Charlotte Woodward Organ Transplant Discrimination Prevention Act This bill expressly prohibits health care providers and other entities involved in matching donated organs with recipients from denying or restricting an individual's access to organ transplants solely on the basis of the individual's disability, except in limited circumstances. Specifically, these entities may consider an individual's disability when making decisions about transplants only if a physician finds, based on an individualized evaluation, that the individual's physical or mental disability is medically significant to the provision of the transplant. A disability shall not be considered medically significant if the individual has an adequate support system in place to comply with transplant-related medical requirements. These entities must also make reasonable changes to their policies to make transplants and related care more available to individuals with disabilities. Aggrieved individuals may bring claims of discrimination to the Office of Civil Rights of the Department of Health and Human Services or before a federal court. The bill provides for expedited resolutions of these claims.
Strengthening the Office of Personnel Management Act This bill provides statutory authority for the mission of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), establishes the Chief Management Officer and the OPM Advisory Committee on Human Capital Management, and specifies additional requirements for the appointment of the OPM Director and the removal of the OPM Director or Deputy Director.
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.
Dairy Pricing Opportunity Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to hold national hearings to review Federal Milk Marketing Orders. (USDA uses these orders to establish a minimum price for various classes of milk.) The hearings must include the review of proposals from producers and the dairy industry on the price of Class I skim milk.
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.
Expanding Access to Fertility Care for Servicemembers and Dependents Act This bill entitles members of the armed forces and their dependents (including the reserve components) who are performing active service and are entitled to medical care under TRICARE to assisted reproductive technology services (e.g., in vitro fertilization). Such services must be provided, regardless of (1) whether the assisted reproductive technology service is related to the treatment of a service-connected disability; (2) whether the member has a serious illness or injury resulting from a service-connected disability; (3) the ability of the member or dependent to conceive a pregnancy or carry a pregnancy to term; or (4) the sex, gender, sexual orientation, or marital status of the member or dependent.
HRES 815 is a symbolic resolution introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on November 18, 2021. It expresses congressional support for National Rural Health Day, which recognizes the importance of rural health care and celebrates providers serving rural communities. The resolution highlights challenges like hospital closures and access barriers faced by rural health facilities but does not create new laws or funding. It simply affirms commitment to improving rural health care accessibility through policy, without specifying concrete changes. As a procedural resolution, it has no binding effect on legislation or funding.
HRES 817 is a symbolic resolution expressing congressional support for National Adoption Month (November) and National Adoption Day (November 20). It recognizes the need for permanent families for children in foster care, acknowledges challenges posed by the pandemic, and encourages the public to consider adoption. The resolution does not create new laws or allocate funding - it solely promotes awareness, celebrates adoption success stories, and urges Americans to support children's safety and well-being. It directly affects public awareness and does not impose obligations on any specific group or entity.
This bill increases the number of days—from 14 to 60—within which a practitioner must administer certain narcotic drugs (e.g., buprenorphine) to a patient for maintenance or detoxification treatment (i.e., substance use disorder treatment) after receiving the drugs from a pharmacy. Additionally, the bill revises the process by which the Department of Justice may modify the number of days within which such drugs must be administered.
Access to Birth Control Act This bill requires pharmacies to comply with certain rules related to ensuring access to contraceptives. Specifically, pharmacies must provide without delay a customer with any contraceptive or related medication that is in stock. If the contraceptive is not in stock, the pharmacy must immediately inform the customer and either order the contraceptive or refer the customer to a pharmacy that has it in stock. Laws in some states provide pharmacists with the right to refuse to dispense contraceptive-related drugs on religious or conscience grounds. Pharmacies may refuse to provide a contraceptive to a customer (1) if the customer lacks a valid prescription for a prescription contraceptive or is unable to pay for the contraceptive, or (2) based on a pharmacy employee's professional clinical judgment. The bill also establishes a private cause of action and civil monetary penalties for violations of the bill.
This resolution supports the designation of November 21, 2021, as National Warrior Call Day to encourage individuals to talk with members of the Armed Forces and veterans to connect them with support.
Access to Birth Control Act This bill requires pharmacies to comply with certain rules related to ensuring access to contraceptives. Specifically, pharmacies must provide without delay a customer with any contraceptive or related medication that is in stock. If the contraceptive is not in stock, the pharmacy must immediately inform the customer and either order the contraceptive or refer the customer to a pharmacy that has it in stock. Laws in some states provide pharmacists with the right to refuse to dispense contraceptive-related drugs on religious or conscience grounds. Pharmacies may refuse to provide a contraceptive to a customer (1) if the customer lacks a valid prescription for a prescription contraceptive or is unable to pay for the contraceptive, or (2) based on a pharmacy employee's professional clinical judgment. The bill also establishes a private cause of action and civil monetary penalties for violations of the bill.
