Rural Telehealth Access Task Force Act This bill establishes the Rural Telehealth Access Task Force to identify, evaluate, and recommend ways to increase adoption of telehealth services and access to broadband internet in rural areas.
Small Businesses Cybersecurity Act This bill authorizes the Small Business Administration (SBA) to award grants to Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) to support the cybersecurity needs of the small businesses served by an SBDC. SBDCs provide counseling and training to small businesses, including working with the SBA to develop and provide informational tools to support business start-ups and existing business expansion.
This bill would add wigs to Medicare's list of covered durable medical equipment by amending the Social Security Act to include "cranial prostheses" (such as wigs) under coverage. It directly affects Medicare beneficiaries requiring wigs for medical reasons, such as hair loss due to cancer treatment, who currently lack this coverage. The key provision requires a dermatologist, oncologist, or physician to provide written certification of medical necessity as part of rehabilitative treatment. This change would allow Medicare to cover wigs under the same framework as other durable medical equipment like walkers or wheelchairs.
Western Balkans Democracy and Prosperity Act This bill addresses economic and political development in the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia), including by supporting anti-corruption and trade initiatives.
Preventing a Patronage System Act of 2022 or the PPSA Act of 2022 This bill prohibits executive agency positions in the competitive service from being placed in the excepted service, unless such positions are placed in Schedules A through E as in effect on September 30, 2020. The bill also prohibits positions in the excepted service from being placed in any schedule other than the aforementioned schedules. On October 21, 2020, former President Donald Trump issued an executive order titled Creating Schedule F in the Excepted Service . The order placed executive agency positions that are of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character, and that are not normally subject to change as a result of a presidential transition, under a new schedule in the excepted service (Schedule F) instead of the competitive service. The order also required any such positions in the excepted service to be reclassified to Schedule F. The order was revoked by President Joe Biden on January 22, 2021.
Military Housing Readiness Council Act This bill establishes the Department of Defense Military Housing Readiness Council to review and make recommendations to the Department of Defense (DOD) regarding policies for privatized military housing. The council must also monitor compliance by DOD with statutory improvements to policies for privatized military housing and make recommendations to improve collaboration, awareness, and promotion of accurate and timely information about privatized military housing, accommodations available through the Exceptional Family Member Program, and other support services among policymakers, service providers, and targeted beneficiaries. The council must make all documents publicly available until the council ceases to exist.
Data-Driven Foster Parent Recruitment and Retention Act of 2022 This bill requires state plans for child welfare services to provide for the development and implementation of a family partnership plan to improve foster care placement stability, increase rates of kinship placements, and align the racial and ethnic composition of foster and adoptive families with that of children in need of homes.
Let Doctors Provide Reproductive Health Care Act This bill sets out protections for and establishes programs to support health care providers (and those who assist such providers) who offer reproductive health care services that are lawful in the state where the services are provided. Reproductive health care services refer to abortion services; contraceptive services; in vitro fertilization; or other reproductive care, education, and counseling that is provided (1) at a health care site or via telehealth, and (2) in a medically accurate manner. The bill prohibits individuals, entities, and states from preventing, restricting, or otherwise interfering with the provision of lawful reproductive health care services by health care providers. The Department of Justice, individuals, or providers may bring a lawsuit to enforce this bill, and states are not immune from suits for violations. Furthermore, states may not use federal funds to pursue legal cases or similar proceedings (e.g., adverse licensing proceedings) against health care providers, individuals, or entities that offer or assist with lawful reproductive health care services. Additionally, medical malpractice insurers may not deny coverage to or sue a health care provider because the provider offers or assists with lawful reproductive health care services. The bill also funds grants to assist health care providers who offer or refer for abortion services and face legal issues relating to their provision of reproductive health care services with legal matters and improving security.
Occupational Therapy Mental Health Parity Act This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to conduct outreach on Medicare coverage of occupational therapy services to treat substance use or mental health disorders. The CMS must also issue guidance on the availability of such services under Medicaid.
S 4746, the Solidify Iran Sanctions Act of 2022, permanently extends existing U.S. sanctions against Iran by removing the expiration date from the Iran Sanctions Act of 1996. This bill directly affects Iran's government and entities involved in its weapons programs, ballistic missile development, or support for terrorism (including groups like the Revolutionary Guards Corps). The key provision repeals the "sunset" clause in the 1996 law, ensuring sanctions remain in place indefinitely without requiring annual renewal. It does not impose new sanctions but makes current penalties permanent.
Increasing Access to Dental Insurance Act This bill permits individuals to enroll in a dental benefits plan on a health insurance exchange without also enrolling in a qualified health plan.
Recovering America’s Wildlife Act of 2022 This bill provides financial and technical assistance to states, territories, and the District of Columbia for the purposes of (1) recovering species listed as a threatened or endangered species under the Endangered Species Act or under state law, or (2) avoiding the need to list species under such laws. For example, the bill establishes the Endangered Species Recovery and Habitat Conservation Legacy Fund. A portion of the fund must be used to establish an Endangered Species Recovery Grant Program. It also provides funding for (1) the conservation or restoration of wildlife and plant species of greatest conservation need; (2) the wildlife conservation strategies of states, territories, or the District of Columbia; and (3) wildlife conservation education and recreation projects. The Department of the Interior must use a portion of the funding for a grant program. The grants must be used for innovative recovery efforts for species of greatest conservation need, species listed as endangered or threatened species, or the habitats of such species. In addition, the bill requires certain revenues generated from fees and penalties for violations of environmental requirements to be used as a source for the funding.
