State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial Fiscal Recovery, Infrastructure, and Disaster Relief Flexibility Act This bill allows states, tribes, territories, and localities to use certain COVID-19 relief funds for new categories of spending, including for natural disasters and infrastructure projects. It also makes changes to expenditure deadlines and other aspects of this funding. Specifically, recipients may use funds for emergency relief from natural disasters and associated negative economic impacts of natural disasters. In addition, recipients may use a portion of their COVID-19 relief funds for designated infrastructure projects, such as nationally significant freight and highway projects. Furthermore, the bill allows recipients to expend COVID-19 relief funds on these types of infrastructure projects until September 30, 2026. Under current law, recipients must expend the funds by December 31, 2024. Other changes in the bill include (1) modifying eligibility and allocation requirements for funding set aside for counties and Indian tribes that are near public lands, (2) allowing Indian tribes an additional year to expend their COVID-19 relief funds, and (3) establishing a process for government entities to decline COVID-19 relief funds and requiring any declined funds to be used to reduce the federal deficit.
This bill provides statutory authority for the rule published on December 16, 2020, by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service entitled Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Regulations for Listing Endangered and Threatened Species and Designating Critical Habitat . The rule defined habitat under the Endangered Species Act of 1973 and it responded to Supreme Court case law regarding the designation of critical habitat under the act.
Prohibiting IRS Financial Surveillance Act This bill prohibits the Department of the Treasury from requiring a financial institution to report the balances, transactions, or the transfers into and out of a financial account. This prohibition does not apply to laws or regulations in effect on the date of enactment.
Fire Information and Reaction Enhancement Act or the FIRE Act This bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), in collaboration with the U.S. weather industry and such academic entities as NOAA considers appropriate, to establish a program within NOAA to improve wildfire forecasting and detection. The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research of NOAA shall establish a program to create one or more weather research testbeds, in partnership with industry and academic partners, to develop improved detection of and forecast capabilities for wildfire events and the effects of those events.
America's Revegetation and Carbon Sequestration Act of 2021 This bill addresses climate change through efforts to sequester, mitigate, or store carbon dioxide, such as salvage logging, revegetation, or reforestation efforts, on National Forest System land and other land as specified by the bill.
Protect Collaboration for Healthier Forests Act This bill directs the Forest Service to establish an arbitration pilot program as an alternative dispute resolution process in lieu of judicial review for the arbitration of projects in Idaho, Montana, or Wyoming that are developed through a collaborative process, are carried out under the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program, or are identified in a community wildfire protection plan; have as a purpose hazardous fuels reduction or mitigation of insect or disease infestation; and are located in a wildland-urban interface.
Forest Improvements through Research and Emergency Stewardship for Healthy Ecosystem Development and Sustainability Act or the FIRESHEDS Act This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA), with respect to National Forest System lands, and the Department of the Interior, with respect to public lands, no later than 90 days after receiving a request from a state, to enter into an agreement with such state to jointly designate one or more fireshed management areas within such state, and conduct fireshed management projects in such fireshed management areas. Not later than 90 days after entering into an agreement, the USDA or Interior, as appropriate, and such state shall jointly conduct a stewardship and fireshed assessment. The USDA and Interior shall carry out fireshed management projects in accordance with the timeline and project size limitations included in the stewardship and fireshed assessment. Fireshed management projects shall be categorically excluded from the preparation of an environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement and exempt from the special administrative review process.
Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act of 2021 This bill establishes several requirements and standards relating to prior authorization processes under Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. Specifically, MA plans must (1) establish an electronic prior authorization program that meets specified standards, including the ability to provide real-time decisions in response to requests for items and services that are routinely approved; (2) annually publish specified prior authorization information, including the percentage of requests approved and the average response time; and (3) meet other standards, as set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, relating to the quality and timeliness of prior authorization determinations.
Campus Free Speech Restoration Act This bill addresses expressive activities (e.g., peacefully assembling, distributing literature, or carrying signs) on college campuses. First, the bill generally prohibits a public institution of higher education (IHE) that participates in federal student-aid programs from restricting noncommercial expressive activities in a generally accessible outdoor area on campus. Further, the bill prohibits a public IHE from receiving federal funds if the Department of Education determines that the public IHE (1) maintains a policy that infringes upon the expressive rights of students; or (2) maintains or enforces time, place, or manner restrictions on expressive activities in a generally accessible outdoor area on campus, except in limited circumstances. In addition, the bill prohibits retaliation against an individual because the individual reported or complained about restrictions on expressive activities or participated in an investigation or hearing. The bill also requires a private IHE that receives federal funds to provide students with its policies related to expressive rights. The bill also establishes a framework for investigating complaints and for IHEs to regain eligibility for federal funds.
Marginal Well Protection Act This bill prohibits the Environmental Protection Agency from imposing fees for methane emissions from wells that produce less than 15 barrels of oil per day and less than 90 Mcf (90,000 cubic feet) of natural gas per day.
This resolution supports the designation of October 3-October 9, 2021, as National 4-H Week. It also (1) recognizes the important role of 4-H in youth development and education, and (2) encourages all citizens to recognize 4-H for the significant impact the organization and members have made and continue to make by empowering young people with the skills needed to lead for a lifetime.
This resolution recognizes and appreciates the dedication and devotion demonstrated by the men and women of law enforcement. It also condemns calls to defund, disband, dismantle, or abolish the police.
