Digital Asset Market Structure and Investor Protection Act This bill generally addresses the regulatory treatment of digital assets and digital asset securities. The bill grants the Commodities Futures Trading Commission authority over digital assets , which (1) are created electronically or digitally through software code; (2) are programmed with rules that govern the creation, supply, ownership, use, and transfer of the asset; (3) have a secure transaction history; and (4) are capable of being transferred through a decentralized method without an intermediate custodian. Additionally, the bill grants the Securities and Exchange Commission authority over the regulation of digital asset securities , digital assets that provide the holder with (1) equity or debt interest in the issuer, (2) rights to certain payments from the issuer, (3) voting rights in the major corporate actions of the issuer, or (4) liquidation rights in the event of the issuer's liquidation. Digital assets and digital asset securities are subject to the Bank Secrecy Act for anti-money laundering, reporting, and recordkeeping purposes. The Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System may issue digital currency. However, digital assets, digital asset securities, and fiat-based stablecoins (a digital asset pegged to the U.S. dollar or other fiat currency) are not U.S. legal tender. Digital asset fiat-based stablecoins must be registered with and approved by the Department of the Treasury. Digital assets shall not be covered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the National Credit Union Administration depository insurance. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network must issue rules regarding the use of anonymizing services and other anonymity-enhanced convertible virtual currency services.
Refuge System Protection Act This bill authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ), at the request of the Department of the Interior, to bring in a district court a civil action against any individual or entity that destroys, causes the loss of, causes Interior to make risk mitigation efforts with respect to, or injures any resource that is within the boundaries any land or water that is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The bill also authorizes DOJ, at the request of Interior, to bring in a district court an in rem action against any instrumentality (e.g., a vessel, vehicle, or aircraft) that destroys, causes the loss of, causes Interior to make risk mitigation efforts with respect to, or injures any such system resource. Among others, it shall be an affirmative defense in either type of action that the destruction of, loss of, risk mitigation regarding, or injury to a system resource was caused by an otherwise legal act or omission that occurred outside the boundaries of the resource. In either type of action, the court may award response costs and damages.
Resilient Federal Forests Act This bill modifies and sets forth provisions regarding forest management activities on National Forest System, public, and tribal lands. The bill provides for, among other things the Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Interior to conduct fireshed management projects in fireshed management areas, certain categorical exclusions for various purposes, the balancing of the short- and long-term effects of forest management activities while considering injunctive relief, USDA and Interior to establish their own discretionary arbitration pilot programs as an alternative dispute resolution process for forest management activities, increasing the maximum term for a stewardship end result contract to 20 years, demonstration projects to support the development and commercialization of biochar on Indian forest lands or rangelands and in nearby communities by providing reliable supplies of feedstock from federal lands, the decommissioning of certain Forest Service Roads within designated high fire-prone areas, repealing of the Eastside Screens requirements on National Forest System lands, making the Northwest Forest Plan Survey and Manage Mitigation Measure Standards and Guidelines inapplicable to any National Forest System lands or public lands, development of a protection plan for giant sequoia trees on National Forest System lands and public lands, and permanent rights of access to the Oregon and California Railroad grant lands and the Coos Bay Wagon Road grant lands for private landowners issued reciprocal road rights-of-way.
Cultivating Organic Matter through the Promotion Of Sustainable Techniques Act or the COMPOST Act This bill makes composting a conservation practice for purposes of Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation programs. The bill also requires USDA to establish a competitive program to award grants and loan guarantees for projects that expand access to food waste composting.
School Food Modernization Act This bill provides for loan guarantees and grants to support healthy meals under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. The bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to issue loan guarantees to local educational agencies (LEAs), school food authorities, tribal organizations, and other eligible entities to finance infrastructure improvements or equipment purchases to facilitate their provision of healthy meals through the school meal programs. USDA must also award competitive matching grants to assist LEAs, school food authorities, and tribal organizations in purchasing the durable equipment and infrastructure they need to serve healthier meals and improve food safety. USDA must give preference under both programs to applicants that demonstrate a substantial or disproportionate need for food service infrastructure or durable equipment, and shall establish fees for the loan guarantee program. In addition, USDA must award competitive matching grants to experienced third-party training institutions to provide school food service personnel with the training and technical assistance they need to (1) meet or exceed nutrition standards under the school meal programs, and (2) improve the efficacy and efficiency of the school meal programs.
This resolution impeaches Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas for high crimes and misdemeanors related to his actions regarding border security and immigration.
This resolution establishes a House Permanent Select Committee on Aging.
Frank Harrison, Elizabeth Peratrovich, and Miguel Trujillo Native American Voting Rights Act of 2021 This bill addresses the voting rights of Native American and Alaska Native voters and voting access on tribal lands. The bill includes provisions expanding the types of facilities that can be used as voter registration agencies; increasing polling site accessibility, including by expanding early in-person voting and providing ballot drop boxes; providing enforcement power to citizens and attorneys general; requiring approval for actions like moving a polling place; validating certain tribal identification for voting or registering to vote; permitting voters to designate another individual to return a ballot on their behalf; and expanding requirements for bilingual voting accessibility. In addition, the bill establishes a Native American voting task force grant program for the purpose of increasing voter outreach, education, registration, turnout, and accessibility for Native American communities. The bill also directs the Government Accountability Office to study and report on (1) the prevalence of nontraditional or nonexistent mailing addresses among Indians, members of tribes, and individuals residing on Indian lands; and (2) the alternatives for removing barriers to voter registration, receipt of voter information and materials, and receipt of ballots.
Helping Emergency Responders Overcome Act or the HERO Act This bill establishes and authorizes behavioral health programs for law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical services personnel, 9-1-1 operators, and other public safety officers. Specifically, the Fire Administration within the Federal Emergency Management Agency must develop resources for educating mental health care providers about treating firefighters and emergency medical services personnel. In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must develop best practices and resources for identifying, preventing, and treating post-traumatic stress disorder and co-occurring disorders in public safety officers. HHS must work with relevant federal departments to incorporate these resources into federal training programs for public safety officers. The bill also authorizes HHS to set up a public safety officer suicide-reporting system and a grant program for peer-support behavioral health and wellness programs within fire departments and emergency medical services agencies.
Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 This bill authorizes various intelligence-related activities for FY2022 and addresses related issues. For example, the bill requires the National Counterintelligence and Security Center to periodically report to Congress and certain agencies; authorizes the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) to support intelligence community activities related to personnel recruitment and retention, diversity, equity, and inclusion; establishes the position of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer of the Intelligence Community within the ODNI; prohibits transferring any National Reconnaissance Office element to the Space Force; establishes within the Central Intelligence Agency the Chaplain Corps to provide pastoral services; establishes a pilot program to assess the feasibility and advisability of offering student loan repayment as a recruitment tool for certain Office of Intelligence and Analysis positions; prohibits any intelligence community element from collecting or analyzing a U.S. person's information based solely on activity protected by the First Amendment; modifies provisions related to submitting whistleblower complaints to Congress; requires intelligence community elements to immediately provide data relating to unidentified aerial phenomena to the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force and the National Air and Space Intelligence Center; requires each executive agency to establish an appeals process for individuals whose access to classified information has been denied or revoked; and requires a policy for the federal government on sharing derogatory information (generally information that may be relevant to the suitability of a federal contractor employee to have access to certain federal facilities) with an individual's employer.
Unmasking the Origins of COVID-19 Act This bill authorizes the Department of State to pay a reward for information leading to the identification of the origins of COVID-19 or other related information, such as the identification of individuals or entities involved in a cover-up of the origins of COVID-19.
9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act This bill increases funding for and otherwise modifies a federal program that provides medical monitoring and treatment to responders and survivors who suffer from health conditions related to the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center. Among the changes, the bill allows certain health care providers other than physicians to determine whether an individual's health condition is related to the attacks, and it establishes a research program to study the impacts of the attacks on health and educational outcomes of individuals who were 21 years of age or younger when the attacks occurred.
