Rep. Pete Sessions

Protecting Life on College Campus Act of 2021 This bill prohibits the award of federal funds to an institution of higher education (IHE) that hosts or is affiliated with a school-based service site that provides abortion drugs or abortions to its students or to employees of the IHE or the site. An IHE that hosts or is affiliated with a site must, in order to remain eligible for federal funds, annually certify that the site does not provide abortion drugs or abortions to students or employees.

Entrepreneurs Need Timely Replenishment (for) Eating Establishments Act or the ENTRÉE Act This bill provides FY2021 supplemental appropriations for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund and modifies requirements related to administration of the fund. The fund was established in response to COVID-19 to make grants to eligible food and beverage purveyors for covering specified costs such as payroll, operational expenses, and paid sick leave. The bill correspondingly rescinds unobligated amounts previously made available for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program and coronavirus state and local fiscal recovery funds. Further, the bill requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to (1) review and process grant applications in the order in which they are received; (2) impose requirements on applicants that reduce waste, fraud, and abuse; and (3) submit and report monthly on an oversight and audit plan outlining the SBA's policies, procedures, and activities with respect to these grants.

Unfair or Deceptive Acts or Practices Uniformity Act This bill eliminates the authority of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to take action against a person or service provider for an abusive act or practice in connection with a consumer financial product or service. Additionally, the bureau is prohibited from taking action against an unfair or deceptive act unless the bureau first consults with the primary financial regulatory agency of the person or service provider. Finally, any rulemaking made by the bureau regarding an unfair or deceptive act must comply with certain Federal Trade Commission rulemaking requirements.

This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) provides essential protection for our country from foreign and domestic threats and that defunding DHS would be detrimental to our national security.

Freedom to Fly Act This bill prohibits regulations or policies that allow employees of the Transportation Security Administration to ask passengers flying domestically about vaccinations.

This resolution calls on the Russian government to immediately release Trevor Reed, a U.S. citizen, and all other political prisoners. It also condemns the Russian government's use of politically motivated imprisonment.

Vote Outcome Transparency in Elections Act or the VOTE Act This bill establishes certain requirements for counting ballots in federal elections. Specifically, the bill requires the appropriate state or local election official, within one hour after the closure of a polling place on election day, to submit a report to the chief state election official. The report must document (1) the total number of voted ballots in the possession of the state or local official, and (2) the total number of voted ballots that have been tabulated for the election. Within one hour after the closure of polling places on election day, the chief state election official must (1) submit a final report to the chief executive of the state, and (2) make the final report publicly available on a government website. The bill also requires each state and local jurisdiction to ensure that voted ballots delivered by postal mail are postmarked, signed, or otherwise indicated as delivered by the U.S. Postal Service.

Reopening to address Every COmplete Record request for Devoted Servicemembers Act of 2021 or the RECORDS Act of 2021 This bill directs the Office of the Archivist of the United States to take specified steps to address record request backlogs. Specifically, the office must take actions to ensure that (1) the number of individuals employed by the National Personnel Records Center is equal to or exceeds the number of such individuals employed on March 2, 2020, and (2) the percentage of such individuals regularly reporting to work in person is equal to or exceeds the percentage of such individuals regularly reporting to work in person on that date. The office shall submit to specified congressional committees a report that provides a comprehensive plan to address the record request backlog of the National Personnel Records Center and improve the efficiency and responsiveness of operations at the center, identifies measurable goals with respect to the comprehensive plan and metrics for tracking progress toward such goals, and describes strategies to prevent future record request backlogs.

Merit Systems Protection Board Reauthorization Act of 2021 This bill reauthorizes the Merit Systems Protection Board through FY2026 and modifies its authority. Specifically, the bill requires the board to establish and collect a filing fee to be paid by any individual filing a claim or appeal. The bill requires the board to make a decision in a matter after receiving the written representations of the parties and after an opportunity for a hearing, and the bill authorizes the board to grant a motion for summary judgment. With respect to an appeal from a performance or conduct-based adverse action, the bill prohibits the board from mitigating the personnel action unless it is so disproportionate as to be without justification. Further, the bill requires that all decisions of the agency be supported by substantial evidence. In addition, the bill limits furlough appeals and provides for the reappointment of board members (currently, board members may not be reappointed). The bill also makes the board the arbiter of appeals involving the removal, demotion, or suspension of an employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Puerto Rico Statehood Admission Act This bill establishes a process for the admission of Puerto Rico into the union as a state, on an equal footing with all other states, based on a majority vote of the people of Puerto Rico.