Rep. Jason Crow

Scientific Integrity Act This bill revises provisions regarding the release of scientific research results by federal agencies. Each agency that funds, conducts, or oversees scientific research must (1) adopt and enforce a scientific integrity policy that includes requirements such as that scientific conclusions are not based on political considerations, and (2) submit such policy to the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) for approval. Each agency must make such policy available to the public and submit such policy to Congress. Agencies and the OSTP must periodically review the policies. The Government Accountability Office shall review implementation of the policies. Each agency shall (1) appoint a Scientific Integrity Officer, (2) establish a process for dispute resolution consistent with the scientific integrity policy, and (3) establish a specified training program for current and new employees.

Rural Maternal and Obstetric Modernization of Services Act or the Rural MOMS Act This bill expands initiatives to address maternal health in rural areas. The bill provides funding through FY2026 for the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to establish rural obstetric networks. These networks must foster collaboration to improve birth outcomes and reduce maternal morbidity in rural areas. HRSA also must award demonstration grants to medical schools and other health professional training programs to support education and training on maternal health in rural areas. In addition, the bill incorporates maternal health services in certain telehealth grant programs. It also revises various research and other activities of the Department of Health and Human Services that pertain to maternal health. Furthermore, the Government Accountability Office must report on maternal health topics, including health inequities and data issues.

Sending Outside Support Act of 2021 or the SOS Act of 2021 This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to distribute funds to allow states to establish strike teams that may be deployed to skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities with cases of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) to help with clinical care, infection control, or staffing.

Health Force, Resilience Force, and Jobs to Fight COVID-19 Act of 2021 This bill establishes and expands programs to bring on individuals to perform public health functions, such as contact tracing and vaccine administration, to respond to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency and meet future public health needs. The bill provides funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish a Health Force. The funds are designated as an emergency requirement, which exempts the funds from discretionary spending limits and other budget enforcement rules. To establish the force, the CDC must award grants within 30 days to state, tribal, territorial, and local governments and community health centers to recruit and train individuals for roles in public health and health care. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) must hire and train additional individuals for its Cadre of On-Call Response/Recovery Employees. These employees may be detailed to certain federal agencies or to state, local, or tribal governments to support response efforts related to COVID-19 or other disasters or emergencies.

Veteran Overmedication and Suicide Prevention Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to contract with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to report on the deaths of covered veterans who died by suicide during the last five years, regardless of whether information relating to such deaths has been reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A covered veteran is any veteran who received VA hospital care or medical services during the five-year period preceding the veteran's death. Among other elements, the report shall include the total number of covered veterans who died by suicide, violent death, or accidental death, as well as certain demographic information.

Medical Debt Relief Act of 2021 This bill modifies requirements related to the reporting of medical debt. Specifically, a consumer reporting agency is prohibited from adding medical debt information to a consumer credit report if the debt was fully paid or settled, or is less than a year old. Additionally, a debt collector must notify the consumer prior to reporting medical debt to a consumer reporting agency.

USPS Fairness Act This bill repeals the requirement that the U.S. Postal Service annually prepay future retirement health benefits.

Coronavirus Unemployment Benefits Tax Relief Act This bill excludes from gross income, for income tax purposes, up to $10,200 of unemployment compensation received by an individual in a taxable year beginning in 2020.

Stopping the Mental Health Pandemic Act This bill requires the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to award grants to states, tribal nations, local governments, behavioral health and primary care providers, and community organizations to support behavioral health treatment and services during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.

Ensuring Coverage in Public Health Emergencies Act of 2021 This bill requires private health insurance plans to provide a 30-day special enrollment period for eligible individuals after a public health emergency is declared. An employee who is eligible but not enrolled may enroll in an employer-provided group health plan during the special enrollment period.