United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2020
Defend COVID Research from Hackers Act This bill authorizes the President to impose visa-blocking, property-blocking, or economic sanctions on a foreign person that is involved in activities that are reasonably likely to result in a significant threat to U.S. national security, foreign policy, public health, economic health, or financial stability. The Department of State must submit a report detailing the extent of known or attempted cyber-enabled activities by foreign persons related to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) and assessing whether those activities qualify for the imposition of sanctions. Further, the bill provides penalties for a person who knowingly traffics in access to a protected computer if the trafficker knows the protected computer has been damaged in a prohibited manner. The bill also authorizes an injunction against a person who causes damage through accessing a protected computer or transmitting a program, information, code, or command to a protected computer.
United States · United States Congress · 21 July 2020
U.S. Military Right to Carry Act This bill requires a state that receives funds under the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program to have implemented (1) a law or policy authorizing members of the Armed Forces who are outside of their state of residence under orders to renew a permit to carry a concealed firearm through the mail, and (2) a law or policy that treats members of the Armed Forces on active duty in the state as residents of the state for purposes of issuing a permit to carry a concealed firearm in the state. The Department of Justice must reduce by 5% the amount that a state would otherwise receive under the grant program if the state fails to comply with either requirement.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2020
Family Savings Flexibility Act This bill (1) increases to $2,750 the maximum amount of unused benefits or contributions remaining in a health flexible or dependent care spending arrangement that may be carried over from the 2020 to the 2021 plan year, (2) increases the maximum contribution amount for health savings accounts, and (3) increases the exclusion from employee gross income of employer-paid dependent care assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2020
Defund Cities that Defund the Police Act of 2020 This bill prohibits state or local governments that abolish or defund police departments from receiving certain Economic Development Administration grants or Community Development Block Grant funds. Specifically, the bill applies to state or local governments that abolish or disband the police or significantly reduce the police department's budget without reallocating a portion of those funds to any other community policing program. Further, a state or local government that abolishes or defunds a police department must return any Community Development Block Grant funds it has already received.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2020
Ensuring Parity in MA for Audio-Only Telehealth Act of 2020 This bill allows audio-only diagnoses that are made via telehealth to be used for purposes of determining risk adjustments to payments under Medicare Advantage. Additionally, the bill requires payments for Medicare telehealth services that are furnished during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) to be made in the same amounts as those for in-person services.
United States · United States Congress · 16 July 2020
Coronavirus Economic Relief for Transportation Services Act This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to provide grants and other forms of emergency assistance to certain providers of transportation services that have experienced a significant revenue loss as a direct or indirect result of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Treasury must ensure equal access to the assistance for small, minority-owned, and women-owned businesses. As a condition of receipt of assistance, Treasury must require that a provider of transportation services agree to (1) use the funds, on a priority basis, to maintain through December 31, 2020, pay, paid administrative leave, and benefits to all employees after making any adjustments required for retirement or voluntary employee separation; and (2) recall or rehire any employee laid off, furloughed, or terminated because of reduced service as a result of COVID-19, to the extent warranted by increased service levels.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2020
Infectious Disease Therapies Research and Innovation Act of 2020 This bill exempts from the definition of passive activity , for purposes of the passive loss tax rules, any qualified medical research activity of a specified medical research small business pass-thru entity. The bill defines specified medical research small business pass-thru entity as any domestic pass-thru entity if more than 80% of such entity's expenditures on research are paid or incurred in connection with qualified medical research activities and the gross receipts of such entity for the taxable year are less than $1 million.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2020
Essential Workforce Parity Act This bill limits the liability of health care professionals and related health care entities for certain harm caused in the course of arranging or providing health care services during and shortly after the COVID-19 public health emergency.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2020
Safer Compounding in Hospitals Act of 2020 This bill temporarily provides an additional payment under Medicare to hospitals that use a specified automated technology to prepare sterile intravenous treatments.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2020
Reviewing Urban and Rural Adjustments to Level Hospital Expenses and Lopsided Payments Act of 2020 or the RURAL HELP Act of 2020 This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to determine whether costs incurred by rural hospitals exceed costs incurred by urban hospitals under the Medicare inpatient prospective payment system and to adjust payments accordingly.
United States · United States Congress · 2 July 2020
Reviving the Economy Sustainably Towards A Recovery in Twenty-twenty Act or the RESTART Act This bill establishes a loan program whereby the Small Business Administration (SBA) shall guarantee loan amounts to certain businesses affected by COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifically, the bill requires the SBA to guarantee 100% of program loan amounts made to certain small businesses that have not more than than 5,000 full-time employees. The terms for such loans shall include (1) a maximum duration of not more than seven years; (2) an amount that is not greater than 45% of 2019 gross receipts, up to $12 million; and (3) no payment on principal for the first two years of the loan. A lender that is otherwise approved to make paycheck protection loans may make and approve loans established by the bill, and a recipient may use loan funds for specified allowable expenses including payroll costs, rent, utilities, and personal protective equipment. Such loans may be forgiven up to the amount of total losses incurred by the recipient in the taxable year 2020.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2020
This resolution commemorates the 70th anniversary of the start of the Korean war and expresses support for the alliance between the United States and South Korea. The resolution also commends the two countries' cooperation with respect to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2020
Pennsylvania National Heritage Areas Act This bill reauthorizes in Pennsylvania through FY2036 the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area, the Lackawanna Valley National Heritage Area, the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, the Schuylkill River Valley National Heritage Area, and the Oil Region National Heritage Area. The bill eliminates the limitation on the total amount that may be appropriated for the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area, the Lackawanna Valley National Heritage Area, and the Schuylkill River Valley National Heritage Area.
United States · United States Congress · 18 June 2020
Just and Unifying Solutions To Invigorate Communities Everywhere Act of 2020 or the JUSTICE Act This bill addresses policies and issues regarding policing practices and law enforcement accountability. The bill funds state and local grants, incentivizes state and local reporting on the use of certain policing practices, creates new federal offenses for certain misconduct, establishes a commission to study the conditions affecting Black men and boys, and establishes best practices and training requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2020
Safe Reopening Tax Credit This bill allows an eligible employer a payroll tax credit for 30% of qualified virus transmission prevention expenses. The bill defines qualified virus transmission prevention expenses as expenses for reducing or preventing the transmission of communicable viruses, including the coronavirus (i.e., the virus that causes COVID-19). Such expenses include amounts paid for barriers erected to prevent virus spread between customers and employees, contactless point-of-sale systems, enhanced sanitation, ventilation or air filtration, and employee health education. The bill limits the amount of expenses that may be taken into account in computing the credit and the credit's period of applicability to calendar quarters beginning on or after the enactment of this bill and before January 1, 2021.
United States · United States Congress · 1 June 2020
Clean Start: Back to Work Tax Credit Act This bill allows business taxpayers a tax credit for 50% of their qualified clearing expenses in carrying on any trade or business, or with respect to owning or operating commercial real estate through March 31, 2021 (clean start back to work credit). The bill defines qualified cleaning expenses as amounts paid for cleaning services and products, tools, machinery, personal protective equipment, and other sanitary-related equipment needed to help ensure a safe and sanitary environment, and to obtain a certification in cleaning. Such expenses do not include the cost of manufacturing, producing, or importing such items, or their acquisition for resale purposes.
United States · United States Congress · 1 June 2020
This bill requires states to certify a process for distributing Coronavirus Relief Funds to local governments. Specifically, each state that received such funds shall provide the Department of the Treasury, by June 12, 2020, with a certification that the state has in effect a procedure to distribute the funds to units of local government, including a detailed description of such procedure. If a state fails to comply with this requirement, 25% of such payment shall be booked as a debt owed to the federal government.
United States · United States Congress · 27 May 2020
This bill requires the Department of the Treasury to implement a program to provide financing of at least $1 billion for loans related to losses incurred as a result of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) to certain community-owned or private businesses that have contractual obligations for making lease, rent, or bond payments for publicly owned sports facilities, museums, and community theaters. Terms for such loans shall include (1) a 15-year term, (2) no requirement to provide collateral or a guaranty, and (3) a maximum loan amount of $25 million. An applicant for such a loan must make a good faith certification that, among other things, (1) the loan request is necessary to support the recipient's ongoing operations; and (2) the recipient will use the loan for purposes directly connected to contracted services, including performances and sporting events.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2020
Family Savings Flexibility Act This bill (1) increases to $2,750 the maximum amount of unused benefits or contributions remaining in a health flexible or dependent care spending arrangement that may be carried over from the 2020 to the 2021 plan year, (2) increases the maximum contribution amount for health savings accounts, and (3) increases for taxable years beginning in 2020, the exclusion from employee gross income of employer-paid dependent care assistance.
United States · United States Congress · 14 May 2020
COVID-19 Accountability Act This bill authorizes sanctions in relation to the Chinese government's response to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) outbreak. It also increases the research tax credit and imposes requirements related to the acquisition of items for the Strategic National Stockpile. The President shall periodically certify to Congress that the Chinese government (1) is cooperating with efforts related to the COVID-19 outbreak, (2) has prohibited wet markets, and (3) has released and dropped all charges for anyone involved in protests in Hong Kong related to COVID-19. If the President cannot make such a certification, the President may (1) impose sanctions on Chinese government officials, entities owned or controlled by the Chinese government, and individuals affiliated with such entities; or (2) prohibit Chinese nationals from obtaining student visas (i.e., F and M visas) or exchange visitor visas (i.e., J visas). With respect to the research tax credit, the bill increases the alternative simplified credit from 14% to 20% of qualified research expenses above a certain threshold. The Department of Health and Human Services generally may not purchase personal protective equipment, critical medical supplies, or certain fabric products not produced in the United States for the Strategic National Stockpile. However, this restriction shall not apply if (1) there is not a sufficient amount of U.S.-produced items available at U.S. market prices when needed, or (2) the purchase is worth less than $150,000.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2020
Small Business Expense Protection Act of 2020 This bill amends the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act to provide that tax deductions for ordinary business expenses and other tax incidents shall not be affected by the exclusion from gross income of amounts related to loan forgiveness received in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2020
Keeping the Lights On Act of 2020 This bill allows an eligible employer a payroll tax credit equal to 50% of a limited amount of qualified fixed expenses paid by such employer in a calendar quarter. Qualified fixed expenses include a mortgage, rent, or a utility payment. An employer is eligible for such payroll credit if the employer was carrying on a trade or business in 2020 which had not more than 1,500 full-time employees or not more than $41.5 million in gross receipts in 2019. The employer's business must have been suspended in a calendar quarter due to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) and have experienced a significant decline in gross receipts due to that pandemic.. The credit may not be claimed by the federal government or by any state or tribal government, or by U.S. possessions, but may be claimed by tax-exempt organizations.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2020
COVID-19 Earned Income Act This bill sets forth a special rule for determining the amount of the earned income tax credit and the refundable portion of the child tax credit. Specifically, the bill allows a taxpayer to use the earned income of the preceding taxable year in computing such credits if such income is greater than the income for the current taxable year (i..e., 2020).
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2020
Protecting Life in Crisis Act This bill specifies that federal funds allocated for COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) response efforts may not, in general, be used for abortions. Current law (specifically, language that has historically been included in certain appropriations bills, commonly referred to as the Hyde Amendment) generally prohibits the use of federal funds for abortions. The bill also restricts the use of federal tax credits or other federal funding for health insurance coverage if the coverage includes abortions.
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2020
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should make no voluntary contributions to the World Health Organization (WHO) until Director General Tedros Ghebreyesus resigns and an international commission is established to investigate the WHO's response to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.
United States · United States Congress · 27 March 2020
This resolution recognizes the contributions of frontline workers and essential critical-infrastructure personnel and reaffirms the responsibility of Congress to meet the needs of such workers with respect to personal protective equipment and necessary tools to safely carry out their jobs.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2020
Small Business Assistance Act of 2020 This bill allows a one-time tax credit to small businesses to cover rent or mortgage payments paid or incurred by such businesses during the first four months of 2020. The credit allowable to a taxpayer may not exceed $50,000 in any taxable year.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2020
Reducing Unnecessary Senior Hospitalizations Act of 2020 or the RUSH Act of 2020 This bill establishes a program through which qualified group practices may provide certain items and services that are normally provided at hospital emergency departments to individuals who (1) are entitled to Medicare hospital services, (2) are enrolled for Medicare medical services, and (3) reside in qualified skilled nursing facilities.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2020
Revitalizing Economies, Housing, And Businesses Act of 2020 or the REHAB Act of 2020 This bill modifies provisions relating to the rehabilitation tax credit. Specifically, the bill allows an increased 15% credit for non-historic buildings placed in service 50 years prior to the current calendar year. It also allows the credit for buildings within a half-mile of public transportation facilities, for residential lodging purposes, and for expenses related to building expansion on the same block as a qualified rehabilitation building. The bill allows a 25% credit for rent-restricted housing units and for expenses related to public infrastructure projects required by state or local governments as a condition of project completion.
United States · United States Congress · 5 March 2020
Equal Treatment of Faith-Based Organizations Act of 2020 This bill provides statutory authority for certain restrictions on conditions for financial assistance and program participation imposed by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with respect to faith-based organizations. Specifically, HHS shall not impose specified conditions on faith-based organizations regarding the receipt of HHS funds or the participation in HHS programs, such as requirements to disclose religious affiliation, if those conditions are not imposed on organizations that are not faith-based. In addition, HHS shall not require any organization to refer a beneficiary who objects to the religious character of that organization to an alternative provider. States and local governments that administer HHS funds must adhere to these requirements, as well. Under current law, these restrictions apply to HHS financial assistance and programs through an executive order concerning the administration of federal grants and programs related to faith-based organizations.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2020
Labor Certainty for Food Security Act of 2020 This bill establishes a new H-2C nonimmigrant visa for aliens coming temporarily to the United States to perform agricultural labor, directs the Department of Homeland Security to create a mandatory electronic employment eligibility verification system, and modifies the H-2A visa program for temporary agricultural workers.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2020
This bill directs the Government Accountability Office to evaluate the social, economic, and historic contributions that Minor League Baseball has made to American life and culture.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2020
Setting Treatment Options and Practices for Veteran Suicide and Substance Abuse Act or the STOP Veteran Suicide and Substance Abuse Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to complete the development of clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), military sexual trauma, and traumatic brain injury that is occurring simultaneously with substance use disorder or chronic pain. The VA, the Department of Defense (DOD), and the Department of Health and Human Services must create a Trauma and Comorbid Substance Use Disorder or Chronic Pain Work Group to develop such clinical practice guidelines in consultation with other work groups, including the Substance Use Work Group. The bill also requires the VA and DOD (through the Assessment and Management of Patients at Risk for Suicide Work Group) to issue an update to the VA/DOD Clinical Practice Guideline for Assessment and Management of Patients at Risk for Suicide that considers gender- and age-specific factors.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2020
Generating Effective and Novel Evidence for Therapy Payment Act or the GENE Therapy Payment Act This bill allows state Medicaid programs to pay for certain gene therapy drugs through risk-sharing value-based payment agreements with drug manufacturers. The bill applies to covered outpatient drugs that provide potentially curative treatment for serious or life-threatening rare diseases or conditions after not more than three administrations.
United States · United States Congress · 11 February 2020
2019 ESOP Fairness Act This bill allows certain over-the-counter securities to be treated as publicly traded employer securities for purposes of the diversification requirements for employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs).
United States · United States Congress · 10 February 2020
Consumer Protections Against Surprise Medical Bills Act of 2020 This bill makes a series of changes related to health care costs and billing practices. Among other things, the bill applies the in-network cost-sharing amount to certain emergency and related nonemergency services that are provided out-of-network, applies the in-network cost-sharing amount to nonemergency services that are provided out-of-network at an in-network facility unless specified written notice requirements are met, establishes procedures for health insurance plans to negotiate reimbursement amounts paid to out-of-network providers in states without such a process, requires insurance plans to establish publicly available databases that list the contact information for in-network providers and facilities, requires health care providers and insurance plans to provide certain cost estimates for services scheduled at least three days in advance, requires plans to continue benefits for specified long-term care when an insurance plan's contractual relationship with a provider or facility changes or terminates, requires insurance plans to include specified consumer assistance and benefits information on a plan holder's membership card and maintain certain price comparison tools for in-network services, establishes reporting requirements related to air ambulance services, establishes a temporary income tax deduction for specified expenses resulting from out-of-network and emergency services.
United States · United States Congress · 7 February 2020
Better Information Act of 2020 This bill requires private health insurance plans to include on insurance membership cards the hospital nearest to the primary residence of the plan holder, contact information for customer service, deductible amount applicable to the plan holder, out-of-pocket maximum applicable to the plan holder, and cost-sharing amount for in-network emergency or urgent care services applicable to the plan holder.
United States · United States Congress · 13 January 2020
This resolution condemns the actions of Iran with respect to Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752. It also expresses support for the protestors in Iran and condemns Iran for killing citizens protesting their government. In addition, it calls on Iran to refrain from using violence and to protect the rights of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.
United States · United States Congress · 10 January 2020
Double Dip Elimination Act This bill disqualifies an individual from receiving disability insurance benefits with respect to any month for which the individual receives unemployment insurance benefits.
United States · United States Congress · 9 January 2020
Family Support Services for Addiction Act of 2020 This bill directs the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to award grants to certain nonprofits to develop or expand services for individuals with substance use disorders and their families. Activities may include (1) developing education, resources, and trainings on issues related to substance use disorders and family support; (2) reducing stigma; and (3) educating health care providers about substance use disorders in families.
United States · United States Congress · 8 January 2020
This resolution (1) disapproves of the Speaker of the House of Representatives' decision to refuse to transmit to the Senate the two articles of impeachment adopted on December 18, 2019, and (2) demands that the Speaker immediately transmit the articles to the Senate.
United States · United States Congress · 23 December 2019
Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act of 2019 This bill indefinitely extends Medicare coverage of immunosuppressive drugs for kidney transplant recipients for individuals who do not have other coverage. Under current law, Medicare coverage is limited to 36 months following a transplant.
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2019
Lower Insulin Costs Now Act This bill requires the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to continue to review applications for certain biological products under an earlier review process, notwithstanding recent FDA guidance. (A 2009 law established a new procedure for approving biological products but allowed certain products in an already approved product class to receive approval under the earlier procedure until March 23, 2020; subsequently, in December 2018, the FDA issued guidance stating that an application filed under the earlier procedure that is not approved by March, 23, 2020, will not be approved.) The bill requires the FDA to continue reviewing an application filed not later than March 23, 2019, under the earlier procedure, even if it was not approved as of March 23, 2020. Such an application not approved after October 1, 2022, shall be deemed withdrawn. Such an approved application shall be deemed a biological product license.
United States · United States Congress · 9 December 2019
Lower Costs, More Cures Act of 2019 This bill establishes and modifies several requirements to address prescription drug prices under Medicare, Medicaid, and other programs. The bill generally limits payment amounts for drugs and biologics under Medicare medical services, reduces cost-sharing under the Medicare prescription drug benefit, modifies certain authorities and requirements under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, revises provisions relating to regulatory approval and commercial availability of generics and biosimilars, and establishes several reporting requirements for drug manufacturers with respect to drug prices.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2019
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the United States should continue to lead reform efforts and urge member cooperation at the World Trade Organization in order to address barriers to trade, improve living standards across the world, and enhance accountability and dispute settlement mechanisms.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2019
Global Hope Act of 2019 This bill authorizes the Department of State to work with the private sector, the United Nations, and other relevant multilateral organizations to address childhood cancer globally.
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2019
Short Sea Shipping Act of 2019 This bill exempts certain commercial cargo from the harbor maintenance excise tax. The exemption is for commercial cargo, other than bulk cargo, that (1) is loaded at a port in the United States mainland (i.e., the continental United States not including Alaska) and is unloaded at another port in the U.S. mainland after transport solely by coastal route or river, or a port in Canada located in the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway System; or (2) is loaded at a port in Canada located in the Great Lakes St.. Lawrence Seaway System and is unloaded at a port in the U.S. mainland.
![Official portrait of Rep. Kelly, Mike [R-PA-16]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/k000376_200.jpg)