Improving Access to Indian Health Services Act This bill permanently extends certain Medicaid flexibilities relating to Indian health care providers. Specifically, the bill permanently expands coverage to include clinical services that are furnished outside of a clinic by an Indian Health Service (IHS) facility, a tribe or tribal organization, or an Urban Indian Organization (UIO). Current guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services allows IHS and tribal facilities to receive payment for clinical services provided outside of clinics through October 31, 2021; facilities are expected to work with their state Medicaid programs to transition to other, more permanent payment options for these services. The bill also permanently establishes a 100% federal matching rate, also known as the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP), for UIO services. Current law provides a 100% FMAP for UIO services during the eight fiscal quarters after March 11, 2021.
Rural and Underserved Small Hospital Protection Act of 2021 or the RUSH Protection Act of 2021 This bill applies certain modified payment limits to rural health clinics that temporarily enrolled in Medicare during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) or that applied to enroll by December 31, 2020. The bill applies retroactively.
State Health Care Premium Reduction Act of 2021 This bill establishes and provides funding for the Improve Health Insurance Affordability Fund. States must use allocated funds to (1) issue reinsurance payments to health insurers (i.e., reimbursements to protect insurers against exceedingly high claims) for individual health insurance coverage, or (2) provide other assistance to reduce out-of-pocket costs (e.g., copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles) for qualified health plans offered in the individual market through an exchange. Reinsurance payments using such funds may not be applied to (1) grandfathered health plans in place on March 23, 2010, (2) non-grandfathered transitional plans meeting specified requirements identified by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), or (3) student health insurance plans provided by institutions of higher education. The bill appropriates $10 billion per year for the fund, which the CMS must distribute to states in accordance with a specified methodology based on the estimated amount of reinsurance payments for individuals in a state during the given year, subject to specified deductions. Additionally, states must submit applications explaining how they will use such funds. In the event that a state does not submit an application, the bill directs the CMS to allocate the calculated funding amount to reinsurance programs in that state.
Children’s Health Insurance Program Permanency Act or the CHIPP Act This bill permanently extends the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and related measures, programs, and authorities. Specifically, the bill permanently funds CHIP and related programs that support the development of child health quality measures and outreach and enrollment efforts. The bill also permanently authorizes the Medicaid and CHIP express lane eligibility option, which allows states to use information from designated programs (e.g., the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) to streamline eligibility determinations for children. Additionally, under the bill, states may expand eligibility to children whose family income exceeds the otherwise applicable limits.
Ensuring Survivor Benefits during COVID-19 Act of 2021 This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to get a medical opinion to determine if a service-connected disability was the principal or contributory cause of death in situations where a veteran's death certificate identifies COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) as the principal or contributory cause of death, the certificate does not clearly identify any of the veteran's service-connected disabilities as the principal or contributory cause of death, and a claim for dependency and indemnity compensation is filed with respect to the veteran.
Supporting Veteran Families in Need Act This bill permanently extends the authorization for the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide financial assistance for supportive services for very low-income veteran families in permanent housing.
American Innovation and Jobs Act This bill revises and expands the deductibility of research and experimental expenditures to allow immediate expensing of such expenditures. It also allows the amortization over a period of at least 60 months of certain other types of research and experimental expenditures not treated as expenses. The bill increases the maximum amount eligible for the tax credit for new and small businesses and increases to 20% the rate of the credit for business startups.
Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act This bill designates (1) certain federal land in the Olympic National Forest in the state of Washington as wilderness and as components of the National Wilderness Preservation System; and (2) certain other land, identified on the same map as such proposed areas, as potential wilderness. The bill designates as wild, scenic, or recreational rivers specified segments of the following rivers in the state of Washington Elwha River, Dungeness River, Big Quilcene River, Dosewallips River, Duckabush River, Hamma Hamma River, South Fork Skokomish River, Middle Fork Satsop River, West Fork Satsop River, Wynoochee River, East Fork Humptulips River, West Fork Humptulips River, Quinault River, Queets River, Hoh River, Bogachiel River, South Fork Calawah River, Sol Duc River, and Lyre River. The Department of Agriculture may take necessary measures to control fire, insects, and diseases in the wilderness areas designated by this bill.
Clearing Lines along Electrical At-Risk Zones Act This bill revises requirements related to vegetation management practices and forest management activities. The bill redefines hazard trees as trees that come within 50 feet (rather than 10 feet, as under current law) of an electric power line. Hazard trees are subject to certain management activities under current law. A vegetation management, facility inspection, and operation and maintenance plan shall describe processes for consultation with private landowners with respect to hazard trees identified for removal. Such plans must be approved according to specified deadlines. The bill generally excludes specified forest management activities from certain environmental assessment and environmental impact statement requirements. Specifically, the bill excludes from these requirements (1) the development and approval of a vegetation management, facility inspection, and operation and maintenance plan; and (2) the implementation of routine activities conducted under such a plan. The use of this exclusion shall not be subject to extraordinary circumstances procedures.
Combustion Avoidance along Rural Roads Act or the CARR Act This bill exempts wildfire mitigation activities conducted within 300 feet of a road from all laws governing environmental review of proposed agency actions or protection of endangered or threatened species. Mitigation activities are those that are conducted by Department of the Interior or the Department of Agriculture on federal land that is administered by the National Park System, the Bureau of Land Management, or the Forest Service. Mitigation activities include forest thinning, hazardous fuel reduction, prescribed burning, and vegetation management.
This resolution supports the designation of Eddie Bernice Johnson Black Women in Science and Technology Month.
This resolution (1) recognizes Girl Scouts of the United States of America for 109 years of inspiring girl leadership and encourages them to continue to support the leadership development of girls, and (2) congratulates all Girl Scouts who earned the Gold Award in 2020.
