Supplying America Needs Truckers Aged 18 Act or the SANTA 18 Act This bill exempts drivers who transport goods from a port of entry and another place within the same state from age restrictions and other requirements that apply to federal commercial driver's licenses.
Outpatient Surgery Quality and Access Act of 2021 This bill establishes and modifies certain requirements relating to Medicare payments for ambulatory surgical center (ASC) services. Specifically, the bill (1) requires the payment system for ASC services to feature certain positive annual adjustments equivalent to those made with respect to hospital outpatient department (OPD) services; (2) revises quality reporting requirements to permit publicly available, side-by-side comparisons of quality measures for ASCs and OPDs in the same geographic area; and (3) requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), when excluding requested procedures from the list of those approved to be performed in ASCs, to cite specified reasons for doing so. With respect to excluding procedures from the approved list for ASCs, the CMS may not cite as a basis for exclusion that a procedure can only be reported using an unlisted surgical procedure code. (Physicians sometimes use unlisted codes when performing new procedures or services if no existing code is adequately descriptive.) The bill also limits the copayment amount for ASC services under Medicare to that of the inpatient hospital deductible.
No Vaccine Mandate Act This bill prohibits certain funding made available for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and related agencies from being used for implementing or enforcing a rule that requires a COVID-19 vaccine.
HRES 754 is a non-binding resolution expressing the House of Representatives' opposition to proposed "punitive natural gas taxes" on U.S. businesses, families, and workers. It cites claims that such taxes would raise average energy bills by 17%, reduce GDP by $9 billion, and eliminate 90,000 jobs, while disproportionately harming low-income households. The resolution argues that opposing these taxes supports U.S. energy security, national security, and continued leadership in reducing emissions through domestic natural gas production. As a procedural resolution, it does not create law but formally states the House's position against this policy approach.
Resolving Sexual Assault and Harassment Disputes Act of 2021 This bill invalidates predispute arbitration agreements relating to sexual assault claims by an employee against an employer or other employee. The bill authorizes predispute arbitration agreements relating to sexual harassment claims, but only if such agreements allow for specified actions, such as public disclosures and referrals to law enforcement. The bill applies to agreements that are entered into on or after the bill's enactment. The Government Accountability Office must study the effects of the bill on the use of arbitration agreements and related outcomes.
Covered Farm Vehicle Modernization Act of 2021 This bill exempts farm vehicles from specified registration requirements that otherwise apply to commercial motor vehicles, such as those under the Unified Carrier Registration Agreement and the International Fuel Tax Agreement. The bill also increases the maximum permitted gross weight for farm vehicles from 26,001 pounds to 36,001 pounds.
Expanding Access to Diabetes Self-Management Training Act of 2021 This bill expands Medicare coverage of diabetes outpatient self-management training. It also requires the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to test a model in which such training is provided virtually.
Veterans Patient Advocacy Act This bill requires the Office of Patient Advocacy within the Veterans Health Administration to ensure (1) there is not fewer than one patient advocate for every 13,500 veterans enrolled in the Department of Veterans Affairs health care system, and (2) highly rural veterans may access the services of patient advocates. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to report on the implementation of such policies.
Administrative False Claims Act of 2021 This bill modifies provisions regarding fraud committed against the federal government. Specifically, the bill raises the maximum amount of a fraud claim that may be handled administratively from $150,000 to $1 million, allows responsibilities in the administrative process assigned to the Attorney General or an Assistant Attorney General to be delegated to other Department of Justice employees, and allows the government to recoup costs for investigating and prosecuting these frauds.
New Parents Act of 2021 This bill allows parents to use a portion of their Social Security benefits for up to three months of paid parental leave after the birth or adoption of a child. To receive the parental leave benefit, parents must choose to either increase their retirement age or temporarily receive a reduction in Social Security benefits upon retirement, as specified.
This bill prohibits the use of federal funds to require a member of the Armed Forces to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. The bill also prohibits adverse action (e.g., punishment) being taken against a member of the Armed Forces because the member refuses to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.
This non-binding Senate resolution supports parents' primary role in decisions about their children's education. It specifically opposes a Justice Department memo (issued October 4, 2021) directing federal resources to investigate parents protesting school policies, and demands that memo be rescinded. The resolution condemns efforts to restrict parental involvement in school decisions, such as limiting access to school meetings or curricula. It was introduced in response to controversies involving school board meetings in Loudoun County, Virginia, and a National School Boards Association letter comparing parent protests to domestic terrorism.
