Prohibition of Medicaid Funding for Conversion Therapy Act This bill prohibits state Medicaid programs from covering conversion therapy. The bill defines conversion therapy as any practice or treatment that seeks to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity in exchange for monetary compensation.
This bill establishes Rosa Parks Day as a federal holiday.
Harlem Hellfighters Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal to the 369th Infantry Regiment, commonly known as the Harlem Hellfighters, in recognition of their bravery and outstanding service during World War I.
Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers for Veterans Therapy Act or the PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act This bill implements a program and a policy related to service dog therapy for veterans. Specifically, the bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to implement a five-year pilot program to provide canine training to eligible veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder as an element of a complementary and integrative health program. Eligible veterans are those who are enrolled in the VA health care system and have been recommended for participation by a qualified mental health care provider or clinical team. The VA must seek to enter agreements containing specified elements with accredited nongovernmental entities that have demonstrated ability to provide canine training. Veterans who participate in the program are authorized to adopt the dog they assisted in training if their health provider determines it is in the best interest of the veteran. The VA must establish processes to document and track the progress of participating veterans with respect to health benefits and improvements. The Government Accountability Office must brief Congress and submit a report on the program. The bill also authorizes the VA to provide service dogs to veterans with mental illnesses, regardless of whether they have a mobility impairment.
Quality Higher Education Act of 2021 This bill revises the accreditation standards under which an accrediting agency or association must assess an institution of higher education (IHE), and it requires the Department of Education to establish procedures for an agency or association to follow when an IHE fails to meet these standards. An accrediting agency or association must measure an IHE's success in student achievement against at least one standard each in the categories of completion, workforce participation, and progress toward meeting such completion and workforce participation standards. An agency or association must also make certain information such as student achievement standards and IHE performance benchmarks available on a publicly accessible website. Additionally, the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity must evaluate the effectiveness of the revised standards and compare similar accrediting agencies or associations based on their assessments of IHEs.
No Federal Funding for Confederate Symbols Act This bill prohibits federal funds from being used for the creation, maintenance, or display of any Confederate symbol on federal public land or other federal property. An exception to such prohibition is provided (1) if the use of such funds is necessary to allow for the removal of the Confederate symbol to address public safety; or (2) in the case of a Confederate symbol created, maintained, or displayed in a museum or educational exhibit.
Diversifying Investigations Via Equitable Research Studies for Everyone Trials Act or the DIVERSE Trials Act This bill requires activities to increase diversity in clinical trials. It also expands reporting by laboratories that test for and diagnose COVID-19 and requires a study on data collection and data sharing during public health emergencies. Specifically, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must issue guidance on decentralized clinical trials to promote meaningful demographic and geographic diversity in patient engagement, enrollment, and participation. Decentralized clinical trials include those executed through telemedicine or other digital technologies to allow for the remote collection and assessment of clinical trial data. The FDA may also work with foreign regulators to harmonize international regulations governing decentralized clinical trials and the use of digital health technology. In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may support community education, outreach, and recruitment activities for clinical trials of treatments for conditions that disproportionately impact populations underrepresented in clinical trials. The bill also specifies that drug or device manufacturers may provide, subject to some limits, free digital health technologies and other remuneration to patients in approved clinical trials without violating laws that address fraud and abuse in federal programs. Furthermore, laboratories that test for and diagnose COVID-19 must report additional demographic data, including information about social determinants of health. HHS must also contract with the National Academy of Medicine to study and propose a design for an interoperable platform to facilitate data sharing during public health emergencies.
Children's Mental Health Infrastructure Act of 2021 This bill provides funding through FY2026 to the Health Resources and Services Administration for grants to improve the capacity of children's hospitals to provide pediatric behavioral health services, including by modernizing sites of care and enhancing telehealth capabilities.
Helping Kids Cope Act of 2021 This bill provides funding through FY2026 to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for grants to enhance access to and provider training in pediatric behavioral health care. Specifically, HRSA must award grants to pediatricians, children's hospitals, and other providers to support pediatric behavioral health integration and coordination within communities. Grant-funded activities may include hiring community navigators to assist families in accessing appropriate services, incorporating behavioral health services in pediatric practices, and delivering services via telehealth. In addition, HRSA must award grants to children's hospitals to expand training for providers in the pediatric behavioral health workforce.
This concurrent resolution recognizes the disparity in wages paid to Black women and its impact on women, families, and the nation, and reaffirms Congress' support for ensuring equal pay and closing the gender wage gap.
