No Junk Plans Act This bill nullifies a rule by the Department of Treasury, the Department of Labor, and the Department of Health and Human Services regarding short-term, limited-duration health insurance plans. Short-term, limited-duration health insurance plans are plans that may only offer coverage for a limited amount of time under law and that are exempt from the market requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (e.g., coverage of individuals with preexisting conditions). The rule increases the maximum authorized duration of such plans from less than 3 months (including renewals) to an initial maximum duration of less than 12 months (with a total duration of up to 36 months, including renewals). The rule took effect October 2, 2018.
No Mask Mandate for Kids Act This bill prohibits executive branch agencies from imposing any requirement for masks to be worn in or on (1) airports; (2) commercial aircraft; (3) trains; (4) public maritime vessels, including ferries; (5) intercity bus services; and (6) all forms of public transportation.
Access to Genetic Counselor Services Act of 2021 This bill provides for coverage under Medicare of genetic counseling services that are furnished by genetic counselors. Covered services include those services, as well as incidental services and supplies, that would otherwise be covered under Medicare if provided by a physician.
Fair Transportation Act This bill addresses the disbursement of surface transportation funding in an equitable way by federal, state, and local entities. Specifically, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) must review the extent to which states consider equity and improve equity outcomes in the use of federal surface transportation funds at all phases of project delivery, including the diverse transportation needs of economically disadvantaged and underserved populations. Additionally, the Department of Transportation (DOT) must carry out a transportation equity research program for research and demonstration activities that focus on the impacts that surface transportation planning, investment, and operations have on economically disadvantaged and underserved populations, including communities of color, low-income communities, and individuals with disabilities. The GAO must also review discretionary grant programs for surface transportation projects to determine the extent to which DOT is awarding funding through such programs to projects that serve groups or populations experiencing differential impacts in the transportation sector. Further, DOT must issue guidance on equity consideration metrics and best practices while disbursing federal funds.
Expanded Telehealth Access Act This bill permanently allows audiologists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, and other providers designated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide telehealth services under Medicare. Currently, the CMS is authorized to waive requirements for Medicare telehealth services during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19, and it has done so to allow all providers that are otherwise eligible to furnish in-person services under Medicare to also furnish telehealth services.
Affordable and Safe Prescription Drug Importation Act This bill allows expanded importation of eligible prescription drugs and addresses related issues. Current law allows the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to authorize the importation of certain eligible prescription drugs from Canada if HHS certifies to Congress that doing so would pose no additional risk to public health and safety and would result in significant cost savings for consumers. The bill removes this certification requirement and requires HHS to issue regulations that permit the importation of qualifying prescription drugs from Canada. After a certain amount of time, HHS may authorize importation from certain other countries if it determines that importation from Canada has resulted in cost savings for consumers and increased access to safe medication. The bill also expands the types of prescription drugs eligible for importation to include, for example, biologics such as insulin. Furthermore, the bill allows individuals to use an eligible licensed foreign pharmacy to fill a U.S.-issued prescription for a qualifying drug for personal use. Currently, an individual seeking to import a prescription drug generally must acquire a waiver from HHS. The bill imposes various requirements related to certification of foreign sellers, labeling of imported drugs, and supply chain security. The bill also (1) prohibits certain acts that discriminate against foreign sellers, such as charging higher prices to foreign sellers than to other sellers in the same country; and (2) imposes criminal penalties for online websites that sell counterfeit drugs or dispense drugs without a required prescription.
Safe Hydration is an American Right in Energy Development Act of 2021 This bill requires hydraulic fracturing operations to test for and report on underground sources of drinking water that are contaminated by such operations. Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a process to extract underground resources such as oil or gas from a geologic formation by injecting water, a propping agent (e.g., sand), and chemical additives into a well under enough pressure to fracture the formation. Specifically, this bill revises requirements governing state underground injection control programs. In order to obtain primary enforcement responsibility for such programs, states must prohibit the underground injection of fluids or propping agents pursuant to hydraulic fracturing operations related to oil, gas, or geothermal production activities unless the hydraulic fracturing operations agree to test for and report on contamination of drinking water. Hydraulic fracturing operations are exempted from those testing and reporting requirements if there is no accessible underground source of drinking water within a radius of one mile of the site where the operations occur. The Environmental Protection Agency must establish and maintain a publicly accessible and searchable database of the testing results.
Focused Reduction of Effluence and Stormwater runoff through Hydrofracking Environmental Regulation Act of 2021 or the FRESHER Act of 2021 This bill addresses stormwater runoff from mining, oil, or gas operations. Specifically, it eliminates a prohibition on the Environmental Protection Agency from requiring a permit under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System for discharges of certain collected, uncontaminated stormwater runoff from mining operations or oil and gas operations. In addition, the Department of the Interior must study stormwater runoff associated with oil or gas operations, including an analysis of (1) measurable contamination, (2) groundwater resources, and (3) the susceptibility of aquifers to contamination from stormwater runoff associated with the operations.
CLEANER Act of 2021 or the Closing Loopholes and Ending Arbitrary and Needless Evasion of Regulations Act of 2021 This bill eliminates the exemption of waste associated with the exploration, development, or production of crude oil, natural gas, or geothermal energy from regulations governing the disposal of hazardous waste. Within a year of enactment, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must determine whether such waste meets the criteria for hazardous waste, promulgate regulations concerning the disposal of such waste if the EPA determines it is hazardous, and revise regulations applicable to solid waste management and disposal facilities (e.g., landfills) to address such waste that is nonhazardous.
National Transit Frontline Workforce Training Act of 202 1 This bill directs the Department of Transportation to establish a national transit frontline workforce training center to meet the needs of the rural and urban transit system frontline workforce through standards-based training relating to relevant maintenance and operations occupations. It must also evaluate, and provide a grant to, a nonprofit organization with demonstrated capacity to develop and provide transit career ladder programs through labor-management partnerships and apprenticeships on a nationwide basis to carry out the duties of the center. The center must develop and carry out training and educational programs for public transportation employees serving in the frontline workforce, including programs relating to (1) developing consensus national training standards for key frontline occupations with demonstrated skill gaps; (2) developing national systems of qualification and apprenticeship for transit maintenance and operations occupations; and (3) establishing local, regional, and statewide transit training partnerships.
Rural America Health Corps Act This bill establishes a student loan repayment demonstration program for eligible providers who agree to work for five years in a rural area with a shortage of primary, dental, or mental health care providers. For each year of this service, the Department of Health and Human Services must pay one-fifth of the principal and interest on a provider's qualifying loans, up to a maximum of $200,000.
Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Act This bill makes a series of changes relating to the prices of prescription drugs under the Medicare prescription drug benefit and Medicare Advantage (MA) prescription drug plans (PDPs). Under current law, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) may neither negotiate the prices of covered drugs nor establish a formulary. The bill repeals these restrictions and instead specifically requires the CMS to (1) negotiate the prices of covered drugs; and (2) either establish a formulary for covered drugs, or require changes to PDP formularies that take into account CMS negotiations. If the CMS is unable to negotiate an appropriate price for a drug in accordance with certain criteria, the price must be the lowest of three specified options (e.g., the median price in other countries). The CMS must identify drugs that are subject to negotiation, with priority given to certain categories of drugs based on usage and cost. Additionally, drug manufacturers must issue rebates to the CMS for drugs dispensed to eligible low-income individuals. Subject to civil monetary penalties, a Medicare or MA PDP sponsor must report, both to drug manufacturers and to the CMS, specified information related to the determination and payment of such rebates.
