Preventing Violence Against Female Inmates Act of 2022 This bill establishes a framework to prohibit correctional institutions at the federal and state levels from using gender identity to house inmates of one biological sex with inmates of the other biological sex.
Open Schools Act This bill directs the Department of Education to make grants to parents of eligible students for certain education-related expenses. Eligible student refers to a student who is enrolled for the 2021-2022 school year in an elementary or secondary school that (1) is located in a local educational agency that received certain COVID-19 relief funds; and (2) does not provide, for any reason related to COVID-19, in-person learning for each enrolled student for each school day during the school year. Grant funds may be used to pay the tuition and fees for a private elementary or secondary school, pay the cost of attending a public school that provides in-person learning, or for other expenses and educational materials.
Tribal Medical Supplies Stockpile Access Act of 2022 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to deploy drugs, vaccines, biological products, medical devices, and other supplies from the Strategic National Stockpile directly to health programs or facilities operated by the Indian Health Service (IHS), tribes, or tribal organizations. Such supplies from the stockpile are used to respond to public health emergencies. Specifically, if HHS distributes pandemic or epidemic products (e.g., drugs or medical devices) to states or other entities, HHS must also deploy such products directly to health programs or facilities operated by IHS or other tribal entities. HHS must coordinate with states, programs, and facilities to ensure supplies and products are distributed to such tribal entities.
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.
Bona Fide Beef Branding Act of 2022 This bill revises labels for beef and beef food products. Specifically, the bill replaces the Product of U.S.A . label with the following voluntary labels: Processed in U.S.A .; Raised and Processed in U.S.A. ; and Born, Raised, and Processed in U.S.A.
Emergency SNAP Staffing Flexibility Act of 2021 This bill authorizes a state agency to hire contractors to administer parts of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) if the state experiences an increase in SNAP applications or an inability to timely process the applications because of workforce shortages, emergencies, or disasters.
Cures 2.0 Act This bill addresses pandemic preparedness and public health issues, caregiver and patient engagement, drug development, insurance coverage, and biomedical research. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must undertake research and other activities concerning COVID-19 and develop a strategy for future pandemics and declared emergencies. Additionally, the bill specifies actions to combat antimicrobial resistance. HHS may award grants for caregiver training. The bill also addresses diversity in clinical trials, collecting patient experience data during clinical trials, and coverage for care related to participation in specified clinical trials. The bill modifies the timeframe and requires additional guidance relating to expedited approval of certain breakthrough drugs, devices, or products. It also establishes two intercenter institutes within the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) focused on particular diseases that meet specified criteria. The bill also addresses (1) coverage in Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program for telehealth, genetic and genomic testing, and other services; (2) electronic prescribing standards for Medicare drug benefits; and (3) access to Medicare and Medicaid claims data by certain registries. Furthermore, the bill prohibits the use of geographic tracking or biometrics in Medicaid electronic visit verification systems. The bill establishes the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) within the National Institutes of Health to accelerate biomedical research and innovation through grants, contracts, cash prizes, and other means. The FDA may work with ARPA-H to expedite the development of medical products through specified activities.
Native American Rural Homeownership Improvement Act of 2021 This bill provides statutory authority for a Department of Agriculture pilot program that provides direct loans to Native community development financial institutions to increase homeownership opportunities for tribal communities in rural areas.
Strategically Lowering Gas Prices Act This bill prohibits, subject to certain exceptions, the Department of Energy from drawing down or selling stocks from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve at the direction of a President if that President has withdrawn federal land subject to any of the mineral leasing laws from oil and gas leasing.
This concurrent resolution expresses the sense of Congress that tax-exempt fraternal benefit societies provide critical benefits to the people and communities of the United States and their work should continue to be promoted.
Stop Iranian Drones Act of 2021 This bill expands existing provisions requiring sanctions against individuals or entities that provide certain types of weapons to Iran. Specifically, the bill modifies the provisions by adding unmanned combat aerial vehicles to the list of weapons covered by the sanctions.
National Biosecurity Improvement Act of 2021 This bill requires the Government Accountability Office to study and report to Congress about policies and past actions of the National Institutes of Health related to enhancing potential pandemic pathogens and similar research that could result in unintended homeland and national security concerns. Among other matters, the study must address how federal agencies ensure that such research is conducted safely and without compromising national security and the extent to which agencies consider national security information in decisions about whether to fund research in other countries.
