Diversifying Investigations Via Equitable Research Studies for Everyone Trials Act or the DIVERSE Trials Act This bill requires activities to increase diversity in clinical trials. It also expands reporting by laboratories that test for and diagnose COVID-19 and requires a study on data collection and data sharing during public health emergencies. Specifically, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must issue guidance on decentralized clinical trials to promote meaningful demographic and geographic diversity in patient engagement, enrollment, and participation. Decentralized clinical trials include those executed through telemedicine or other digital technologies to allow for the remote collection and assessment of clinical trial data. The FDA may also work with foreign regulators to harmonize international regulations governing decentralized clinical trials and the use of digital health technology. In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may support community education, outreach, and recruitment activities for clinical trials of treatments for conditions that disproportionately impact populations underrepresented in clinical trials. The bill also specifies that drug or device manufacturers may provide, subject to some limits, free digital health technologies and other remuneration to patients in approved clinical trials without violating laws that address fraud and abuse in federal programs. Furthermore, laboratories that test for and diagnose COVID-19 must report additional demographic data, including information about social determinants of health. HHS must also contract with the National Academy of Medicine to study and propose a design for an interoperable platform to facilitate data sharing during public health emergencies.
Tribal Wildlife Corridors Act of 2021 This bill authorizes tribal wildlife corridors. Specifically, the bill permits an Indian tribe to nominate a corridor within the land of such tribe as a tribal wildlife corridor. The Department of the Interior must establish criteria for determining whether such a corridor qualifies as a tribal wildlife corridor, including criteria for restoring historical habitat. Interior must provide tribes with technical assistance to establish, manage, or expand a tribal wildlife corridor. Such assistance must include support with accessing wildlife data and working with voluntary private landowners to access programs for facilitating connectivity on nonfederal land. Additionally, Interior must (1) establish a program to award grants to tribes to increase connectivity through tribal wildlife corridors, and (2) consult with tribes to determine whether a tribal wildlife corridor may be expanded into public lands or otherwise benefit connectivity between public lands and such corridor.
This bill prohibits congressional budget resolutions from including reconciliation instructions that would cause a net increase in the deficit for the period of fiscal years covered by the resolution. (Reconciliation instructions generally direct congressional committees to report legislation to achieve certain budgetary goals by changing laws that affect spending, revenue, or the debt limit. The legislation is then considered by Congress using expedited legislative procedures, which limit debate and amendments.)
This resolution designates September 2021 as National Workforce Development Month.
This resolution addresses issues related to individuals with disabilities. Specifically, the resolution recognizes the importance of independent living for individuals with disabilities made possible by the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and encourages all Americans to celebrate the advancement of inclusion and equality of opportunity made possible by its enactment; pledges to continue to work on a bipartisan basis to identify and address the remaining barriers that undermine the national goals of equality of opportunity, independent living, economic self-sufficiency, and full participation for individuals with disabilities; pledges to work with states to improve access to home- and community-based services for individuals with disabilities; calls on the Department of Labor to provide information, resources, and technical assistance to enable individuals with disabilities to achieve economic self-sufficiency; and calls on the Department of Health and Human Services to provide information, resources, and technical assistance regarding such services that enable individuals with disabilities to live independently.
This resolution expresses the condolences of the Senate regarding the death of the Honorable Maurice Robert Gravel, former Senator from Alaska.
Physical Therapist Workforce and Patient Access Act of 2021 This bill makes physical therapists eligible for the National Health Service Corps Loan Repayment Program. This program assists primary care, mental health, and dental providers in repaying eligible student loans in exchange for working in areas with shortages of such providers.
9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act This bill increases funding for and otherwise modifies a federal program that provides medical monitoring and treatment to responders and survivors who suffer from health conditions related to the September 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center. Among the changes, the bill allows certain health care providers other than physicians to determine whether an individual's health condition is related to the attacks, and it establishes a research program to study the impacts of the attacks on health and educational outcomes of individuals who were 21 years of age or younger when the attacks occurred.
State Public Option Act This bill allows residents who are not already eligible for Medicaid and not concurrently enrolled in other health insurance coverage to buy into a state Medicaid plan beginning January 1, 2022, at the option of the state. State Medicaid programs may set premiums and cost-sharing requirements for such coverage in accordance with specified limitations. The bill also (1) provides the enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (i.e., federal matching rate) to every state that expands Medicaid coverage for individuals who are newly eligible under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, regardless of when such expansion takes place; and (2) requires state Medicaid programs to cover comprehensive reproductive health care services, including abortion services.
Treatment Court, Rehabilitation, and Recovery Act of 2021 This bill expands the Drug Court Discretionary Grant Program, which supports drug courts for nonviolent offenders with substance abuse issues. Among other changes to the program, the bill requires these courts to adhere to national best practice standards and provide evidence-based clinical assessments and services.
This bill requires airports to broadcast in terminals automated announcements about the penalty for interfering with cabin or flight crews.
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 229 Minnetonka Avenue South in Wayzata, Minnesota, as the Jim Ramstad Post Office.
