Sen. Edward J. Markey

COVID-19 in Immigration Detention Data Transparency Act This bill requires U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to collect and report various information about detained individuals, including data on COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) testing. During the COVID-19-related declared public health emergency and for one year after, ICE, CBP, and ORR shall publicly post on a website certain data about its detention facilities, including COVID-19 testing numbers for detained individuals and detention facility staff, COVID-19 case outcomes, vaccinations, and COVID-19-related information about detained individuals who were released or removed from the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shall issue guidance as to the COVID-19-related data that ICE, CBP, and ORR must collect and report weekly to the CDC. The CDC shall periodically report to Congress a summary of this data and an analysis of the trends and pattern of the spread of the disease. ICE, CPB, and ORR shall ensure that each detained individual receives all medical records related to any COVID-19 test administered to the individual. ICE, CPB, and ORR shall also report to Congress on (1) the COVID-19 safety protocols in its facilities, and (2) information relating to their efforts to ensure that each detained individual has access to legal counsel. This bill's data collection and reporting requirements that apply to ICE, CPB, and ORR shall also apply to any contract facilities that they use to hold detained individuals.

Public Health Infrastructure Saves Lives Act This bill provides annual funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to strengthen core public health infrastructure. Core public health infrastructure includes the elements and workforce capabilities that enable health departments to perform critical functions such as disease surveillance and emergency response. Specifically, the CDC must award grants to health departments for their core infrastructure needs. In addition, the CDC must support the development of accreditation standards for health departments that emphasize core public health infrastructure. Health departments must meet those (or similar) standards as a condition of receiving grants beginning in FY2025. The CDC must also take steps to expand and improve its own public health infrastructure.

Air Carrier Access Amendments Act of 2021 This bill expands provisions prohibiting discrimination against disabled individuals by an air carrier. Specifically, it enumerates certain actions that an air carrier must take or may not take with respect to a disabled individual. It also requires the Department of Transportation (DOT) to ensure that disabled individuals traveling in air transportation are able to file complaints with DOT in response to disability-related discrimination and receive assistance from DOT through a hotline or comparable electronic means. The bill authorizes an aggrieved individual and the Department of Justice to bring a civil action for discrimination. The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board shall prescribe regulations setting forth minimum standards for aircraft with new or existing type certificates to ensure the accessibility of individuals with disabilities, including those who use wheelchairs. The standards shall address, among other things, boarding and deplaning equipment, seating accommodations, lavatories, visually accessible announcements, and proper stowage of assistive devices in the cargo hold to prevent damage.

American Dream Employment Act of 2021 This bill permits the compensation of congressional employees who hold a current employment authorization document that was issued pursuant to a grant of (1) deferred action, including under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program; (2) deferred enforced departure; or (3) temporary protected status. (Generally, these programs and statuses allow eligible aliens to remain and work in the United States.)

Girls' Leadership, Engagement, Agency, and Development Act of 2021 or the Girls LEAD Act This bill directs the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to jointly report to Congress a strategy to strengthen the participation of adolescents, particularly girls, in democracy, human rights, and governance. The State Department and the USAID shall (1) implement activities to achieve this goal, including activities to increase adolescent girls' civic and political knowledge and skills and address barriers to political participation; and (2) prioritize foreign assistance funding for democracy, human rights, and governance programs toward achieving the goals in this bill.

End Racial and Religious Profiling Act of 2021 or ERRPA This bill establishes a framework to eliminate racial profiling at the federal, state, and local levels. Specifically, it requires federal law enforcement agencies to maintain policies and procedures to eliminate racial profiling, including training, data collection, and complaint procedures. State, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies must maintain similar policies and procedures as a condition of receiving funds under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program and the Community Oriented Policing Services program. To enforce violations, the bill authorizes civil suits by the Department of Justice and affected individuals.

Background Check Completion Act of 2021 This bill prohibits a licensed gun dealer from transferring a firearm to an unlicensed person prior to the completion of a background check. Current law permits a licensed gun dealer to transfer a firearm to an unlicensed person if a submitted background check remains incomplete after three business days.

Nuclear SLCM Ban Act of 2021 This bill prohibits the obligation or expenditure of Department of Defense or Department of Energy funds for FY2022, or any year thereafter, for the research and development, production, or deployment of the nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile and its associated nuclear warhead.

Stop Underrides Act This bill requires the installation of rear, side, and front underride guards on certain trucks and trailers. Specifically, the Department of Transportation (DOT) must require the installation of rear, side, and front underride guards on the following a trailer or semi-trailer that is more than 10,000 pounds, and a single unit truck for which the bottom of the carriage is greater than 22 inches above the ground and that is more than 10,000 pounds. For rear and side underride guards, DOT must require adherence to a performance standard that requires the guards to be able to prevent intrusion from the body or frame of a trailer, semi-trailer, or truck into the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle that contacts the guard while traveling at 35 miles per hour. In addition, DOT must require drivers to (1) conduct a pre-trip inspection of the underride protection system on their vehicles; (2) identify rusted metal compromising structural integrity, cracked welds, or missing or loose fasteners; and (3) complete any necessary repairs. DOT must establish a Committee on Underride Protection to oversee the ongoing underride guard rulemaking process. DOT must publish data on victims of truck underride crashes.

VOCA Fix to Sustain the Crime Victims Fund Act of 2021 This bill adds a new source of revenue for the Crime Victims Fund and makes changes to formula grants supported by the fund. Specifically, the bill directs revenues collected from deferred prosecution and non-prosecution agreements to be deposited into the Crime Victims Fund. Currently, such revenues are deposited into the general fund of the Treasury. Additionally, the bill increases the percentage—from 60% to 75%—of state compensation payments to crime victims in the prior fiscal year used to calculate formula grants for state victim compensation programs. Finally, the bill directs states to waive the matching requirement for recipients of state victim assistance formula grants during and for one year after a pandemic-related national emergency. It also allows states to waive the matching requirement pursuant to a policy established by the state.