This resolution supports the designation of ALS Awareness Month. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.
Primary and Behavioral Health Care Access Act of 202 1 This bill requires private health insurance plans to cover, without cost sharing, three primary care visits and three behavioral health care visits during a plan year.
John Lewis Every Child Deserves a Family Act This bill prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or religion in the provision of child welfare programs and services by entities receiving federal funding. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must provide technical assistance to help states follow this requirement, including (1) guidance for bringing state laws into compliance, (2) developing training to increase cultural competency related to social identity, and (3) training for judges and attorneys involved in child welfare cases, among other supports. Additionally, HHS must establish the National Resource Center on Safety, Well-Being, Placement Stability, and Permanency for LGBTQ Children and Youth Involved with Child Welfare Services to provide training, technical assistance, and guidance to applicable state and local agencies and service providers. Further, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act may not be the basis for challenging the application or enforcement of this bill. The Government Accountability Office must study and report on states' compliance with the requirements of the bill no later than three years after enactment.
Keeping All Students Safe Act This bill prohibits the use of seclusion and limits the use of physical restraint in schools and Head Start programs that receive federal funding. Specifically, the bill prohibits the use of seclusion, which is the involuntary confinement of a student alone in a room or area from which the student is physically prevented from leaving. The term does not include a time out, which may involve separating the student from others in a non-locked setting. The bill prohibits the use of mechanical or chemical restraints or physical restraints that restrict breathing or are life threatening. The bill outlines the requirements for the use of physical restraint, including that the student's behavior must pose an imminent danger of serious physical injury to the student or other individual. Each state must ensure that a sufficient number of program personnel are trained and certified by a state-approved crisis intervention training program. Additionally, each program must establish procedures to follow after an incident involving physical restraint. Further, the bill establishes enforcement provisions, including a private right of action for a student who has been subjected to unlawful seclusion or restraint. The Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services must withhold payments from a program for unlawful seclusion or restraint. Finally, the bill requires each state educational agency (SEA) to establish, implement, and enforce policies and procedures required by the bill. It also creates a grant program to assist SEAs with these activities.
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.
Mothers and Offspring Mortality and Morbidity Awareness Act or the MOMMA's Act This bill establishes various programs and requirements to reduce maternal mortality. It also increases federal tobacco taxes and equalizes the tax treatment of different tobacco products. Specifically, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must provide technical assistance and best practices for collecting data, standardizing reporting, and preventing maternal mortality. The CDC must consult with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) on this assistance. The bill also provides statutory authority for CDC grants for state-based collaboratives to improve care immediately before and after birth and to improve maternal and infant health outcomes, and a HRSA program to improve the quality and safety of maternity care. Furthermore, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must establish regional centers through health professional schools and training programs to educate health care providers about implicit bias and culturally competent care. In addition, the bill expands eligibility for Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and other benefits for pregnant and postpartum individuals. Specifically, it extends postpartum eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP for one year; provides coverage for oral health services for pregnant and postpartum individuals under Medicaid and CHIP; and extends postpartum eligibility for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children for two years. HHS must also take steps to publicize the benefits available to pregnant and postpartum individuals under Medicaid and CHIP, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must provide guidance on Medicaid coverage for doula services.
Midwives for Maximizing Optimal Maternity Services Act of 2021 or the Midwives for MOMS Act of 2021 This bill establishes grants within the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) for establishing or expanding midwifery programs at institutions of higher education and nursing schools. HRSA may prioritize funding for institutions that focus on increasing the number of midwife professionals from underrepresented groups and that promote practicing in areas with limited access to professional health care.
This resolution states that the United Nations Security Council should immediately impose an arms embargo against the military of Burma (Myanmar) and hold it accountable for its ongoing violations of human rights.
This resolution condemns the acts of gun violence that led to the tragic loss of eight lives in Georgia on March 16, 2021.
Birth Access Benefiting Improved Essential Facility Services Act or the BABIES Act This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to establish a Medicaid demonstration program to improve freestanding birth center services for women with low-risk pregnancies. Among other things, the CMS must (1) publish criteria for freestanding birth centers to participate in the program, including specified accreditation, licensure, and service requirements; (2) publish guidance for states to establish prospective payment systems under Medicaid for program participants; and (3) award planning grants for states to develop program proposals. The CMS may choose up to six states to participate in the program.
