Improving Social Determinants of Health Act of 2021 This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish a program to improve health outcomes and reduce health inequities by, for example, coordinating activities across the CDC. As part of the program, the CDC must award grants to eligible organizations to build capacity to address social determinants of health. The CDC shall provide for an independent evaluation of certain grants and report findings to Congress.
This bill reauthorizes through FY2026 and revises the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program. Under the program, the Department of Energy provides grants to local governments, states, and Indian tribes for energy efficiency and conservation projects and programs. This bill expands the allowable uses of grant funds to include the deployment of energy distribution technologies that significantly expand access to alternative fuels.
Preventing Mental Health and Substance Use Crises During Emergencies Act This bill establishes a task force and requires a strategy to address mental health and substance use issues during public health emergencies. The Department of Health and Human Services must convene the task force to assess the federal response to such issues during and after the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency. In addition, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration must develop and annually update the strategy. The task force's work must inform the strategy.
Taxpayer Conscience Protection Act of 2021 This bill establishes reporting requirements for states regarding certain Medicaid payments to abortion providers. Specifically, the bill requires states that make Medicaid payments using federal funds for any items or services furnished by an abortion provider to annually (1) submit a report to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on all such payments, and (2) publish the report on the state's website. The report must include specified information, including the number of abortions performed by the providers and the gestational age with respect to each such abortion.
Jobs to Fight COVID-19 Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Labor to award grants to states and other governmental and native American entities to (1) support the recruitment, placement, and training of—and provide employment to—certain individuals seeking employment in COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) contact tracing and pandemic response positions; and (2) assist with the transition to new employment or education and training of these individuals in preparation for and upon termination of such employment. The employees must be paid at least the required prevailing wage and fringe benefit rates. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in coordination with the Department of Health and Human Services and state, local, tribal, and territorial health departments, must establish and implement a national evidence-based system for COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, surveillance, containment, and mitigation. The CDC shall also award grants or contracts to these entities for such activities and to public entities to implement multilingual and culturally appropriate COVID-19 awareness campaigns.
Protecting Access to Post-COVID-19 Telehealth Act of 2021 This bill makes permanent several telehealth flexibilities that were initially authorized during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), particularly with respect to Medicare coverage of telehealth services. For example, the bill permanently allows federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics to serve as the distant site (i.e., the location of the health care practitioner) for telehealth services under Medicare. Payment must be made in the same manner as for non-telehealth services, rather than in accordance with a separate methodology determined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The bill also permanently allows beneficiaries to receive Medicare telehealth services at any site, regardless of type or location, and grants the CMS general authority to waive any other requirements during any emergency period.
Ensuring Telehealth Expansion Act of 2021 This bill makes permanent several telehealth flexibilities that were initially authorized during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), particularly with respect to Medicare coverage of telehealth services. For example, the bill permanently allows federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics to serve as the distant site (i.e., the location of the health care practitioner) for telehealth services under Medicare. Payment must be made in the same manner as for non-telehealth services, rather than in accordance with a separate methodology determined by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The bill also permanently allows beneficiaries to receive Medicare telehealth services at any site, regardless of type or location, and grants the CMS general authority to waive any other requirements as it deems appropriate.
PDMPs Help Patients Act of 2021 This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a grant program to test the feasibility of integrating substance use disorder and behavioral health treatment locator tools into prescription drug monitoring programs. HHS may award grants to up to five states.
Limiting Section 230 Immunity to Good Samaritans Act This bill requires an edge provider of an interactive computer service (e.g., social media website) to adopt and maintain written terms of service binding itself to a contractual duty of good faith in order to qualify for the statutory protection against being treated as the publisher of information distributed through the service by a third party. An edge provider is a provider of an interactive computer service through which information published by other content providers is distributed and that has more than (1) $1.5 billion in annual global revenue, and (2) 30 million monthly users in the United States or 300 million monthly users worldwide.
Curbing Abuse and Saving Expression In Technology Act or the CASE-IT Act This bill limits the protections for a user or provider of an interactive computer service (e.g., social media company) related to content that is published on or removed from its platform. The bill removes for one year the protection from being treated as the publisher of information provided by another content provider if a user or provider facilitates (1) illegal online content; (2) certain exploitive contact between adults and minors; or (3) content that is indecent, obscene, or otherwise harmful to minors. Further, to avoid being treated as the publisher of third-party content or subject to liability for screening and blocking content on its platform, an interactive computer service that is dominant in its market (i.e., has gained substantial, sustained market power over any competitors) must make content moderation decisions pursuant to policies or practices that are consistent with the First Amendment.
Crowd Sourcing of Environmental Data Act of 2021 This bill authorizes states to monitor certain criteria air pollutants (i.e., lead, ozone, particulate matter, or sulfur dioxide) by greatly increasing the number of air quality sensors under their state implementation plans. The Environmental Protection Agency (1) may not enforce a requirement concerning the method of monitoring if the derived data meets quality standards, and (2) must allow states to consider data derived from such methods when determining whether national ambient air quality standards for criteria air pollutants were exceeded.
Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder Consortium Act This bill requires the National Institutes of Health to establish a national consortium to coordinate and support research on neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, including by awarding grants. This is a neurological disease that can cause blindness, paralysis, and premature death.
