Tele-Mental Health Improvement Act This bill requires private health insurance plans that cover in-person mental health or substance use disorder services to cover such services on equal terms via telehealth (i.e., information technology used to aid treatment and diagnosis at a physical distance) during and shortly after the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency. Specifically, this bill requires plans to, among other things, cover these services at the same rate as in-person services, exclude charges for facility fees, and provide information about how to access these services. Additionally, providers of these services may not charge facility fees to plan enrollees.
Achieving Thorough Transparency and Accessibility for Information Navigation on Mental Health Act of 2021 or the ATTAIN Mental Health Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a public-facing, online dashboard to publicize federally funded mental health grants. The dashboard must contain, for example, program names and opening and closing dates for applications. In addition, HHS must establish a process to include information voluntarily provided by states about their federally supported mental health grants on the dashboard. In developing the dashboard, HHS must consult with appropriate federal departments and agencies and other stakeholders.
Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act of 2021 This bill generally prohibits the federal government, states, tribal nations, or localities from discriminating or taking adverse action against a child welfare provider that declines to provide services due to the provider's sincerely held religious beliefs or moral convictions. However, government entities may still take adverse action against a provider that declines to provide adoption or foster care services based on race, color, or national origin. The Department of Health and Human Services must withhold a portion of federal funding for family services and child welfare activities from a government entity that discriminates against a child welfare provider in violation of this bill. Child welfare providers may also sue the government entity for such discrimination. A prevailing provider may recover reasonable attorney's fees and costs. Furthermore, government entities that accept certain federal funding for family services and child welfare activities must waive sovereign immunity as a defense to lawsuits brought under this bill. (In many cases, sovereign immunity shields states, territories, tribal nations, and some localities against private suits.)
Coordination Of Medicare Payments and Workers' Compensation Act or the COMP Act This bill alters provisions relating to Medicare secondary payer rules with respect to workers' compensation settlement arrangements. Among other things, the bill provides that a Medicare set-aside fulfills secondary payer obligations if the set-aside is included in the arrangement and meets certain other criteria.
Connected Rural Schools Act This bill authorizes counties to use funds from the Secure Rural Schools Program to provide or expand access to (1) broadband services at local schools, or (2) technology and connectivity necessary for students to use digital learning tools outside of a local school campus.
Strengthening and Amplifying Vaccination Efforts to Locally Immunize all Veterans and Every Spouse Act or the SAVE LIVES Act This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to furnish a COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) vaccine to covered individuals during the COVID-19 public health emergency. Under the bill, covered individuals are veterans who are not eligible to enroll in the VA health care system; specified veterans who are eligible for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care abroad; beneficiaries who are eligible for care due to a specified disability or death of a veteran; family caregivers of veterans who are participating in the VA's Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers; caregivers of veterans participating in the VA's Program of General Caregiver Support Services; caregivers of veterans participating in the VA's Medical Foster Home Program, Bowel and Bladder Program, Home Based Primary Care Program, or Veteran Directed Care Program; and the spouses of veterans. The VA must prioritize the vaccination of (1) veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system, (2) veterans who fail to enroll but receive hospital care and medical services for specified disabilities in their first 12 months of separation from service, and (3) caregivers accompanying such prioritized veterans. Under the bill, the VA is authorized to offer a vaccine to the spouse of a veteran near the same time the veteran receives the vaccine.
Biliteracy Education Seal and Teaching Act or the BEST Act This bill directs the Department of Education to award renewable two-year grants to states to establish or improve, and carry out, Seal of Biliteracy programs to recognize student proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in both English and a second language. Further, these programs must allow speakers of any official Native American language to use equivalent proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in such language in lieu of proficiency in English.
Paris Climate Agreement Disclosure Act This bill requires an issuer of securities to annually disclose information related to its greenhouse gas emissions, including whether the issuer has set emissions targets to comply with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement and actions the issuer has taken or plans to take to achieve such targets.
Technical Assistance for Health Grants Act This bill makes changes to the scope and content of technical assistance provided by the Department of Health and Human Services concerning certain grants that provide low-income individuals with education and training for health care occupations.
Advanced Nuclear Deployment Act This bill sets forth requirements to provide for the rapid deployment of new nuclear reactors. Specifically, the bill excludes from Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) fees preapplication activities and review of an application for an early site permit to demonstrate an advanced nuclear reactor on a Department of Energy (DOE) or Department of Defense site. The NRC must also develop and implement (1) risk-informed and performance-based strategies and guidance to license and regulate micro-reactors, and (2) schedules to complete review activities applicable to the licensing of micro-reactors within two years. In addition, the NRC must establish and carry out an expedited procedure for issuing a combined license to construct a new nuclear reactor on or adjacent to a site that already has an existing reactor. Finally, the bill establishes a pilot program that allows DOE to make long-term power purchase agreements for power generated by commercial nuclear reactors.
Boosting Revenue Assistance for Venue Operators Act or the BRAVO Act This bill modifies a grant program established to provide economic relief to venue operators in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Currently, these grants may be awarded to specified live venue operators or promoters, theatrical producers, or live venue operators or promoters, as well as museum operators, motion picture theatre operators, or talent representatives if they do not also receive a paycheck protection loan or an economic injury disaster loan. The bill provides that a recipient of a paycheck protection loan or an economic injury disaster loan may still receive a grant under this program, but only if the grant is used for purposes other than those for which the recipient uses the loan funds (e.g., paying payroll costs).
Strategy and Investment in Rural Housing Preservation Act of 2021 This bill provides assistance to rural, multifamily rental-housing projects and tenants. Specifically, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) must implement a program for the preservation and revitalization of such housing projects that are financed with USDA loans. As part of this program, USDA may restructure existing housing loans by reducing or eliminating interest and deferring loan payments. When offering to restructure such a loan, USDA must also offer to renew a property owner's contract for rental assistance payments for a term of 20 years, provided that the property owner agrees to maintain the property as decent, safe, and sanitary housing for the full term of the contract. USDA must annually provide written notice explaining the options to restructure such loans to certain property owners. Additionally, USDA may provide technical assistance grants to qualified nonprofit organizations and public housing agencies to help borrowers acquire multifamily rental-housing properties in areas where there is a risk of loss of affordable housing. Further, USDA may provide rural housing vouchers for low-income households (including those not receiving rental assistance) residing in certain properties financed with or insured by USDA loans. The bill also extends existing housing protections for victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking to victims who receive rural housing voucher assistance. These protections include protections against denial or termination of assistance or eviction.
