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.
Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program Enhancement Act This bill modifies the requirements for calculating taxable income to exclude from gross income payments under the federal veterinary medicine loan repayment program or any state loan repayment or forgiveness program that is intended to provide for increased access to veterinary services in such state.
Taxpayer Research and Coronavirus Knowledge Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to coordinate with specified federal entities to compile a public database of federal contracts, tax benefits, and other support for COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) biomedical research and development. HHS must develop the database within one month and update it every two weeks.
Advancing Uniform Transportation Opportunities for Veterans Act or the AUTO for Veterans Act This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide (or assist in providing) an eligible veteran or service member with an additional automobile or other conveyance under the VA automobile allowance and adaptive equipment program. Currently, a veteran or service member with a specified service-connected disability or impairment may not receive more than one automobile or other conveyance under the program. The bill authorizes the additional benefit for such veterans and service members if 10 years have passed since the person last received such benefit.
Gluten in Medicine Disclosure Act of 2021 This bill prohibits the sale of any drug intended for human use that contains an ingredient derived from a gluten-containing grain unless the drug's label (1)states that the drug contains such an ingredient, and (2)identifies the type of grain from which the ingredient is derived.
Stay in Line To Vote Act This bill prohibits states from restricting the provision of food or drink to individuals who are at a polling place to cast their ballots in a federal election.
Providing Responsible Emergency Plans for Animals at Risk of E merging Disasters Act or the PREPARED Act This bill establishes requirements governing the care of animals by entities, such as zoos, in emergencies or disasters. Specifically, the bill requires each research facility, dealer, exhibitor, intermediate handler, and carrier to develop and follow a contingency plan to provide for the humane handling, treatment, transportation, housing, and care of their animals in the event of an emergency or disaster.
Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act This bill addresses employment standards for individuals with disabilities. The bill directs the Department of Labor to award grants to states and certain eligible entities to assist them in transforming their business and program models to support individuals with disabilities by providing competitive integrated employment, assisting disabled individuals in finding and retaining work in such employment, providing integrated employment and integrated community participation and wraparound services for such individuals, and ensuring that such services comply with federal regulations for individuals receiving home and community-based services. The bill also prohibits the issuance of new special certificates that allow payment of subminimum wages to disabled individuals and phases out existing certificates over a four-year period. The bill directs Labor's Office of Disability Employment to award grants to provide technical assistance and other strategic support to employers transitioning from special certificates to competitive integrated employment for disabled individuals. Labor must contract with a nonprofit entity to conduct an evaluation of the impact of these transitions.
Invasive Species Prevention and Forest Restoration Act This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to award competitive grants to certain institutions for research to promote the restoration of tree species affected by non-native plant pests and noxious weeds. USDA may also award competitive grants to implement the research or other solutions to restore forest tree species native to the United States that have suffered severe levels of mortality caused by non-native plant pests and noxious weeds. The bill also expands the authority of USDA to transfer funds to respond to an emergency involving an outbreak of a plant pest or noxious weed. Further, USDA must enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences or another nongovernmental entity to analyze available resources in federal agencies for research of, and solutions to, non-native forest pests and pathogens.
Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity, and Reliability Act of 2021 This bill increases funding for water infrastructure, including funding for several programs related to controlling water pollution or protecting drinking water. Specifically, it establishes a Water Affordability, Transparency, Equity, and Reliability Trust Fund. The fund may be used for specified grant programs. The bill increases the corporate income tax rate to 24.5% to provide revenues for the fund. In addition, the bill revises requirements concerning the clean water state revolving fund (SRF) and the drinking water SRF. It also creates or reauthorizes several grant programs for water infrastructure.
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that blood donation policies should be grounded in science, minimize deferral periods, and allow donations by all those who can safely make them.
This resolution calls on the government of Azerbaijan to immediately return all Armenian prisoners of war and captured civilians. The resolution also urges the Department of State to engage with Azerbaijani authorities to bring about this result.
