Healthcare

in committee · United States · House Mar 27, 2025

HR 2469: Abortion DOULAS Act

HR 2469, the Abortion DOULAS Act, mandates a study by the Secretary of Health and Human Services on abortion doula care - non-clinical support provided by trained professionals before, during, and after abortions. The study will collect data from patients, doulas, and providers to assess benefits, barriers (like cost and limited Medicaid coverage), and accessibility, especially for marginalized communities. It requires a report to Congress within 18 months, including recommendations for integrating abortion doula care into state Medicaid programs. The bill directly affects patients seeking abortion care, abortion doulas, and state Medicaid systems by focusing on evidence-based policy development. It does not alter current coverage but aims to inform future policy changes.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates study on abortion doula access barriers (cost, Medicaid) to improve patient access for marginalized communities, aligning with healthcare access support indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid Women's Health

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in committee · United States · Senate Jun 25, 2025

S 2171: A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to prohibit smoking on the premises of any facility of the Veterans Health Administration, and for other purposes.

This bill prohibits all smoking - including cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and e-cigarettes - in every Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facility, such as medical centers, clinics, and nursing homes. It directly affects all individuals on VHA premises, including veterans, patients, staff, contractors, and visitors. The law explicitly bans all tobacco combustion and electronic nicotine products, defining "smoke" to cover both traditional and e-cigarette use. This replaces existing rules and applies uniformly across all VHA-operated facilities under Department of Veterans Affairs jurisdiction.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareProhibits smoking in VA healthcare facilities, protecting patients/staff from tobacco exposure and aligning with public health goals in healthcare settings.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransProhibits smoking in VHA facilities to protect veterans' health in healthcare settings, directly improving safety and care quality.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Veteran Healthcare Veteran Housing Veteran Mental Health

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in committee · United States · House Dec 18, 2025

HR 6876: Protecting Children from Foreign Mutilation Act

HR 6876, the "Protecting Children from Foreign Mutilation Act," imposes visa bans on foreign medical professionals or facilities that provide certain gender-affirming treatments to U.S. minors under 18. It targets foreign physicians or clinics performing "chemical or surgical mutilations" (defined as puberty blockers, hormones, or surgeries altering physical sex characteristics for transgender youth), excluding medically necessary care for intersex conditions or injuries. The bill requires the President to revoke visas for qualifying foreign providers and mandates a report to Congress on enforcement within 180 days. It explicitly excludes detransition treatments and medically necessary care for conditions like intersex variations or trauma. The law applies solely to foreign providers, not U.S. healthcare.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareRestricts access to gender-affirming care for minors by banning foreign providers of puberty blockers/hormones/surgeries, limiting healthcare services for transgender youth.95% confidence

Track

in committee · United States · House May 14, 2026

HR 5999: To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish an opioid antagonist to a veteran without requiring a prescription or copayment.

This bill (HR 5999) requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide opioid antagonists (like naloxone) to enrolled veterans without needing a prescription or charging a copayment. It directly affects veterans receiving VA healthcare who may need emergency reversal of opioid overdoses. The key provisions mandate the VA to furnish these life-saving medications directly and eliminate both the prescription requirement and cost barrier. This policy change aims to improve immediate access to overdose reversal for veterans without requiring additional medical steps or financial burden.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill eliminates prescription and cost barriers for VA-provided naloxone, directly improving emergency opioid overdose access - aligns with expanding patient access and protecting health services.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransEliminates prescription/cost barriers for VA-provided naloxone, directly improving emergency opioid overdose access for veterans in healthcare95% confidence

Sub-Topics Substance Abuse Veteran Education Veteran Healthcare Veteran Mental Health

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in committee · United States · Senate Feb 10, 2025

S 500: CAREER Act of 2025

This bill reauthorizes and updates the CAREER Act, focusing on supporting individuals with substance use disorders through employment and recovery services. It increases annual funding for treatment, recovery, and workforce support grants from $5 million to $12 million (2026-2030), prioritizing areas with the highest 2018-2022 drug overdose deaths, unemployment, and low job market participation. The bill allows up to 5% of grant funds for transportation to work, job training, or recovery services, and extends the Recovery Housing Pilot Program through 2030. It directly affects communities and individuals impacted by substance use disorders by linking federal funding to measurable local needs.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeFunds substance use disorder treatment and job training to reduce recidivism, aligning with criminal justice reform goals.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill increases funding for substance use disorder treatment/recovery services ($5M to $12M annually), directly advancing healthcare access and public health initiatives for a critical health issue.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentIncreases annual funding for workforce support grants from $5M to $12M, prioritizes high-unemployment areas, and funds job training/recovery services to improve employment outcomes.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Substance Abuse Unemployment Workforce Development

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in committee · United States · Senate Jan 14, 2025

S 92: Defending American Sovereignty in Global Pandemics Act

The Defending American Sovereignty in Global Pandemics Act requires Senate approval before the U.S. can join any international pandemic agreement under the World Health Organization (WHO). It would suspend all U.S. funding to the WHO until the Senate ratifies such an agreement. This policy directly affects U.S. financial support to the WHO and the process for international health cooperation. The funding freeze would begin immediately and continue until the Senate approves the specific treaty.

Topics ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareDefunds WHO, a key global health body, suspending U.S. funding until Senate approval for pandemic agreements, directly restricting international public health funding.95% confidence

Track

in committee · United States · House Jun 26, 2025

HR 4186: Connecting Students with Mental Health Services Act

HR 4186, the Connecting Students with Mental Health Services Act, creates a federal grant program to expand mental health services for K-12 students in underserved areas. It authorizes $5 million annually (2026-2029) for grants to school districts partnering with community health providers to establish telehealth programs, focusing on rural, high-poverty, or health-professional-shortage-area schools. Funds can cover telehealth equipment, staffing, and facilities to deliver remote mental health care. The program requires grantees to comply with privacy laws and report on student access to services by 2027. This directly affects students lacking local mental health resources through concrete funding for telehealth infrastructure.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill funds $5M/year for K-12 mental health telehealth services in underserved schools, directly expanding student access to educational support programs.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareCreates federal grants to fund telehealth mental health services for underserved K-12 students, directly expanding access and funding mental health care.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Student Health Mental Health Telehealth

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in committee · United States · House Dec 18, 2025

HR 6902: Youth Substance Use Prevention and Awareness Act

HR 6902, the Youth Substance Use Prevention and Awareness Act, expands a federal grant program to fund research-based public service announcement (PSA) campaigns targeting youth substance use prevention. It authorizes grants for campaigns using age-appropriate materials across TV, radio, print, outdoor, and digital media, including youth-submitted PSA contests. The bill requires the Attorney General to publish annual reports detailing each campaign's research basis, regional messaging, alignment with other prevention efforts, and evaluation of its effectiveness in reducing youth drug use. This directly affects federal grant recipients and aims to standardize and measure the impact of youth-focused prevention messaging.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareFunds research-based public health campaigns for youth substance use prevention, advancing public health program funding and prevention efforts.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Substance Abuse

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in committee · United States · Senate Apr 3, 2025

S 1302: Increasing Transparency in Generic Drug Applications Act

S 1302, the "Increasing Transparency in Generic Drug Applications Act," requires the FDA to disclose to generic drug applicants whether their proposed drug matches the brand-name reference drug in inactive ingredients (type and amount). If differences exist, the FDA must specify which ingredients differ and the exact quantitative deviations. The bill mandates the FDA issue guidance within one year on how it determines ingredient similarity, including for pH adjusters, after a 60-day public comment period. This directly affects generic drug manufacturers seeking FDA approval by providing clearer, earlier feedback during the application review process.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRequires FDA transparency on generic drug ingredient matching, ensuring therapeutic equivalence and patient safety, promoting affordable medication access.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Prescription Drugs

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in committee · United States · Senate Nov 5, 2025

S 3105: ISLET Act

The ISLET Act (S 3105) clarifies that transplants using islets from deceased donors are not classified as drugs, biological products, or human cells/tissues under federal law. This removes regulatory barriers for these transplants, which treat conditions like diabetes, by preventing them from being subject to rules meant for other medical products. The bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to update relevant regulations within one year and report progress to Congress within six months. It directly affects medical facilities and researchers performing islet transplants by creating a dedicated regulatory pathway for these life-saving procedures.

Topics ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareRemoves regulatory barriers for diabetes islet transplants, improving patient access to treatment by preventing unnecessary drug classification under federal law.90% confidence

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