Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks

Maddy summaryHR 6020, the Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2021, extends temporary Medicare payment increases for physicians through 2022 instead of ending them on January 1, 2022. It updates specific dates in Medicare law (Section 1848(t) of the Social Security Act) to maintain current payment rates for doctors treating Medicare patients. This directly affects physicians and clinics participating in Medicare who rely on these temporary payment adjustments. The bill makes no new policy changes but ensures existing payment levels continue for providers during 2022.

This resolution urges all U.S. government officials to decline invitations to the XXIV Olympic Winter Games and XIII Paralympic Winter Games as part of an official diplomatic delegation unless the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee move the XXIV Olympic Winter Games and XIII Paralympic Winter Games to a city under the jurisdiction of a government that is not committing mass atrocities, or the Department of State has certified that the Chinese Communist Party has stopped committing acts of genocide and that the perpetrators have accounted for their crimes. The resolution also encourages the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee to develop a framework for reprimanding or disqualifying host cities and the countries in which they are located if their governments are actively committing mass atrocities.

This resolution modifies requirements for written statements required of nongovernmental witnesses who appear before standing committees of the House of Representatives. Specifically, the resolution eliminates a requirement that a witness disclose whether they are a fiduciary of an organization or entity that has an interest in the subject matter of the hearing, in favor of a requirement that they disclose whether they are a fiduciary of an entity that has received payments from a specified foreign entity. The resolution also requires nongovernmental witnesses to disclose in their written statement certain contracts with specified foreign persons or entities. If the committee determines that a witness knowingly and willfully failed to truthfully comply with such disclosure requirements, the witness is prohibited from testifying before the committee for three years.

Subscribe to Local News Act of 2021 This bill allows individual taxpayers a nonrefundable tax credit through 2026 for 100% of expenses, up to $200 in any taxable year, incurred for a local newspaper subscription. The bill defines local newspaper as a print or digital publication that primarily serves a regional community and has a daily circulation of less than 10,000.

Wounded Warrior Bill of Rights Act of 2021 This bill requires each military department to maintain authority over and responsibility for any of member of the Armed Forces under the jurisdiction of the military department concerned while a medical evaluation board is considering the member.

Fairness for Federal Contractors Act of 2021 This bill prohibits executive agencies from requiring contractors to receive a COVID-19 vaccination. The bill also requires the Government Accountability Office to study the degree to which Executive Order 14042 (Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors) caused disruptions to federal contracts, supply chains, and transportation systems.

Pregnancy Loss Mental Health Research Act of 2021 This bill expands research and related activities that address mental health complications following a pregnancy loss (i.e., miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion). Specifically, the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) must expand and intensify research on mental health complications following pregnancy loss. In particular, NIMH must conduct a longitudinal study to determine the prevalence and other information about such mental health complications. Additionally, the Department of Health and Human Services must award grants to health providers, state or local governments, or other appropriate nonprofits to deliver services to individuals with mental health conditions following a pregnancy loss. Funding made available under this bill may not be provided to an entity (or an entity's affiliate, subsidiary, successor, or clinic) that performs abortions other than in the case of a pregnancy (1) that is the result of rape or incest; or (2) when the life of the woman is in danger due to a physical disorder, injury, or illness.

DHS Acquisition Review Board Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish an Acquisition Review Board to support the Management Directorate in managing DHS acquisitions. The bill lists the board's responsibilities, which include determining whether a proposed acquisition has met the requirements of key phases of the acquisition life cycle framework and is able to proceed to the next phase. The chair of the board must ensure that all actions and decisions made pursuant to the board's responsibilities are documented in an acquisition decision memorandum that includes specified elements, such as the rationale for the decision.

This joint resolution nullifies a Department of Labor emergency temporary standard for preventing the transmission of COVID-19 in employment settings. Under the standard issued on November 5, 2021, employers with 100 or more employees must require their onsite employees to either be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly COVID-19 testing.

Student Veterans Counseling Centers Eligibility Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to furnish counseling, including counseling through a Vet Center, to veterans or members of the Armed Forces who are pursuing a course of education using specified Department of Defense or VA educational assistance benefits. Specifically, such counseling must be provided to veterans or members of the Armed Forces who are utilizing educational assistance benefits under the Montgomery GI Bill (Active Duty), Montgomery GI Bill (Selected Reserve), Veteran Readiness and Employment program, Post-Vietnam Era Veterans Educational Assistance Program, Post-9/11 GI Bill, Reserve Educational Assistance Program, VA High Technology Pilot Program, or Veteran Rapid Retraining Assistance Program.