Medicare for All Act of 2022 This bill establishes a national health insurance program that is administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Among other requirements, the program must (1) cover all U.S. residents; (2) provide for automatic enrollment of individuals upon birth or residency in the United States; and (3) cover items and services that are medically necessary or appropriate to maintain health or to diagnose, treat, or rehabilitate a health condition, including hospital services, prescription drugs, mental health and substance abuse treatment, dental and vision services, and home- and community-based long-term care. The bill prohibits cost-sharing (e.g., deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments) and other charges for covered services, with the exception of prescription drugs. Additionally, private health insurers and employers may only offer coverage that is supplemental to, and not duplicative of, benefits provided under the program. Health insurance exchanges and specified federal health programs terminate upon program implementation. However, the program does not affect coverage provided through the Department of Veterans Affairs, TRICARE, or the Indian Health Service. Additionally, state Medicaid programs must cover certain institutional long-term care services. The bill also establishes a series of implementing provisions relating to (1) health care provider participation; (2) HHS administration; and (3) payments and costs, including the requirement that HHS negotiate prices for prescription drugs and establish a formulary. Individuals who are age 18 or younger may enroll in the program starting one year after enactment of this bill; other individuals may buy into a transitional plan or an expanded Medicare program at this time, depending on age. The bill's program must be fully implemented four years after enactment.
Sponsored bills
No Tax Breaks for Union Busting (NTBUB) Act This bill denies employers a tax deduction for any expenditures incurred for attempting to influence their employees with respect to labor organizations or labor organization activities, such as elections, labor disputes, and collective actions. The bill requires employers to report on their attempts to influence their employees with respect to labor organizations and their activities.
Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act of 2022 This bill provides for the establishment of a code of conduct for Supreme Court Justices, judges of the courts of appeals, judges of the district courts, and judges of the Court of International Trade.
Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act This bill requires the Department of Labor to address workplace violence in health care, social service, and other sectors. Specifically, Labor must issue an interim occupational safety and health standard that requires certain employers to take actions to protect workers and other personnel from workplace violence. The standard applies to employers in the health care sector, in the social service sector, and in sectors that conduct activities similar to those in the health care and social service sectors. In addition, Labor must promulgate a final standard within a specified time line.
Wage Theft Prevention and Wage Recovery Act This bill requires employers to make initial and modified disclosures to employees of the terms of their employment, provide such employees with regular paystubs, and make a final payment to an employee for uncompensated work hours within 14 days of the employee's termination. Employers must also allow employees access to wage records. An employer must compensate an employee at the rate specified in an employment contract, including a collective bargaining agreement, that specifies a rate of pay higher than the minimum wage rate. The bill makes all of such unpaid wages recoverable through civil enforcement. The bill establishes new and increased civil and criminal penalties for violations of overtime or minimum wage requirements, including referral to the Department of Justice for criminal prosecution of employers who engage in wage theft, falsification of wage records, or retaliation against employees. The Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor must provide grants to specified organizations, including nonprofits and educational institutions, to enhance the enforcement of wage and hour laws. The Government Accountability Office must study and report on successful grant programs.
This resolution expresses that the Senate has heard of the death of the Honorable Orrin G. Hatch, former U.S. Senator for the state of Utah. The resolution also expresses that the Senate honors the life and legacy of the late Senator Hatch for his unwavering dedication to Utah as a Senator and a public servant and accomplishments in legislating with principle and dedication for the good of the people of the United States. The resolution states when the Senate adjourns today, it stands adjourned as a further mark of respect to the memory of Senator Hatch.
CDFI Crisis Fund Act This bill establishes the CDFI National Crisis Fund. The fund is authorized to make grants to community development financial institutions (CDFIs) providing financial products as emergency assistance to small businesses and low-income populations in certain circumstances. Furthermore, the fund is triggered by certain emergency declarations, including the COVID-19 emergency period; certain disaster declarations; a specified increase in a statewide unemployment rate; or a specified increase in the nationwide unemployment rate. Specified amounts in the fund are set aside for grants to Native and minority CDFIs. The Government Accountability Office must report on the impact of the fund and provide recommendations.
Maddy summaryThis resolution designates May 5, 2022, as the "National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls." It directly honors Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women and girls who are victims of violence or disappearance, referencing documented statistics showing they face disproportionately high rates of violent crime and homicide. The resolution calls on the public and organizations to commemorate these victims and show solidarity with affected families. As a symbolic measure with no binding policy changes, it aims to raise awareness about this issue without creating new legal requirements.
Better Cybercrime Metrics Act This bill establishes various requirements to improve the collection of data related to cybercrime and cyber-enabled crime (cybercrime). Among the requirements the Department of Justice (DOJ) must enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to develop a taxonomy for categorizing different types of cybercrime faced by individuals and businesses; DOJ must establish a category in the National Incident-Based Reporting System for collecting cybercrime reports from federal, state, and local officials; DOJ's Bureau of Justice Statistics and the Bureau of the Census must include questions about cybercrime in the annual National Crime Victimization Survey; and the Government Accountability Office must assess the effectiveness of reporting mechanisms for cybercrime and disparities in reporting cybercrime data and other types of crime data.
Maddy summarySRES 613 is a Senate resolution supporting National Minority Health Month in April 2022. It calls for raising public awareness about health disparities faced by specific minority groups, including American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asian Americans, African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders. The resolution does not create new laws or allocate funds but serves as a symbolic statement to highlight these inequities, referencing statistics on higher rates of conditions like diabetes, HIV, and infant mortality in these communities.