Dairy Pricing Opportunity Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to hold national hearings to review Federal Milk Marketing Orders. (USDA uses these orders to establish a minimum price for various classes of milk.) The hearings must include the review of proposals from producers and the dairy industry on the price of Class I skim milk.
PrEP Access and Coverage Act This bill requires private health insurance plans to cover prescription drugs that prevent HIV, including related screenings, diagnostic procedures, administrative fees, and clinical follow-ups, without any cost-sharing obligation for the plan holder. Further, insurance plans must not impose any preauthorization requirement for this coverage. These coverage requirements also apply to public health insurance programs, including Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program. Additionally, the bill prohibits denying, limiting, or qualifying coverage or increasing premiums for disability insurance, long-term care insurance, or life insurance policies based on an individual taking medication for HIV prevention. The bill further requires the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to states, or directly to eligible local organizations, to provide uninsured individuals and underinsured individuals access to prescription drugs and related services that prevent HIV. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also must develop a public awareness campaign that focuses efforts in communities with a high need for HIV prevention treatment.
Immunization Infrastructure Modernization Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take actions to improve data sharing and other aspects of immunization information systems. These are confidential, population-based databases that maintain a record of vaccine administrations. Specifically, HHS must develop a strategy and plan to improve these systems, including systems supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; designate data and technology standards for use in these systems; and award grants to health departments and other government agencies to improve their systems. As a condition of receiving the grants, recipients must use the designated standards. However, HHS may waive this condition in some circumstances. HHS must also report to Congress on these activities.
This Senate resolution (SRES 464) expresses symbolic support for National Adoption Month (November) and National Adoption Day (November 20), encouraging public awareness of children awaiting adoption. It does not create new laws or allocate funding but urges U.S. citizens to consider adoption and support efforts to provide safety and permanency for children in foster care. The resolution highlights challenges like the pandemic's impact on foster care systems while affirming that every child deserves a permanent family. It directly affects no specific group through policy changes - it is a non-binding statement of support endorsed by 30+ senators.
Colonel John M. McHugh Tuition Fairness for Survivors Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to disapprove courses of education provided by public institutions of higher learning if such institutions charge a higher rate for tuition and fees than in-state tuition for individuals who are entitled to educational assistance under the Survivors' and Dependents' Educational Assistance program.
Hire Veteran Health Heroes Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to consult with the Department of Defense to identify and refer members of the Armed Forces with health care occupations for employment with the VA during their separation from the Armed Forces. The VA must refer interested members to a recruiter for consideration of open positions in the member's specialty and geography of interest. Referrals must not be made earlier than one year before the member's separation from the Armed Forces.
Expanding Access to Fertility Care for Servicemembers and Dependents Act This bill entitles members of the armed forces and their dependents (including the reserve components) who are performing active service and are entitled to medical care under TRICARE to assisted reproductive technology services (e.g., in vitro fertilization). Such services must be provided, regardless of (1) whether the assisted reproductive technology service is related to the treatment of a service-connected disability; (2) whether the member has a serious illness or injury resulting from a service-connected disability; (3) the ability of the member or dependent to conceive a pregnancy or carry a pregnancy to term; or (4) the sex, gender, sexual orientation, or marital status of the member or dependent.
VA Transparency & Trust Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to submit a plan for obligating and expending covered funds, which are funds made available to the VA for response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill requires the VA to submit biweekly reports regarding obligations, expenditures, and planned uses of the funds until seven days after the VA has expended all covered funds. The Inspector General of the VA must submit reports examining the obligations and expenditures made using covered funds during the specified reporting period. Finally, the Government Accountability Office must submit an interim report and final report containing a review of obligations and expenditures made using covered funds.
HRES 815 is a symbolic resolution introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on November 18, 2021. It expresses congressional support for National Rural Health Day, which recognizes the importance of rural health care and celebrates providers serving rural communities. The resolution highlights challenges like hospital closures and access barriers faced by rural health facilities but does not create new laws or funding. It simply affirms commitment to improving rural health care accessibility through policy, without specifying concrete changes. As a procedural resolution, it has no binding effect on legislation or funding.
This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish the Advisory Committee on United States Outlying Areas and Freely Associated States to provide advice and guidance to the VA on matters relating to veterans residing in American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. Among other duties, the committee must advise the VA on how to improve its programs and services to better serve veterans living in the listed areas.
HRES 817 is a symbolic resolution expressing congressional support for National Adoption Month (November) and National Adoption Day (November 20). It recognizes the need for permanent families for children in foster care, acknowledges challenges posed by the pandemic, and encourages the public to consider adoption. The resolution does not create new laws or allocate funding - it solely promotes awareness, celebrates adoption success stories, and urges Americans to support children's safety and well-being. It directly affects public awareness and does not impose obligations on any specific group or entity.
This bill increases the number of days—from 14 to 60—within which a practitioner must administer certain narcotic drugs (e.g., buprenorphine) to a patient for maintenance or detoxification treatment (i.e., substance use disorder treatment) after receiving the drugs from a pharmacy. Additionally, the bill revises the process by which the Department of Justice may modify the number of days within which such drugs must be administered.
