United States · United States Congress · 2 December 2020
This bill extends by one year port of entry donation authority (under which U.S. Customs and Border Protection may enter into an agreement with an entity to accept donations of personal property, money, or nonpersonal services for specified uses related to the installation, deployment, operation, or maintenance of furniture, fixtures, equipment, or technology).
United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2020
Care Corps Demonstration Act of 2020 This bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to certain public entities and private nonprofits to implement care corps programs through which volunteers provide long-term services and supports to older adults and people with disabilities. Volunteers who participate in these programs receive benefits, such as living and travel allowances and post-service educational awards.
United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2020
Guaranteeing Israel's QME Act of 2020 This bill requires the President to seek to consult with appropriate officials of the Israeli government before making a determination that the sale or export of defense articles or services to a country in the Middle East will not adversely affect Israel's qualitative military edge. The President must also submit a determination with regard to the impact on Israel's qualitative military edge of fulfilling a letter of request for defense articles or defense services sent by a country in the Middle East.
United States · United States Congress · 25 September 2020
This resolution condemns the performance of unwanted, unnecessary medical procedures on individuals without their informed consent and recognizes the need for additional accountability, oversight, and transparency to protect individuals from such medical procedures while they are in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It also calls on the Department of Homeland Security to fully cooperate with investigations about, and take other actions related to, medical procedures in one of its detention centers.
United States · United States Congress · 22 September 2020
This resolution recognizes (1) the celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month; and (2) the integral role of Latinos and their manifold heritage in the economy, culture, and identity of the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 17 September 2020
Foster Accountability, Integrity, Trust, and Honor in Congress Act or the FAITH in Congress Act This bill establishes prohibitions related to the compensation of Members of Congress, lobbying activities, and consideration of legislation. Specifically, the bill prohibits Members of Congress from being paid if both chambers of Congress have not (1) agreed to a budget resolution for the next fiscal year by April 15, or (2) passed each of the regular appropriations bills for the next fiscal year by September 30. In addition, the bill eliminates automatic pay adjustments for Members of Congress, and it prohibits generally the use of funds provided for official travel expenses of Members of Congress and legislative branch employees from being used for airline accommodations that are not coach class. Further, the bill prohibits former Members of Congress and elected officers of Congress from lobbying Congress, and it prohibits the House of Representatives from considering legislation that does not have demonstrable bipartisan support.
United States · United States Congress · 16 September 2020
I Am Vanessa Guillen Act of 2020 This bill addresses the response of the Department of Defense to sex-related offenses committed against members of the Armed Forces, including allowing a member to confidentially allege a complaint of sexual harassment to an individual outside the immediate chain of command of that member.
United States · United States Congress · 15 September 2020
This resolution supports the announcements of (1) the establishment of full diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and between Israel and Bahrain, and (2) the suspension of Israeli actions to apply sovereignty in parts of the West Bank. Further, it calls on each of these countries to encourage greater people-to-people normalization, and it calls on other Arab and Muslim countries to establish full relations with Israel. It also reaffirms the House of Representatives' support for a negotiated, two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
United States · United States Congress · 14 September 2020
2020 Census Deadline Extensions Act This bill extends certain deadlines for the U.S. Census Bureau to complete the 2020 decennial census of population. The bill prohibits the bureau from concluding the Nonresponse Followup operation or the Self-Response operation before October 31, 2020.
United States · United States Congress · 11 September 2020
Integrating New Technologies to Empower Law Enforcement at Our Borders Act This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to report to Congress a plan to identify and deploy emerging and advanced technologies (e.g. artificial intelligence, automation, and optical radar) to achieve greater situational awareness along the northern and southern U.S. borders between ports of entry. The report shall contain information including assessments of (1) how Customs and Border Protection is currently using such technologies, (2) how such technologies can address border security capability gaps, and (3) the cost of acquiring such technologies.
United States · United States Congress · 22 August 2020
Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act This bill establishes several grant programs and otherwise requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take actions to improve mental and behavioral health and prevent burnout among health care providers. Specifically, HHS must award grants to (1) health professions schools, state or local governments, or nonprofits to provide training for health care providers on suicide prevention, other behavioral health issues, and strategies to improve well-being; and (2) health care providers, prioritizing those in COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) hot spots, to establish or expand programs to promote mental and behavioral health among health care providers involved with COVID-19 response efforts. HHS must also study issues related to, and develop policy recommendations on, preventing burnout and improving mental and behavioral health among health care providers, removing barriers to accessing care and treatment, and identifying strategies to promote resiliency. Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must conduct a campaign to encourage health care providers to seek support and treatment for mental and behavioral health concerns.
United States · United States Congress · 18 August 2020
American Indian and Alaska Native Veterans Mental Health Act This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide mental health and suicide prevention outreach to American Indian and Alaska Native veterans. Specifically, the bill requires that each VA medical center have a full-time minority veteran coordinator. The coordinator must receive training in the delivery of culturally appropriate mental health and suicide prevention services to American Indian and Alaska Native veterans. Further, the suicide prevention coordinator and minority veteran coordinator of each VA medical center must develop and disseminate a written plan for conducting mental health and suicide prevention outreach to all tribes and urban Indian health organizations within the area of the medical center.
United States · United States Congress · 11 August 2020
Delivering for America Act This bill prohibits the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) from making changes to operations or levels of service from those that were in effect on January 1, 2020. Specifically, the USPS may not, during the period beginning on enactment of this bill and ending on the last day of the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency or January 1, 2021, whichever is later, implement or approve any change to the operations or the level of service that would impede prompt, reliable, and efficient services, including changes in the nature of services that will generally affect service on a nationwide basis; revisions of service standards; closures or consolidations of post offices or reduction of facility hours; prohibitions on payment of overtime pay to USPS officers or employees; changes that would prevent the USPS from meeting its service standards or that would reduce measurements of performance concerning those standards; changes that would have the effect of delaying mail, allowing non-delivery to a delivery route, or increasing the volume of undelivered mail.
United States · United States Congress · 11 August 2020
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Department of Justice (DOJ) should defend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) in ongoing litigation. Currently, DOJ supports the ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit that upheld a district court ruling that certain provisions of the PPACA are not severable from the remainder of the Act and therefore that the entire law is invalid. The Fifth Circuit's ruling is currently pending appeal before the U.S. Supreme Court.
United States · United States Congress · 7 August 2020
Designates the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 1050 Sunset Road Southwest in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as the "Jose Hernandez Post Office Building."
United States · United States Congress · 4 August 2020
Southwest Border Security Technology Improvement Act of 2020 This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to report to Congress an analysis of border security technology along the Southwest border. The report shall address the technology DHS needs to (1) prevent terrorists from entering the United States, (2) reduce cross-border criminal activity such as drug smuggling, and (3) facilitate legal trade flow. The report shall also address recent technological advancements and assess whether such advancements can help achieve these goals. DHS shall submit the report within a year of this bill's enactment and provide periodic updates for six more years.
United States · United States Congress · 31 July 2020
This resolution remembers the victims, survivors, and the El Paso community on the one-year anniversary of the deadliest attack against Latinos in recent history. The resolution offers condolences and support for everyone impacted by the tragedy. The resolution thanks the first responders and law enforcement for their swift action. The resolution acknowledges the work that remains to combat racism, xenophobia, terrorism, and hate crimes, including by passing legislation to curb gun violence. Finally, the resolution commits to ensuring that another tragedy such as this never happens again.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2020
REACH VET reporting Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to report on the Recovery Engagement and Coordination for Health—Veterans Enhanced Treatment (REACH VET) program to assess, among other elements, the impact of the program on rates of suicide among veterans.
United States · United States Congress · 30 July 2020
VA Telehealth Expansion Act This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to award grants to entities for the expansion of telehealth capabilities and provision of telehealth services to veterans through the VA and the Veterans Community Care Program. The VA must give preference to entities that represent veterans in rural or highly rural areas or entities that operate in a medically underserved community. An entity seeking to establish a telehealth access point for veterans without grant funding is authorized to enter into an agreement with the VA to establish such access point. The VA must assess and report on the barriers veterans face in accessing telehealth services.
United States · United States Congress · 24 July 2020
Paycheck Protection Small Business Forgiveness Act This bill modifies loan forgiveness under the Paycheck Protection Program established to support small businesses in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifically, the bill provides for automatic forgiveness of a paycheck protection loan that is not more than $150,000 if the recipient submits a one-page form. Such form must allow a recipient to submit specified demographc and expenditure information, and certain individuals (e.g., the President, the Vice President, or the head of an executive department) are not eligible for such forgiveness. Further, the bill prohibits any enforcement or other action against a lender relating to loan origination, forgiveness, or guarantee based on the lender's reliance on certifications or documentation submitted by a loan applicant or recipient.
United States · United States Congress · 23 July 2020
Back on Your Feet Act of 2020 This bill (1) extends pandemic unemployment programs established by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act or the CARES Act, (2) provides one-time payments to individuals who are no longer eligible for pandemic unemployment compensation because they have commenced employment, and (3) provides grants for the administration of state unemployment programs to states that implement certain employment-related policies. The bill also requires states to submit weekly reports to the Department of Labor on the status of backlogs in such states of the processing of unemployment claims.
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
Protecting Access to Post-COVID–19 Telehealth Act of 2020 This bill modifies requirements relating to coverage of telehealth services under Medicare. Specifically, the bill (1) authorizes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to generally waive coverage restrictions during national emergencies, (2) allows rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers to serve as the distant site (i.e., the location of the health care practitioner), (3) removes restrictions that require the originating site (i.e., the location of the beneficiary) to be in a rural area, and (3) allows the home of a beneficiary to serve as the originating site for all services (rather than for only certain services). Additionally, the CMS must report on the utilization of telehealth services specifically during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019).
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2020
This bill extends through December 30, 2022, the coverage period for the Coronavirus Relief Fund to make payments to tribal governments for necessary expenditures incurred as a result of the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency.
United States · United States Congress · 9 July 2020
This resolution expresses support for the designation of Journeyman Lineworkers Recognition Day. (A journeyman lineworker is a person who builds and maintains electrical power systems.)
United States · United States Congress · 6 July 2020
COVID Preparedness, Response, and Effective Planning for Advanced Requirements by the Executive Branch Act or the COVID PREPARE Act This bill requires federal agencies to submit to Congress plans for responding to any resurgence of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifically, each agency shall submit (1) an initial report detailing an action plan, informed by research and best practices learned from the onset of COVID-19 and previous presidentially declared emergencies, for addressing the needs and mitigating and eliminating the risks and challenges associated with any resurgence in COVID-19 cases; and (2) subsequent reports, on a quarterly basis until the President ends the declared emergency, that update the details submitted in the plan. The initial report shall include agency priorities for preparing for and responding to any resurgence; measurable goals specific to priorities and a time line for addressing each priority; anticipated challenges to addressing priorities and how the agency will address such challenges; how the agency will consult with Congress, the public, state and municipal governments, and relevant stakeholders while working remotely; and how the agency plans to issue relevant guidance to entities under the jurisdiction of the agency.
United States · United States Congress · 2 July 2020
Flexible Financing for Rural America Act of 2020 This bill allows rural utility service providers to submit to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) a request to adjust the interest rate or modify the terms of certain loans. The request shall include a report summarizing how the adjustment or modification will assist the borrower in providing critical utility services to a rural community. Specifically, on receipt of a request, USDA must adjust the interest rate on the loan to match certain interest rates in effect when the bill is enacted for obligations of comparable maturity to the term remaining on the loan (or a higher rate requested by the borrower), and make modifications to the loan terms as necessary to address changes in the financial position of the borrower due to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) public health emergency and to promote the financial sustainability of the borrower. In carrying out the adjustments or modifications, USDA shall not impose or collect any fee from, or impose any penalty on, a borrower. The bill also provides funding to implement the adjustments and modifications.
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 · 2 July 2020
Preventing China from Exploiting COVID-19 Act This bill directs the Office of the Director of National Intelligence to report to Congress on efforts by China's government to exploit the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic to advance its national security and foreign policy interests. The report shall contain elements including (1) an assessment of Chinese government efforts to retaliate against countries seeking an inquiry into China's role in the spread of COVID-19, (2) a description of Chinese economic aid or medical assistance to countries affected by COVID-19 and how such activities may affect Chinese and U.S. foreign policy interests, and (3) an identification of different ways the Chinese government may be using the global disruption caused by COVID-19 to more aggressively pursue long-standing domestic and foreign policy objectives.
United States · United States Congress · 1 July 2020
This resolution recognizes the forthcoming centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921. The resolution, among other things acknowledges the historical significance of this event as one of the largest single instances of state-sanctioned violence against black people in American history; honors the lives and legacies of the estimated 300 black individuals who were killed during the massacre and the nearly 9,000 who were left homeless and penniless; condemns efforts to cover up the truth and shield the white community, especially government officials, from accountability; condemns the continued legacy of racism and white supremacy against black people in the United States, particularly in the form of police brutality; encourages education about the massacre, the history of white supremacy that fueled the massacre, and subsequent attempts to deny or cover up the massacre, in all elementary and secondary education settings and in institutions of higher education; and recognizes the commitment of Congress to acknowledge and learn from the history of racism and racial violence to reverse the legacy of white supremacy and fight for racial justice.
United States · United States Congress · 30 June 2020
This resolution expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that Congress must work in a bipartisan manner, and on bicameral basis, to ensure the health and financial well-being of older Americans.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2020
Research Investment to Spark the Economy Act or the RISE Act This bill authorizes the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, the Interior, and Health and Human Services and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Science Foundation, and Environmental Protection Agency to provide support for research regarding COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) or research disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Support under this bill shall be provided through federal science agencies with at least $50 million in basic and applied research obligations in FY2020. Support may be used to provide supplemental funding to extend the duration of a grant to a research institution or national laboratory that was awarded prior to the enactment of this bill, or to expand the purposes of such a grant as specified; provide supplemental funding through existing competitively awarded cooperative agreements and contracts to cover the increased costs of construction of scientific facilities and equipment that have been delayed because of COVID-19; and award grants and cooperative agreements to institutions of higher education to conduct research on the behavioral, social, or economic effects of COVID-19 and the responses to the disease or on the effectiveness of such responses. Agencies must provide the support as rapidly as possible. Provided funds shall remain available for expenditure for up to two years.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2020
Accessible, Affordable Internet for All Act This bill establishes measures related to expanding broadband infrastructure and access in unserved and underserved communities. The bill creates the Office of Internet Connectivity and Growth, and it provides funding for programs that (1) promote digital equity and broadband capacity building, (2) provide discounts on broadband service for low-income consumers, and (3) subsidize internet services for schools and libraries. The bill establishes specified transparency requirements, such as making federal broadband data available to local governments. It also requires the Federal Communications Commission to expand broadband access for unserved and underserved communities and make the provision of Wi-Fi access on school buses eligible for support under the E-Rate program.
United States · United States Congress · 22 June 2020
COVID–19 Stop Calling Americans Maliciously Act or the COVID–19 SCAM Act This bill prohibits telephone calls or text messages offering goods or services that convey misleading or inaccurate information relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) as part of such offer.
United States · United States Congress · 15 June 2020
Real Economic Support That Acknowledges Unique Restaurant Assistance Needed To Survive Act of 2020 or the RESTAURANTS Act of 2020 This bill temporarily establishes and provides funding for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, from which the Department of the Treasury shall make grants to eligible food and beverage purveyors to cover specified costs. The amount of such a grant shall be reduced by the amount of (1) any emergency grant received for an economic injury disaster loan, or (2) any paycheck protection loan amount forgiven under the Paycheck Protection Program established to support small businesses in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). For the grant program's initial period, Treasury must (1) prioritize awarding grants to marginalized and underrepresented communities, and (2) only award grants to eligible food and beverage purveyors with annual revenues of less than $1.5 million.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2020
Increasing Rural Health Access During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Act of 2020 This bill establishes, as part of certain grants for telehealth networks and resource centers, a pilot project to increase the use of remote patient monitoring technology in rural areas during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency. Specifically, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) must award grants to eligible entities in rural areas to coordinate care for individuals with chronic conditions and conduct other activities using remote patient monitoring technology. Eligible entities must meet requirements for participating in telehealth networks and must use appropriate technologies. Grant funds may be used, for example, to develop or acquire computer hardware and other equipment. In awarding these grants, HRSA shall give priority to entities that are capable of establishing programs quickly and that use technologies that provide continuous, real-time coaching services.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2020
Justice in Policing Act of 2020 This bill addresses a wide range of policies and issues regarding policing practices and law enforcement accountability. It includes measures to increase accountability for law enforcement misconduct, to enhance transparency and data collection, and to eliminate discriminatory policing practices. The bill facilitates federal enforcement of constitutional violations (e.g., excessive use of force) by state and local law enforcement. Among other things, it does the following: lowers the criminal intent standard—from willful to knowing or reckless—to convict a law enforcement officer for misconduct in a federal prosecution, limits qualified immunity as a defense to liability in a private civil action against a law enforcement officer or state correctional officer, and authorizes the Department of Justice to issue subpoenas in investigations of police departments for a pattern or practice of discrimination. The bill also creates a national registry—the National Police Misconduct Registry—to compile data on complaints and records of police misconduct. It establishes a framework to prohibit racial profiling at the federal, state, and local levels. The bill establishes new requirements for law enforcement officers and agencies, including to report data on use-of-force incidents, to obtain training on implicit bias and racial profiling, and to wear body cameras.
United States · United States Congress · 8 June 2020
Defending Against Rosatom Exports Act This bill extends limits on the importation of Russian low-enriched uranium, a fuel for nuclear reactors, and contains other related provisions. (These limits stem from a 1992 agreement with Russia to end a Department of Commerce antidumping investigation into Russian uranium imports.) The bill extends these limits, which are currently set to expire in 2020, to 2035. The bill also specifies the maximum amounts of qualifying uranium that may be imported each year for 2021-2035. Currently, qualifying uranium imported for use in the initial core of a new reactor or for the Department of Energy inventory does not count against these limits. The bill eliminates these two exceptions but maintains an exception for uranium imported for reprocessing and reexportation. No more than 25% of qualifying uranium may be imported each year under a contract other than a contract exclusively for separative work units. (A separative work unit is the standard unit of measurement for effort expended to enrich uranium.)
United States · United States Congress · 4 June 2020
Great American Outdoors Act This bill establishes the National Parks and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund to support deferred maintenance projects on federal lands. For FY2021-FY2025, there shall be deposited into the fund an amount equal to 50% of all federal revenues from the development of oil, gas, coal, or alternative or renewable energy on federal lands and waters. Deposited amounts must not exceed $1.9 billion for any fiscal year. The fund must be used for priority deferred maintenance projects in specified systems that are administered by the National Park Service, the Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Bureau of Indian Education. The Government Accountability Office must report on the effect of the fund in reducing the backlog of priority deferred maintenance projects for the specified agencies. Additionally, the bill makes funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) permanent. The President shall annually report to Congress specified details regarding the allocation of funds to the LWCF. Congress may provide for alternate allocations using specified procedures.
United States · United States Congress · 1 June 2020
DOD Water Assessment and Testing Enhanced Reporting Act of 2020 or the WATER Act of 2020 This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to report on the water scarcity evaluation practices used by DOD with respect to defense installations. Based on the results of the report, DOD must develop and implement a recurring water scarcity assessment at defense installations.
United States · United States Congress · 26 May 2020
Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020 This bill modifies provisions related to the forgiveness of loans made to small businesses under the Paycheck Protection Program implemented in response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifically, the bill establishes a minimum maturity of five years for a paycheck protection loan that has a remaining balance after the application of forgiveness. The bill also extends the covered period during which the recipient of a paycheck protection loan may use such funds for certain expenses while remaining eligible for forgiveness of the loan. Further, the bill prohibits the Small Business Administration from limiting the non-payroll portion of a forgivable covered loan amount. Currently, only 25% of a paycheck protection loan may be allocated to non-payroll expenses such as rent and utilities. The bill extends the period of time in which an employer may rehire or eliminate a reduction in employment, salary, or wages that would otherwise reduce the forgivable amount of a paycheck protection loan. However, the forgivable amount must be determined without regard to a reduction in the number of employees if the recipient is (1) unable to rehire an employee, (2) able to demonstrate an inability to hire a similarly qualified employee, or (3) able to demonstrate an inability to return to the same level of business activity. Lastly, the bill eliminates a provision that makes a paycheck protection loan recipient who has such indebtedness forgiven ineligible to defer payroll tax payments.
United States · United States Congress · 22 May 2020
Save Our Rural Health Providers Act This bill requires a specific portion of the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund to be allocated to rural health care providers responding to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Specifically, the bill requires that at least 20% of future appropriations and the unobligated balance of prior appropriations to the fund relating to COVID-19 provider assistance be reserved for rural health care providers, with priority given to providers serving a high number of Medicare or Medicaid enrollees, elderly or other high-risk individuals, uninsured individuals, or areas with limited health infrastructure.
United States · United States Congress · 19 May 2020
Farming Support to States Act of 2020 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture to establish the Food and Agriculture Emergency Response and Resiliency Program to provide aid for the states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories to carry out activities to respond to urgent and emerging issues in the agriculture economy and food supply chain impacted by COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) and related food system threats. The bill also provides funding for the program.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2020
Medicare Accelerated and Advance Payments Improvement Act of 2020 This bill establishes and otherwise modifies requirements for the Medicare Accelerated and Advance Payment Program during the public health emergency relating to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). The program provides Medicare payments in advance to eligible providers experiencing claims or cash flow disruptions, such as during national emergencies; the program was specifically expanded in response to COVID-19 to encompass more types of providers, subject to certain recoupment and repayment provisions. Under the current program, recoupment of advance payments (through claims offsets) begins up to four months after the payment is made. Additionally, certain hospitals have one year to repay the full amount; other types of providers have seven months. Repayments made after this period are subject to the prevailing interest rate set by the Department of the Treasury (generally around 10% in FY2020). The bill delays recoupment for one year and caps the recoupment at 25% of a claim. The bill also gives all providers up to two years for full repayment and caps the interest rate at 1%. Additionally, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) may waive repayment entirely upon a demonstration of extreme hardship, among other factors. The bill also requires the CMS to continue to make the program available to providers of Medicare medical services for the duration of the public health emergency. (The CMS suspended the program for such providers on April 26, 2020.)
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2020
Health Care Protection Act This bill creates a special health insurance enrollment period and provides premium assistance for the COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) continuation of health coverage program in response to the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic. First, the bill establishes a 30-day special enrollment period for individuals who do not have coverage to enroll in a qualified health insurance plan through a health insurance exchange. Second, the bill provides premium assistance for individuals who have been terminated from employment and elected COBRA continuation coverage between March 1, 2020, and December 31, 2020. The bill treats 100% of the premium payments as paid for such individuals for not more than six months. Further, individuals who have not elected COBRA coverage but would be eligible for premium assistance under this bill if they had enrolled in COBRA may enroll in such coverage for 60 days after this bill is enacted. Premium assistance is phased out for individuals earning more than $125,000. Additionally, the bill requires employers to provide eligible individuals specified written notice about the premium assistance program, including, among other information, available health plan enrollment options and the date that such assistance expires. The Department of the Treasury must reimburse employers, group health plans, and insurance issuers through a payroll tax credit or refund, as applicable, for unpaid premiums that were treated as paid under this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2020
COVID-19 Designation of Immediate Special Authority of Spectrum for Tribes' Emergency Response in Indian Country Act or the COVID-19 DISASTER in Indian Country Act This bill grants emergency special temporary authority and provides funds to deploy wireless broadband service on tribal lands and Hawaiian home lands. Specifically, the bill directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to grant emergency special temporary authority to Indian tribes, certain tribal entities, and the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands if they request such authority to use electromagnetic spectrum to provide wireless broadband service over tribal lands or Hawaiian home lands. The FCC must grant such emergency authority within 10 days of receiving a request. In addition, the bill provides funds to specified Department of Agriculture grant programs for (1) immediate deployment of wireless broadband service on tribal lands and Hawaiian home lands, including repairs to damaged infrastructure and backhaul costs; and (2) technical assistance and training.
United States · United States Congress · 12 May 2020
Expanding Medical Partnerships with Israel to Lessen Dependence on China Act or the EMPIL-DOC Act This bill authorizes a bilateral grant program with Israel to develop health technologies, with an emphasis on the use of technology, personalized medicine, and data in relation to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Technologies to be developed through this program include, among others, artificial intelligence, respiratory assist devices, and diagnostic tests. In addition, the program conditions funding on a matching contribution from the government of Israel.
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.
