This bill redesignates the Geospatial Learning Center in the Next NGA West facility in St. Louis, Missouri, as the Senator Roy Blunt Geospatial Learning Center.
Strength in Diversity Act of 2021 This bill establishes a program through which the Department of Education may award planning and implementation grants to specified educational agencies (e.g., local educational agencies) to improve diversity and reduce or eliminate racial or socioeconomic isolation in publicly funded early childhood education programs, public elementary schools, or public secondary schools.
Equity and Inclusion Enforcement Act of 2021 This bill authorizes private civil causes of action for disparate impact violations (to the same extent as intentional violations) of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in federally funded programs or activities. Education programs that receive financial assistance authorized or extended by the Department of Education (ED) must designate at least one Title VI compliance coordinator to carry out responsibilities, investigate complaints, and provide assistance to ensure students and employees are aware of their rights and responsibilities. The bill requires ED to appoint a Special Assistant for Equity and Inclusion to (1) promote, coordinate, and evaluate efforts to engender program compliance and inform individuals of their rights; and (2) advise ED on matters relating to compliance.
Conscience Protection Act of 2021 This bill provides statutory authority for certain protections for health care providers that refuse to participate in abortions based on religious beliefs or other convictions. Health care providers include individual professionals, medical facilities, health insurance organizations, and social services providers that refer clients to health care services. The federal government and entities that receive federal funding for health-related activities, including state and local governments, may not discriminate against a health care provider that refuses to be involved in, or provide coverage for, abortions. Currently, similar requirements apply to various related activities, including certain employment or personnel decisions (the Church Amendments), abortion services training (the Coats-Snowe Amendment), qualified health plans offered through health insurance exchanges, and annual appropriations bills for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other federal agencies (the Weldon Amendment). The HHS Office for Civil Rights must investigate complaints of this kind of discrimination. Furthermore, HHS may terminate or reduce HHS funding for health-related activities if a person or entity fails to comply with nondiscrimination requirements. Additionally, the Department of Justice or any entity adversely affected by such discrimination may bring a civil action to obtain appropriate relief. A plaintiff does not need to seek or exhaust administrative remedies before bringing the action. A plaintiff may also bring an action, including one for money damages, against a governmental entity. In many cases, principles of sovereign immunity shield states and some localities from these kinds of actions.
This concurrent resolution expresses the sense of Congress that public health professionals are to be commended and thanked on Public Health Thank You Day for their important contributions to the nation.
HRES 815 is a symbolic resolution introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on November 18, 2021. It expresses congressional support for National Rural Health Day, which recognizes the importance of rural health care and celebrates providers serving rural communities. The resolution highlights challenges like hospital closures and access barriers faced by rural health facilities but does not create new laws or funding. It simply affirms commitment to improving rural health care accessibility through policy, without specifying concrete changes. As a procedural resolution, it has no binding effect on legislation or funding.
This resolution encourages people around the world to work to achieve the goal of zero new HIV transmissions, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS-related deaths, in order to end the HIV epidemic in the United States and around the world by 2030. The resolution supports continued funding for prevention, care and treatment services, and research programs for communities impacted by HIV and people living with HIV in the United States and globally. The resolution supports continued leadership by the United States in domestic, bilateral, multilateral, and private sector efforts to fight HIV. Finally, the resolution urges other members of the international community to sustain and scale up their support for and financial contributions to efforts around the world to combat HIV.
Parents Bill of Rights Act This bill outlines various rights of parents and guardians regarding the elementary or secondary school education of their children. Among other requirements, the bill (1) directs local educational agencies to publicly post the curriculum for each elementary and secondary school grade level; and (2) requires schools to notify parents and guardians of their rights, including the right to review the school's curriculum and budget.
Tax Simplification for Americans Abroad Act This bill directs the Internal Revenue Service to make available a new tax form for certain individual taxpayers living abroad. The form shall allow such individuals to demonstrate nonresidence, and declare foreign income, foreign taxes paid, and U.S. source income from retirement, pension and social security benefits. The bill also expands the types of income allowed as foreign earned income for purposes of the foreign earned income tax exclusion.
Hatch Act Accountability Act This bill expands the jurisdiction of the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) to investigate and enforce Hatch Act violations. The Hatch Act prohibits civil service employees in the executive branch of the federal government from engaging in some forms of political activity (e.g., advocating for or against a partisan political party while on duty). The purpose of the act is to maintain a federal workforce free from partisan political influence or coercion. Specifically, the bill allows OSC to investigate Hatch Act violations involving White House political appointees. If OSC determines that a White House political appointee has violated the Hatch Act, the bill allows OSC to refer a complaint to the Merit Systems Protection Board for imposition of a civil penalty of up to $50,000. The bill also allows OSC to investigate Hatch Act violations regardless of whether a complaint has been filed.
Parental Rights Protection Act This bill restricts government entities from requiring that individuals age 18 or younger receive certain COVID-19 vaccines that were authorized through emergency use and related procedures. Specifically, a federal, state, tribal, territorial, or local government entity (including a local educational agency) that receives funding from either the Department of Education or the Department of Health and Human Services may not require such COVID-19 vaccinations for individuals age 18 or younger. In particular, a local educational agency that mandates COVID-19 vaccinations for students loses its eligibility for federal education funding. The bill also requires the prior, informed, written consent of a parent or guardian before administration of such COVID-19 vaccines to an individual age 18 or younger.
Natural Immunity Transparency Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to report within 30 days of the bill's enactment to Congress concerning natural immunity to COVID-19. In particular, the report must compare certain outcomes for individuals who recovered from a COVID-19 infection without having received the vaccination and individuals who received the vaccination.
