Provider Relief Fund Improvement Act This bill extends deadlines, expands the uses of, and makes other changes pertaining to the Provider Relief Fund. The fund reimburses health care providers for increased expenses or lost revenue attributable to COVID-19. Specifically, the bill extends the deadline by which providers must use any reimbursements they received in 2020 from the fund to the end of the COVID-19 emergency. Providers must use reimbursements received in the first half of 2021 by the end of the emergency or June 30, 2022, whichever is later. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services must distribute the remaining provider relief funds by March 31, 2022. Providers must use these funds by June 30, 2023. The bill also allows the use of the funds for workplace safety activities, such as hiring additional security personnel.
First Rhode Island Regiment Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to the First Rhode Island Regiment, collectively, in recognition of their dedicated service during the Revolutionary War.
Fleet Reserve Association 100th Anniversary Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins in recognition and celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Fleet Reserve Association. All sales of coins issued under this bill shall include a surcharge which shall be paid to the Fleet Reserve Association.
First Rhode Island Regiment Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to the First Rhode Island Regiment, collectively, in recognition of their dedicated service during the Revolutionary War.
Due Process Continuity of Care Act This bill allows an otherwise eligible individual who is in custody pending disposition of charges (i.e., pretrial detainees) to receive Medicaid benefits at the option of the state. The bill also provides funds for state planning grants to support the provision of such benefits.
Middle Class Mortgage Insurance Premium Act of 2022 This bill increases the adjusted gross income threshold for the phaseout of the mortgage insurance premium tax deduction and makes such deduction permanent.
Medical Countermeasures Surge Capacity Act of 2022 This bill expands the scope of research and development activities carried out by the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to include support for maintaining and improving domestic manufacturing surge capacity and capabilities for vaccines, diagnostics, and other medical countermeasures. In particular, BARDA must enter into transactions with facilities to ensure that domestic manufacturing surge capacity is available to manufacture medical countermeasures and related products in the event of a public health emergency (e.g., by supporting flexible or advanced manufacturing). The Government Accountability Office must report on these efforts. In addition, BARDA must address support for domestic manufacturing surge capacity in its strategic plan for countermeasure research, development, and procurement. The bill also reauthorizes through FY2028 a program through which BARDA may support innovative technologies to assist in medical countermeasure research and development using grants, cooperative agreements, and other transactions.
Keeping School Meals Flexible Act This bill extends authority through June 30, 2023, for the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to waive certain requirements for the school meal programs to address COVID-19. The bill extends the authority for USDA to issue a single waiver of child nutrition program requirements to all states under the National School Lunch Program for purposes of providing meals and snacks with appropriate safety measures with respect to COVID-19; grant waivers of requirements to allow non-congregate feeding in the Child and Adult Care Food Program for purposes of providing meals and snacks with appropriate safety measures with respect to COVID-19; and grant waivers related to the nutritional content of meals served in child nutrition programs if it determines the waiver is necessary to provide meals and snacks, and there is a food supply chain disruption due to COVID-19.
Stop the Wait Act of 2022 This bill allows individuals with disabilities to begin receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits in the month they become eligible for the benefits. It also allows these individuals to immediately enroll in Medicare if they cannot afford minimum essential coverage. (Under current law, an individual must generally wait 5 months after the onset of disability to begin receiving SSDI benefits and an additional 24 months to become eligible for Medicare.)
Taiwan Representative Office Act This bill requires the Department of State to seek to enter into negotiations with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) to rename its office in Washington, DC, the Taiwan Representative Office. (The U.S.-Taiwan relationship is unofficial, and TECRO is Taiwan's principal representative office in the United States.)
Promoting Responsive Inclusion and Diverse Engagement Act of 2022 or the PRIDE Act of 2022 This bill requires federal banking and finance agencies to expand the efforts of their existing Offices of Minority and Women Inclusion to include individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other related identities. These offices are responsible for all matters related to such diversity in management, employment, and business activities.
Right to Equitable and Professional Auto Industry Repair Act or the REPAIR Act This bill requires a motor vehicle manufacturer to provide to a vehicle's owner certain direct, real-time, in-vehicle data generated by the operation of the vehicle that is related to diagnostics, repair, service, wear, and calibration or recalibration of parts and systems of the vehicle. Specifically, a vehicle manufacturer may not impair an owner's access to such vehicle-generated data or impair an aftermarket parts manufacturer from producing or offering compatible aftermarket parts. A manufacturer also must make available to the vehicle's owner, and designees, vehicle-generated data through a standardized access platform. Outside of a recall, a manufacturer may not mandate or recommend the use of a particular brand or manufacturer of parts, tools, or equipment. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration must issue standards for access to vehicle data through the standardized access platform. The Federal Trade Commission must establish an advisory committee to assess and report on existing and emerging barriers to vehicle repair and vehicle owners' control over their vehicle-generated data. This bill provides authority for the commission to enforce these requirements.
