Rep. John Garamendi

This bill provides authority for joint task forces of the Department of Defense that provide support to law enforcement agencies conducting counter-drug activities to also provide support in conducting counter-illicit trafficking activities (e.g., human trafficking).

Outpatient Surgery Quality and Access Act of 2021 This bill establishes and modifies certain requirements relating to Medicare payments for ambulatory surgical center (ASC) services. Specifically, the bill (1) requires the payment system for ASC services to feature certain positive annual adjustments equivalent to those made with respect to hospital outpatient department (OPD) services; (2) revises quality reporting requirements to permit publicly available, side-by-side comparisons of quality measures for ASCs and OPDs in the same geographic area; and (3) requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), when excluding requested procedures from the list of those approved to be performed in ASCs, to cite specified reasons for doing so. With respect to excluding procedures from the approved list for ASCs, the CMS may not cite as a basis for exclusion that a procedure can only be reported using an unlisted surgical procedure code. (Physicians sometimes use unlisted codes when performing new procedures or services if no existing code is adequately descriptive.) The bill also limits the copayment amount for ASC services under Medicare to that of the inpatient hospital deductible.

White House Conference on Food, Nutrition, Hunger, and Health Act This bill directs the President to convene a conference to make policy recommendations for ending hunger, creating sustainable markets for agricultural producers, and improving nutrition and the resiliency of the food system. The bill also requires specified congressional committees to hold hearings on the conference recommendations and on the status of hunger, nutrition security, and food systems.

American Energy Worker Opportunity Act of 2021 This bill establishes the Office of American Energy Workers in the Department of the Treasury to provide displaced coal workers with wage replacement, health care premiums, retirement savings contributions, and educational assistance. The bill also provides educational assistance for the children of displaced coal workers and provides an incentive for clean energy employers to hire displaced coal workers.

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.

Helicopter Data and Voice Recorder Requirement Act This bill makes it unlawful for an air carrier to operate a single or multiengine, turbine-powered helicopter with one or more passenger seats and one or more pilots without a flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder.

Securing Access for the central Valley and Enhancing (SAVE) Water Resources Act This bill authorizes assistance for water management and infrastructure projects and awards grants for water recycling and reuse projects. The bill (1) establishes the Water Infrastructure and Drought Solutions Fund to finance various water-related projects; (2) modifies the grant program for the funding of water recycling and reuse projects to assign priorities, including to projects that provide a more reliable water supply for states and localities; and (3) reauthorizes through FY2026 the Rural Water Supply Program. In addition, the Department of the Interior must establish a pilot program to provide financial assistance to certain water supply projects that contribute to a safe, adequate water supply for domestic, agricultural, environmental, municipal, or industrial use. The Bureau of Reclamation must award prizes for achievements for certain applications of water technology.

Stop the Spread of Invasive Mussels Act of 2021 This bill directs the Bureau of Reclamation to provide federal assistance to states with certain reclamation projects to prevent the spread of aquatic invasive species. Such assistance shall include financial assistance to purchase, establish, operate, or maintain watercraft inspection and decontamination stations. In providing financial assistance, Reclamation must prioritize projects such as watercraft inspections and decontamination stations that have the highest likelihood of preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species at reservoirs of reclamation projects; or projects that prevent the spread of an aquatic invasive species to waters under the jurisdiction of Reclamation, including irrigation, reclamation, or other water projects. This bill provides authority for each federal agency on the Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force, along with state partners, to (1) conduct mandatory inspections and decontamination of recreational vessels; and (2) if necessary, impound, quarantine, or otherwise prevent entry of a recreational vessel. In addition, it expands the membership to include the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, and Reclamation.

This resolution honors the life and legacy of General Colin L. Powell and expresses sympathy to his family. Additionally, the resolution commends General Colin L. Powell for his accomplishments in the government and Armed Forces.

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.