Rep. Jenniffer González-Colón

This bill establishes a Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (i.e., federal matching rate) of 100% with respect to a U.S. territory's use of specified federal funds to provide covered drugs to low-income individuals who are eligible for the Medicare prescription drug benefit.

Territories Medicare Prescription Drug Assistance Equality Act of 2021 This bill makes certain income-based subsidies under the Medicare prescription drug benefit available to individuals who reside in Puerto Rico or another U.S. territory and are otherwise eligible. Current law makes such individuals ineligible for premium and cost-sharing subsidies, but establishes a process for U.S. territories to apply for financial assistance with respect to the provision of Medicare prescription drugs. The bill retains a process for U.S. territories to apply for such assistance, but alters the formula by which the amount of assistance is calculated. Specifically, the bill phases in modifications to the formula that more closely align how assistance is calculated for U.S. territories with how it is calculated for the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

This bill requires the Department of Defense to ensure that TRICARE beneficiaries whose health benefits are provided under contract, other than certain Medicare-eligible beneficiaries and certain beneficiaries in the active-duty family member category, may enroll in the TRICARE Prime managed care option in the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, beginning not later than January 1, 2022.

This bill removes conditions on the designation of Puerto Rico as a qualified opportunity zone. In general, a qualified opportunity zone is an economically-distressed community where new investment may be eligible for preferential tax treatment.

Puerto Rico Film, Television, and Theatre Production Act of 2021 This bill extends the expensing provisions for film, television, and theater productions to productions in Puerto Rico. (Expensing permits the write-off of property costs in the current taxable year rather than capitalizing such costs.)

Real Estate Exchange Fairness Act of 2021 This bill requires Puerto Rico to be treated as part of the United States for the purpose of determining if an exchange of real property qualifies as a like-kind exchange for tax purposes. (Under current law, real property located in the United States and real property located outside of the United States are not property of a like kind.)

Speeding Therapy Access Today Act of 2021 This bill requires and authorizes various actions to accelerate the development of therapies for rare diseases. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) shall establish the Intercenter Institute on Rare Diseases and Conditions. The institute shall (1) coordinate engagement with relevant stakeholders, (2) build the FDA's expertise in the review of medical products to treat rare diseases, (3) coordinate regulatory science initiatives related to rare diseases, (4) establish and implement a program to make recommendations to address challenges associated with developing medical products to treat rare diseases in an individual or in very small populations, (5) convene a stakeholder meeting to consider potential amendments to labels for medical products to treat rare diseases, and (6) establish and carry out a program to facilitate voluntary communication between the sponsors of such medical products and third-party payers (e.g., insurance companies). The bill also authorizes the FDA to make grants to assist in developing practices related to the development and production of individualized therapies or therapies to treat very small populations. The bill also establishes an advisory committee to advise the FDA on issues related to the development of therapies to treat rare diseases.

Passports for Purple Hearts Act This bill exempts Purple Heart recipients from fees associated with obtaining a passport.

Puerto Rico Health Care Fairness, Accountability, and Beneficiary Access Act of 2021 This bill alters certain funding and payment mechanisms, and establishes several requirements, for Puerto Rico's Medicaid program. Among other changes, the bill increases the federal matching rate, also known as the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP), from 55% to 83% through FY2031; beginning in FY2032, the FMAP must be calculated in the same manner as for states (i.e., based on per capita income). Puerto Rico must also expand its Medicaid program to include certain items, services, and populations that states are already required to cover; failure to do so results in a reduction of the applicable FMAP. Additionally, beginning in FY2027, the bill excludes Puerto Rico from a Medicaid funding cap that currently applies to U.S. territories.

TRICARE Reserve Select Improvement Act This bill expands TRICARE Reserve Select eligibility to include members of the Selected Reserve who are enrolled or eligible to enroll in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.