United States · United States Congress · 15 May 2020
Fair Chance for Small Business Relief Act This bill prohibits the Small Business Administration from declining to provide or guarantee certain small business loans solely on the basis that an applicant (1) is on probation or parole, (2) is presently subject to a means by which formal criminal charges are brought (e.g., indictment or arraignment), or (3) has been arrested or convicted of any crime.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2020
Promoting Alzheimer's Awareness to Prevent Elder Abuse Act This bill requires the Department of Justice (DOJ) to review and update, if necessary, certain best practices, replication guides, and other training materials for law enforcement, judicial officials, and others whose work may bring them in contact with elder abuse. Specifically, DOJ must address victims and witnesses who have Alzheimer's disease and related dementias in these materials. Additionally, in creating or compiling these materials, DOJ must consult with the Department of Health and Human Services and, as appropriate, other entities with relevant expertise in elder abuse.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2020
Health Force and Resilience Force Act of 2020 This bill establishes and expands programs to bring on individuals to perform public health functions, such as contact tracing and vaccine administration, to respond to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency and meet other public health needs after that emergency ends. The bill provides funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to establish a Health Force to recruit and train individuals for roles in public health and health care. The funds are designated as an emergency requirement, which exempts the funds from discretionary spending limits and other budget enforcement rules. Among other activities, the CDC must award grants to, or enter into contracts with, states and other jurisdictions to hire and deploy Health Force personnel. The Federal Emergency Management Agency must hire and train additional individuals for its Cadre of On-Call Response/Recovery Employees. These employees may be detailed to certain federal agencies or to state, local, or tribal governments to support efforts with respect to COVID-19 and other disasters and emergencies.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2020
Emergency Rental Assistance and Rental Market Stabilization Act of 2020 This bill authorizes the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to award additional grants under the Emergency Solutions Grant program to provide rental assistance for short-term and medium-term housing to homeless individuals or families, or those who are at risk of homelessness, and expands eligibility for such additional assistance. For assistance provided under the bill, the term at risk of homelessness shall include individuals and families that have an income below 80% of the median income for the area (rather than 30% of the area median income, as under current law). Rental assistance provided under the bill shall generally be limited to 120% of the HUD-established fair market rent for the area, whereas currently rental assistance under the program is generally limited to 100% of an area's fair market rent. Such assistance may not be conditioned on any prerequisite activities, such as receiving treatment. HUD may, with some limitations, waive requirements or establish alternative requirements related to such assistance if doing so is necessary to respond to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2020
Healthcare Workforce Resilience Act This bill makes previously unused immigrant visas available to nurses and physicians who petition for such a visa before the date that is 90 days after the end of the declared national emergency relating to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) outbreak. The number of visas available shall be the total number of unused employment-based immigrant visas from FY1992-FY2020, up to 40,000. Of such visas, 25,000 shall be reserved for nurses and 15,000 for physicians. Certain family members may accompany the principal beneficiary of a visa provided under this bill, and visas for such family members shall (1) be made available from the unused visas from FY1992-FY2020, and (2) not be counted against the 40,000 cap. Visas provided under this bill shall be exempt from per-country limitations.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2020
COVID-19 Mortgage Relief Act This bill extends protections for renters and mortgage borrowers provided in response to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency, revises bankruptcy provisions, and expands COVID-19 aid programs to include mortgage servicers. Mortgage forbearance may be extended to borrowers for up to 12 months. Currently, borrowers may receive 180 days of forbearance, with an extension of up to an additional 180 days. The bill also expands the forbearance provisions to apply to nonfederally backed mortgages. The bill expands the current moratorium on evictions of renters from property receiving a forbearance to generally protect all such renters, not only renters in federally assisted housing or property that has a federally backed mortgage. The current moratorium on mortgage foreclosures is extended from 60 days beginning on March 18, 2020, to 6 months after enactment of this bill. The bill also expands this moratorium to include nonfederally backed mortgages. Additionally, the bill generally revises bankruptcy provisions. COVID-19 aid is excluded from property subject to bankruptcy proceedings and the homestead exemption available to individual debtors is increased, among other protections. Existing COVID-19 economic aid programs are expanded to include mortgage servicers. The Department of the Treasury must allow mortgage servicers to participate in these programs to receive loans, loan guarantees, and other investments currently offered to eligible businesses, states, and municipalities.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2020
Children's Health Insurance Program Pandemic Enhancement and Relief Act or the CHIPPER Act This bill extends the 11.5% increase to the enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) that is otherwise applicable under the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) through FY2021, in accordance with specified conditions. For example, in order to receive the increased FMAP in FY2021, a state must cover, without cost-sharing, testing and treatment for COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), including vaccines, specialized equipment, and therapies.
United States · United States Congress · 8 May 2020
Farm to Food Bank Enhancement Act of 2020 This bill authorizes the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to provide enhanced funding to states to pay for projects to harvest, process, package, or transport donated commodities. USDA must issue guidance to states to encourage them to carry out projects that work with agricultural producers, processors, and distributors who grow or market products that have seen decreased demand due to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) outbreak and cannot easily be repackaged for grocery or retail sale. To be eligible for funding, a state must submit a plan of operation for a project that includes (1) a list of emergency feeding organizations in the state that are willing to partner with the state; (2) a list of priority agricultural products located in the state that are for donation to emergency feeding organizations and ready for transport; (3) a description of how the project will serve certain purposes, including to provide food to individuals in need; and (4) a timeline for the project. USDA may reallocate unexpended funds to other eligible states if it determines that a state will not use all of its allocated funds. The bill allows states to enter into cooperative agreements with other states to maximize the use of donated commodities. USDA must make specified documents publicly available on its website, including any guidance issued to states in accordance with the bill.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2020
Student Loan Forgiveness for Frontline Health Workers Act This bill establishes temporary programs to provide federal and private student loan forgiveness to certain frontline health care workers. Frontline health care workers are those individuals who have made significant contributions to the medical response (e.g., patient care, medical research, or testing) to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) national emergency. Specifically, the Department of Education (ED) must carry out a program to forgive the outstanding balance of principal and interest due on federal student loans for borrowers who are frontline health care workers. Additionally, the Department of the Treasury must carry out a program to repay in full the outstanding balance of principal and interest due on certain private student loans for borrowers who are frontline health care workers. ED and Treasury must coordinate to ensure that eligibility determinations are consistent across both programs and that frontline health care workers who are eligible for both programs may apply for loan forgiveness with a single application. Further, such programs must be available to frontline health care workers who were borrowers of eligible loans and who died as a result of COVID-19. The bill specifies the notification requirements related to the availability of these programs. ED, Treasury, and the Department of Health and Human Services must jointly establish an intergovernmental working group to assist with the administration of these programs, including the development of the application process. The bill also excludes discharged student loan debt under these programs from an individual's gross income.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2020
Local Chamber, Tourism, and 501(c)(6) Protection Act of 2020 This bill modifies the Paycheck Protection Program implemented by the Small Business Administration in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) to include certain entities and exclude certain individuals. Specifically, the bill expands the program to encompass organizations with 300 or fewer employees that (1) operate under section 501(c)(6) of the Internal Revenue Code (other than a professional football league), or (2) are a destination marketing organization engaged in promoting communities and facilities to businesses and leisure travelers. The bill also narrows the definition of payroll costs under the program to exclude any compensation of an employee who is a registered lobbyist from the calculation for loan amounts or for allowable uses of funds provided under the program.
United States · United States Congress · 5 May 2020
Quality Care for Nursing Home Residents and Workers During COVID-19 Act of 2020 This bill modifies several requirements for Medicare skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) and Medicaid nursing facilities (NFs) during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifically, SNFs and NFs must comply with specified quality of care, worker safety, and transparency requirements, subject to civil penalties. Requirements include (1) testing residents and employees for COVID-19 weekly or before shifts, respectively, and reporting any lack of available testing kits on a daily basis; (2) providing at least two weeks of paid sick leave to each employee; and (3) reporting the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths, including demographic information, on a daily basis. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must also distribute funds to allow states to establish strike teams that may be deployed to SNFs and NFs within 72 hours of three or more COVID-19 diagnoses to help separate those who have been exposed, supervise testing, and ensure enforcement of whistleblower protections, among other needs. Teams must include members of the National Guard, public health officials, medical experts, and representatives of residents and workers.
United States · United States Congress · 22 April 2020
Equity in Student Loan Relief Act This bill establishes a temporary program to suspend payments and interest through September 30, 2020, on Federal Family Education Loans (FFELs) that are not held by the Department of Education (ED). (Currently, payments and interest are suspended through this period on certain Federal Direct Loans and FFELs held by ED.) Specifically, ED must (1) enter into agreements with eligible lenders and guaranty agencies to reduce the interest rate to 0% on FFELs, and (2) make monthly payments to lenders and guaranty agencies to offset the cost of the reduced interest rate. A lender or guaranty agency that enters into an agreement with ED must (1) temporarily waive interest and suspend all payments due from borrowers through September 30, 2020; (2) suspend all involuntary collections; (3) notify borrowers, within 15 days, that their loan payments have been suspended and interest has been waived; and (4) carry out a program, beginning on August 1, 2020, to provide not fewer than six notices to borrowers that normal payment obligations will resume. Additionally, ED must deem each month for which a loan payment was suspended as if the borrower of the loan had made a payment for the purpose of any authorized loan forgiveness program or loan rehabilitation program. Finally, ED must ensure that any suspended payment on such a loan is treated as a regularly scheduled payment made by a borrower for the purpose of reporting information about the loan to a consumer reporting agency.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2020
Health Insurance Marketplace Affordability Act of 2020 This bill modifies the refundable tax credit for health care premium assistance to require an age rate adjustment to the applicable percentage used to determine the amount of such credit. The age rate adjustment for any individual shall be determined using a single national age rating curve specified in guidance by the Department of Health and Human Services and shall reflect market patterns in the individual health care market.
United States · United States Congress · 17 April 2020
This resolution recognizes (1) the significance of Black Maternal Health Week; (2) that Black Maternal Health Week is an opportunity to raise national awareness of the state of black maternal health in the United States; and (3) that black women experience high, disproportionate rates of maternal mortality and morbidity.
United States · United States Congress · 14 April 2020
This resolution supports the goals of National Minority Health Month to bring attention to health disparities faced by minority populations and encourages federal and state governments to collect and publish racial and ethnic data related to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2020
This bill requires, and provides funds for, the Department of the Treasury to establish a loan program that provides liquidity to community development financial institutions, small minority depository institutions, and rural banks participating in the Paycheck Protection Program created in response to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic.
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2020
This resolution supports the goals of National Minority Health Month to bring attention to health disparities faced by minority populations and encourages federal and state governments to collect and publish racial and ethnic data related to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).
United States · United States Congress · 7 April 2020
Coronavirus Community Relief Act This bill provides $250 billion for certain localities affected by the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. Specifically, the bill provides funding for FY2020 for units of local government with a population of 500,000 or less. Payment shall be made within 30 days after submission of a specified certification by the locality. The amount of the payment is proportional to population. Local governments shall use the funds provided to cover only those costs that (1) are necessary and related to the public health emergency caused by COVID-19, and (2) were incurred during the period of March 1-December 30, 2020. The Office of Inspector General of the Department of the Treasury shall conduct monitoring and oversight of the receipt, disbursement, and use of funds.
United States · United States Congress · 31 March 2020
This bill places restrictions on the collection of debt owed by a consumer, nonprofit organization, or small business during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency period and the following 120 days. Among other things, debt collectors may not during this period charge fees or apply a higher interest rate as a result of nonpayment, commence or continue litigation to collect a debt, enforce a security interest through a repossession or foreclosure, report past due debt to a credit reporting agency, seize assets, or terminate utility service. The bill also prohibits during this period a confession of judgment or similar agreement as a condition to a loan or extension of credit. (A confession of judgment is an agreement to a judgment of liability without notice and opportunity to be heard in court in the event of the default of a borrower.)
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2020
Disaster Protection for Workers' Credit Act This bill provides credit protections to consumers during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) outbreak and other major disasters. The bill generally prohibits furnishers of credit information from reporting adverse credit information that is the result of any inaction or action that occurred during the COVID-19 outbreak. It also prohibits any such reporting regarding a consumer who resides in an area covered by a major disaster declaration. Additionally, medical debt related to the COVID-19 outbreak or a major disaster may not be reported to a consumer reporting agency regardless of when the expenses were incurred. Credit reporting agencies are prohibited from including in a credit report any such adverse credit information. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau must create a website that allows consumers to report economic hardship as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak or a major disaster. Consumers may request the deletion of adverse credit information and request an extension of certain credit protections. Credit reporting agencies must provide unlimited free credit reports and free credit scores upon request (1) during the COVID-19 outbreak or a major disaster, and (2) for a year afterwards. The bill places restrictions on new credit scoring models created or implemented during the COVID-19 outbreak or a major disaster.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2020
Ensuring Coverage in Public Health Emergencies Act of 2020 This bill requires private health insurance plans to provide a 30-day special enrollment period for eligible individuals after a public health emergency is declared. An employee who is eligible but not enrolled may enroll in an employer-provided group health plan during the special enrollment period. The bill also requires such plans to cover services related to the disease or condition resulting in the public health emergency including, if applicable, vaccines, diagnostic testing, and treatment and care for the disease or condition. Such coverage does not require a positive diagnosis of the disease or condition and cost sharing must be comparable to similar services covered outside the circumstance of a public health emergency.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2020
Immediate Relief for Rural Facilities and Providers Act of 2020 This bill establishes grant programs and other forms of financial assistance for health care providers in response to the national emergency relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifically, the bill establishes (1) a grant program to provide emergency assistance to critical access hospitals, certain rural hospitals, and providers participating in Medicare; (2) a grant program to provide emergency assistance to health care practices and ambulatory surgery centers for staff salaries; and (3) a loan program to provide low-interest loans to health care practices and ambulatory surgery centers. The bill also temporarily increases reimbursements to rural hospitals under the Medicare swing-bed program. (The program allows rural hospitals to use beds, as needed, for either acute care or skilled nursing facility care.)
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2020
Securing and Enabling Commerce Using Remote and Electronic Notarization Act of 2020 This bill allows a notary public commissioned under state law to remotely notarize electronic records and requires recognition of notarizations performed under the laws of other states. Under the bill, a notary public may remotely notarize electronic records occurring in or affecting interstate commerce if (1) the individual and the notary public are able to electronically communicate by sight and sound simultaneously (i.e., by video chat); (2) the notary verifies the individual's identity and records the notarization; and (3) the notarization complies with other requirements, such as those relating to the attachment of a stamp or seal to the electronic record. Additionally, the bill allows a notary public to remotely notarize electronic records involving an individual located outside of the United States, subject to certain requirements. The bill also requires U.S. courts and states to recognize notarizations, including remote notarizations of electronic records, that occur in or affect interstate commerce and are performed by a notary public commissioned under the laws of other states.
United States · United States Congress · 23 March 2020
Too Small to Fail Act This bill establishes requirements for, and revises components of, loan programs of the Small Business Administration (SBA) to provide economic relief to small businesses affected by COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifically, the SBA must waive the requirement that small businesses affected by COVID-19 be unable to find credit elsewhere in order to be eligible for SBA loans, and it must provide loans made in response to COVID-19 at no interest rate. In addition, the SBA is authorized to temporarily defer payments on any SBA loan for a small business that is affected by COVID-19. During the period from January 31, 2020, and ending on December 31, 2020, eligible small businesses that apply for an emergency disaster loan in response to COVID-19 may request that the SBA provide an advance of up to $15,000 within three days of receiving the application. Such advance may be used for any allowable purpose, including (1) providing paid sick leave to employees who are unable to work due to direct effects of COVID-19, (2) maintaining payroll to retain employees during business disruptions or substantial shutdowns, and (3) making rent or mortgage payments. Applicants shall not be required to repay any amounts of such advance, even if they are subsequently denied an emergency disaster loan. Further, under certain conditions, such advance may also be taken into consideration when determining forgiveness for a loan to meet payroll costs.
United States · United States Congress · 19 March 2020
Increasing Access to Capital Act of 2020 This bill requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to temporarily waive, or reduce to the maximum extent possible, certain fees on SBA loans. The bill also temporarily increases the guarantee amount and loan size for certain SBA loans, including express loans, and it permanently waives the guarantee fee on SBA loans for veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 11 March 2020
CFTC Reauthorization Act of 2019 This bill reauthorizes through FY2025 the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and generally revises provisions related to the CFTC. Among other things, the bill exempts certain companies from the mandatory swaps clearing requirements if they have less than $10 million in assets, provides for the regulation of digital commodities, exempts certain charitable organizations from commodity trading advisor and commodity pool operator registration requirements, provides that the CFTC's authority to enforce prohibitions regarding fraud and other disruptive trading practices applies to foreign activities, eliminates the double-sided confirmation requirement for swap data repositories, and expands whistleblower protections.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2020
Data to Save Moms Act of 2020 This bill establishes the Task Force on Maternal Health Data and Quality Measures, and certain grants for maternal mortality review committees, to address maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity among women in minority populations. Among other activities, the task force must evaluate issues related to maternal health data and provide recommendations to improve maternity care. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may award grants to certain entities that coordinate maternal mortality review committees for purposes of including community representatives on such committees. Additionally, to the extent practicable, the committees must (1) consult with community-based organizations about nonclinical factors that contribute to adverse maternal health outcomes, and (2) review certain cases of severe maternal morbidity in addition to pregnancy-associated and pregnancy-related deaths. In addition, the Indian Health Service and HHS must coordinate studies of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity among women in tribal and minority populations, respectively.
United States · United States Congress · 10 March 2020
Perinatal Workforce Act of 2020 This bill establishes grants for eligible education programs to grow and diversify the perinatal workforce with respect to nurses, physician assistants, and other specified health workers, and otherwise addresses issues related to the maternal health workforce and care delivery models. The Department of Health and Human Services must disseminate guidance on respectful maternal care delivery that covers, among other topics, recruiting and retaining maternity care providers from diverse backgrounds and incorporating trained midwives, doulas, and others in maternity care teams. In addition, the National Institutes of Health must study best practices and make recommendations for culturally congruent maternity care (i.e., care that is in agreement with the preferred cultural values, beliefs, worldview, and practices of the health care consumer and other stakeholders). The Government Accountability Office must report on specified information related to certain perinatal health care professions, with a particular focus on barriers to entering such professions faced by low-income and minority women.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2020
Protecting Moms Who Served Act This bill authorizes an appropriation to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for FY2022 to improve maternity care coordination for women veterans throughout pregnancy and the one-year postpartum period. The VA must submit a plan to improve maternity care coordination to fulfill the responsibilities and requirements in the Veterans Health Administration Handbook 1330.03 (or successor handbook). The bill requires the Government Accountability Office to report on maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity among women veterans, with a focus on racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2020
Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2020 This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and other agencies to address maternal health outcomes among minority populations. HHS must (1) establish task forces to address social determinants of health, maternal mental and behavioral health, and other topics; and (2) award grants for maternal mortality review committees, innovative maternity care models, and other purposes. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must establish a perinatal payment demonstration project. The Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Transportation must report on the impact of housing and transportation during prenatal and postpartum periods, respectively. The Department of Veterans Affairs must submit a plan for maternity care coordination for women veterans, and the Bureau of Prisons must establish programs and award grants to certain prisons and jails to improve maternal health outcomes among incarcerated individuals. The Government Accountability Office must report on the perinatal health workforce, maternity care compliance offices, and maternal health outcomes among veterans and incarcerated individuals. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine must report on specified topics, including training programs to reduce bias, racism, and discrimination. The Medicaid and CHIP Payment Access Commission must report on the impact of Medicaid ineligibility on pregnant and postpartum individuals who are incarcerated. The bill also (1) expands eligibility for certain nutrition programs by increasing the postpartum and breastfeeding periods, and (2) reduces certain funding to states without laws restricting the use of restraints on pregnant women who are incarcerated.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2020
Social Determinants for Moms Act of 2020 This bill provides for a task force, grant programs, studies, and other activities concerning social determinants of health (SDOH) and their impact on maternal health outcomes, with a particular focus on areas with high rates of maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity and racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must convene a task force to develop strategies to coordinate federal efforts to address SDOH for women in prenatal and postpartum periods, as well as provide guidance related to the use of certain Medicaid payments to address SDOH for high-risk mothers. HHS must also award grants to (1) expand access to free child care during prenatal and postpartum medical appointments, and (2) help public health departments reduce or eliminate certain disparities and improve maternal health outcomes by addressing SDOH. The bill also extends the postpartum and breastfeeding periods for purposes of eligibility for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children and directs the Department of Agriculture to establish a grant program to deliver healthy food to pregnant or postpartum women who live in food deserts.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2020
Kira Johnson Act This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to improve outcomes and reduce bias, racism, and discrimination in maternal care settings. Specifically, HHS must award grants to (1) community-based programs to improve maternal health outcomes for African American women, (2) eligible entities to provide certain training to health care providers and others who work in maternity care settings, and (3) specified health care facilities to establish respectful maternity care compliance offices. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine must study issues related to the training programs, and the Government Accountability Office must study the implementation and impact of the compliance offices.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2020
Tech to Save Moms Act This bill supports the use of technology to address maternal health outcomes. Specifically, the bill permits the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to test telehealth models to screen and treat common pregnancy-related complications for Medicaid enrollees and establishes two grant programs that leverage technology to address maternal health outcomes. The Department of Health and Human Services must award grants to (1) entities that provide services to pregnant and postpartum women in specified areas, or from certain populations, to evaluate and expand technology-enabled collaborative learning models; and (2) public or private entities, including tribes, to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes by increasing access to digital tools. In addition, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine must study the use of technology to reduce preventable maternal mortality and severe maternal morbidity and racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2020
Innovative Maternal Payment And Coverage To Save Moms Act or the IMPACT to Save Moms Act of 2020 This bill requires the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to establish the Perinatal Care Alternative Payment Model Demonstration Project to allow states to test payment models for maternity care, including postpartum care, under Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Additionally, the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission must report on specified information relating to the continuity of coverage for pregnant and postpartum women under Medicaid and CHIP.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2020
Justice for Incarcerated Moms Act This bill directs specified activities to address maternal health outcomes among incarcerated individuals. Specifically, the bill reduces certain federal funding for criminal justice activities to states without laws restricting the use of restraints on pregnant women who are incarcerated: establishes programs in federal Bureau of Prisons facilities, and a grant program to be administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance for state and local correctional facilities, to improve maternal health outcomes; and requires reports from the Government Accountability Office and the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission on specified topics related to pregnant and postpartum women who are incarcerated.
United States · United States Congress · 9 March 2020
This resolution expresses support for the goals and ideas of Endometriosis Awareness Month. (Endometriosis is a painful condition in which the tissue that normally lines the inside of the uterus grows outside the uterus.) It also recognizes the need for early detection and treatment of endometriosis, increased education for health care providers, and more culturally competent care.
United States · United States Congress · 4 March 2020
Holding Iranian Leaders Accountable Act of 2020 This bill requires the President to report on the estimated total funds held in domestic and international financial institutions by certain Iranian leaders, and it requires the Department of the Treasury to brief Congress on any illicit or corrupt means employed to acquire or use such funds.
United States · United States Congress · 28 February 2020
This concurrent resolution authorizes the use of the rotunda of the Capitol for a ceremony to present the statue of Mary McLeod Bethune from the people of Florida for placement in National Statuary Hall. The statue shall temporarily be displayed in the rotunda and then be moved to its permanent location in the hall.
United States · United States Congress · 12 February 2020
Harriet Tubman Bicentennial Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue 50,000 $5 gold coins, 400,000 $1 silver coins, and 750,000 half-dollar clad coins emblematic of the legacy of Harriet Tubman as an abolitionist. The Secretary may issue coins under this bill only during the period of January 1, 2022, through December 31, 2022. All surcharges received by Treasury from the sale of such coins must be paid to Project Legacy in Brooklyn, New York, for the purpose of accomplishing and advancing its mission.
United States · United States Congress · 6 February 2020
Endometrial Cancer Research and Education Act of 2020 This bill requires the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to expand research and develop certain educational materials on endometrial cancer, respectively. Among other issues, the materials must address certain endometrial cancer disparities and risk factors that affect minority women.
United States · United States Congress · 24 January 2020
Wolverine CubeSats for Education Resolution This concurrent resolution expresses the sense of Congress that as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) continues to streamline its STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) engagement program, the CubeSat (small satellite) Launch Initiative should continue to thrive and expand as a priority of Congress and an enabler of American innovation; and NASA should prioritize awareness of the CubeSat Launch Initiative in annual budget proposals.
United States · United States Congress · 17 January 2020
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress should enact the Voters with Disabilities Bill of Rights to ensure that voters with disabilities have equal access to the ballot box.
United States · United States Congress · 16 January 2020
Clean Water Allotment Modernization Act This bill modifies the allotment formula that determines water treatment works grants for states and territories.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2020
Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act of 2020 This bill establishes new requirements to expand the availability of information on domestic terrorism, as well as the relationship between domestic terrorism and hate crimes. It authorizes domestic terrorism components within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to monitor, analyze, investigate, and prosecute domestic terrorism. The domestic terrorism components of DHS, DOJ, and the FBI must jointly report on domestic terrorism, including white-supremacist-related incidents or attempted incidents. DHS, DOJ, and the FBI must review the anti-terrorism training and resource programs of their agencies that are provided to federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies. It creates an interagency task force to analyze and combat white supremacist and neo-Nazi infiltration of the uniformed services and federal law enforcement agencies. Finally, it directs the FBI to assign a special agent or hate crimes liaison to each field office to investigate hate crimes incidents with a nexus to domestic terrorism.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2020
This resolution encourages the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to maintain and strengthen requirements that keep waterways clean. It also encourages the EPA to end or reverse administrative actions that weaken requirements protecting the nation's waters.
United States · United States Congress · 14 January 2020
Fulfilling the Promise of the Housing Trust Fund Act This bill specifies that amounts received from fee increases on mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) or participation certificates guaranteed by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) on or after October 1, 2021, must be deposited into the Housing Trust Fund, which is dedicated to producing and preserving affordable housing. Such amounts shall be available without further appropriation.
United States · United States Congress · 7 January 2020
Fishery Failures: Urgently Needed Disaster Declarations Act This bill revises the review process for making fishery resource disaster determinations. Among other things, the bill maintains the authority of the Department of Commerce to determine the existence of a fishery disaster; sets forth requirements for initiating a request for a fishery resource disaster review; provides a 120-day time frame for Commerce to evaluate a request, beginning either upon receipt or at the close of the fishery season, if the fishery season closes; establishes criteria for Commerce to use when making a determination about whether a fishery resource disaster has occurred; lists eligible uses of fishery disaster relief funds, including for habitat conservation and restoration that reduce adverse impacts to a fishery; and revises reporting requirements for the biennial report on international compliance regarding foreign fishing and international fishery agreements.
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 · 6 December 2019
Protect SNAP Act This bill prohibits the Department of Agriculture from modifying work requirements for able-bodied adults receiving benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program). The bill also prohibits the use of federal funds (including fees) to implement or enforce the Food and Nutrition Service rule titled Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Requirements for Able Bodied Adults Without Dependents , published on February 1, 2019.
United States · United States Congress · 5 December 2019
Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair Act of 2019 or the CROWN Act of 2019 This bill prohibits discrimination based on a person's hair texture or hairstyle if that style or texture is commonly associated with a particular race or national origin. Specifically, the bill prohibits this type of discrimination against those participating in federally assisted programs, housing programs, public accommodations, and employment. Persons shall not be deprived of equal rights under the law and shall not be subjected to prohibited practices based on their hair texture or style. The bill provides for enforcement procedures under the applicable laws.
![Official portrait of Rep. Lawson, Al, Jr. [D-FL-5]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/116_rp_fl_5_lawson_al_200.jpg)