United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2019
End Price Gouging for Medications Act This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to set maximum prices for prescription drugs under specified federal health programs. Specifically, HHS must establish reference prices based on certain factors, including drug prices in listed countries. Retail prices of covered drugs under specified federal health programs (e.g., Medicare and Medicaid) may not exceed the established reference prices. Drugs must also be available at such prices to uninsured individuals and to individuals with private health insurance.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2019
Restore Honor to Service Members Act This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to review the discharge characterization of a service member who was discharged on the basis of sexual orientation (i.e., on the basis of Don't Ask Don't Tell or a similar policy) if the service member requests such a review. If the service member's discharge is characterized as other than honorable, and if there were no aggravating circumstances that would have independently caused the discharge to be characterized as other than honorable, then DOD must change its characterization of the discharge to honorable.
United States · United States Congress · 26 June 2019
LGBTQ Data Inclusion Act This bill requires federal agencies that collect information through a survey that includes demographic data (where subjects self-report information or a proxy provides information about the subject or responds for all persons in a household) to review existing data sets to determine in which data sets information about sexual orientation and gender identity is not included, and to assess needed changes in survey methods related to asking questions on sexual orientation and gender identity. Agencies that publish reports relying on survey demographic data must include information on sexual orientation and gender identity.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2019
Covert Testing and Risk Mitigation Improvement Act of 2019 This bill establishes standards for the covert testing process that the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) uses to evaluate its aviation security operations. Specifically, the TSA must implement an internal, risk-informed covert testing process for aviation security operations that can yield statistically valid results; execute at least three covert testing projects each year that are designed to identify systemic vulnerabilities in the transportation security system; establish a system to address and mitigate the vulnerabilities identified and assessed pursuant to the testing process; compile a list of the vulnerabilities, including a brief description of the nature of each vulnerability; and report the status of the vulnerabilities to Congress as part of its annual budget submission.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2019
Local School Foods Expansion Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of Agriculture to make permanent, and expand to at least 15 states, the program to provide more flexibility for states participating in the National School Lunch Program to purchase domestically grown unprocessed fruits and vegetables. The bill also provides additional mandatory funding for the program.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2019
Integration of Baseball Commemorative Coin Act This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to mint and issue $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins, and half-dollar clad coins in recognition and celebration of the 75th anniversary of the integration of the game of baseball. All sales of such coins shall include specified surcharges. All surcharges received by Treasury shall be distributed to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, with the understanding that the Hall of Fame shall work with the Jackie Robinson Foundation to develop and operate education programs about the integration of the game of baseball and to preserve artifacts related to the integration of the game.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2019
College for All Act of 2019 This bill provides funding for (1) grants to eliminate tuition and required fees for eligible students at community colleges, public four-year institutions of higher education, and tribal colleges and universities; and (2) grants to eliminate or significantly reduce tuition and required fees for eligible students at private, nonprofit historically Black colleges and universities and minority-serving institutions.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2019
America's Call To Improve Opportunities Now for National Service Act or the ACTION for National Service Act This bill (1) converts the Corporation for National and Community Service into the National and Community Service Administration; (2) reauthorizes programs carried out by the administration; (3) establishes a National Service Foundation to accept and administer gifts on behalf of the administration; and (4) modifies the calculation of national service educational awards. Furthermore, the bill creates a 21st Century American Service Outreach Program to notify individuals age 17 and not more than age 30 about their eligibility to participate in national service programs,; increases living stipends for such volunteers and the cap on such full-time positions; provides a living allowance to members of the National Civilian Community Corps, under specified conditions; and provides an exclusion from gross income, for income tax purposes, for such educational awards and living allowances.
United States · United States Congress · 25 June 2019
Public Service Freedom to Negotiate Act of 2019 This bill prohibits strikes by certain individuals and requires the issuance of rules that provide for federal minimum standard collective bargaining rights and procedures. The Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) shall determine for each state whether the laws of such state substantially provide for each of the minimum standard collective bargaining rights and procedures specified by this bill, including the right of public employees and supervisory employees to self-organize, form or join a labor organization, or collectively bargain. The FLRA must issue rules and take actions to establish and administer bargaining rights and procedures for those states that do not substantially provide for them. No employers, emergency services employees, or law enforcement officers may engage in a lockout, strike, or any other organized job action that would probably result in a measurable disruption of the delivery of emergency or public safety services. Furthermore, no labor organization may be the cause of a violation of such prohibition.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2019
Humane Enforcement and Legal Protections for Separated Children Act of 2019 or the HELP Separated Children Act of 2019 This bill provides protections for children whose parent or caregiver has been detained for immigration enforcement purposes. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and entities cooperating with DHS on immigration enforcement shall determine as soon as possible whether a detained individual is a parent or caregiver of a child in the United States. Detained parents and caregivers shall (1) have the chance to make at least two phone calls to arrange for child care; and (2) receive contact information for child welfare agencies, family courts, consulates, attorneys, and other relevant entities. DHS shall not transfer the detained individual to another geographical area until child care arrangements have been made, absent extraordinary circumstances. DHS shall (1) permit detained individuals regular contact with their children, and (2) give detained individuals the opportunity to participate in all proceedings impacting custody of their children.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2019
Public Health Funding Restoration Act This bill increases annual funding for the Prevention and Public Health Fund (PPHF). (The PPHF assets are distributed to various agencies throughout the Department of Health and Human Services to (1) conduct community and clinical prevention initiatives, (2) research and track public health threats, (3) develop the public health infrastructure, and (4) other initiatives.)
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2019
National Commission on Scleroderma and Fibrotic Diseases Act of 2019 This bill temporarily establishes a National Commission on Fibrotic Diseases within the National Institutes of Health that must recommend improvements regarding fibrosis and fibrotic disease research.
United States · United States Congress · 24 June 2019
Help Separated Families Act of 201 9 This bill prohibits states from disqualifying a prospective adoptive or foster parent based on that person's immigration status. It also expands the requirements for state foster-care cases in which a parent has been detained or deported as the result of an immigration proceeding. Specifically, states may not initiate a proceeding to terminate the parental rights of a parent who has been detained or deported unless the state has made reasonable efforts to (1) locate the parent, (2) notify the parent about the proceeding, (3) provide the parent with appropriate services, and (4) reunify the parent and child. States also must (1) ensure that case managers can communicate in separated children's native language, (2) provide assistance for separated children to accompany their parent to the family's country of origin, (3) keep information about such children confidential, and (4) publish a list of legal services available to separated children. Further, case management plans must provide (1) the location of the child's parent who has been detained or deported, and (2) a written record of information about such child that is disclosed to government agencies or nonlegal guardians. The bill requires states to accept specified forms of foreign identification to complete background checks for prospective foster care placements. States also must notify prospective foster or adoptive relatives that such relatives' immigration status will not be requested except with respect to eligibility for certain social services.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2019
Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 This bill increases the number of residency positions eligible for graduate medical education payments under Medicare for hospitals that have addiction or pain medicine programs, with an aggregate increase of 1,000 positions over a five-year period.
United States · United States Congress · 21 June 2019
Encourage New Legalized Immigrants to Start Training Act or the ENLIST Act This bill allows the enlistment in the Armed Forces of certain aliens who have been unlawfully present in the United States. Specifically, such a person is one who (1) was unlawfully present on December 31, 2012, and has been continuously present since that date, (2) was under 15 years of age on the date of initial entry, and (3) is otherwise eligible for original enlistment in a regular military service component. The bill also establishes a process by which the status of such an alien shall be adjusted to that of an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence. It includes conditions under which that status may be rescinded upon a separation from the Armed Forces.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2019
Lady Liberty Act of 2019 This bill sets a floor of 110,000 for the maximum number of refugees who may be admitted into the United States each fiscal year. Under current law, the President sets the annual cap on refugee admissions at the beginning of each fiscal year. (The cap for FY2020 is 18,000, and the cap for FY2019 was 30,000.)
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2019
Stopping Bad Robocalls Act This bill updates various policies and regulations relating to robocalls. Specifically, the bill requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to protect consumer privacy as it relates to robocalls. The FCC must update regulations involving certain robocalls that are exempt from criminal liability to include specific requirements identifying classes of parties who may make such calls, parties who may be called, and how many times they may be called. Additionally, the bill removes the requirement that a citation be issued prior to a forfeiture penalty being imposed in cases where violations involving illegal robocalls have been intentional and where inaccurate caller identification information has been provided. The bill also implements a three-year statute of limitation for such violations requiring notice, and a four-year statute of limitation where an intentional violation has occurred. The FCC must promulgate regulations to address requirements for effective call authentication technology as well as to establish a process to streamline the ways in which a private entity may voluntarily share with FCC information relating to an illegal call or text or for calls with misleading or inaccurate caller identification information. Finally, the bill requires the FCC to ensure robocall blocking services provided on an opt-out basis are provided free of cost with transparency and redress options for consumers and callers.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2019
Price Relief, Innovation, and Competition for Essential Drugs Act or the PRICED Act This bill allows biosimilars to be marketed five years after the reference brand-name biological product is licensed. Currently, brand-name biological products are provided a 12-year marketing-exclusivity period. This shortened marketing-exclusivity period applies only to biological products licensed by the Food and Drug Administration after enactment of this bill.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2019
To Offer Refugees College Help (TORCH) Act This bill requires states to charge in-state tuition rates for institutions of higher education to refugees, asylees, and special immigrant visa holders if they are lawfully in the United States. This requirement only applies to the first state where the individual lives after being admitted into the United States.
United States · United States Congress · 20 June 2019
Stop Child Summer Hunger Act of 201 9 This bill requires the Department of Agriculture to establish a program providing eligible households with summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) cards in order to give children access to food during the summer months to (1) reduce or eliminate children's food insecurity and hunger, and (2) improve their nutritional status. An "eligible household" is a household that includes one or more children who are eligible to receive free or reduced price meals under the school lunch or breakfast programs. The amount on each summer EBT card is set at $150 per child in 2020, with adjustments thereafter reflecting changes in reimbursement rates for school meals under the school lunch program. If children are enrolled to receive free or reduced price meals under the school lunch or breakfast programs, they must be enrolled in this program without further application. Summer EBT cards may be used only to purchase food from retail food stores that have been approved for participation in the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP, formerly known as the food stamp program).
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019
Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act of 2019 This bill directs various departments to assess whether political developments in Hong Kong justify changing Hong Kong's unique treatment under U.S. law. Hong Kong is part of China but has a largely separate legal and economic system. The Department of State shall report annually to Congress as to whether Hong Kong is sufficiently autonomous from China to justify its unique treatment. The report shall assess whether China has eroded Hong Kong's civil liberties and rule of law as protected by Hong Kong's Basic Law. The Department of Commerce shall report annually to Congress on China's efforts to use Hong Kong to evade U.S. export controls and sanctions. The President shall provide Congress an assessment as to whether to withdraw from the U.S.-Hong Kong extradition treaty, and what actions are needed to protect U.S. citizens and national security interests, if Hong Kong (1) amends its laws to allow the rendition of individuals to countries that lack defendants' rights protections, or (2) passes a national security law. The State Department shall allow otherwise qualified Hong Kong residents to obtain visas to work or study in the United States, even if the applicant had been arrested for participating in certain nonviolent protests supporting human rights or the rule of law. The President shall report to Congress a list of individuals responsible for abducting and torturing people for exercising internationally recognized human rights in Hong Kong. The bill bars such individuals from entering the United States and imposes sanctions on them.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019
Empowering Beneficiaries, Ensuring Access, and Strengthening Accountability Act of 2019 This bill alters several Medicaid programs and funding mechanisms. Specifically, the bill makes appropriations through FY2024 for, and otherwise revises, the Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration Program; allows state Medicaid fraud control units to review complaints regarding patients who are in noninstitutional or other settings; temporarily extends the applicability of Medicaid eligibility criteria that protect against spousal impoverishment for recipients of home and community-based services; temporarily extends the Medicaid demonstration program for certified community behavioral health clinics; repeals the requirement, under the Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, that drug manufacturers include the prices of certain authorized generic drugs when determining the average manufacturer price (AMP) of brand-name drugs (also known as a "blended AMP"), and excludes manufacturers from the definition of "wholesalers" for purposes of rebate calculations; and increases funding available to the Medicaid Improvement Fund beginning in FY2021.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019
Global Respect Act This bill imposes visa-blocking sanctions on foreign persons responsible for or complicit in violating the human rights of individuals due to actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics. The President shall report and periodically update a list of foreign persons responsible for such human rights violations and apply sanctions accordingly. The Department of State shall designate at least one senior officer who shall be responsible for tracking violence and discrimination against individuals based on actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics in foreign countries.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019
Connect America Act of 2019 This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission to establish a funding program to expand broadband access for unserved and underserved areas and unserved anchor institutions, such as schools or libraries. The program shall consist of both a national reverse auction and population-based grants to states.
United States · United States Congress · 13 June 2019
Financing Our Energy Future Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax treatment of publicly traded partnerships as corporations, to expand the definition of "qualifying income" for such partnerships (known as master limited partnerships) to include income and gains from renewable and alternative energy generation projects (in addition to fossil fuel-based energy generation projects) and related infrastructure for transportation or storage, including energy derived from thermal resources, waste, renewable fuels and chemicals, energy efficient buildings, gasification, and carbon capture in secure geological storage.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2019
Humanitarian Standards for Individuals in Customs and Border Protection Custody Act This bill imposes requirements and standards related to the care of aliens in U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) custody. CBP shall conduct an initial health screening of each alien in custody to identify those with acute conditions and high-risk vulnerabilities and to provide appropriate healthcare. CBP shall conduct the screening within 12 hours of each alien's initial detention, and within 3 hours for certain priority individuals such as children, pregnant women, and those with disabilities. The bill imposes various requirements related to the services, personnel, and infrastructure for providing such screenings, such as providing interpreters, chaperones, and mental health treatment when necessary. CBP shall ensure detainees have access to drinking water, toilets, sanitation facilities, hygiene products, food, and shelter. The bill imposes certain standards relating to such requirements, such as the minimum amount of drinking water and space for each detainee. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shall enter into memoranda of understanding with various emergency government relief agencies to address instances when surge capacity is necessary. The Inspector General of DHS shall conduct unannounced inspections of ports of entry, border patrol stations, and detention facilities and report the results to Congress. The Government Accountability Office shall assess CBP's management of such facilities and whether CBP and DHS processes are in compliance with this bill's requirements.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2019
Invasive Species Prevention and Forest Restoration Act This bill directs the Department of Agriculture (USDA) to award competitive grants to certain institutions for research to promote the restoration of tree species affected by non-native plant pests and noxious weeds. USDA may also award competitive grants to implement the research or other solutions to restore forest tree species native to the United States that have suffered severe levels of mortality caused by non-native plants pests and noxious weeds. The bill also expands the authority of USDA to transfer funds to respond to an emergency involving an outbreak of a plant pest or noxious weed.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2019
Canadian Snowbird Visa Act This bill authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to admit into the United States qualifying Canadian citizens as long-term nonimmigrant visitors. A qualifying Canadian citizen is an individual who (1) is at least 50 years old, (2) maintains a Canadian residence and owns a U.S. residence or has rented a U.S. accommodation for the duration of the individual's stay, (3) is not inadmissible or deportable, (4) will not engage in employment or labor for hire in the United States other than for a non-U.S.-based person or entity by whom the Canadian citizen was employed in Canada or for whom the Canadian citizen performed services in Canada, and (5) will not seek certain forms of assistance or benefits. A qualified individual may be admitted for up to 240 days during any single 365-day period. The spouse of such person may be admitted under the same terms, except that he or she is not required to separately satisfy the requirement for owning or renting a residence in the United States. The bill grants a person so admitted nonresident alien tax status.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2019
No Federal Funds for Public Charge Act of 2019 This bill prohibits the use of federal funds to implement, administer, enforce, or carry out the proposed Department of Homeland Security rule entitled Inadmissibility on Public Charge Grounds . The rule makes aliens who are likely at any time to become a public charge and receive certain public benefits inadmissible.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2019
Access to Genetic Counselor Services Act of 2019 This bill provides for coverage under Medicare of genetic counseling services that are furnished by genetic counselors. Covered services include those services, as well as incidental services and supplies, that would otherwise be covered under Medicare if provided by a physician.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2019
Pharmacy Benefit Manager Accountability Study Act of 2019 This bill requires the Government Accountability Office to study the role of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) with respect to federally facilitated exchanges, including the role of PBMs in pharmaceutical supply chains, the competition among PBMs, and the use of rebates and fees by PBMs in such exchanges.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2019
United States Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act of 2019 This bill establishes restrictions on businesses that relocate call centers or redirect customer service calls to locations outside the United States. Specifically, a business must notify the Department of Labor that it intends to move its customer service call center overseas and Labor must maintain a publicly available list of such businesses. Subject to narrow exceptions, a business appearing on such list is ineligible to receive federal grants or guaranteed loans for five years after the business is added to the list. Further, agencies must condition the awarding of government contracts on the requirement that any call center activity pursuant to the contract must be performed in the United States. Additionally, the bill requires call center employees to disclose their physical location at the beginning of each call initiated or received, unless all employees of the business participating in the communication are located in the United States, among other exceptions.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2019
Young Farmer Success Act This bill expands the public service employee loan forgiveness program to include certain farmers or ranchers as public service professionals who are eligible for forgivingness of federal student loans.
United States · United States Congress · 12 June 2019
Kids Eat Local Act This bill modifies Department of Agriculture requirements for the national school food programs relating to the purchases of locally produced food. The bill allows institutions participating in the school food programs to use locally grown, locally raised, or locally caught as a product specification in food procurement requests.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2019
Land and Water Conservation Fund Permanent Funding Act This bill makes permanent, beginning in FY2020, funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The President shall annually submit 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 · 11 June 2019
Disaster Relief Medicaid Act This bill establishes a series of programs and requirements relating to Medicaid coverage of individuals affected by a federally declared major disaster. In particular, the bill provides for specific disaster relief coverage under Medicaid for individuals who meet specified income eligibility standards and, during the seven-day period preceding the disaster, were either residents of the impacted area or were employed in the impacted area (and subsequently lost employment). Coverage is effective for two years after the date of the disaster declaration. State Medicaid programs must provide disaster relief coverage that is at least as comprehensive as the state's Medicaid coverage and the Medicaid coverage of the individual's home state, as applicable. The bill applies a 100% Federal Medical Assistance Percentage to such coverage and related administrative expenses.
United States · United States Congress · 11 June 2019
Real Emergency Access for Aging and Disability Inclusion for Disasters Act or the REAADI for Disasters Act This bill establishes programs and requirements to assist individuals with disabilities and the elderly with disaster preparedness. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) shall award disaster response grants to eligible entities to carry out projects to create opportunities for disabled individuals and older adults to contribute to disaster response and mitigation. The bill also establishes the National Commission on Disability Rights and Disasters to address the rights of disabled individuals and older adults throughout the period of preparation for and response to disasters. The Government Accountability Office must study the compliance of federal agencies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 in expending funds to support disabled individuals and older adults in responding to and mitigating disasters.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2019
Broadband Data Improvement Act of 2019 This bill requires (1) broadband service providers to fulfill certain reporting requirements, and (2) the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a challenge process to aid in broadband mapping. Specifically, the bill requires each provider to report certain information regarding the geographic availability of broadband service it provides. The FCC must contract with an entity to provide data submission assistance to a provider that is unable to comply with this reporting requirement. Among other responsibilities, such entity shall provide support for the required challenge process and establish an ongoing data validation and verification process. The FCC is also required to establish a framework for a process whereby information challenging the accuracy of the National Broadband Map may be submitted. Subject to the challenge process and feedback received therefrom, specified federal agencies shall use the National Broadband Map to determine the extent of broadband availability and the areas of the United States that remain unserved.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2019
Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2019 This bill increases and revises requirements for the refundable earned income and child tax credits. It also makes similar revisions to the earned income tax credit for residents of Puerto Rico. The bill authorizes the Department of the Treasury to regulate the practice of tax return preparers and impose sanctions upon preparers found to be incompetent or disreputable. The Government Accountability Office must study and report on the sharing of information between Treasury and states regarding identification numbers issued to tax return preparers and minimum standards for preparers.
United States · United States Congress · 6 June 2019
Expanding Findings for Federal Opioid Research and Treatment Act or the EFFORT Act This bill directs the National Science Foundation to support merit-reviewed and competitively awarded research on the science of opioid addiction.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019
Wounded Warrior Service Dog Act of 2019 This bill provides for the establishment of program for the provision of service dogs to certain Armed Forces members. It requires the Department of Defense to establish a K-9 Service Corps Program to award grants to nonprofit organizations to assist them in planning, designing, establishing, or operating programs to provide assistance dogs to members with a disability who are receiving receiving medical treatment, recuperation, or therapy; those in medical hold or medical holdover status; or those on the temporary disability retired list in cases where medical principles indicate that the disability may be of a permanent nature.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019
Storage and Transportation Of Residual and Excess Nuclear Fuel Act of 2019 or the STORE Nuclear Fuel Act of 2019 This bill directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to establish a program under which it may (1) site, construct, and operate one or more consolidated interim storage facilities for the storage of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste; and (2) enter into contracts with the licensee of a private interim storage facility in order to take title to, transport, and store in it either high-level radioactive waste or spent nuclear fuel. DOE must prioritize contracting with private facilities unless it can demonstrate that it is able to develop a site in a more cost-effective manner.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019
Jeanette Acosta Invest in Women's Health Act of 2019 This bill establishes, or authorizes to be established, a series of programs relating to cancer screenings for women. Among other things, the bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to establish demonstration programs that (1) support certain cancer-screening training for health care providers at family planning and community health centers, and (2) support increased co-testing of human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer among demographics that have disproportionate rates of cervical cancer.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019
Medicare Home Health Flexibility Act This bill establishes circumstances under which an occupational therapist may conduct an initial or comprehensive assessment for an individual who is eligible for home health services under Medicare. Specifically, an occupational therapist may conduct the assessment if the physician's referral order does not include skilled nursing care but does include (1) occupational therapy, and (2) physical therapy or speech language pathology.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019
This bill requires the Department of Energy to establish a pilot program to award grants to nonprofit organizations for energy-efficiency materials to install in nonprofit buildings.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019
Every Child Deserves a Family Act This bill prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, or religion in the provision of child welfare programs and services by entities receiving federal funding. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must provide technical assistance to help states follow this requirement, including (1) guidance for bringing state laws into compliance, (2) developing training to increase cultural competency related to social identity, and (3) training for judges and attorneys involved in child welfare cases, among other supports. Additionally, HHS must establish the National Resource Center on Safety, Well-Being, Placement Stability, and Permanency for LGBTQ Children and Youth Involved with Child Welfare Services to provide training, technical assistance, and guidance to applicable state and local agencies and service providers. Further, the Religious Freedom Restoration Act may not be the basis for challenging the application or enforcement of this bill. The Government Accountability Office must study and report on states' compliance with the requirements of the bill no later than three years after enactment.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019
This bill directs the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to continue to sell the Alzheimer's disease semipostal stamp for an additional six years. The USPS must continue to transfer proceeds from the sale of the stamp to the National Institutes of Health to fund medical research relating to Alzheimer's disease.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019
Improving Seniors' Timely Access to Care Act of 2019 This bill establishes several prohibitions, requirements, and standards relating to prior authorization processes under Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. Specifically, the bill prohibits MA plans from instituting additional prior authorization requirements for surgeries (including related items) that are furnished to a patient during other surgeries for which prior authorization was not required or was already received. Additionally, MA plans must (1) establish an electronic prior authorization program that meets specified standards, including the ability to provide real-time decisions in response to requests for items and services that are routinely approved; (2) annually publish specified prior authorization information, including the percentage of requests approved and the average response time; and (3) meet other standards, as set by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, relating to the quality and timeliness of prior authorization determinations.
United States · United States Congress · 5 June 2019
"Six Triple Eight" Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2019 This bill directs the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate to arrange for the award of a Congressional Gold Medal in honor of the women of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion (commonly known as the "Six Triple Eight") in recognition of their pioneering military service, devotion to duty, and contributions to increase the morale of personnel stationed in the European theater of operations during World War II. The medal shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution and made available for display and research.
![Official portrait of Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT]](https://www.congress.gov/img/member/fd3cb364b8bf93c25834cff750637802_200.jpg)