Rep. Pete Aguilar

Revising and Expediting Actions for the Crisis Hotline for Veterans Act or the REACH for Veterans Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to update training and procedures for call responders of the Veterans Crisis Line. Specifically, the VA must enter into an agreement with an outside organization to review the training for crisis line call responders. The VA must update the training if any deficiencies are identified after the review. Among other requirements, the VA must develop guidelines on retraining and quality management for when a call responder has an adverse event or needs improvement, annually perform a common cause analysis for identified callers to the crisis line who died by suicide in situations where the crisis line was the last point of contact, develop enhanced guidance and procedures to respond to calls to the crisis line related to substance use and overdose risk, review the current emergency dispatch standard operating procedure of the crisis line, and solicit feedback from veterans service organizations on how to conduct outreach regarding the move to 988 as the new suicide and mental health crisis hotline. Each call responder must be subject to at least two calls per month that are silently monitored by a supervisor to check for quality of conduct. The Veterans Crisis Line, Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention of the VA, and National Center for Patient Safety of the VA must establish quality management processes and expectations for staff of the crisis line.

Solid Start Act of 2021 This bill permanently authorizes and expands the Solid Start program, which is an outreach program for veterans in their first year of separation from the military. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to coordinate with the Department of Defense to collect updated contact information during transition classes or separation counseling for members of the Armed Forces who are separating from service; explain the existence and purpose of the program; call veterans three times within the first year of separation; publish information about the program in booklets and on the VA website; provide women veterans with information tailored to their health care and benefit needs; provide information on access to state and local resources, such as Vet Centers; gather and analyze data that assesses the effectiveness of the program; ensure calls are tailored to each veteran's needs by conducting quality assurance tests; and prioritize outreach to veterans who have accessed mental health resources prior to separation from the Armed Forces. Under the bill, the VA is authorized to (1) encourage members of the Armed Forces to provide additional contact information if they are unreachable following their separation, (2) follow up on missed phone calls, and (3) reach out to veterans who separated prior to the initiation of the Solid Start program.

Preventing Opportunities for Teen E-Cigarette and Tobacco Addiction Act or the PROTECT Act This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop a strategy and carry out a specific initiative to prevent and reduce the use of electronic cigarettes and emerging tobacco products among youth and young adults. As part of the initiative, the CDC must conduct research and surveillance on types of products, patterns of use, health impacts, and other aspects of the use of such products by youth and young adults; evaluate prevention and intervention strategies and develop guidance for intervening and treating youth and young adults who use such products; identify effective messaging and communication efforts and implement a national public education campaign concerning the use of such products; and continue to fund grants for tobacco control programs in health departments, including efforts to prevent and reduce the use of such products by youth and young adults.

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.

This resolution recognizes (1) the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month; and (2) the integral role of Latinos and their manifold heritage in the economy, culture, and identity of the United States.

Animal Freedom from Testing, Experiments, and Research Act of 2021 or the AFTER Act of 2021 This bill requires federal research facilities to facilitate the adoption or nonlaboratory placement of certain warm-blooded animals (e.g., dogs, cats, monkeys, guinea pigs, hamsters, and rabbits) with animal rescue organizations, animal sanctuaries, animal shelters, or individuals. In order to be adopted or placed, the animals must (1) no longer be needed for research; (2) be suitable for release; (3) not be birds, rats, or mice.

Maddy summaryThis bill (HR 5430) would add wigs to Medicare's list of covered durable medical equipment. It directly affects Medicare beneficiaries who require wigs due to medical conditions like hair loss from cancer treatment, as certified by their doctor. The key provision requires a dermatologist, oncologist, or attending physician to provide written certification of medical necessity before Medicare covers the wig as part of rehabilitative treatment. This change expands existing coverage for cranial prostheses under Medicare's rules without altering the program's overall structure.

Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 9317 Bolsa Avenue, in Westminster, California, as the "General Tran Hung Dao Post Office."

Indigenous Peoples' Day Act This bill designates Indigenous Peoples' Day as a legal public holiday in lieu of Columbus Day.

Ensuring Medicaid Continuity for Children in Foster Care Act of 2021 This bill allows states to receive federal Medicaid payment for services provided to foster care children in qualified residential treatment programs (i.e., programs with trauma-informed treatment models that address the needs of children with serious emotional or behavioral disorders or disturbances).