Radiation Exposure Compensation Act Amendments of 2021 This bill expands two programs that compensate individuals who were exposed to radiation during certain nuclear testing or uranium mining and subsequently developed medical conditions, including cancers. First, the bill expands and extends a program that compensates individuals who were exposed to radiation from atmospheric nuclear testing or other sources and subsequently developed specified cancers. Under current law, this program compensates individuals who were present in a designated geographic area during a period of nuclear testing and certain individuals employed in uranium mining. The bill expands the designated areas to include Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, and Guam and additional areas in Arizona, Nevada, and Utah; makes more individuals who worked in uranium mining eligible for the program; increases the amount of compensation awarded to and provides medical benefits for eligible claimants; and extends for 19 years following the bill's enactment the fund that supports this program and the statute of limitations for filing claims (currently, the program terminates on July 10, 2022). Second, the bill makes certain individuals employed in uranium mines or mills eligible for a program that compensates workers, including Department of Energy employees and contractors, for illnesses caused by occupational exposure to radiation and hazardous substances during development and testing of the nation's nuclear weapons stockpile. The bill also establishes a grant program in the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences for institutions of higher education to study the epidemiological impacts of uranium mining and milling among individuals without occupational exposure.
Allied Health Workforce Diversity Act of 2021 This bill allows the Department of Health and Human Services to provide grants to accredited education programs to increase diversity in the physical therapy, occupational therapy, respiratory therapy, audiology, and speech-language pathology professions. Grants may be used to provide scholarships or to support recruitment and retention of students from underrepresented groups.
Patient Advocate Tracker Act This bill requires the Office of Patient Advocacy within the Veterans Health Administration to establish an information technology system that allows veterans or their representatives to electronically file a complaint with a patient advocate and review the status of a filed complaint.
Outdoors for All Act This bill directs the Department of the Interior to establish an outdoor recreation legacy partnership grant program under which Interior may award grants to states, certain political subdivisions of a state, special purpose districts, Indian tribes, or Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian communities or organizations. Funds must be used for projects to (1) acquire land and water for parks and other outdoor recreation purposes in qualifying areas, and (2) develop new or renovate existing outdoor recreation facilities that provide outdoor recreation opportunities to the public in qualifying areas. A qualifying area is an area that has a population of 30,000 or more in the most recent census, or that is administered by an Indian tribe or an Alaska Native or Native Hawaiian community organization. Interior shall give priority to projects that create or significantly enhance access to park and recreational opportunities in an urban neighborhood or community, engage and empower underserved communities and youth, provide opportunities for employment or job training for youth or underserved communities, establish or expand public-private partnerships, and take advantage of coordination among various levels of government.
Veteran and Beginning Farmers Assistance Act of 2021 This bill extends through FY2028 and makes other changes to a technology transfer program for assisting agricultural producers in rural areas. Among the changes, the bill (1) incorporates a specific focus on beginning, socially disadvantaged, and veteran farmers and ranchers; and (2) expands the scope of the assistance to include improving farm viability, strengthening supply chains, and increasing resilience to extreme weather through conservation practices.
PrEP Access and Coverage Act This bill requires private health insurance plans to cover prescription drugs that prevent HIV, including related screenings, diagnostic procedures, administrative fees, and clinical follow-ups, without any cost-sharing obligation for the plan holder. Further, insurance plans must not impose any preauthorization requirement for this coverage. These coverage requirements also apply to public health insurance programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program. Additionally, the bill prohibits denying, limiting, or qualifying coverage or increasing premiums for disability insurance, long-term care insurance, or life insurance policies based on an individual taking medication for HIV prevention. The bill further requires the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to states, or directly to eligible local organizations, to provide uninsured individuals and underinsured individuals access to prescription drugs and related services that prevent HIV. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also must develop a public awareness campaign that focuses efforts in communities with a high need for HIV prevention treatment.
Deceptive Experiences To Online Users Reduction Act or the DETOUR Act This bill prohibits large online operators from manipulating their product to mislead consumers into providing personal information or giving consent. The bill further prohibits these operators from studying the behavioral patterns of subsets of users without first obtaining informed consent, and it prohibits designing online products that lead to compulsive usage by children. If meeting certain requirements, an association of large online operators may register with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as a professional standards body to develop and promote best practices and guidance for complying with the requirements of this bill. The bill provides authority for the FTC to enforce the requirements of this bill.
Social Determinants of Health Data Analysis Act of 2021 This bill requires the Government Accountability Office to report on actions taken by the Department of Health and Human Services to address social determinants of health, including how data collection about social determinants of health complies with relevant privacy laws. Social determinants of health are nonmedical factors that influence health outcomes, such as income, educational attainment, and place of residence.
Promoting Resources to Expand Vaccination, Education, and New Treatments for HPV Cancers Act of 2021 or the PREVENT HPV Cancers Act of 2021 This bill reauthorizes through FY2026 and expands Department of Health and Human Services activities to educate health care providers and the public about human papillomavirus (HPV), its association with certain cancers, and the importance of HPV vaccines. Specifically, the bill (1) requires relevant educational materials to include information about both cervical cancer and other HPV-associated cancers and about the importance of HPV vaccines, including for males; (2) expands the scope of a national education campaign about gynecologic cancers to address HPV-associated cancers more broadly and target specified, at-risk populations; and (3) authorizes demonstration projects to increase knowledge and awareness of gynecologic cancers.
Maternal Vaccination Act This bill includes a focus on pregnant and postpartum individuals in existing public health activities to increase vaccination rates. First, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must incorporate a focus on pregnant and postpartum individuals, including by disseminating information to obstetric health care providers, into its existing public awareness campaign about the importance of vaccinations. Second, the bill expressly allows certain project grants for preventive health services to be used for activities to increase vaccination rates of pregnant and postpartum individuals (and their children).
This resolution supports (1) the goals and ideals of World AIDS Day, including the goal to achieve zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS-related deaths; (2) efforts to end the HIV epidemic in the United States and around the world by 2030; (3) continued funding for prevention, care and treatment services, and research programs for communities impacted by HIV and people living with HIV in the United States and globally; and (4) continued leadership by the United States in domestic, bilateral, multilateral, and private sector efforts to fight HIV. Finally, the resolution urges other members of the international community to sustain and scale up their support for, and financial contributions to, efforts around the world to combat HIV.
This Senate resolution (SRES 464) expresses symbolic support for National Adoption Month (November) and National Adoption Day (November 20), encouraging public awareness of children awaiting adoption. It does not create new laws or allocate funding but urges U.S. citizens to consider adoption and support efforts to provide safety and permanency for children in foster care. The resolution highlights challenges like the pandemic's impact on foster care systems while affirming that every child deserves a permanent family. It directly affects no specific group through policy changes - it is a non-binding statement of support endorsed by 30+ senators.
