aircraft systems; authorize, only with a property owner's permission, the operation of a civil unmanned aircraft in the immediate reaches of airspace above private property; preserve state, local, and tribal authority to issue certain reasonable restrictions on the operation of a civil unmanned aircraft system within 200 feet of the ground or a structure; and establish a process for the designation of routes above 200 feet of the ground as authorized commercial routes.
Protecting the Right to Keep and Bear Arms Act of 2021 This bill prohibits (1) the President or the Department of Health and Human Services from declaring emergencies or disasters for the purpose of imposing gun control; and (2) a federal officer or employee, or person operating under color of federal law, from banning the manufacture, sale, or transfer of firearms or ammunition while acting in support of relief from a major disaster or emergency.
Hydropower Clean Energy Future Act This bill expands provisions related to renewable energy, including hydropower production, and revises the hydropower licensing process. The bill updates federal renewable purchase requirements. Specifically, the bill requires the federal government to purchase an increasing amount of renewable energy, including hydropower. By 2026, 25% of the total amount of electric energy the federal government consumes during any fiscal year must be renewable energy. In addition, the bill also provides an expedited licensing process for next-generation hydropower projects. The bill also revises requirements concerning the environmental review of certain hydroelectric power projects, including by designating the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission as the lead agency for the purposes of environmental reviews, allowing certain categories of projects to be exempted from such reviews, and establishing deadlines to complete such reviews. Finally, the bill establishes requirements about resolving (1) inconsistent or conflicting license terms, and (2) federal interagency disputes or disputes among federal and state agencies.
Treat and Reduce Obesity Act of 2021 This bill expands Medicare coverage of intensive behavioral therapy for obesity. Specifically, the bill allows coverage for therapy that is provided by (1) a physician who is not a primary care physician; or (2) other health care providers (e.g., physician assistants and nurse practitioners) and approved counseling programs, if provided upon a referral from, and in coordination with, a physician or primary care practitioner. Currently, such therapy is covered only if provided by a primary care practitioner. The bill also allows coverage under Medicare's prescription drug benefit of drugs used for the treatment of obesity or for weight loss management for individuals who are overweight.
This resolution honors Dr. Aristides de Sousa Mendes do Amaral e Abranches, who as consul of Portugal in Bordeaux, France, saved thousands of lives by issuing transit visas to French Jews and other persons, sparing them from Nazi occupation and the Holocaust.
