Protecting Access to Credit for Small Businesses Act This bill prohibits the Small Business Administration from directly making a loan under the 7(a) Program, which authorizes loans and loan guaranties to small businesses that meet certain requirements.
This joint resolution nullifies a Department of Labor emergency temporary standard for preventing the transmission of COVID-19 in employment settings. Under the standard issued on November 5, 2021, employers with 100 or more employees must require their onsite employees to either be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing.
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Impact Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to contract with the National Academy of Sciences for a study on respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) transmission in schools and day cares. In particular, the study must evaluate the impact of RSV on the economy, including through parents' absences from work. RSV is a common respiratory virus that typically causes mild, cold-like symptoms although it may be more serious for infants, older adults, and other vulnerable populations.
Streamlining EIDL Act This bill requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide status updates on, review, and approve or disapprove Economic Injury Disaster Loans within certain time frames. It also requires the SBA to report on its efforts to address fraud under the program.
Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial Senate resolution (SRES 470) commemorating the death of former U.S. Senator Bob Dole of Kansas. It formally expresses the Senate's sorrow, requests the Secretary of the Senate transmit a copy to Dole's family, and directs the Senate to adjourn as a mark of respect. The resolution has no policy or legal effect - it solely serves as a symbolic tribute to Dole's public service career. It does not affect any individuals or enact new laws.
Protecting the American Taxpayer and Medicare Act This bill makes several budgetary and technical changes, particularly in relation to Medicare. Specifically, the bill continues to exempt Medicare from sequestration until March 31, 2022. (Sequestration is a process of automatic, usually across-the-board spending reductions under which budgetary resources are permanently cancelled to enforce specific budget policy goals.) Additionally, the bill (1) temporarily extends other provisions under Medicare, including a payment increase under the physician fee schedule; and (2) requires any debits recorded for FY2022 on the statutory pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) scorecards to be deducted from the scorecards for 2022 and added to the scorecards for 2023.
Maddy summaryThis bill repeals a specific tax provision related to chemical manufacturers. It reverses a change made by section 80201 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which had modified an excise tax under the Superfund program. The repeal directly affects chemical manufacturers who were subject to this tax modification, restoring the previous tax treatment. The bill makes no new policy changes but specifically undoes this one tax-related amendment.
Patient Advocate Tracker Act This bill requires the Office of Patient Advocacy within the Veterans Health Administration to establish an information technology system that allows veterans or their representatives to electronically file a complaint with a patient advocate and review the status of a filed complaint.
21st Century Dyslexia Act This bill addresses the education of children with disabilities, with a particular focus on children with dyslexia. Currently, dyslexia is listed as one of the disabilities under the definition of specific learning disability in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This bill instead removes dyslexia from the definition of specific learning disability and establishes a stand-alone definition for dyslexia within IDEA. Specifically, the bill defines dyslexia for purposes of IDEA as an unexpected difficulty in reading for an individual who has the intelligence to be a much better reader, most commonly caused by a difficulty in the phonological processing (the appreciation of the individual sounds of spoken language), which affects the ability of an individual to speak, read, and spell. Additionally, the bill requires a local educational agency or other agency, in determining eligibility for or providing an accommodation or service under IDEA, to provide equal access to (1) children from low-income families or from families with low socioeconomic status, and (2) other children.
Homeland and Cyber Threat Act or the HACT Act This bill allows claims in federal or state court against foreign states that conduct or participate in cyberattacks against U.S. nationals.
