HR 679 nullifies specific changes the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) made in January 2023 to the safety rules (REMS) for the abortion pill mifepristone. The bill prohibits the FDA from implementing any future safety rules for mifepristone that are substantially similar to the nullified changes. This directly affects the FDA's regulatory authority over mifepristone, which could impact how healthcare providers prescribe the medication and how patients access it. The bill focuses solely on reversing the FDA's 2023 modifications without altering the drug's broader approval status.
This bill prohibits federal agencies from funding, supporting, or conducting research using human fetal tissue obtained from induced abortions. It allows federal research on tissue from miscarriages or stillbirths (defined as loss before 20 weeks or at 20+ weeks, respectively) and permits development of new cell lines not derived from abortion tissue. The bill amends the Public Health Service Act to restrict permissible tissue sources to miscarriage/stillbirth and revises definitions accordingly. It also repeals a prior provision allowing research on abortion-derived tissue and adds new restrictions on soliciting or accepting such tissue.
This bill prohibits federal funding, support, or approval for research using human fetal tissue obtained from induced abortions. It allows research on tissue from miscarriages (under 20 weeks) or stillbirths (20+ weeks) under existing Public Health Service Act rules, and permits development of new cell lines for vaccines or genetic vectors if not derived from abortion tissue. The bill amends the Public Health Service Act to restrict federal research to tissue from miscarriages or stillbirths and clarifies definitions for terms like "miscarriage" and "stillbirth." It directly affects federal agencies like the NIH and researchers relying on federal grants for biomedical studies.
This bill reauthorizes federal funding for tick-borne disease programs under the Public Health Service Act. It reduces annual funding levels for two key programs: $8 million per year (from $10 million) for the National Strategy and Regional Centers of Excellence (2026-2030), and $19 million per year (from $20 million) for health department support programs (2026-2030). These changes extend existing programs through 2030 with adjusted funding amounts. The bill directly affects public health programs and state/local health departments addressing tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease.
HR 2197, the "No 340B Savings for Transgender Care Act," prohibits covered entities participating in the federal 340B drug pricing program from using savings from discounted drug purchases to pay for specific transgender healthcare services. The bill amends the Public Health Service Act to ban using 340B savings for sex reassignment surgeries or hormone treatments provided "for the purpose of gender alteration" of transgender individuals. This directly affects hospitals and clinics enrolled in the 340B program, restricting how they allocate funds saved through the program’s discounted drug pricing. The key provision is a targeted restriction on fund usage, not a ban on providing the medical services themselves. The bill focuses on reallocating program savings away from these specific care types.
HR 90, the Health Coverage Choice Act, defines "short-term limited duration insurance" as health coverage with an initial term under 12 months and a total duration (including renewals) of no more than three years. This definition would directly affect health insurance issuers selling such plans and consumers purchasing short-term coverage as an alternative to standard health insurance. The bill amends the Public Health Service Act to establish this clear regulatory standard for these temporary plans. The legislation does not include additional policy provisions beyond this definitional change.
This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to formally define "short-term limited duration insurance" (STLDI) as health insurance plans with contracts expiring within 12 months of their start date. It allows these plans to include renewal options without premium increases based on health status. The definition directly affects health insurance issuers selling STLDI and consumers purchasing these temporary coverage options. This change creates a clear regulatory category for short-term plans but does not alter their availability or requirements beyond the defined terms.
This bill, the Conscience Protection Act of 2025, strengthens protections for healthcare providers and organizations that refuse to participate in certain medical procedures (including abortion, assisted suicide, and sterilization) based on religious, moral, or ethical beliefs. It creates a private right of action allowing affected entities to seek legal remedies when their conscience rights are violated, addressing a gap in current law where victims could not defend their rights in court. The bill amends the Public Health Service Act to prohibit discrimination against such healthcare entities and establishes clearer enforcement mechanisms through the Department of Health and Human Services, including administrative investigations and civil actions. It directly affects healthcare providers, hospitals, insurers, and other health-related organizations operating under federal funding. The bill aims to address inconsistent enforcement of existing conscience protections like the Weldon Amendment, which has been challenged in cases such as California's abortion coverage mandate.
SRES 374 is a non-binding Senate resolution expressing that Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. lacks the confidence of the Senate and American people to serve in his role. The resolution cites specific actions including the termination of $11 billion in public health funding, mass firings of scientists (notably eliminating 8 Offices of Minority Health), replacing all 17 members of the vaccine advisory committee (ACIP) with critics of vaccines, and dismantling programs supporting maternal health, disability services, and chronic disease research. It alleges these actions violated federal law, undermined scientific integrity, and endangered public health during a measles outbreak. The resolution calls for the Secretary’s removal but has no legal effect, as it is a symbolic statement of disapproval.
The Supplemental Benefits for Individuals Act of 2025 amends Section 2791(c)(4) of the Public Health Service Act to include individual health insurance coverage as an "excepted benefit." This change allows health insurance plans purchased directly by individuals (not through employers) to be classified as excepted benefits, meaning they would not need to cover essential health benefits required of standard health plans under the Affordable Care Act. The bill directly affects individuals who buy health insurance on their own by expanding the types of coverage available without meeting full ACA requirements. The key mechanism is a technical update to the definition of excepted benefits in federal law.
