House GOP leadership released their legislative proposal to lift the nation’s $34.1 trillion debt limit by $1.5 trillion or until March 31, 2024, whichever comes first, in exchange for $130 billion in proposed budget cuts. The Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 would achieve these cuts by freezing discretionary spending at fiscal year (FY) 2022 levels – $1.47 trillion. Any future spending increases would be capped at 1% annually for the next decade, reaching $1.61 trillion in FY 2033. The bill would permit new budget authority only for certain activities, including health care fraud and abuse prevention. The legislation also includes provisions to claw back unspent and unobligated COVID-19 funding and to institute work requirements for social safety net programs. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) estimated that the bill would cut budget deficits by $4.5 trillion over the next ten years.

The proposal has been rejected by Democrats in favor of a clean increase to the debt limit. Both the White House and congressional Democrats have also expressed strong opposition to the health provisions of the proposal, which would require Medicaid recipients to work, look for work, or participate in community engagement for 80 hours a month, exempting those with dependent children and those who are “physically or mentally unfit”, enrolled in an educational program, under 19 years old, or over 56 years old. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) stated that the GOP bill has no chance of moving through the Senate, where Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) is the only Democrat who is not calling for Congress to move a clean debt ceiling increase. Manchin has praised Speaker McCarthy for putting forth a debt ceiling proposal and criticized President Biden for refusing to negotiate with Republicans on the debt limit.

The House GOP plans to hold a vote on the measure this week, but it remains unclear whether Republicans have the necessary support within their own caucus to pass the legislation. The GOP can afford to lose only four votes given unified Democratic opposition to the proposal. Several Republican members, including Reps. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), have stated that they remain undecided on the bill. Without an increase or suspension of the debt ceiling the nation could default on its payment obligations as early as June.

 

HELP, Finance Hope to Advance Bipartisan Health Care, PBM Legislation in Coming Weeks

Bipartisan leadership of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee and Senate Finance Committee have begun previewing their plans to advance health care related legislation in the coming weeks. The HELP Committee is expected to soon schedule a markup of a legislative package that could contain policies focused on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), strengthening generic drug and biosimilar competition, supporting the health care workforce, and capping the cost of insulin for individuals with private health insurance. The panel has also scheduled a hearing for May 10 in which the nation’s three main manufacturers of insulin products have agreed to testify alongside representatives from the country’s major PBMs. The CEOs of Eli Lilly and Company, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi – which control 90% of the insulin market – will be in attendance. PBM industry executives from CVS Health, Express Scripts, and OptumRx will also testify. Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) highlighted the hearing as the latest step in his push to make insulin more affordable and to lower the price of all prescription drugs.

While HELP has jurisdiction over the commercial health insurance market, the Finance Committee manages policies impacting federal health programs. Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) released their proposed framework for legislation that aims to “modernize and enhance” federal prescription drug programs while reducing drug costs for patients and taxpayers last week. The framework identifies the following challenges facing the nation’s prescription drug programs: misaligned incentives that drive up prices and costs, insufficient transparency that distorts the market, hurdles to pharmacy access, and behind-the-scenes practices that impede competition and increase costs. Their proposal includes the following potential policy solutions:

• Delinking PBM compensation from drug prices;
• Enhancing PBM accountability to health plan clients;
• Ensuring discounts negotiated by PBMs produce meaningful savings for seniors;
• Addressing and mitigating practices that unfairly inflate the prices patients and government programs pay for prescription drugs;
• Modernizing Medicare’s “Any Willing Pharmacy” requirements; and
• Increasing transparency around how financial flows across the prescription drug supply chain impact government health care programs.
• According to recent reports, the emerging health care packages from HELP and Finance have the potential to be combined with bipartisan drug patent legislation advanced by the Senate Commerce and Judiciary committees earlier this year.

 

Constituents Call for Feinstein Resignation Amidst Extended Absence from Senate

Acoalition of more than 60 progressive grassroots organizations representing more than 100,000 Californians have sent a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) urging her to resign. Her resignation would allow California Governor Gavin Newsom to appoint an interim senator to serve through the 2024 election. The groups argue that Feinstein’s extended absence from the Senate following her shingles diagnosis in February and subsequent hospitalization have impeded the Democratic Senate majority from advancing the President’s agenda. Democrats currently hold a 51-49 majority in the Senate, and Feinstein’s vote may soon be necessary to confirm Julie Su as secretary of the Department of Labor and to raise or suspend the debt limit. Her absence has also deadlocked the Judiciary Committee and impacted the panel’s ability to consider the President’s judicial nominations and subpoena hearing witnesses. Republicans blocked an attempt by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) to allow Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) to temporarily fill Feinstein’s position on the Judiciary Committee last week. Feinstein is also a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and her absence could impact markups of fiscal year 2024 spending legislation. Feinstein’s office has not provided an estimated return date for the 89-year-old senator.

 

President Expected to Announce NIH Nominee This Week

President Joe Biden is expected to announce his nomination of National Cancer Institute (NCI) Director Monica Bertagnolli to serve as Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) this week. Dr. Bertagnolli is a cancer surgeon and researcher. If confirmed, she would be only the second woman to lead the NIH as permanent director. Prior to starting as NCI’s first female director last year, Bertagnolli worked as the Richard E. Wilson Professor of Surgery in the field of surgical oncology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. She has led NCI since October 2022 while undergoing her own treatment for early-stage breast cancer diagnosed in November.

 

E&C Republicans Probe NIH Leadership Vacancies, EPA Regulation of HFCs

Republican leadership of the House Energy and Commerce Committee have launched an investigation into leadership vacancies at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The probe, announced by Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), Health Subcommittee Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), and Oversight and Investigations Chair Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), focuses on the current lack of directors at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Fogarty International Center. The lawmakers request that U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra respond to questions regarding his involvement in the appointment and reappointment of vacant director positions. They argue that his involvement is necessary to comply with the Appointments Clause of the Constitution, but that information provided by the NIH in response to questions from the committee last year indicate that the NIH Director has been the individual solely responsible for making appointments or reappointments.

Chair Rodgers, alongside Health Subcommittee Chair Guthrie and Environment, Manufacturing, & Critical Materials Subcommittee Chair Bill Johnson (R-Ohio), have also sent a letter to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding the regulation of the reclaiming and reuse of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). The lawmakers express concern that the agency’s delay of reclaim and reuse provisions will negatively impact the availability and affordability of meter dose inhalers (MDIs). “We are worried that forcing albuterol MDI manufacturers to rely upon constrained and increasingly expensive options to satisfy the market’s needs jeopardizes the supply of essential public health devices and endangers drug access, availability, and affordability for Americans,” the letter states.

 

Sen. Patty Murray Casts 10,000th Vote

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) became the first woman in the Senate’s history to cast 10,000 votes last week. The vote came on a proposed amendment to the Fire Grants and Safety Act (S. 870), which would extend federal funding for programs supporting the nation’s local fire departments. The milestone was recognized on the Senate floor and applauded by Democrats and Republicans alike. Only 32 individuals – including Mitch McConnell, Chuck Grassley, and Joe Biden – have cast more than 10,000 votes in the chamber’s history. Murray, who was first elected to the Senate in 1993, was selected as the first woman to serve as Senate president pro tempore earlier this year.

 

VA Delays EHR Modernization Effort Indefinitely

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has decided to further delay the implementation of its electronic health records (EHR) modernization project for an indefinite period of time. While the project was initially slated to be completed over 10 years, the VA had already decided to pause its roll-out to new sites until June. The system upgrade has faced significant issues both in terms of projected costs and patient safety. The VA’s contract with its vendor Oracle Cerner expires in May, and the two parties are currently in negotiations about the next five-year contract period.

 

Medscape Releases 2023 Physician Compensation Report

Anew report from Medscape reveals that the number of physicians who accept Medicare and Medicaid patients is at an all-time low. According to the 2023 Physician Compensation Report, only 65% of physicians surveyed indicated that they would continue treating current Medicare or Medicaid patients and take on new ones. Eight percent stated that they would not take on new Medicare patients, while 5% stated they would not take on new Medicaid patients. Four percent plan to stop treating all or some of their current Medicare patients, while 3% will stop treating all or some of their current Medicaid patients altogether. Approximately 22% of respondents had not decided their plans for accepting Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. The report is based on responses from 10,011 physicians across more than 29 specialties collected between October 2022 and January 2023.

 

POLICY BRIEFINGS

 

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

 

House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization hearing “Electronic Health Record Modernization Deep Dive: Pharmacy;” 3:00 p.m.; April 25

 

House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health legislative hearing “Lowering Unaffordable Costs: Legislative Solutions to Increase Transparency and Competition in Health Care;” 10:00 a.m.; April 26

 

Senate Budget Committee hearing “Under the Weather: Diagnosing the Health Costs of Climate Change;” 10:00 a.m.; April 26

 

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies hearing “Provider Relief Fund and Healthcare Workforce Shortages;” 10:00 a.m.; April 26

 

House Education and the Workforce Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions hearing “Reducing Health Care Costs for Working Americans and Their Families;” 10:15 a.m.; April 26

 

Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight hearing to examine impacts of plastic production and disposal on environmental justice communities; 9:30 a.m.; April 27

 

House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Innovation, Data, and Commerce hearing “Addressing America’s Data Privacy Shortfalls: How a National Standard Fills Gaps to Protect Americans’ Personal Information;” 2:00 p.m.; April 27

 

House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection hearing “CISA 2025: The State of American Cybersecurity from CISA’s Perspective;” 2:00 p.m.; April 27

 

House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing “The Biosafety of Risky Research: Examining if Science is Outpacing Policy and Safety;” 2:30 p.m.; April 27

 

House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing “Antimicrobial Resistance: Examining an Emerging Public Health Threat;” 9:00 a.m., April 28

 

Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing “The Need to Make Insulin Affordable for All Americans;” 1:00 p.m., May 10

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

 

S.1165 – A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to allow States to make medical assistance available to inmates during the 30-day period preceding their release; Sponsor: Baldwin, Tammy [Sen.-D-WI]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1166 – A bill to require the Comptroller General of the United States to submit a report on the public health mitigation messaging and guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Sponsor: Rubio, Marco [Sen.-R-FL]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.R.263 1 – To prohibit the Federal Government from imposing any mandate requiring an individual to receive a vaccine that has not been authorized for marketing for at least 10 years, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Santos, George [Rep.-R- NY-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2636 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to include neuropathy in the list of conditions covered by the World Trade Center Health Program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Santos, George [Rep.-R-NY-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2639 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for additional requirements with respect to electrodiagnostic services under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Sessions, Pete [Rep.-R-TX-17]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2642 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, to award grants for peer mental health first aid, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Balint, Becca [Rep.-D-VT-At Large]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2647 – To require the Comptroller General of the United States to submit a report on the public health mitigation messaging and guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Sponsor: Crenshaw, Dan [Rep.-R-TX-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

S.Res.159 – A resolution recognizing the designation of the week of April 11 through April 17, 2023, as the sixth annual “Black Maternal Health Week” to bring national attention to the maternal health crisis in the United States and the importance of reducing maternal mortality and morbidity among Black women and birthing persons; Sponsor: Booker, Cory A. [Sen.-D-NJ]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.Res.162 – A resolution designating the week of April 17 through April 23, 2023, as “National Osteopathic Medicine Week”; Sponsor: Manchin, Joe, III [Sen.-D-WV]; Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.

 

S.1172 – A bill to amend title 28, United States Code, to make certain improvements relating to the eligibility of veterans to receive reimbursement for emergency treatment furnished to veterans in non-Department of Veterans Affairs facilities, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Sinema, Kyrsten [Sen.-I-AZ]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.1174 – A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase funding for Social Security and Medicare; Sponsor: Whitehouse, Sheldon [Sen.-D-RI]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1176 – A bill to direct the Secretary of Labor to issue an occupational safety and health standard that requires covered employers within the health care and social service industries to develop and implement a comprehensive workplace violence prevention plan, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Baldwin, Tammy [Sen.-D-WI]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1182 – A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to increase the transparency and accountability of the drug discount program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Kennedy, John [Sen.-R-LA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1183 – A bill to prohibit discrimination on the basis of mental or physical disability in cases of organ transplants; Sponsor: Rubio, Marco [Sen.-R-FL]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.Res.303 – Recognizing the roles and the contributions of care workers in the United States and expressing support for the designation of April 2023 as “Care Worker Recognition Month”; Sponsor: Dingell, Debbie [Rep.-D-MI-6]; Committees: House – Education and the Workforce; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2663 – To direct the Secretary of Labor to issue an occupational safety and health standard that requires covered employers within the health care and social service industries to develop and implement a comprehensive workplace violence prevention plan, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Courtney, Joe [Rep.-D-CT-2]; Committees: House – Education and the Workforce; Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2665 – To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to delay certain disproportionate share hospital payment reductions under the Medicaid program; Sponsor: Clarke, Yvette D. [Rep.-D-NY-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2666 – To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to codify value-based purchasing arrangements under the Medicaid program and reforms related to price reporting under such arrangements, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Guthrie, Brett [Rep.-R-KY-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2673 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to restore the deduction for research and experimental expenditures; Sponsor: Estes, Ron [Rep.-R-KS-4]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.2679 – To amend the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1984 to increase oversight of pharmacy benefits manager services, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Kuster, Ann M. [Rep.-D-NH-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Education and the Workforce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2682 – To allow veterans to use, possess, or transport medical marijuana and to discuss the use of medical marijuana with a physician of the Department of Veterans Affairs as authorized by a State or Indian Tribe, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Lee, Barbara [Rep.-D-CA-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Judiciary; Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.2691 – To promote hospital and insurer price transparency; Sponsor: McMorris Rodgers, Cathy [Rep.-R-WA-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2692 – To amend title XX of the Social Security Act to provide grants and training to support area agencies on aging or other community-based organizations to address social isolation among vulnerable older adults and adults with disabilities; Sponsor: Sánchez, Linda T. [Rep.-D-CA-38]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

S.1192 – A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide the Secretary of Health and Human Services with the authority to suspend the right to introduce certain persons or property into the United States in the interest of the public health; Sponsor: Hagerty, Bill [Sen.-R-TN]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1198 – A bill to reauthorize funding for programs to prevent and investigate elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Wyden, Ron [Sen.-D-OR]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1204 – A bill to allow veterans to use, possess, or transport medical marijuana and to discuss the use of medical marijuana with a physician of the Department of Veterans Affairs as authorized by a State or Indian Tribe, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Schatz, Brian [Sen.-D-HI]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.1210 – A bill to designate a laboratory as the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cardin, Benjamin L. [Sen.-D-MD]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.1211 – A bill to amend title II of the Social Security Act to credit individuals serving as caregivers of dependent relatives with deemed wages for up to five years of such service; Sponsor: Murphy, Christopher [Sen.-D-CT]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1214 – A bill to set forth limitations on exclusive approval or licensure of drugs designated for rare diseases or conditions; Sponsor: Baldwin, Tammy [Sen.-D-WI]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1217 – A bill to prohibit the distribution and receipt of rebates for prescription drugs; Sponsor: Hawley, Josh [Sen.-R- MO]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1218 – A bill to require that the retail list price for certain prescription drugs and biological products may not exceed the average retail list price for the drug or biological product among certain nations; Sponsor: Hawley, Josh [Sen.-R-MO]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1219 – A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide health equity for people with disabilities; Sponsor: Casey, Robert P., Jr. [Sen.-D-PA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.Res.309 – Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Food and Drug Administration has the authority to approve drugs for abortion care; Sponsor: Manning, Kathy E. [Rep.-D-NC-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2701 – To provide for individual rights relating to privacy of personal information, to establish privacy and security requirements for covered entities relating to personal information, and to establish an agency to be known as the Digital Privacy Agency to enforce such rights and requirements, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Eshoo, Anna G. [Rep.-D- CA-16]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Judiciary; House Administration; Science, Space, and Technology

 

H.R.2706 – To prohibit discrimination on the basis of mental or physical disability in cases of organ transplants; Sponsor: Cammack, Kat [Rep.-R-FL-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2707 – To mitigate drug shortages and provide incentives for maintaining, expanding, and relocating the manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients, excipients, medical diagnostic devices, pharmaceuticals, and personal protective equipment in the United States, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Carter, Earl L. “Buddy” [Rep.-R-GA-1]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.2713 – To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act to increase access to services provided by advanced practice registered nurses under the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Joyce, David P. [Rep.-R-OH-14]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2718 – To reauthorize funding for programs to prevent, investigate, and prosecute elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Neal, Richard E. [Rep.-D-MA-1]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce; Education and the Workforce; Judiciary

 

H.R.2730 -To amend the Public Health Service Act to include Middle Easterners and North Africans in the statutory definition of a “racial and ethnic minority group”, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Tlaib, Rashida [Rep.-D-MI-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

S.1229 – A bill to establish a Green New Deal for Health to prepare and empower the health care sector to protect the health and wellbeing of our workers, our communities, and our planet in the face of the climate crisis, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Markey, Edward J. [Sen.-D-MA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1235 – A bill to establish an awareness campaign related to the lethality of fentanyl and fentanyl-contaminated drugs, to establish a Federal Interagency Work Group on Fentanyl Contamination of Illegal Drugs, and to provide community based coalition enhancement grants to mitigate the effects of drug misuse; Sponsor: Murkowski, Lisa [Sen.-R-AK]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1246 – A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to strengthen the drug pricing reforms in the Inflation Reduction Act; Sponsor: Klobuchar, Amy [Sen.-D-MN]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1250 – A bill to amend title XI of the Social Security Act to require that direct-to-consumer advertisements for drugs and biologicals include an appropriate disclosure of pricing information; Sponsor: Durbin, Richard J. [Sen.-D-IL]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

H.R.2748 – To amend the Fairness to Contact Lens Consumers Act to modernize verification of contact lens prescriptions, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Burgess, Michael C. [Rep.-R-TX-26]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2761 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a loan repayment program to encourage specialty medicine physicians to serve in rural communities experiencing a shortage of specialty medicine physicians, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Joyce, John [Rep.-R-PA-13]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2763 – To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to improve the detection, prevention, and treatment of mental health issues among public safety telecommunicators; Sponsor: Kelly, Robin L. [Rep.-D-IL-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2764 – To establish a Green New Deal for Health to prepare and empower the health care sector to protect the health and wellbeing of our workers, our communities, and our planet in the face of the climate crisis, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Khanna, Ro [Rep.-D-CA-17]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Science, Space, and Technology

 

H.R.2768 – To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make grants to State and local entities to carry out peer-to- peer mental health programs; Sponsor: LaLota, Nick [Rep.-R-NY-1]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.2769 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals only enrolled in Medicare Part A to contribute to health savings accounts; Sponsor: Latta, Robert E. [Rep.-R-OH-5]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

On April 10, President Biden signed into law H.J. Res. 7, the Pandemic is Over Act, a joint resolution terminating the national emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Biden administration previously announced its intention to end both the COVID-19 pandemic national emergency and public health emergency (PHE) declarations on May 11, 2023. Congress acted to end the national emergency ahead of this timeline. The House of Representatives adopted H.J.Res.7 at the end of January with 11 Democrats joining House Republicans supporting the measure. The Senate adopted the joint resolution on March 29 by a vote of 68 to 23. President Biden’s signature on H.J. Res. 7 puts an end to the COVID-19 national emergency originally declared on March 13, 2020-which provided a framework for the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to exercise certain emergency authorities with appropriate congressional oversight. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the end of the national emergency, “does not impact current operations at HHS, and does not impact the planned May 11 expiration of the federal PHE for COVID-19 or any associated unwinding plans…any existing waivers currently in effect and authorized under the 1135 waiver authorization for the pandemic, would remain in place until the end of the federal PHE for COVID-19.”

 

Democratic Senators Request Continued Coverage of Free At- Home Covid Tests

On April 4, Senators Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging, and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, led a group of nearly 20 Senators in sending a letter to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra urging the agency to continue providing Medicare coverage of rapid, at-home COVID-19 tests beyond the termination of the PHE. In the letter, the senators argue for continued Medicare coverage for the tests, stating, “Easy access to testing with quick results has prevented the spread of COVID-19, reduced severe infection, and enabled many Americans to resume normal life… Ending Medicare coverage for at-home COVID-19 tests could undo much of this progress and make it harder for Medicare beneficiaries to obtain accurate and timely information about their health. For example, without coverage under Medicare, many older Americans will not be able to afford to pay out-of-pocket for these critical tests and simply won’t test.” House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Ranking Member Anna Eshoo (D-Ca.) sent a similar letter to the agency in September. The PHE is set to terminate on May 11, at which point access to free COVID-19 tests will end and coverage will vary by health plan.

 

Continuous Enrollment in Medicaid Begins Unwinding

Astatutory provision included in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) required states to allow continuous enrollment in Medicaid, regardless of eligibility, through the end of the COVID-19 PHE in exchange for increased federal funding. Congress separated the provision from the PHE in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 and established a clear end date of April 1 for the provision. In January, CMS published an Informational Bulletin outlining timelines for states to unwind the requirement and submit a renewal redistribution plan. The Biden Administration estimates that upwards of 15 million individuals may lose Medicaid coverage as a result. Several states, including Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, New Hampshire, and South Dakota have already started the disenrollment process.

 

HHS Announces National Cancer Plan to Advance Cancer Moonshot

On April 3, HHS announced the creation of a National Cancer Plan to advance the President and First Lady’s Cancer Moonshot vision of cutting cancer mortality by at least half within 25 years and improving quality of life for those impacted by cancer. Developed by the National Institutes of Health’s National Cancer Institute (NCI) in collaboration with the cancer community, the plan provides a framework for the federal government and all of society to collaborate to end cancer. The plan establishes eight goals and corresponding strategies, to: prevent cancer; detect cancers early; develop effective treatments; eliminate inequities; deliver optimal care; engage every person; maximize data utility; and optimize the workforce. The President’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 proposed budget requests Congress provide a $503 million increase from FY2023 levels for NCI and additional funding for the Cancer Moonshot initiative.

 

Nursing Workforce Survey Released

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing released a new survey titled “Examining the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Burnout & Stress Among U.S. Nurses.” The survey reveals that during the COVID-19 pandemic approximately 100,000 registered nurses retired or resigned due to stress and burnout. One-fifth of registered nurses are estimated to leave the nursing workforce by 2027. Reasons cited include increased workload, feeling emotionally drained and fatigued, among others. The survey also looked at the continued downward trend of the number of licensed practical/ vocational nurses.

 

Republican Health Committee Leaders Raise Concerns with Biden Administration Drug Price Setting Guidance

On April 12, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), House Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-Mo.), and Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) wrote to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra and CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure voicing concerns with Inflation Reduction Act implementation guidance related to the drug price-setting provisions in the law. The letter emphasizes concerns, stating “This guidance exacerbates the law’s statutory flaws and compounds the profound uncertainty and risk posed by the legislation’s sweeping drug price controls. We encourage you to reconsider the many components of the initial guidance that will otherwise stifle medical innovation and quality improvement, discourage proven public- private partnerships, undermine American intellectual property (IP) protections, and provide unacceptable conditions for public feedback. If finalized as proposed, these provisions will serve to make bad policy worse, harming patients, caregivers, and health care providers across the United States for generations to come.” HHS published the initial program guidance on March 15 and provided a limited commenting opportunity that closed on April 14. By September 1, the agency will announce the first set of Medicare Part D drugs subject to price negotiation under the program. In 2026, a maximum of ten high-expenditure Part D drugs will have maximum fair prices set under the program.

 

Senate HELP Committee Drug Pricing Markup Postponed

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee has postponed an anticipated markup of bipartisan drug pricing legislation. The new legislation has yet to be made public but is expected to focus on policies related to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and generics, potentially drawing from previous proposals on these topics. Staff indicated that the committee is waiting for a significant amount of technical assistance before proceeding. Earlier this year, the committee announced a series of planned, closed-door roundtables to hear from experts on several topics. The committee has heard and will continue to hear from a range of industry experts, including innovative drug makers, the generics and biosimilars industries, and PBMs.

 

Democratic Health Committee Leaders Seek Information from Health Plans on Preventive Care Coverage After Court Ruling

On March 30, a federal judge’s ruling in Texas struck down an Affordable Care Act (ACA) requirement for health plans to fully cover certain preventative healthcare services recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force without cost-sharing. In response, five Democratic health committee leaders sent letters to 12 health plans seeking information on future coverage plans for preventive services, such as mammograms and screenings for cervical cancer, colorectal cancer, osteoporosis, hepatitis B virus, HIV, and lung cancer. In the letter, the committee leaders state, “We are very concerned that the decision will unnecessarily cause confusion, force consumers to pay out-of-pocket, and result in patients foregoing preventive services screenings and treatment altogether. There is evidence that even modest cost-sharing deters patients from accessing care and exposure to cost-sharing reduces the use of preventive care. We are very concerned that the decision will roll back the significant health care gains that have been made under the ACA and will worsen racial and ethnic inequities.” The letter was signed by House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone (D-N.J.), House Ways and Means Committee Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-Mass.) House Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Robert “Bobby” Scott (D-Va.), Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Senate HELP Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). On April 13, U.S. Department of Justice announced it was seeking a stay in Braidwood v. Becerra. HHS Secretary stated that “President Biden, and this entire Administration, will do everything possible to protect and defend Americans’ right to the health care they need and deserve.”

 

HHS Proposes New Rule on Transparency for Artificial Intelligence

On April 11, the HHS Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (HT1-1 proposed rule) to alter the ONC Health IT Certification Program. The HTI-1 proposed rule would implement provisions of the 21st Century Cures Act and according to the agency, seeks to “advance interoperability, improve transparency, and support the access, exchange, and use of electronic health information.” As part of the rulemaking, those creating Artificial Intelligence (AI) used in health care will be required to publicly disclose information on data used to inform algorithms to receive HHS’ certification. Currently, certification is voluntary except for certain technologies. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also taken steps to regulate AI. Earlier in April, FDA issued draft guidance related to increasing patient access to AI/machine learning-enabled devises to advance public health. The HTI-1 proposed rule will be formally published on April 18 and public comments will be accepted through June 20, 2023.

 

POLICY BRIEFINGS

 

States, Federal Government Consider Scope of Practice Legislation

Some states and the federal government are considering legislation to expand scope of practice to meet demand for future healthcare needs amid a growing workforce shortage in the industry. The Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that the United States could face a shortage of up to nearly 140,000 physicians by 2033. To increase patient access to care and address this shortage, a record number of bills, almost 200, have been filed in states to allow non- physician practitioners to prescribe and administer certain medications and vaccines. Some states, including Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Iowa, and Montana, are considering legislation that would change the supervision relationship between physician assistants and physicians. Temporary flexibilities offered during the COVID-19 public health emergency opened the door to allowing certain clinicians to practice medicine beyond their scope, e.g., pharmacists were given the authority to administer the COVID-19 vaccines. While many physician groups recognize policies are needed to increase patient access to care, concerns have been voiced with potential changes to scope of practice laws due to the impact on patient safety, as non-physician providers lack commensurate training and experience.

The administration and Congress are also beginning to consider policies to address healthcare workforce shortages. During a hearing last month, Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) raised the issue by stating, “Scope of practice has traditionally been state-based, and I personally think it should continue to be state-based… But as a rule, I am very much for everybody practicing to the upper limit of their license.” Members of the Senate HELP Committee are expected to introduce legislation to address healthcare workforce shortages later this year. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is also in the process of issuing and formalizing scope of practice standards across VA clinics, expected through the beginning of 2024.

 

Senators Return to Capitol Hill, but Senate Majority Continues to Lack Full Operating Capacity

Members of Congress are returning to Capitol Hill after a two-week recess. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) plans to return on Monday, after suffering a concussion and hospitalization from a fall last month. Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.) also indicated he would be back after a six-week hospitalization for depression. Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) announced her return to Washington would be delayed due to ongoing health complications. She has been out for nearly two months, complicating the ability of the Senate Democratic Majority to advance President Biden’s judicial nominees. On April 12, Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) called for the Senator’s resignation, stating “We need to put the country ahead of personal loyalty. While she has had a lifetime of public service, it is obvious she can no longer fulfill her duties.” Representative Dean Philips (D-Minn.) agreed, stating “it’s now a dereliction of duty [for her] to remain in the Senate.” In response and citing that her “absence could delay the important work of the Judiciary Committee,” Senator Feinstein called on the chamber to appoint a temporary replacement on the Judiciary Committee until she’s able to resume her committee work. Senator Feinstein previously announced that she will not run for reelection in 2024.

 

EPA Proposes to Reduce Exposure to Gas Used to Sterilize Medical Devices

On April 11, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued new proposals to reduce exposure to Ethylene Oxide (EtO) used to sterilize medical devices. According to the agency, long-term exposure to EtO pollution, for those working in facilities and for those in nearby communities, increases the risk of certain cancers. In the first proposal, EPA is seeking to cut EtO emissions by 80 percent per year across 86 commercial sterilizers nationwide-harmonizing emissions levels in line with EPA’s Clean Air Act benchmark for elevated cancer risk. The second proposal, with authority under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), seeks to protect facility workers by limiting the amount of EtO that can be applied to sterilize medical devices. According to the FDA, about 50 percent of medical devices are sterilized with EtO. In 2019, an FDA Advisory Committee met to discuss EtO use-experts agreed that no other medical device sterilant alternatives exist. In conjunction with the EPA proposals, the FDA announced the voluntary Radiation Sterilization Master File Pilot Program-open to nine eligible participants to help the industry advance alternatives for EtO sterilization of medical devices. The medtech and medical device industry voiced concerns with the announcement. Medical Device Manufacturers Association (MDMA) CEO Mark Leahey stated, “Reducing an already stretched supply chain would be catastrophic for patient care, and our sincere hope is that the EPA and the Administration will listen to hospitals, FDA and others to ensure that nothing is done that would compromise patient access to safe and effective medical technologies.” The public comment period is open for sixty days, with a final rule expected in 2024.

 

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

House Oversight and Accountability Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic hearing “Investigating the Origins of COVID-19, Part 2: China and the Available Intelligence;” 9:30 a.m.; April 18

 

House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs hearing “Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID);” 10:00 a.m.; April 18

 

House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health markup, “Pending Legislation”; 10:00 a.m.; April 18

 

House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing “Insights from the HHS Inspector General on Oversight of Unaccompanied Minors, Grant Management, and CMS;” 10:30 a.m.; April 18

 

House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health hearing, “Combatting a Crisis: Providing Veterans Access to Life-saving Substance Abuse Disorder Treatment;” 12:00 p.m.; April 18

 

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Hearing, “A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2024 Funding Request for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and for the National Science Foundation;” 2:30 p.m.; April 18

 

Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Safety hearing “Cleaner Vehicles: Good for Consumers and Public Health”; 2:30 p.m.; April 18

 

Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Cybersecurity hearing to receive testimony on artificial intelligence and machine learning applications to enable cybersecurity; 9:30 a.m.; April 19

 

House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing on H.R. 592, Department of Veterans Affairs Electronic Health Record Modernization Improvement Act; H.R. 608, To terminate the Electronic Health Record Modernization Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs; H.R. 1658, Manage VA Act; H.R. 1659, Department of Veterans Affairs IT Modernization Improvement Act; and H.R. 2499, VA Supply Chain Management System Authorization Act; 9:30 a.m.; April 19

 

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies hearing “Fiscal Year 2024 Request for the National Science Foundation;” 9:30 a.m.; April 19

 

House Committee on Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing “Examining Existing Federal Programs to Build a Stronger Health Workforce and Improve Primary Care;” including H.R. 2544, the Securing the U.S. Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network Act and H.R. 2411, the National Nursing Workforce Center Act; 10:00 a.m.; April 19

 

Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing “PEPFAR at 20: Achieving and Sustaining Epidemic Control;” 10:00 a.m.; April 19

 

House Appropriations Subcommittee on Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies hearing “Fiscal Year 2024 Request for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, and National Institute of Health;” 10:00 a.m.; April 19

 

House Small Business Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations hearing “Office of Inspector General Reports to Congress on Investigations of SBA Programs;” 10:00 a.m.; April 19

 

Senate Agriculture Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research hearing “SNAP and Other Nutrition Assistance in the Farm Bill;” 12 p.m.; April 19

 

Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies hearing “A Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request for the Food and Drug Administration;” 2:30 p.m.; April 19

 

Senate Environment and Public Works Subcommittee on Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight hearing to examine impacts of plastic production and disposal on environmental justice communities; 9:30 a.m.; April 27

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

H.R.2630 – To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to require a group health plan or health insurance coverage offered in connection with such a plan to provide an exceptions process for any medication step therapy protocol, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Wenstrup, Brad R. [Rep.-R-OH-2]; Committees: House – Education and the Workforce

 

H.R.2615 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude PFAS remediation reimbursements from gross income; Sponsor: Pappas, Chris [Rep.-D-NH-1]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.2600 -To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to ensure the equitable treatment of political subdivisions contributing to State expenditures under the Medicaid program; Sponsor: Langworthy, Nicholas A. [Rep.-R-NY-23]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2592 – To allow States and local educational agencies to use any remaining COVID-19 elementary and secondary school emergency relief funds for school security measures; Sponsor: Garcia, Mike [Rep.-R-CA-27]; Committees: House – Education and the Workforce

 

H.R.2584 – To protect hospital personnel from violence, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bucshon, Larry [Rep.-R-IN-8]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.R.2583 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand and expedite access to cardiac rehabilitation programs and pulmonary rehabilitation programs under the Medicare program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Blunt Rochester, Lisa [Rep.-D-DE-At Large]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2577 – To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish the Law Enforcement Mental Health and Wellness Program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Thompson, Bennie G. [Rep.-D-MS-2]; Committees: House – Homeland Security

 

H.R.2574 – To require the Secretary of Labor to revise the Standard Occupational Classification System to accurately count the number of emergency medical services practitioners in the United States; Sponsor: Wild, Susan [Rep.-D-PA-7]; Committees: House – Education and the Workforce

 

H.R.2573 – To express the Sense of Congress with respect to Federal preemption of State restrictions on dispensing medication abortion, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Ryan, Patrick [Rep.-D-NY-18]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2570 – To require more accurate reporting of abortion drug prescribing and related adverse events, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Pfluger, August [Rep.-R-TX-11]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2569 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize the program of payments to teaching health centers that operate graduate medical education programs; Sponsor: Pallone, Frank, Jr. [Rep.-D-NJ-6]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2562 – To direct the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to enter into appropriate arrangements with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide for a report on the health impacts of air traffic noise and pollution, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Lynch, Stephen F. [Rep.-D-MA-8]; Committees: House – Transportation and Infrastructure

 

H.R.2559 – To extend funding for community health centers and the National Health Service Corps, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Joyce, John [Rep.-R-PA-13]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2550 – To extend funding for Special Diabetes Programs for Type I diabetes. Sponsor: DeGette, Diana [Rep.-D- CO-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce.

 

H.R.2548 -To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to collect and disseminate information on concussion and traumatic brain injury among public safety officers; Sponsor: Crenshaw, Dan [Rep.-R-TX-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2547 – To amend title III of the Public Health Service Act to extend funding for special diabetes programs for Indians; Sponsor: Cole, Tom [Rep.-R-OK-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2544 – To improve the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bucshon, Larry [Rep.-R-IN-8]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2543 -To improve the provision of health care by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Wittman, Robert J. [Rep.-R-VA-1]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.2541 -To prioritize the hiring and training of veterans and retired law enforcement officers as school resource officers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Van Drew, Jefferson [Rep.-R-NJ-2]; Committees: House – Judiciary; Veterans’ Affairs; Education and the Workforce

 

H.R.2535 -To elevate the position of Director of the Indian Health Service within the Department of Health and Human Services to Assistant Secretary for Indian Health, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Stanton, Greg [Rep.-D-AZ-4]; Committees: House – Natural Resources; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2534- To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to ensure the equitable treatment of covered entities and pharmacies participating in the 340B drug discount program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Spanberger, Abigail Davis [Rep.-D-VA-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2530 -To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish direct care registered nurse-to-patient staffing ratio requirements in hospitals, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Schakowsky, Janice D. [Rep.-D-IL-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2528-To amend the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 and title 5, United States Code, to permit leave to care for an adult child, grandchild, or grandparent who has a serious health condition, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Ruiz, Raul [Rep.-D-CA-25]; House – Education and the Workforce; Oversight and Accountability; House Administration

 

H.R.2526 -To amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify that caregivers for veterans with serious illnesses are eligible for assistance and support services provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Ruiz, Raul [Rep.-D-CA-25]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.2503-To modify the project for Central and Southern Florida to include public health considerations, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Mast, Brian J. [Rep.-R-FL-21]; Committees: House – Transportation and Infrastructure

 

H.R.2502 – To repeal the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 and amendments to that Act. Sponsor: Massie, Thomas [Rep.-R-KY-4]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.R.2500 – To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to expand certain authorities with respect to the recall of controlled substances to apply with respect to all drugs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Kim, Andy [Rep.-D-NJ-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R. 2499-To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out an information technology system and prioritize certain requirements to manage supply chains for medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs; Sponsor: Kiggans, Jennifer A [Rep.-R-VA-2]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R. 2492-To restrict the availability of Federal funds to organizations associated with the abortion industry; Sponsor: Foxx, Virginia [Rep.-R-NC-5]; House – Foreign Affairs

 

H.R. 2491-To establish a grant program to improve school security, including by training and hiring veterans and former law enforcement officers as school safety officers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Fleischmann, Charles J. “Chuck” [Rep.- R-TN-3]; Committees: House – Education and the Workforce; Judiciary

 

H.R. 2483-To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to strengthen school security; Sponsor: Carter, John R. [Rep.-R-TX-31]; House – Education and the Workforce

 

H.R.2482-To require the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study on the accessibility of mental health care providers and services for members of the Armed Forces serving on active duty, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Buchanan, Vern [Rep.- R-FL-16]; House – Armed Services

 

H.R.2480 -To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue guidance on coverage under the Medicaid program under title XIX of the Social Security Act of certain pelvic health services furnished during the postpartum period, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bacon, Don [Rep.-R-NE-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2479 – To provide for safe schools and safe communities; Sponsor: Weber, Randy K., Sr. [Rep.-R-TX-14]; Committees: House – Education and the Workforce; Homeland Security; Judiciary; Energy and Commerce; Appropriations

 

H.R.2478 -To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for an exclusion from gross income for compensation of certain school resource officers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Weber, Randy K., Sr. [Rep.-R-TX-14]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.2477 – To amend the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 to permit qualified law enforcement officers, qualified retired law enforcement officers, and persons not prohibited by State law from carrying a concealed firearm to carry a firearm, and to discharge a firearm in defense of self or others, in a school zone; Sponsor: Weber, Randy K., Sr. [Rep.-R- TX-14]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.R.2476 -To keep schools safe using unobligated Federal funds available to the Secretary of Education to respond to the coronavirus; Sponsor: Weber, Randy K., Sr. [Rep.-R-TX-14]; Committees: House – Education and the Workforce

 

H.R.2475-To direct the Director of the National Science Foundation to award grants for, and support research on, the development of makerspaces, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Scott, David [Rep.-D-GA-13]; Committees: House – Science, Space, and Technology

 

H.R.2474 -To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for an update to a single conversion factor under the Medicare physician fee schedule that is based on the Medicare economic index; Sponsor: Ruiz, Raul [Rep.-D-CA-25]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2473 -To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to distribute additional information to Medicare beneficiaries to prevent health care fraud, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Ruiz, Raul [Rep.-D-CA-25]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2472 -To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to take actions necessary to ensure that certain individuals may update the burn pit registry with a registered individual’s cause of death, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Ruiz, Raul [Rep.- D-CA-25]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.2471 -To prohibit the unauthorized possession of a firearm at a Federal election site; Sponsor: Ruiz, Raul [Rep.-D- CA-25]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.R.2469 -To direct the Secretary of Defense to establish an outreach program to inform members of the Armed Forces, assigned to work near burn pits, of the risks of toxic exposure, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Ruiz, Raul [Rep.-D- CA-25]; Committees: House – Armed Services

 

H.R. 2457- To establish a National Science Foundation grant program to provide opportunities for and strengthen research capacity at institutions of higher education to stimulate sustainable improvement in existing research and development at such institutions, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Carter, Troy [Rep.-D-LA-2]; Committees: House – Science, Space, and Technology

 

H.Res.281 – Supporting the goals and ideals of “National Youth HIV/AIDS Awareness Day”; Sponsor: Lee, Barbara [Rep.- D-CA-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.276 -Expressing support for the designation of April 5, 2023, as “Barth Syndrome Awareness Day”; Sponsor: Tonko, Paul [Rep.-D-NY-20]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

Congress will return to session on Monday, April 17. The House of Representatives is in a District Work Period through Sunday, April 16, 2023, but will convene for a pro forma session on Monday, April 3. During the recess, the Senate will convene on Mondays and Thursdays for pro forma sessions only, with no business being conducted.

 

President to Sign Legislation Ending COVID-19 National Emergency

President Joe Biden plans to sign into law legislation passed by the Senate last week (H.J.Res. 7) that would terminate the COVID-19 national emergency early, despite White House opposition to the measure. The bill – which passed the House of Representatives on February 1 and cleared the Senate in a 68-23 vote on Wednesday – would immediately end the national emergency upon being signed by the President. Both the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) declared in January 2020, and the national emergency declared in March 2020 are set to expire on May 11 under the wind-down plan announced by the administration in January. While May 11 remains the expiration date of the COVID-19 PHE, the resolution will impact federal healthcare programs. Blanket waivers issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – including certain requirements for Medicare provider enrollment, requirements for in-person meetings between providers and patients, and requirements for out-of-state Medicare and Medicaid providers to be licensed in the state where they are providing services – were issued under the national emergency declaration. Some additional flexibilities issued to states and territories for the administration of their Medicaid and CHIP programs, like those permitting the provision of services in alternative settings and those to ease provider enrollment in the programs, are also tied to the national emergency declaration. Although the administration “strongly opposes” H.J.Res. 7, it “will continue working with agencies to wind down the national emergency with as much notice as possible to Americans who could potentially be impacted,” a White House official stated to The Hill. More information on the emergency declarations can be found in Hart Health Strategies Inc.’s primer on Public Health Emergencies and Major Disaster Declarations.

 

Judge Strikes ACA’s Preventive Services, HIV Treatment Coverage Mandates

U.S. District Court Judge Reed O’Connor has struck down the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) preventive services coverage requirement. The requirement mandates that insurers and employers cover more than 100 preventive health services, e.g., mammograms and colonoscopies, recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) for free. The judge for the Northern District of Texas ruled that the USPSTF is unconstitutional because its members wield power that resembles legislative authority without being appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. He also invalidated the law’s coverage mandate for HIV pre-exposure prophylactic (PrEP) drugs on the grounds that it violates the religious freedom of a Christian-owned company. The Biden administration is expected to appeal the decision.

 

Medicare Trustees Recommend Congress Address Projected Shortfalls

On Friday, the Medicare Boards of Trustees released their annual report on the Federal Hospital Insurance (Medicare Part A) and Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance (Medicare Part B) Trust Funds. The Trustees have again determined that the Part A trust fund “is not adequately financed over the next 10 years.” The depletion date is now 2031, 3 years later than last year’s projection. Expenditures exceeded income in 2022 and deficits are projected beginning in 2025. The Part A trust fund has failed to meet the Trustees’ formal short-range financial adequacy test since 2003. The Part B trust fund draws from general revenue and therefore is expected to be adequately financed through beneficiary premiums and federal funds. Upon the release of the report, CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure stated that “Everyone in the Biden-Harris Administration is committed to protecting Medicare, and we look forward to working with Congress to strengthen this vital program serving over 65 million Americans.”

 

E&C GOP Leaders Contact FDA on Drug Shortages, Gain-of-Function Research

House Energy and Commerce Committee Republican leadership have sent a letter to the Biden administration requesting information related to drug shortages. The lawmakers assert that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) may not effectively be using its existing authorities to prevent or reduce ongoing drug shortages and request details about the scarcity of drugs to treat asthma, cancer, tuberculosis, bacterial infection, and headaches, pain, and fever – specifically seeking information on shortages of albuterol, Pluvicto, cisplatin, fluorouracil, methotrexate, Bacillus Calmette- Guerin (BCG), amoxicillin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen. They point out that the agency has not yet released any information on the reports required by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act from industry on listed drugs manufactured, prepared, or processed for commercial distribution and where active pharmaceutical ingredients and finished dosage forms were made. The letter to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf was signed by Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Wash.), Health Subcommittee Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.), and Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee Chair Morgan Griffith (R-Va.). The lawmakers request a response by April 13.

Rodgers, Guthrie, and Griffith also sent a separate letter to Commissioner Califf following up on prior questions posed to the agency about the FDA’s funding of gain-of-function research last week. While FDA staff have acknowledged that some agency research studies “involve virus manipulation, passaging of a virus, genetically modified animals, or making any mutations to a virus,” the latest letter requests additional details to put these studies in context and enable an assessment of the adequacy of FDA’s oversight of potential risks in such experiments. The lawmakers request a response to this letter by April 10.

 

Eshoo, Guthrie Call on FDA to Address Backlog of Cell and Gene Therapy Applications

House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee leadership Chairman Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.) and Ranking Member Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) have sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research Director Peter Marks expressing concerns about the increasing number of clinical holds on biologics license applications which delay a proposed clinical investigation or suspend an ongoing investigation for such products. They request details about the agency’s process for addressing these holds and “encourage the FDA to use its regulatory discretion where necessary to make these innovative products available to patients in need, particularly those with ultra-rare or fatal diseases or for whom there are limited or no treatment options. The full letter can be found here and requests a response no later than April 14.

 

Comer Requests Briefing on Regulation of Tobacco, Nicotine

House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) has sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration requesting information and a staff briefing on the Center for Tobacco Product’s (CTP) tobacco and nicotine regulatory programs. Comer references a recent evaluation by the Reagan-Udall Foundation, which found that CTP has not clearly detailed “the most basic elements” of such programs, resulting in “confusion, inefficiency, litigation, and suspicions of political interference.” The letter expresses concerns that the Center has allowed unsafe and unregulated products to proliferate on the market and requests a response from the agency no later than April 11.

 

Duckworth Urges FTC Intervention on Mifepristone Distribution

Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) is urging the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to investigate AmerisourceBergen following reports that the company plans to limit the sale of mifepristone. AmerisourceBergen is the sole wholesale distributor of the brand-name version of the abortion medication. “The bottom line is that based on existing information, data and evidence, one cannot dismiss the possibility that AmerisourceBergen may be using broader political disagreements and active legal debates as pretextual cover and justification for engaging in anticompetitive, unfair, and deceptive practices that are primarily concerned with maximizing profit margins by reducing consumer choice and restricting trade with an entire industry of retail pharmacies,” Duckworth argues.

 

POLICY BRIEFINGS

 

Fetterman, Feinstein Expected to Return Following April Recess

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) plans to return to the Senate the week of April 17, according to sources close to the lawmaker. Fetterman announced in mid-February that he had checked himself into inpatient treatment at Walter Reed Medical Center and was seeking treatment for clinical depression on the recommendation of Congress’ attending physician. According to the American Stroke Association, depression is common among stroke survivors. Fetterman suffered a stroke on the campaign trail last year. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has also been absent from the chamber since being hospitalized following a shingles diagnosis over the February recess. Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) stated that he expects her to return to the Senate in the days following the upcoming two-week congressional recess as well.

 

WHO Revises COVID Vaccine Recommendations

The World Health Organization (WHO) has revised its COVID-19 vaccine recommendations in response to the current phase of the disease and global immunity levels. WHO suggests that high-risk populations – older adults and people with significant risk factors – receive an additional dose of the vaccine either six or 12 months after their latest dose, based on factors like age and any immunocompromising conditions. The global health agency advises that countries consider factors like disease burden before recommending the vaccination of healthy children and adolescents.

 

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

 

H.R.1800 – To prohibit Federal spending on funding research in China, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Williams, Brandon [Rep.-R-NY-22]; Committees: House – Science, Space, and Technology

 

H.R.1795 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow qualified distributions from health savings accounts for certain home care expenses; Sponsor: Smith, Adrian [Rep.-R-NE-3]; Committee: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.1790 – To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to evaluate the extent to which the substitution of interchangeable biological products is impacted by differences between the system for determining a biological product to be interchangeable and the system for assigning therapeutic equivalence ratings to drugs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Miller-Meeks, Mariannette [Rep.-R-IA-1]; Committee: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1781 – To amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to the designation of general surgery shortage areas, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bucshon, Larry [Rep.-R-IN-8]; Committee: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1780 – To facilitate the development of treatments for cancer, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bilirakis, Gus M. [Rep.-R-FL-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.1776 -End Tuberculosis Now Act of 2023- To prevent, treat, and cure tuberculosis globally; Sponsor: Bera, Ami [Rep.-D-CA-6]; Committee: House – Foreign Affairs

 

H.R.1774 – To amend title 38, United States Code, to reimburse veterans for the cost of emergency medical transportation to a Federal facility, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Alford, Mark [Rep.-R-MO-4]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.983 – A bill to permit the Attorney General to award grants for accurate date on opioid-related overdoses, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Scott, Rick [Sen.-R-FL]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.986 – A bill to increase the criminal penalty for mail fraud involving misrepresentation of the country of origin, to terminate the authority to exclude countries from the requirement to transmit advance electronic information for 100 percent of mail shipments under the STOP Act of 2018, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Klobuchar, Amy [Sen.-D-MN]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

H.Res.259 – Promoting youth mental health and well-being in a changing climate; Sponsor: Thompson, Mike [Rep.-D- CA-4]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1805 – To mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on incentives under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic for the development of orphan drugs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Gottheimer, Josh [Rep.-D-NJ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

S.993 – A bill to prohibit certain uses of xylazine, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cortez Masto, Catherine [Sen.-D-NV]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.996 – A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to establish a demonstration project to improve outpatient clinical care for individuals with sickle cell disease; Sponsor: Booker, Cory A. [Sen.-D-NJ]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1000 – A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the accuracy of market-based Medicare payment for clinical diagnostic laboratory services, to reduce administrative burdens in the collection of data, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Brown, Sherrod [Sen.-D-OH]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1001 – A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend the exemption for telehealth services from certain high deductible health plan rules; Sponsor: Daines, Steve [Sen.-R-MT]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1002 – A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve risk adjustment under Medicare Advantage; Sponsor: Cassidy, Bill [Sen.-R-LA]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

H.R.1825 – To clarify that the Federal Right to Try law applies to schedule I substances for which a phase I clinical trial has been completed and to provide access for eligible patients to such substances pursuant to the Federal Right to Try law; Sponsor: Blumenauer, Earl [Rep.-D-OR-3]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Judiciary

 

H.R.1826 – To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to require group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage to provide coverage for prostate cancer screenings without the imposition of cost-sharing requirements, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bucshon, Larry [Rep.-R-IN-8]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1827 – To prohibit the National Institutes of Health from conducting or supporting certain gain-of-function research, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Carter, Earl L. “Buddy” [Rep.-R-GA-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1835 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the accuracy of market-based Medicare payment for clinical diagnostic laboratory services, to reduce administrative burdens in the collection of data, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Hudson, Richard [Rep.-R-NC-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.1839 – To prohibit certain uses of xylazine, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Panetta, Jimmy [Rep.-D-CA-19]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Judiciary

 

H.R.1843 – To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend the exemption for telehealth services from certain high deductible health plan rules; Sponsor: Steel, Michelle [Rep.-R-CA-45]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

S.1024 – A bill to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to eligible entities to develop and implement a comprehensive program to promote student access to defibrillation in public elementary schools and secondary schools; Sponsor: Booker, Cory A. [Sen.-D-NJ]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1026 – A bill to authorize the appropriation of funds to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for conducting or supporting research on firearms safety or gun violence prevention; Sponsor: Markey, Edward J. [Sen.-D-MA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1028 – A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to expand health care and benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs for military sexual trauma, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Tester, Jon [Sen.-D-MT]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.1031 – A bill to ensure affordable abortion coverage and care for every person, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Duckworth, Tammy [Sen.-D-IL]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1037 – A bill to prohibit the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from carrying out certain activities under the Electronic Health Record Modernization Program until certification of system stability improvements; Sponsor: Moran, Jerry [Sen.- R-KS]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.1038 – A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to improve transparency and prevent the use of abusive spread pricing and related practices in the Medicaid program; Sponsor: Welch, Peter [Sen.-D-VT]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1040 – A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit smoking on the premises of any facility of the Veterans Health Administration, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Durbin, Richard J. [Sen.-D-IL]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.1057 – A bill to require responsiveness testing of Defense Logistics Agency pharmaceutical contracts; Sponsor: Rubio, Marco [Sen.-R-FL]; Committees: Senate – Armed Services

 

S.1063 – A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to implement a minimum work requirement for able-bodied adults enrolled in State Medicaid programs; Sponsor: Kennedy, John [Sen.-R-LA]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1064 – A bill to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a national project to prevent and cure Parkinson’s, to be known as the National Parkinson’s Project, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Capito, Shelley Moore [Sen.- R-WV]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1067 – A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to citizen petitions; Sponsor: Shaheen, Jeanne [Sen.-D-NH]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

H.R.2392 – To require a seven-day waiting period before the receipt of a firearm; Sponsor: Slotkin, Elissa [Rep.-D-MI-7]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.R.2391 – To amend title 18, United States Code, to temporarily prohibit the transfer of a firearm to, or the possession of a firearm by, a person convicted of a misdemeanor in which a firearm was used, carried, or possessed; Sponsor: Slotkin, Elissa [Rep.-D-MI-7]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.R.2390 – To authorize the appropriation of funds to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for conducting or supporting research on firearms safety or gun violence prevention; Sponsor: Slotkin, Elissa [Rep.-D-MI-7]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2389 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for the distribution of additional residency positions, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Sewell, Terri A. [Rep.-D-AL-7]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2377 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the accuracy of market-based Medicare payment for clinical diagnostic laboratory services, to reduce administrative burdens in the collection of data, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Hudson, Richard [Rep.-R-NC-9]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2376 – To amend the Indian Health Care Improvement Act and title 5 of the United States Code to facilitate participation in Federal benefits programs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Grijalva, Raúl M. [Rep.-D-AZ-7]; Committees: House – Oversight and Accountability; Natural Resources; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2370 – To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to eligible entities to develop and implement a comprehensive program to promote student access to defibrillation in public elementary schools and secondary schools; Sponsor: Cherfilus-McCormick, Sheila [Rep.-D-FL-20]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Education and the Workforce

 

H.R.2369 – To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to in vitro clinical tests, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bucshon, Larry [Rep.-R-IN-8]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2365 – To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a national project to prevent and cure Parkinson’s, to be known as the National Parkinson’s Project, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bilirakis, Gus M. [Rep.-R- FL-12]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2335 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Bilateral Economic Assistance, Global Health Programs, HIV/AIDS for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Foreign Affairs

 

H.R.2334 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Bilateral Economic Assistance, Global Health Programs for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Foreign Affairs

 

H.R.2297 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Related Agency and Food and Drug Administration, FDA Innovation Account, Cures Act for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2296 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Related Agency and Food and Drug Administration, Buildings and Facilities for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2295 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Related Agency and Food and Drug Administration, Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration, for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2104 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for District of Columbia, Federal Payment for Testing and Treatment of HIV/AIDS for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Oversight and Accountability

 

H.R.2021 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2020 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5] Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2019 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Natural Resources; Education and the Workforce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2018 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Secretary, Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2017 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Secretary, Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2016 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Secretary, General Departmental Maintenance for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Natural Resources; Education and the Workforce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2015 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living, Aging and Disability Services Programs for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Education and the Workforce; Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; House Administration

 

H.R.2006 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, The Agency for Heathcare Research and Quality for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2005 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Health Surveillance and Program Support for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2004 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Substance Abuse Prevention for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2003 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Substance Abuse Treatment for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2002 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Mental Health for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R- AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2001 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Innovation Account, CURES Act for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2000 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Buildings and Facilities for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1999 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health Office of the Director for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1998 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.- R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1997 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health National Library of Medicine for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1996 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health John E. Fogarty International Center for fiscal year 2024. Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1995 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1994 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1993 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1992 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health National Human Genome Research for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1991 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health National Institute of Mental Health for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1990 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health National Institute on Drug Abuse for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1988 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health National Institute of Nursing Research for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1986 – 118th Congress (2023-2024) To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1985 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health National Institute on Aging for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1983 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health National Eye Institute for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1980 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R- AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1979 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1978 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1976 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1975 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health National Cancer Institute for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1974 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-Wide Activities and Program Support for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R- AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1973 – To provide for a limitation on availability of Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Buildings and Facilities for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1972 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Public Health Preparedness and Response for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1971 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Global Health for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1968 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Injury Prevention and Control for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1963 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1962 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, and Tuberculosis Prevention for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1961 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Immunization and Respiratory Diseases for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.- R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1960 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration Program Management for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

H.R.1958 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration Rural Health for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R-AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.1956 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.- R-AZ-5]; House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.1955 – To provide for a limitation on availability of funds for Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration Maternal and Child Health for fiscal year 2024; Sponsor: Biggs, Andy [Rep.-R- AZ-5]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.Res.264 – Expressing support for the goals of Workplace Eye Wellness Month by promoting the importance of protecting the eyes from increased screen time; Sponsor: Payne, Donald M., Jr. [Rep.-D-NJ-10]; Committees: House – Education and the Workforce; Energy and Commerce

 

S.Res.139 – A resolution recognizing the critical role that PEPFAR has played in the global fight against HIV/AIDS; Sponsor: Graham, Lindsey [Sen.-R-SC]; Committees: Senate – Foreign Relations

 

S.Res.144 – A resolution recognizing that it is the duty of the Federal Government to develop and implement a Transgender Bill of Rights to protect and codify the rights of transgender and nonbinary people under the law and ensure their access to medical care, shelter, safety, and economic safety; Sponsor: Markey, Edward J. [Sen.-D-MA]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.Res.149 – A resolution designating the first week of April 2023 as “National Asbestos Awareness Week”; Sponsor: Tester, Jon [Sen.-D-MT]; Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment by Unanimous Consent.

 

S.Res.153 – A resolution recognizing the roles and the contributions of care workers in the United States and expressing support for the designation of April 2023 as “Care Worker Recognition Month”; Sponsor: Casey, Robert P., Jr. [Sen.-D-PA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1069 – A bill to amend the Toxic Substances Control Act to prohibit the manufacture, processing, use, and distribution in commerce of commercial asbestos and mixtures and articles containing commercial asbestos, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Merkley, Jeff [Sen.-D-OR]; Committees: Senate – Environment and Public Works

 

S.1072 – A bill to create a Council on Emergency Response Protocols to ensure the establishment of accessible, developmentally appropriate, culturally aware, and trauma-informed emergency response protocols in public schools, early child care and education settings, and institutions of higher education, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Casey, Robert P., Jr. [Sen.-D-PA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1075 – A bill to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to establish a grant program to be known as the Mental Health Licensure Portability Program to award grants to eligible entities, and for other purposes; Sponsor: King, Angus S., Jr. [Sen.-I-ME]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1077 – A bill to establish a home-based telemental health care demonstration program for purposes of increasing mental health and substance use services in rural medically underserved populations and for individuals in farming, fishing, and forestry occupations; Sponsor: Rounds, Mike [Sen.-R-SD]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1110 – A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to rebase the calculation of payments for sole community hospitals and Medicare-dependent hospitals, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Casey, Robert P., Jr. [Sen.-D-PA]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1113 – A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to establish direct care registered nurse-to-patient staffing ratio requirements in hospitals, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Brown, Sherrod [Sen.-D-OH]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1114 – A bill to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act with respect to the 180-day exclusivity period; Sponsor: Smith, Tina [Sen.-D-MN]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1115 – A bill to require the Secretary of Labor to revise the Standard Occupational Classification System to accurately count the number of emergency medical services practitioners in the United States; Sponsor: Casey, Robert P., Jr. [Sen.-D- PA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1119 – A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the maximum age for children eligible for medical care under the CHAMPVA program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Brown, Sherrod [Sen.-D-OH]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.1120 – A bill to improve the actions available to eligible product developers in the event of delays in receiving covered product for purposes of generic drug or biosimilar biological product development; Sponsor: Hassan, Margaret Wood [Sen.-D-NH]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1122 – A bill to improve the program to provide for priority review of human drug applications to encourage treatment for agents that present national security threats; Sponsor: Ernst, Joni [Sen.-R-IA]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1125 – A bill to authorize an electronic health record modernization program of the Department of Veterans Affairs and increase oversight and accountability of the program to better serve veterans, medical professionals of the Department, and taxpayers, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Tester, Jon [Sen.-D-MT]; Committees: Senate – Veterans’ Affairs

 

S.1128 – A bill to establish special rules relating to information provided with respect to drug applications concerning method of use patents; Sponsor: Hassan, Margaret Wood [Sen.-D-NH]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

S.1130 – A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for hospital and insurer price transparency; Sponsor: Braun, Mike [Sen.-R-IN]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1131 – A bill to amend title XI of the Social Security Act and title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to establish requirements with respect to prescription drug benefits; Sponsor: Braun, Mike [Sen.-R-IN]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1132 – A bill to allow sponsors of certain new drug applications to rely upon investigations conducted in certain foreign countries, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Braun, Mike [Sen.-R-IN]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1133 – A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to clarify rules relating to drug discounts for covered entities; Sponsor: Braun, Mike [Sen.-R-IN]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1134 – A bill to strengthen the authority of the Food and Drug Administration with respect to foreign drug facility inspections; Sponsor: Braun, Mike [Sen.-R-IN]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1135 – A bill to amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to require coverage of hearing devices and systems in certain private health insurance plans, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Capito, Shelley Moore [Sen.-R-WV]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1139 – A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to apply prescription drug inflation rebates to drugs furnished in the commercial market and to change the base year for rebate calculations; Sponsor: Cortez Masto, Catherine [Sen.-D-NV]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

S.1140 – A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to the designation of general surgery shortage areas, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Schatz, Brian [Sen.-D-HI]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1141 – A bill to amend the Controlled Substances Act with respect to the scheduling of fentanyl-related substances, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Cassidy, Bill [Sen.-R-LA]; Committees: Senate – Judiciary

 

S.1143 – A bill to direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a grant program to increase cooperation on post-traumatic stress disorder research between the United States and Israel; Sponsor: Moran, Jerry [Sen.-R-KS]; Committees: Senate – Foreign Relations

 

S.1150 – A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to support and stabilize the existing nursing workforce, establish programs to increase the number of nurses, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Merkley, Jeff [Sen.-D-OR]; Committees: Senate – Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

 

S.1158 – A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to improve access to health care through expanded health savings accounts, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rubio, Marco [Sen.-R-FL]; Committees: Senate – Finance

 

H.Res.269 – Recognizing that it is the duty of the Federal Government to develop and implement a Transgender Bill of Rights to protect and codify the rights of transgender and nonbinary people under the law and ensure their access to medical care, shelter, safety, and economic security; Sponsor: Jayapal, Pramila [Rep.-D-WA-7]; Committees: House – Judiciary; Education and the Workforce; Energy and Commerce; Financial Services; Oversight and Accountability

H.R.12 – To protect a person’s ability to determine whether to continue or end a pregnancy, and to protect a health care provider’s ability to provide abortion services; Sponsor: Chu, Judy [Rep.-D-CA-28]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Judiciary

 

H.R.2400 – To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to allow States to make medical assistance available to inmates during the 30-day period preceding their release; Sponsor: Tonko, Paul [Rep.-D-NY-20]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2402 – To amend the Toxic Substances Control Act to prohibit the manufacture, processing, use, and distribution in commerce of commercial asbestos and mixtures and articles containing commercial asbestos, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bonamici, Suzanne [Rep.-D-OR-1]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2407 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of multi-cancer early detection screening tests; Sponsor: Arrington, Jodey C. [Rep.-R-TX-19]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2408 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide a review process for adverse national coverage determinations with respect to drug coverage under the Medicare program; Sponsor: Barragan, Nanette Diaz [Rep.-D- CA-44]; Committees: House – Ways and Means; Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2410 – To amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide administrative support to providers of dental care who provide such care to veterans that is not furnished under such title, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a pilot program for the provision of dental care to certain veterans, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Bilirakis, Gus M. [Rep.-R-FL-12]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.2411 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to support and stabilize the existing nursing workforce, establish programs to increase the number of nurses, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Blunt Rochester, Lisa [Rep.-D-DE-At Large]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2412 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize grants to increase national capacity to provide pediatric behavioral health services at children’s hospitals and through community-based providers to improve children’s access to care; and to authorize grants to begin to address large numbers of children boarding in emergency departments, to support the pediatric behavioral health workforce, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Blunt Rochester, Lisa [Rep.-D-DE-At Large]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2413 – To amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish dental care in the same manner as any other medical service, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Brownley, Julia [Rep.-D-CA-26]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.2414 – To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the maximum age for children eligible for medical care under the CHAMPVA program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Brownley, Julia [Rep.-D-CA-26]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.2416 – To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize a military and civilian partnership for trauma readiness grant program; Sponsor: Burgess, Michael C. [Rep.-R-TX-26]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2430 – To create a rule of construction for Federal courts to apply in all cases regarding the provision or obtaining of reproductive health services and the imposition of capital punishment; Sponsor: Mace, Nancy [Rep.-R-SC-1]; Committees: House – Judiciary

 

H.R.2431 – To authorize Department of Veterans Affairs health care providers to provide recommendations and opinions to veterans regarding participation in State marijuana programs; Sponsor: Mast, Brian J. [Rep.-R-FL-21]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs

 

H.R.2433 – To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to update the calculation of the hospital specific rate for such hospitals, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Meuser, Daniel [Rep.-R-PA-9]; Committees: House – Ways and Means

 

H.R.2438 – To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, to establish a grant program to be known as the Mental Health Licensure Portability Program to award grants to eligible entities, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Neguse, Joe [Rep.-D-CO-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce

 

H.R.2439 – To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to require coverage of hearing devices and systems in certain private health insurance plans, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Neguse, Joe [Rep.- D-CO-2]; Committees: House – Energy and Commerce; Education and the Workforce; Ways and Means

 

H.R.2441 – To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand health care and benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs for military sexual trauma, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Pingree, Chellie [Rep.-D-ME-1]; Committees: House – Veterans’ Affairs; Armed Services

 

H.R.2454 – To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a grant program to increase cooperation on post-traumatic stress disorder research between the United States and Israel; Sponsor: Waltz, Michael [Rep.-R-FL-6]; Committees: House – Armed Services

 

H.R.2456 – To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Women’s Health, to create educational materials with respect to covered disorders for elementary and secondary school students, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Williams, Nikema [Rep.-D-GA-5]; Committees: House – Education and the Workforce; Energy and Commerce