Building a Sustainable Workforce for Healthy Communities Act This bill reauthorizes through FY2027 and revises a program carried out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that supports the use of community health workers to improve health outcomes in medically underserved communities. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to report on the effectiveness of and other matters concerning the program.
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.
Wildlife Conservation and Anti-Trafficking Act of 2021 This bill sets forth provisions relating to wildlife conservation, anti-trafficking and poaching, and illegal fishing. Specifically, the bill directs the Departments of Justice, the Interior, Commerce, State, and the Treasury to develop a plan of action for awards to whistleblowers of violations of laws applicable to wildlife trafficking; directs Interior to carry out the International Wildlife Conservation Program to, among other things, address global conservation threats and combat wildlife trafficking and poaching; provides funding for the conservation of certain endangered species; authorizes Interior, in consultation with the State Department, to station not less than one U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officer in the primary diplomatic or consular post of the United States in a focus country or country of concern (i.e., countries engaging in wildlife trafficking); and directs Commerce to make amounts available for illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing enforcement. The bill also modifies the federal criminal code to make wildlife trafficking and illegal fishing predicates with respect to the enforcement of certain criminal offenses, including racketeering and money laundering.
Preventing Mandates on Toddlers Act This bill prohibits federal funds from being used to implement or enforce the Department of Health and Human Services' rule titled Vaccine and Mask Requirements To Mitigate the Spread of COVID-19 in Head Start Programs , published on November 30, 2021, or any substantially similar rule, regulation, or agency statement.
Protecting Guides and Outfitters from Coronavirus Vaccine Mandates in the Great Outdoors Act This bill prohibits the denying of certain permit applications for activities on federal lands and waters for reasons based on the coronavirus vaccination status of applicants or their employees. Specifically, the Department of the Interior shall not deny based on vaccination status (1) a commercial use authorization to provide services to visitors to National Park System units, or (2) a special recreation permit for specialized recreation uses of federal recreational lands and waters.
Reaching Every Homeless Veteran Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Labor, in administering homeless veterans reintegration programs, to (1) consider grant applications from entities in all states (to the maximum extent practicable), and (2) conduct an outreach and education program in states where no entity has been awarded a grant to ensure communities are aware of homeless veterans reintegration programs.
Bree's Law This bill reauthorizes through FY2026 certain adolescent health demonstration projects, and it changes their focus from reducing violence among minority males to reducing teen dating violence. The bill also establishes an interagency work group to examine and report on federal efforts for reducing and preventing teen dating violence.
HRES 855 is a symbolic resolution passed by the U.S. House of Representatives to support designating the first week of December 2022 as "National United States Miners Week." It does not create new laws or policies but formally recognizes miners' contributions to the economy and supply chains. The resolution highlights miners' role in providing critical minerals and coal, supporting over 500,000 jobs, and securing domestic resources for everyday products. It directly affects miners and their communities by offering a formal, non-binding acknowledgment of their work. This is a procedural resolution with no concrete policy changes or funding implications.
Emergency Use Transparency Act This bill expands existing statutory provisions requiring the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to publish notices of authorizations, terminations, or revocations of emergency use authorizations for medical products. Specifically, the bill requires the FDA to publish such notices on its website. The bill also allows the FDA's disclosures to include a summary of data or information from additional types of submissions.
The COPS Reauthorization Act of 2021 reauthorizes the COPS ON THE BEAT grant program, which provides federal funding to state and local law enforcement agencies for hiring additional police officers. It sets the annual funding level at $651 million for fiscal years 2022 through 2027, replacing the prior level of $1.05 billion that applied to fiscal years 2006-2009. This change directly affects participating law enforcement agencies by determining the amount of federal support available for officer recruitment and retention in their communities. The bill focuses solely on adjusting the program’s funding structure without altering its core purpose or eligibility criteria.
This bill extends through December 31, 2022, the coverage period for the Coronavirus Relief Fund to make payments to tribal governments for necessary expenditures incurred as a result of the COVID-19 public health emergency. Expenditures must be incurred between March 1, 2020, and December 31, 2022.
Indian Buffalo Management Act This bill establishes a permanent program within the Department of the Interior to develop and promote tribal ownership and management of buffalo and buffalo habitat on Indian lands. Specifically, the bill requires Interior to (1) enter into contracts, award grants, and provide technical assistance to Indian tribes and tribal organizations for activities related to buffalo restoration or management; (2) consult with tribes and tribal organizations on initiatives that affect buffalo or buffalo habitat, including efforts to contain or eradicate diseased buffalo; and (3) develop a policy relating to buffalo and buffalo habitat management activities on Indian land. Additionally, Interior may enter into agreements with tribes or tribal organizations to transport surplus buffalo from federal land onto Indian land.
