Protecting our Students in Schools Act of 2021 This bill prohibits the use of corporal punishment in schools that receive federal funding. Specifically, the bill authorizes the Department of Education (ED) to take specified actions (e.g., withholding funds and issuing cease-and-desist orders) for schools that allow school personnel, law enforcement officers, or school security guards to subject students to corporal punishment. The bill also establishes enforcement provisions, including a private right of action for a student who has been subjected to corporal punishment. Each state educational agency (SEA) that receives federal funding must submit specified information to ED, including a school climate report that describes the SEA's policies and procedures related to exclusionary and aversive discipline practices in schools. Additionally, the bill authorizes ED to award three-year grants to SEAs and, through them, subgrants to local educational agencies to implement positive behavioral interventions and supports to address student behavior and reduce exclusionary and aversive discipline practices. ED must promulgate regulations as necessary to ensure compliance with the bill. The Department of Defense and the Department of the Interior must ensure that the schools they operate or fund also comply with these regulations.
Continuous Manufacturing Research Act of 2021 This bill adds advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing as a research area that may be supported under the National Science Foundation's manufacturing research grant program.
Accounting STEM Pursuit Act of 2021 This bill authorizes states and local educational agencies (LEAs) to use grant funds provided through the Student Support and Academic Enrichment Program for accounting education. In particular, LEAs may use these grant funds to implement programs to teach accounting, including by increasing access to high-quality accounting courses through 12th grade for students who are members of underrepresented groups.
Supplemental Security Income Restoration Act of 2021 This bill modifies eligibility for, and other components of, the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program, including by (1) increasing applicable income and resource limits used to determine SSI eligibility, (2) equalizing treatment of married couples when both spouses receive SSI as compared to two unmarried individuals, and (3) eliminating the penalty on SSI applicants or recipients who transfer resources to another individual for less than fair market value.
This bill places restrictions on recurring political contributions or donations. Specifically, the bill prohibits any person from soliciting a recurring contribution or donation for a political committee, an independent expenditure, or an electioneering communication by any method that does not require the affirmative consent of the contributor or donor. In addition, the bill prohibits a political committee, a person funding an independent expenditure, or a person funding an electioneering communication from accepting a recurring contribution or donation unless the contributor or donor gave affirmative consent. This affirmative consent cannot be a passive action by the contributor or donor, such as failing to uncheck a prechecked box. Further, any person who accepts a recurring contribution or donation must (1) provide a receipt for the initial contribution or donation and for each recurrence that clearly and conspicuously discloses all material terms, (2) provide all information needed to cancel the recurring contribution or donation in each communication with the contributor or donor, and (3) immediately cancel recurring contributions or donations upon request of the contributor or donor.
Promoting Respect for Individuals' Dignity and Equality Act of 2021 or the PRIDE Act of 2021 This bill requires the equal treatment of same sex married couples for tax purposes. It permits such couples to amend their filing status to married filing jointly for tax returns outside of the statute of limitations and modifies tax rules relating to married couples to include same sex couples.
Trade Related Intellectual Property Protection Act or the TRIPP Act This bill requires the President to oppose any waiver of obligations under the TRIPS Agreement (i.e., the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) held by members of the World Trade Organization unless there is an express, statutory authorization for such a waiver.
Refund Equality Act of 2021 This bill permits legally married same sex couples to amend their tax returns to file as married filing jointly for returns outside of the statute of limitations.
COVID-19 Vaccine Developers Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to recognize all those whose efforts led to the development of COVID-19 vaccines that received emergency use authorizations.
Filter Bubble Transparency Act This bill establishes requirements for large online platforms that use algorithms applying artificial intelligence or machine learning to user-specific data to determine the manner in which content is displayed to users. Specifically, if an online platform applies such techniques to user-specific data that is not expressly provided by the user, the platform must (1) notify users that the platform uses such data, and (2) make a version of the platform available that uses only user-specific data that has been expressly provided by the user and which enables users to switch between the two platforms. These requirements do not apply to search engines operated by downstream providers with fewer than 1,000 employees and that have an agreement to access an index of web pages from an upstream provider. However, the bill requires such upstream providers to make their algorithm available to downstream providers as part of such an agreement.
Afghan Allies Protection Act of 2021 This bill modifies a program providing special immigrant visas to eligible citizens or nationals of Afghanistan who assisted U.S. efforts there and addresses related issues. The bill extends the program through 2023 and increases the number of visas available. An individual may become eligible for a visa after assisting U.S. efforts in Afghanistan for one year, whereas currently some individuals must have served for two years. Furthermore, for an applicant qualifying for a visa by performing duties with a NATO mission in Afghanistan, the bill eliminates a requirement that the duties performed qualify as sensitive and trusted duties. The bill removes a requirement that the individual has experienced or is facing an ongoing serious threat due to their assistance to the United States or NATO. The Department of State or the Department of Homeland Security may postpone the program's medical examination requirement. An individual who received a postponement must undergo a medical exam within 90 days of admission into the United States. The bill also expands surviving family member benefits for the Afghanistan program (and a similar program for Iraq) to a surviving spouse or child of an individual who submitted an application to the Chief of Mission that would have been approved but for the individual's death. Currently, such survivor benefits only apply if the deceased individual's petition was approved.
Pipeline and LNG Facility Cybersecurity Preparedness Act This bill requires the Department of Energy to implement a program to ensure the security, resiliency, and survivability of natural gas pipelines, hazardous liquid pipelines, and liquefied natural gas facilities.
