Stabilizing Medicare Access to Rehabilitation and Therapy Act or the SMART Act This bill modifies the application of a certain Medicare payment methodology for outpatient physical therapy services and outpatient occupational therapy services that are furnished by a therapy assistant. Under current law, effective January 1, 2022, payment for such services is 85% of the otherwise applicable rate. The bill delays this effective date by one year and excludes services that are furnished in rural or medically underserved areas from this payment methodology. The bill also specifies that supervision requirements for outpatient physical therapy services that are furnished through private practice may not be more stringent for purposes of Medicare coverage than under state law.
Truth in Healthcare Marketing Act of 202 1 This bill prohibits as an unfair or deceptive trade practice a person from misrepresenting (1) whether the person holds a state health care license; or (2) the person's education, training, degree, license, or clinical expertise. A person's advertisement for the person's health care services must disclose the license under which the person is authorized to provide those services.
This is a non-binding House resolution (HRES 707) introduced on October 8, 2021, that formally supports recognizing October 8, 2021, as "National Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Day." It does not create new laws or policies - it is a symbolic gesture to acknowledge the importance of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. The resolution cites their role in energy, transportation, and environmental applications but does not affect any specific groups or require government action. It has no legislative effect beyond raising awareness.
HR 5544 would remove the requirement for annual U.S. presidential determinations about Kazakhstan's trade status under the Trade Act of 1974. Specifically, it allows the President to formally extend permanent "normal trade relations" (NTR) treatment to Kazakhstan's products, ending the need for yearly reviews under Title IV of the Trade Act. This bill directly affects U.S. trade with Kazakhstan by making the country's trade status with the U.S. permanent and predictable, rather than subject to annual renewal. The key provision streamlines trade relations by eliminating the existing Title IV review process once the President extends NTR treatment.
This resolution honors and commends the women who served in the Navy Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service (WAVES) during World War II. Additionally, the resolution recognizes that the WAVES opened opportunities for women and contributed vitally to the victory of the United States and Allies in World War II.
This Senate resolution (SRES 409) symbolically designates the week beginning October 17, 2021, as "National Character Counts Week." It encourages schools, families, youth organizations, and communities to focus on character education during this week, highlighting traits like trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, and caring. The resolution does not create new laws or policies but calls for voluntary observance through ceremonies and activities to promote character development in young people. It is a non-binding, commemorative measure aimed at raising awareness about character education.
SRES 372 is a symbolic Senate resolution designating the week beginning September 13, 2021, as "National Hispanic-Serving Institutions Week." It recognizes Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) - colleges and universities with at least 25% Hispanic undergraduate enrollment - as vital providers of higher education to underserved students, particularly Hispanic learners. The resolution calls on the public and organizations to observe the week with events supporting these institutions, which serve 2.3 million Hispanic students nationwide. This is a non-binding commemorative measure with no policy changes or funding impacts.
This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission to analyze current and projected demands for data transmission on rural broadband networks and publish a report of its findings. The analysis must include, for example, estimates of the quantity of data transmitted and certain unrecovered costs to rural broadband providers associated with those transmissions.
Accelerated Drug Approval for Prescription Therapies for Coronavirus Act or the ADAPT for COVID Act This bill authorizes the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)to create an expedited drug approval process specifically for drugs that are currently approved for sale in certain countries (i.e., a European Economic Area member country, Australia, Canada, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, or Switzerland) and meet certain criteria. Such criteria shall include establishing that (1) the drug is safe and effective, (2) all relevant U.S. patents or legal exclusivities have expired, and (3) the drug is intended to treat or prevent COVID-19 or another disease of epidemic potential. The FDA must process and review an application under this bill within 180 days of submission.
Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act of 2021 This bill sets out programs and otherwise directs the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to carry out activities to prevent and treat malnutrition globally. In coordination with relevant federal agencies, bilateral and multilateral donors, partner countries, and other stakeholders, the USAID may scale up programs for preventing and treating malnutrition globally. This includes focusing on interventions for the populations most susceptible to severe malnutrition (e.g., pregnant and lactating women and children younger than five years of age). The USAID must select countries based on specified malnutrition-related indicators for purposes of targeting malnutrition prevention and treatment programs and update the selection within five years. To support these programs, the USAID must leverage additional private sector resources in priority countries, including by considering opportunities within the Development Finance Corporation's impact framework for supporting improved nutrition outcomes. The USAID must provide Congress with an implementation plan and annual reports concerning its programs for preventing and treating malnutrition. The bill also establishes the Nutrition Leadership Council, comprised of various USAID bureaus and offices, to coordinate agency activities to prevent and treat malnutrition. The bill's provisions terminate seven years after its enactment.
Protecting Financial Privacy Act of 2021 This bill prohibits the Internal Revenue Service from creating or implementing any new financial account reporting program that would require financial institutions to report data on financial accounts in an information return listing balances, transactions, transfers, or inflows or outflows of any kind, and that was not in effect as of October 1, 2021.
FDA Modernization Act of 2021 This bill allows an applicant for market approval for a new drug to use methods other than animal testing to establish the drug's safety and effectiveness. Under this bill, these alternative methods may include cell-based assays, organ chips and microphysiological systems, computer modeling, and other human biology-based test methods.
