Rep. Jerry L. Carl

This joint resolution recognizes and affirms the sovereign and unilateral authority of states to defend themselves against invasion.

Servicemember Safety and Security Improvement Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Defense to instruct each military department to review its policies and procedures for reporting members of the Armed Forces who are absent without leave, on unauthorized absence, or missing. Military installations must update the policies and procedures related to absent or missing service members with a focus on force protection, enhanced security for members living on base, and prioritizing the reporting of missing service members to local and federal law enforcement at the earliest reasonable time. The commander of each military installation must establish a protocol for sharing information with local and federal law enforcement agencies about service members who are absent without leave, on unauthorized absence, or missing. Each military installation must submit the established protocol to the relevant installation command.

Patient Access to Urgent-Use Pharmacy Compounding Act of 2021 This bill relaxes certain requirements for compounding drugs that are facing shortages. Drug compounding is the process of mixing or otherwise altering drugs to create a medication. Currently, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows for drug compounding subject to certain requirements. Generally a licensed pharmacist or physician not registered with the FDA may only compound drugs in limited quantities for prescriptions for a specific individual patient. On the other hand, an FDA-registered outsourcing facility may compound drugs in bulk for use in medical facilities but is subject to additional requirements. This bill allows a compounder not registered with the FDA to compound drugs in limited quantities for urgent medical need not involving a specific patient if, among other things, (1) the prescriber certifies that they are unable to obtain, despite reasonable attempts, certain related drugs with the same active ingredient and route of administration; (2) the compounded drug meets certain labeling requirements, including an indication that the compounded drug is provided only for urgent administration to a patient; and (3) the compounder requests and maintains certain records about patients receiving the compounded drug. Furthermore, a restriction against an unregistered compounder regularly compounding (or compounding inordinate amounts of) what is essentially a copy of a commercially available drug shall not apply if the drug is on a shortage list maintained by the FDA or the American Society of Hospital Pharmacists.

United States Army Rangers Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act This bill provides for the award of a single Congressional Gold Medal to the U.S. Army Rangers Veterans of World War II in recognition of their dedicated service during World War II.

Gulf Conservation and Recreation Funding Act This bill requires the Department of the Interior to annually pay Gulf producing states (Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas) and each of their coastal political subdivisions an amount equal to the amount of revenue they will not receive due to moratorium on new oil and natural gas leases in offshore waters. The moratorium was established under Executive Order 14008 on January 27, 2021.

Pharmacy DIR Reform To Reduce Senior Drug Costs Act This bill establishes certain requirements for prescription drug plans and the prices of covered drugs under the Medicare prescription drug benefit. Specifically, the bill requires price concessions, payments, and fees that are negotiated with a pharmacy to be included in a drug's negotiated price, excluding incentive payments, and for this price to be provided at the point of sale. Additionally, prescription drug plans must report price concessions or incentive payments that are made after payment for covered drugs at the point of sale, including by contracted intermediaries, to the pharmacy at least annually. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must establish standardized pharmacy performance measures with respect to incentive payments and price concessions; such measures must account for all pharmacy types, including specialty pharmacies, and focus on patient health outcomes and other targeted areas.

Recognizing Military Service in PSLF Act This bill requires the Department of Education to count each month for which a borrower's federal student loan payment was in deferment or forbearance during a period of active duty, including certain National Guard duty, as a qualifying payment for the purpose of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Under current law, a borrower who is a service member is eligible to receive student loan forgiveness under the PSLF program; however, if the borrower places their loan into deferment or forbearance while they are on active duty, that period of time does not count as a qualifying payment for the PSLF program.

Air America Act of 2021 This bill establishes the service of Air America employees as qualifying service for purposes of the Civil Service Retirement System. (Air America was a government-owned airline that provided air transport for certain covert operations in Southeast Asia, including Laos and Vietnam, between 1950 and 1976.) The bill applies to U.S. citizens who were employees of Air America or another affiliated company, as specified, between January 1, 1950 and December 31, 1976. Benefit applications must be filed within two years of the date of enactment of this bill.

Dentist and Optometric Care Access Act of 2021 or the DOC Access Act of 20 21 This bill prohibits private health insurance plans from setting rates for items and services, except for dental cleanings, provided by a doctor of optometry, of dental surgery, or of dental medicine for which the plan does not pay a substantial amount. Additionally, an agreement between a plan and such a doctor for limited scope dental or vision benefits may last longer than two years only with the prior acceptance of the doctor for each term extension. Plans also may not restrict such a doctor's choice of laboratories or suppliers. Such doctors may elect to waive the application of the payment amount and choice of laboratories provisions of this bill. The bill establishes a private right of action for a person adversely affected by a violation of this bill. The bill does not supersede state laws regarding health insurers and dental or vision benefit plans.

Contact Lens Prescription Verification Modernization Act This bill revises the requirements for the verification of prescriptions related to the purchase of contact lenses. Specifically, online sellers of prescription contact lenses must provide consumers with a method to transmit a digital copy of their prescriptions to such sellers. Online sellers also must encrypt protected health information they send by email. Additionally, the bill prohibits any seller of prescription contact lenses from using telephone calls with an artificial or prerecorded voice (i.e., robocalls) to verify a consumer's prescription.