Rep. Judy Chu

Investing in Community Healing Act of 2021 This bill requires, with a focus on racial and ethnic minority groups, research on adverse health impacts associated with violent interactions with law enforcement and additional activities to promote access to mental and behavioral health care. Specifically, the Office of Minority Health of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must research the health consequences of trauma related to violent interactions with law enforcement. In addition, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration must award grants to community-based programs or organizations to increase access to trauma-support services and mental health care. The Department of Health and Human Services must also carry out a campaign to raise awareness of, and reduce stigma associated with, mental and behavioral health conditions.

Moms Matter Act This bill establishes two grant programs to address maternal mental health conditions and substance use disorders, with a focus on racial and ethnic minority groups. First, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration must award grants for maternal behavioral health services. Eligible grantees include state, tribal, and local governments; health care providers; and organizations that serve pregnant and postpartum individuals. Second, the Department of Health and Human Services may award grants to grow and diversify the maternal mental and behavioral health workforce by establishing or expanding schools and training programs.

Horse Transportation Safety Act of 20 21 This bill prohibits a person from transporting a horse in interstate commerce in a motor vehicle (except a vehicle operated exclusively on rail or rails) containing two or more levels stacked on top of one another. The bill prescribes civil penalties for knowing violations of such prohibition.

Stop the Attack on Local Taxpayers Act of 2021 or the SALT Act This bill repeals the limitation on the deductibility of state and local taxes during 2018-2025. It also increases from $250 to $1,000 the tax deduction for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers and allows a deduction from gross income (above-the-line) for certain training and uniform expenses of first responders (i.e., individuals who are law enforcement officers, firefighters, paramedics, or emergency medical technicians for at least 1,000 hours during a taxable year). The bill expands individual income tax brackets and increases the top income tax rate for individual taxpayers to 39.6%.

American Family Act of 2021 This bill modifies the child tax credit to (1) make the credit fully refundable, (2) increase the amount of the credit and allow an additional credit for children who are under six years of age, (3) require the amount of the credit to be adjusted annually for inflation, and (4) require the Department of the Treasury to establish a program for making advance payments of the credit on a monthly basis.

Disclosure; and Encouragement of Verification, Innovation, Cleaning, and Efficiency Act of 2021 or the DEVICE Act of 2021 This bill addresses design changes and reprocessing of medical devices. Specifically, medical device manufacturers must notify the Food and Drug Administration (1) before making changes to the design or reprocessing instructions of a device, and (2) no more than five days after widely disseminating to health care providers in a foreign country communications regarding changes to the design or reprocessing instructions of a device or regarding a safety concern about a device. (Reprocessing of medical devices is the process for cleaning and sterilizing or disinfecting devices for reuse.) A device may not be sold if the manufacturer violates these notification requirements.

COVID-19 Diaper Assistance Act This bill provides additional funding for FY2021 for the Social Services Block Grant to provide diapers, wipes, and other diapering supplies to families in need. This grant is a flexible funding stream used by states and territories to support a wide range of social services.

Gym Mitigation and Survival Act of 2021 or the GYMS Act of 2021 This bill establishes a grant program to provide economic support to eligible fitness facilities in response to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. Specifically, the bill authorizes the Small Business Administration to make initial and supplemental grants to privately owned fitness facilities that primarily provide health or fitness services and that do not offer golf, hunting, sailing, or riding facilities. The total amount of grant funds for a recipient may not exceed $25 million, and the recipient must use these funds for payroll costs, rent or mortgage obligations, and other ordinary and necessary business expenses.

Promoting Restoration of Emergency Preparedness and Advancing Response to Epidemics in Long-Term Care Act or the PREPARE LTC Act This bill provides statutory authority for certain infection control and emergency preparedness requirements for Medicare skilled nursing facilities and Medicaid nursing facilities, and expands certain requirements to apply to other infectious disease outbreaks beyond COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifically, the bill provides statutory authority for regulations that require, and set standards for, infection control programs and emergency preparedness programs in such facilities. The bill requires facilities to report information concerning any infectious disease outbreak that results in a state or national emergency in accordance with the standards for COVID-19 reporting. It also prohibits the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services from reducing the frequency of compliance surveys or waiving direct care staffing reports during such outbreaks. Additionally, the Government Accountability Office must report on deficiencies relating to COVID-19 infection control and direct care staffing requirements for skilled nursing facilities.

Protecting Residents with Oversight, Transparency, and Enforcement for Compassionate Treatment in Long Term Care Facilities Act or the PROTECT Long Term Care Facilities Act This bill establishes a series of requirements for Medicare skilled nursing facilities and Medicaid nursing facilities during declared emergencies relating to infectious disease outbreaks. Specifically, the bill provides statutory authority for certain COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) reporting requirements and requires facilities to report similar information with respect to any infectious disease outbreak that results in a state or national emergency. The bill requires compliance surveys to be conducted in accordance with a specified schedule during such outbreaks and subjects facilities to civil penalties for outbreak-specific violations, as determined under criteria from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The bill also provides funds for state survey agencies to conduct related investigations.