Washington Congressional Bills

in committee · Washington · Senate Mar 2, 2021

S 547: Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act of 2021

Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act of 2021 This bill modifies the funding rules and provides financial assistance for certain pension plans that are underfunded or insolvent. First, the bill expands the authority of, and provides funding for, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) to provide special partition assistance to a multiemployer pension plan that is insolvent or at risk of insolvency. The bill expands eligibility for partition assistance, provides funding for a plan to reach a projected funded ratio of 80% over a 30-year period, and does not require a plan to repay such assistance. The bill further permits a multiemployer pension plan to elect to retain its funding zone status from the previous year for either (1) the first plan year beginning during the period from March 1, 2020, through February 28, 2021; or (2) the next succeeding plan year, as designated by the plan sponsor. A plan may also extend by five years the funding improvement or rehabilitation period if the plan is designated as in endangered or critical status for a plan year beginning in 2020 or 2021. A plan in critical and declining status may not suspend payment of plan benefits. Additionally, the bill adjusts the minimum funding standards for a multiemployer pension plan to account for investment losses and other losses related to the COVID-19 pandemic and modifies the PBGC guarantee formula to increase the maximum potential benefits under a multiemployer pension plan.

Sherrod Brown (D) · 42 co-sponsors

in committee · Washington · Senate Mar 2, 2021

S 529: Background Check Expansion Act

Background Check Expansion Act This bill establishes new background check requirements for firearm transfers between private parties (i.e., unlicensed individuals). Specifically, it prohibits a firearm transfer between private parties unless a licensed gun dealer, manufacturer, or importer first takes possession of the firearm to conduct a background check. The prohibition does not apply to certain firearm transfers, such as a gift between spouses in good faith.

in committee · Washington · House Mar 2, 2021

HR 1484: Rural Wind Energy Modernization and Extension Act of 2021

Rural Wind Energy Modernization and Extension Act of 2021 This bill expands the energy tax credit to include qualified distributed wind energy property. The bill defines qualified distributed wind energy property to include property that uses one or more wind turbines used to produce electricity in a single project with a total nameplate capacity not exceeding 10 megawatts.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Energy ✓ Environment

in committee · Washington · House Mar 2, 2021

HR 1504: Enhancing North Korea Humanitarian Assistance Act

Enhancing North Korea Humanitarian Assistance Act This bill addresses humanitarian concerns related to sanctions on North Korea. The Office of Foreign Assets Control shall take one or more specified actions relating to U.S. sanctions on North Korea, such as (1) expanding the current humanitarian exception to such sanctions to include items that meet basic human needs and are not subject to the Export Administration Regulations, or (2) exempting certain nonsensitive items for humanitarian operations from specific licensing requirements. For the purposes of such sanctions, personal computers for authorized humanitarian activities by nongovernmental organizations shall not be considered luxury goods. The Department of State shall direct the U.S. representative to the United Nations (UN) to urge the UN to make it less burdensome for nongovernmental organizations to apply for humanitarian exemptions to UN sanctions on North Korea. The State Department shall offer to brief Congress on a strategy to expedite and simplify the process for U.S. passport holders to obtain permission to travel to North Korea to provide humanitarian assistance.

in committee · Washington · House Mar 2, 2021

HR 1523: Modern Worker Empowerment Act

Modern Worker Empowerment Act This bill requires the use of common law rules for defining an employee under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. Generally, an individual is an employee under common law rules when an employer controls what work will be done and how it will be done, among other factors.

Topics ✗ Labor & Employment

in committee · Washington · House Mar 2, 2021

HR 1474: Alzheimer's Caregiver Support Act

Alzheimer's Caregiver Support Act This bill authorizes grants to expand training and support services for families and caregivers of individuals living with Alzheimer's disease or a related dementia. The Department of Health and Human Services may award these grants to community organizations and health care and social service providers.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

Maxine Waters (D) · 179 co-sponsors

in committee · Washington · Senate Mar 1, 2021

SCONRES 7: A concurrent resolution recognizing the heroism of the United States Capitol personnel and journalists during the insurrectionist attack on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.

This concurrent resolution commends the service and professionalism of the U.S. Capitol personnel who ensured Congress was able to continue operating in the wake of the security breach on January 6, 2021, and it expresses appreciation for the members of the news media reporting on the work of Congress despite the risk to their own safety.

Amy Klobuchar (D) · 38 co-sponsors

in committee · Washington · House Mar 1, 2021

HRES 174: Memorializing those impacted by and lost to the COVID-19 virus.

This resolution expresses support for the designation of COVID-19 Victims and Survivors Memorial Day to memorialize the lives lost to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).

Greg Stanton (D) · 80 co-sponsors

in committee · Washington · Senate Mar 1, 2021

S 496: Student Loan Tax Relief Act

Student Loan Tax Relief Act This bill modifies tax provisions allowing an exclusion from gross income for income arising from discharges of student loan debt after January 31, 2020. This includes loans for postsecondary educational expenses, private education loans, and loans made by tax-exempt educational organizations. The bill eliminates the temporary expiration date for the exclusion and the death or total and permanent disability requirement for a discharge.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

in committee · Washington · Senate Mar 1, 2021

S 490: Unemployment Insurance Technology Modernization Act of 2021

Unemployment Insurance Technology Modernization Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Labor to study and report on the technology needs of federal and state unemployment compensation programs. Based on this study, Labor must develop, operate, and maintain a modular set of technology capabilities to modernize the delivery of unemployment compensation. Before the deployment of the technology capabilities to all states, Labor must select at least four states to participate in a pilot program to test the technology capabilities and demonstrate that they meet requirements. The bill establishes accessibility requirements for filing online unemployment compensation claims. In addition, it prohibits the technology capabilities from relying solely on a high-risk automated decision system to (1) deny a claim for unemployment compensation, (2) reduce the amount of unemployment compensation for which a claimant is eligible, or (3) deny a claimant's right to appeal an unemployment compensation decision.

Topics ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Technology

Ron Wyden (D) · 21 co-sponsors

in committee · Washington · Senate Mar 1, 2021

S 506: Clean School Bus Act of 2021

Clean School Bus Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish the Clean School Bus Grant Program in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Under the program, DOE must award grants for the replacement of existing diesel school buses with electric buses.

Topics ✓ Energy ✓ Environment ✓ Transportation

in committee · Washington · Senate Mar 1, 2021

S 505: Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal Act

Forced Arbitration Injustice Repeal Act This bill prohibits a predispute arbitration agreement from being valid or enforceable if it requires arbitration of an employment, consumer, antitrust, or civil rights dispute.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Washington Congressional Bills

Bill results