Small Business Credit Protection Act This bill establishes requirements related to breaches of data belonging to small businesses. Specifically, a consumer reporting agency must promptly report any breach of nonpublic small business data. In the event of a breach, a consumer reporting agency may not charge a small business for a credit report. Additionally, the Government Accountability Office must report on the economic harm to small businesses resulting from data breaches at consumer reporting agencies.
Protecting Access to Ground Ambulance Medical Services Act of 2021 This bill modifies Medicare payment of ground ambulance services in rural areas. Specifically, the bill extends the specialized rate increase for such services for an additional five years (until January 1, 2028). The bill also requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to (1) allow an area that has 1,000 or fewer individuals per square mile to retain its status as a rural area even if it would otherwise no longer qualify, and (2) establish an appeals process for providers to seek reconsideration of a change in an area's status.
This bill requires the Department of Labor to estimate and report to Congress the number of jobs projected to be lost as a result of a specified section of the executive order titled Protecting Public Health and the Environment and Restoring Science To Tackle the Climate Crisis , which revoked the March 2019 permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.
Nullifying Opportunities for Variants to Infect and Decimate Act or the NOVID Act This bill establishes the Pandemic Preparedness and Response Program to coordinate and carry out the U.S. government's global health response to COVID-19, its variants, and other pathogens with pandemic potential. As part of the program, the bill requires, within 30 days, the development of a comprehensive strategy to end the COVID-19 pandemic. The strategy must outline efforts to increase COVID-19 vaccinations worldwide, including through the immediate release of the COVID-19 vaccine doses that the United States committed to sending abroad. The bill also requires a long-term strategy for the program to prevent future pandemics.
This joint resolution recognizes and affirms the sovereign and unilateral authority of states to defend themselves against invasion.
Strengthening America's Strategic National Stockpile Act of 2021 This bill makes changes to the administration and management of the Strategic National Stockpile. Among these changes, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to ensure the contents of the stockpile remain in working order. HHS may enter into maintenance service contracts to carry out this requirement. Furthermore, as part of its management of the stockpile, HHS must establish and maintain domestic reserves of certain supplies, including by entering into cooperative agreements or partnerships to access facilities and equipment to produce these supplies. The authority for such agreements and partnerships terminates on September 30, 2024. Additionally, the bill temporarily authorizes HHS to award grants to states for maintaining stockpiles of certain equipment and supplies for use during public health emergencies. HHS must also develop transparent processes for the use and distribution of supplies from the stockpile that address, for example, the prioritization of requests. Additionally, during the COVID-19 emergency, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response must report monthly on requests for supplies from states, tribes, and other jurisdictions. These reports must include the rationale for any partially fulfilled or denied requests. Lastly, the Government Accountability Office must study the feasibility of establishing user fees to offset costs for procuring single-source materials for, and distributing such materials from, the stockpile.
Maternal Health Quality Improvement Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish specified grant programs to support positive maternal health care outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women and their infants. Specifically, HHS must award grants to (1) develop best practices to reduce preventable maternal mortality, and (2) train health care professionals to reduce and prevent discrimination when providing maternal health services. In addition, HHS may award grants to establish evidence-informed, integrated health care services to pregnant and postpartum women and their infants. The bill also provides statutory authority for a grant program that supports perinatal quality collaboratives. These are networks of perinatal care providers and public health professionals that work to improve pregnancy outcomes through continuous quality improvement. HHS also must (1) contract with an independent research organization to study and make recommendations on trainings for health professional schools and education programs on reducing and preventing discrimination in the provision of maternal health services, and (2) address pregnant and postpartum women and their infants in public awareness initiatives related to vaccinations.
Eliminate Lavish Incentives To Electric Vehicles Act or the ELITE Vehicles Act This bill terminates the tax credit for new qualified plug-in electric drive motor vehicles 30 days after this bill's enactment date. The credit is permanently repealed for taxable years beginning 1 year and 30 days after enactment.
Increasing Retirement Amount Act of 2021 or the IRA Act of 2021 This bill increases to $12,000 the retirement savings contribution limit for individual taxpayers not participating in an employed-sponsored retirement plan. It also increases the limit on catch-up contributions to retirement plans.
Flood Insurance Fairness Act This bill prohibits the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from adjusting the premium rate of flood insurance issued under the National Flood Insurance Program. Under current law, FEMA has statutory authority to set premium rates subject to certain limitations on annual increases.
Keeping Your Retirement Act of 2021 This bill increases from 72 to 75 the age for mandatory distributions from tax-exempt retirement plans.
Parity Implementation Assistance Act This bill provides grants to assist states with the implementation of the federal mental health parity requirements. States receiving the grants must request and review from private health insurance plans their required comparative analysis of nonquantitative treatment limitations (NQTLs) with respect to mental health or substance use disorder benefits. (NQTLs are limitations on the scope or duration of benefits for treatment, such as preauthorization requirements.)
