Rep. Mikie Sherrill

Telehealth Benefit Expansion for Workers Act of 2022 This bill expands the exception for stand-alone telehealth benefits plans from certain requirements that generally apply to private health insurance plans under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Under the bill, employers may offer stand-alone telehealth benefits to all employees. This includes employees who are eligible for enrollment in their employer's group health plan. Currently, employers may offer telehealth benefits to employees who are otherwise ineligible for the employer's group health plan. This flexibility applies during any plan year beginning before the end of the COVID-19 emergency.

Peace Corps Reauthorization Act of 2022 This bill reauthorizes through FY2024 and modifies operations of the Peace Corps. Changes include increasing the readjustment allowance paid to volunteers when their service terminates and providing statutory authority for an executive order that grants returned volunteers noncompetitive eligibility for federal civil-service positions. Additionally, the bill entitles returned volunteers to sixty days of health care benefits. The Peace Corps must also provide volunteers with information about enrolling in U.S. health plans before service termination and mental health care during and after service. The bill also includes provisions to address involuntary termination of Peace Corps service in emergencies, including by expediting re-enrollment of involuntarily terminated volunteers. The Peace Corps must also adequately insure volunteers' safety and must coordinate with the Department of State to periodically update agreements concerning the security of Peace Corps volunteers and staff abroad. The bill also authorizes Peace Corps to recruit domestically based volunteers to serve in the United States at the request of another agency or to provide services in a host country virtually, modifies the Peace Corps National Advisory Council's membership and functions, expands whistleblower protections for volunteers, increases the rate of pay that applies to a volunteer's workers compensation claim, requires Peace Corps to implement a zero tolerance drug use policy regarding volunteer involvement with illegal drugs, and emphasizes the use of the internet in Peace Corps programs. Furthermore, the bill requires reporting, including on the provision of mental health services to volunteers.

National Sepsis Data Research, Outcomes, and Innovation Act or LuLu's Law This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to address sepsis. (Sepsis is a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection.) In particular, HHS must standardize the definition of sepsis; make sepsis a nationally notifiable condition; develop a national strategy for treating and eliminating the burden of sepsis; and establish a national sepsis data trust to improve the collection and sharing of data concerning sepsis cases, including through grants to support state-based data trusts.

Patient Advocate Tracker Act This act requires the Office of Patient Advocacy within the Veterans Health Administration to establish an information technology system that allows veterans or their representatives to electronically file a complaint with a patient advocate and review the status of a filed complaint.

Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act of 2022 This bill establishes several requirements and standards relating to prior authorization processes under Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. Specifically, MA plans must (1) establish an electronic prior authorization program that meets specified standards, including the ability to provide real-time decisions in response to requests for items and services that are routinely approved; (2) annually publish specified prior authorization information, including the percentage of requests approved and the average response time; and (3) meet other standards, as set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, relating to the quality and timeliness of prior authorization determinations.

Supporting Medicare Providers Act of 2022 This bill extends a payment increase under Medicare's physician fee schedule through the end of 2023 (currently set to expire at the end of 2022).

Medicare Enrollment Protection Act of 2022 This bill provides for a special enrollment period for Medicare medical benefits for individuals who are enrolled in COBRA continuation coverage at the time they qualify for Medicare. The special enrollment period applies during each month of COBRA coverage and the three-month period after coverage ends; individuals may enroll during the special enrollment period once during their lifetime.

Maddy summaryThis non-binding House resolution supports designating August 14-20, 2022, as "Warehouse Worker Recognition Week" to honor logistics workers. It highlights challenges these nearly 2 million U.S. workers face, including dangerous heat, low pay, lack of benefits, and pandemic-era supply chain pressures. The resolution encourages public awareness of their role in keeping supply chains running and acknowledges them as frontline workers during the pandemic. It also commits to reducing workplace injuries but has no legal effect, as it is a symbolic gesture.

Madeleine K. Albright Democracy in the 21st Century Act This bill establishes programs to promote democracy abroad, authorizes Department of State and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) democracy programs from FY2023 through FY2027, and addresses related issues. The State Department must establish programs (1) to defend democracy globally, including by enhancing the ability of the State Department and USAID to respond quickly and flexibly to democratic openings and backsliding; (2) to support efforts to enhance government transparency and other activities related to reducing corruption; and (3) for democracy research and development, such as activities to drive innovation in State Department, USAID, and National Endowment for Democracy (NED) responses to complex challenges to democracy. The bill establishes the Democracy in the 21st Century Fund, to be administered by the State Department, to support the programs established by this bill and other related activities. U.S. government assistance for democracy programs shall not be subject to the prior approval of any foreign government. The bill also protects the identities of implementing partners of certain State Department, USAID, and NED assistance programs in countries that are undemocratic or have engaged in gross violations of civil and political rights, including by exempting the names of partners for democracy programs in such countries from Freedom of Information Act requests. The President must report to Congress a comprehensive strategy to promote democracy abroad.

No Cost for Monkeypox Testing Act of 2022 This bill requires specified public health care programs and private health insurance to cover, through December 31, 2023, testing for monkeypox without imposing cost-sharing, including deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments. (Monkeypox is a viral disease that is endemic to parts of Africa and causes symptoms similar to, but less severe than, smallpox.) The bill also establishes procedures for uninsured individuals to access such testing at no cost.