Rep. Pete Aguilar

Greyhound Protection Act of 2021 This bill modifies the federal criminal statute commonly known as the Wire Act. Currently, the Wire Act contains four prohibitions on the use of a wire transmission facility (e.g., the telephone or internet) for certain gambling activities. All four prohibitions apply to sports gambling. However, there have been conflicting interpretations of the applicability of the prohibitions to nonsports gambling (e.g., state lotteries). This bill amends the Wire Act to expressly state that the statute does not authorize the use of wire communications to gamble on commercial greyhound racing or permit the transport of animals for commercial dog racing or related activities.

Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment Act of 2021 This bill establishes a student loan repayment program for public health professionals. As a condition of participation, recipients must agree to complete a period of full-time employment with a state, tribal, or local public health agency. Individuals eligible for this program include those with public health or health professions degrees, as well as those with degrees in statistics, computer science, or related information technology fields.

Commission to Study the Stigmatization, Criminalization, and Ongoing Exclusion and Inequity for LGBTQ Servicemembers and Veterans Act This bill establishes the Commission to Study the Stigmatization, Criminalization, and Ongoing Exclusion and Inequity for LGBTQ Servicemembers and Veterans. The Commission must identify and compile information about the history of military policy regarding homosexuality from 1778 onward, including regarding lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) sexual orientation and gender identity. The Commission must hold public hearings, gather public testimony, examine lasting and disparate impacts of the discriminatory policies on the physical and mental well-being of members of the Armed Forces, and make recommendations on appropriate remedies.

Help Ensure Lower Patient Copays Act or the HELP Copays Act This bill requires health insurance plans to apply certain payments made by, or on behalf of, a plan enrollee toward a plan's cost-sharing requirements. Specifically, plans must apply third-party payments, financial assistance, discounts, product vouchers, and other reductions in out-of-pocket expenses toward the requirements.

Behavioral Health Crisis Services Expansion Act This bill establishes requirements, expands health insurance coverage, and directs other activities to support the provision of behavioral health crisis services along a continuum of care. Specifically, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must establish standards for a behavioral health crisis continuum of care that health care providers and communities may use in responding to individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis. This continuum of care must include 24-7 crisis hotlines, emergency treatment, stabilization services, and other specified components. In addition, the bill expands health insurance coverage for behavioral health crisis services. It also expands the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant to assist states and territories with developing the infrastructure to provide crisis response services. Furthermore, HHS, in consultation with the Department of Justice, must convene an expert panel to make recommendations concerning training for emergency services dispatchers and crisis call center personnel to respond appropriately to individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis.

This resolution expresses that the House of Representatives applauds the Biden administration for reaffirming the U.S. commitment to the Paris Agreement on climate change and to our collective responsibility to globally combat climate change; encourages the Biden administration to implement measures to ensure global climate change remains a top priority for this and future administrations and to cement the United States as a global leader in the fight to mitigate its most severe consequences; voices strong commitment as legislators toward achieving the climate goals of the Paris Agreement, fulfilling the forthcoming pledges from the COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, and advancing other international efforts to keep global warming to no more than 1.5 degrees Celsius and realize global net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 using a whole-of-government approach; and recognizes the critical responsibility of the United States and other developed nations to ensure all societies have the capabilities to transition to a clean energy economy, the resources to protect against climate-induced disasters, and the necessary assistance to endure climate-related challenges to food security, regional migration, and public health.

Access to Breast Cancer Diagnosis Act of 20 21 This bill prohibits private health insurance plans from imposing higher cost-sharing requirements on breast cancer diagnostic examinations than initial breast cancer screening examinations. Diagnostic examinations are generally required after an initial screening detects an abnormality and typically require additional mammogram images (e.g., x-rays).

Cady Housh and Gemesha Thomas Student Suicide Prevention Act of 2021 This bill reauthorizes through FY2028, and otherwise revises, grants administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to support youth suicide early-intervention and prevention strategies. Specifically, the bill requires SAMHSA to award a portion of such grants for statewide training programs on emotional well-being, mental health, and suicide awareness and prevention for elementary and secondary school students and staff.

Social Security 2100: A Sacred Trust This bill makes changes to Social Security benefits, taxes, and other aspects of the program, including by raising the primary insurance amount, increasing the maximum taxable earnings that are subject to Social Security payroll taxes, and requiring Social Security account statements to be mailed unless the individual recipient opts for electronic delivery.

Equitable Health Care for All Act This bill prohibits discrimination in health care based on race, religion, and other characteristics. It also revises reporting requirements, adds equity-related measures to certain Medicare programs, and makes other changes to reduce health disparities. To enforce the prohibition, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must establish an administrative process to resolve complaints about inequitable health care. HHS must investigate these complaints and mediate agreements to resolve issues. In the event of noncompliance with a mediated agreement, an aggrieved individual may bring a civil action. Health care providers must also report data in formats that allow disaggregation by demographic factors. HHS must issue proposed regulations to carry out this requirement within 90 days. Additionally, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must include measures related to equitable health care in the Medicare value-based purchasing program for hospitals. This program provides incentive payments based on quality of care. The CMS may also exclude providers that furnish inequitable health care from its programs. In addition, the bill establishes the Federal Health Equity Commission to monitor implementation of the bill and establishes a grant program for hospitals to promote equitable health care.