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Weekly Legislative Update: March 22, 2021

Congressional Schedule: March 22-26, 2021

Floor Action:

The Senate is in session this week.

The House has a committee work period and does not have any scheduled votes.

Mark-Ups:

Employment- On Wednesday, the House Education and Labor Committee will mark up several bills, including H.R. 7, the Paycheck Fairness Act, and H.R. 1065, the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. 

International- On Wednesday, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will consider several bills, including S. Res. 81, a resolution honoring Las Damas de Blanco.

On Thursday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee will mark up several bills, including H.R. 1158, a bill to provide women and girls safe access to sanitation facilities in refugee camps.

Hearings: 

Employment- On Wednesday, the House Oversight and Reform Committee will hold a hearing, “Honoring Equal Pay Day: Examining the Long-Term Economic Impacts of Gender Inequality.” 

Health- On Tuesday, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies will hold a hearing, “Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis.” 

Human Trafficking- On Thursday, the House Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, International Development, and Monetary Policy will hold a hearing, “Ending Exploitation: How the Financial System Can Work to Dismantle the Business of Human Trafficking.

International- On Thursday, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs will hold a hearing, “Leading by Action: The Fierce Urgency for Diversity and Inclusion in the Foreign Policy Workforce.”

Judiciary- On Thursday, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet will hold a hearing, “The Importance of a Diverse Federal Judiciary.” 

Military- On Wednesday, the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel will hold a hearing to examine sexual assault in the military. 

Veterans- On Wednesday, the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee will hold a hearing, “Coping during COVID: Veterans’ Mental Health and Implementation of the Hannon Act,” which contains provisions to address care for women veterans.  

Violence Against Women- On Monday, the House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services will hold a hearing, “Ending the Cycle: Examining Ways to Prevent Domestic Violence and Promote Healthy Communities.” 


Bills Introduced: March 15-19, 2021

Child Care 

H.R. 1911—Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA)/Education and Labor; Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Financial Services (3/16/21)—A bill to provide assistance with respect to child care infrastructure, and for other purposes. 

H.R. 1963—Rep. Michelle Fischbach (R-MN)/Education and Labor (3/17/21)—A bill to amend the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 1990 to modify certain state uses of funds.

H.R. 1973—Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA)/Education and Labor (3/17/21)—A bill to require the secretary of Health and Human Resources to submit to the Congress a report on state child care regulations.

Child Protection 

H.R. 1928—Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA)/Education and Labor (3/16/21)—A bill to protect students from sexual abuse, and for other purposes.

Civil Rights

H. J. Res. 31—Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ)/Judiciary (3/16/21)—A joint resolution proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relative to equal rights for men and women.

S. 795—Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)/Energy and Natural Resources (3/17/21)— A bill to establish the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley and Roberts Temple National Historic Site in the state of Illinois, and for other purposes.

H.R. 2116—Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ)/Judiciary; Education and Labor; Budget (3/19/21)—A bill to prohibit discrimination based on an individual’s texture or style of hair. 

Employment

H.R. 1980—Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL)/Education and Labor (3/17/21)—A bill to provide compensatory time for employees in the private sector.

H.R. 2001—Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH)/Financial Services (3/18/21)—A bill to require regulated entities to provide information necessary for the Offices of Women and Minority Inclusion to carry out their duties, and for other purposes.

H.R. 2062—Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA)/Education and Labor (3/18/21)—A bill to clarify appropriate standards for federal employment discrimination and retaliation claims, and for other purposes.

Family Support 

H.R. 1919—Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-CA)/Agriculture (3/16/21)—A bill to treat attendance at an institution of higher education the same as work for the purpose of determining eligibility to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

S. 853—Sen. Bob Casey, Jr. (D-PA)/Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry (3/18/21)—A bill to increase the age of eligibility for children to receive benefits under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and for other purposes.

H.R. 2011—Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)/Education and Labor (3/18/21)—A bill to increase the age of eligibility for children to receive benefits under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and for other purposes.

Health 

S. 801—Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA)/Finance (3/17/21)—A bill to identify and address barriers to coverage of remote physiologic devices under state Medicaid programs to improve maternal and child health outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women. 

S. 828—Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY)/Finance (3/18/21)—A bill to provide for the coverage of marriage and family therapist services and mental health counselor services under part B of the Medicare program, and for other purposes.

S. 851—Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)/Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (3/18/21)—A bill to address social determinants of maternal health.

H.R. 2054—Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA)/Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Education and Labor (3/18/21)—A bill to provide for certain health coverage of newborns.

International 

S. 765—Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ)/Foreign Relations (3/16/21)—A bill to improve United States consideration of, and strategic support for, programs to prevent and respond to gender-based violence from the onset of humanitarian emergencies and to build the capacity of humanitarian actors to address the immediate and long-term challenges resulting from such violence, and for other purposes.

Military 

S. Res. 110—Sen. Richard Burr (R-NC)/Passed in Senate (3/15/21)—A resolution designating April 5, 2021, as “Gold Star Wives Day.”

S. 781—Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX)/Armed Services (3/16/21)—A bill to provide for the continuation of paid parental leave for members of the Armed Services in the event of the death of the child.

H.R. 1988—Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY)/Oversight and Reform (3/17/21)—A bill to direct the President to issue an annual proclamation establishing Women’s Military History Day.

Miscellaneous 

S. 867—Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)/Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs (3/18/21)—A bill to require the secretary of the Treasury to mint coins in recognition and celebration of the National Women’s Hall of Fame.

S. Res. 123—Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)/Judiciary (3/18/21)—A resolution designating March 2021 as “National Women’s History Month.”

S. Res. 125—Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)/Indian Affairs (3/18/21)—A resolution recognizing the heritage, culture, and contributions of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women in the United States.

H. Res. 261—Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA)/Education and Labor (3/19/21)—A resolution expressing support for the designation of March 21, 2021, as “National Rosie the Riveter Day.” 

Reproductive Health

H.R. 2007—Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY)/Energy and Commerce (3/18/21)—A bill to provide for research and education with respect to uterine fibroids, and for other purposes.

Veterans

S. 796—Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)/Veterans’ Affairs (3/17/21)—A bill to codify maternity care coordination programs at the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.

H.R. 1957—Rep. Julia Brownley (D-CA)/Veterans’ Affairs (3/17/21)—A bill to direct the secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide coverage for infertility treatment and standard fertility preservation services, and for other purposes.

Violence Against Women 

S. 763—Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)/Judiciary (3/16/21)—A bill to protect more victims of domestic violence by preventing their abusers from possessing or receiving firearms, and for other purposes.

H.R. 1906—Rep. Anthony Brown (D-MD)/Judiciary (3/16/21)—A bill to prohibit persons convicted of misdemeanor crimes against dating partners and persons subject to protection orders from possessing firearms, and for other purposes.

H.R. 1923—Rep. James Himes (D-CT)/Judiciary (3/16/21)—A bill to protect more victims of domestic violence by preventing their abusers from possessing or receiving firearms, and for other purposes.

H.R. 1991—Rep. Norma Torres (D-CA)/Judiciary (3/17/21)—A bill to direct the attorney general to conduct studies on child custody and divorce in domestic violence cases, and for other purposes.