Rural Hospital Closure Relief Act of 2021 This bill allows additional hospitals to qualify as critical access hospitals (CAHs) that receive special payment under Medicare. Currently, in order to qualify as a CAH under Medicare, a hospital must either (1) be located more than 35 miles (or 15 miles in mountainous regions or areas with only secondary roads) from another hospital, or (2) have been certified prior to January 1, 2006, by the state as a necessary provider of services in the area. The bill allows a hospital to also qualify if the hospital is a small, rural hospital that (1) serves a health professional shortage area, or a high number of low-income individuals or Medicare or Medicaid beneficiaries; (2) has experienced financial losses for two consecutive years; and (3) attests to having a strategic plan to address financial solvency. In addition, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation must test a new delivery and payment model for rural hospitals that promotes financially sustainable access to care and must establish a corresponding transition process for CAHs.
Sponsored bills
Death Tax Repeal Act of 2021 This bill repeals the estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes. It also makes conforming amendments related to the gift tax.
Universal Giving Pandemic Response and Recovery Act This bill allows individual taxpayers who do not otherwise itemize their tax deductions a deduction in taxable years beginning in 2021 or 2022 for charitable contributions. The deduction is limited to one-third of the standard deduction allowed to such taxpayers.
Guidance Out Of Darkness Act or the GOOD Act This bill establishes requirements concerning the posting of agency guidance documents. Specifically, an agency must publish guidance documents online on the dates they are issued, publish all of its guidance documents that are in effect in a single location on a designated website, display a hyperlink on its website that provides access to the guidance documents on such website, and indicate on such website if a guidance document has been rescinded. The documents must be categorized as guidance documents and further divided into subcategories.
Non-Opioids Prevent Addiction In the Nation Act or the NOPAIN Act This bill temporarily establishes separate payments for certain non-opioid treatments under the Medicare prospective payment system for hospital outpatient department services and the payment system for ambulatory surgical center services. The bill applies to pain management treatments that are able to replace or reduce opioid consumption, as shown through clinical trials or data.
This resolution supports the designation of February 2021 as Career and Technical Education Month to celebrate career and technical education across the United States.
This resolution designates the week beginning on February 28, 2021, as National Tribal Colleges and Universities Week.
Federal Insurance Office Abolishment Act of 2021 This bill eliminates the Federal Insurance Office (FIO) within the Department of the Treasury. The bill also removes the FIO director as a nonvoting member of the Financial Stability Oversight Council.
This joint resolution proposes an amendment to the Constitution to require that the Supreme Court consist of nine Justices.
This resolution supports the designation of February 20-February 27, 2021, as National FFA Week. It also (1) recognizes the important role of the National FFA Organization (Future Farmers of America) in developing the next generation of leaders who will change the world, and (2) celebrates 50 years of National FFA alumni and supporters.