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Bill· SS. 739 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2013
National Nursing Shortage Reform and Patient Advocacy Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require hospitals to implement a staffing plan that includes a minimum direct care registered nurse-to-patient ratio by unit, adjustments above the minimum ratio under appropriate circumstances, and compliance with minimum licensed practical nurse staffing requirements. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop a national acuity tool to establish nurse staffing requirements above minimum ratios. Directs the Secretary to adjust Medicare payments to hospitals (including hospitals operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs [VA] and long-term care hospitals) to cover additional costs incurred in providing services to Medicare beneficiaries that are attributable to compliance with such ratios. Gives a nurse the right to act as the patient's advocate, including by: (1) initiating action to improve health care or to change decisions or activities that are against the interests and wishes of the patient, and (2) giving the patient an opportunity to make an informed decision about health care before it is provided. Authorizes a nurse to refuse to accept an assignment if it would violate minimum ratios under this Act or if the nurse is not prepared by education, training, or experience to fulfill the assignment without compromising the safety of any patient or jeopardizing the nurse's license. Prohibits a hospital from: (1) taking specified actions against a nurse based on the nurse's refusal to accept an assignment for such a reason; or (2) discriminating against any patient, employee, or any other individual for good faith complaints or grievances relating to the care, services, or conditions of the hospital or of any affiliated or related facilities. Prohibits actions by hospitals to restrain such rights. Makes conforming amendments to titles XVIII (Medicare) and XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act as well as to requirements for the VA health benefits program. Includes stipends in the nurse workforce loan repayment and scholarship program. Expands the nurse retention grant program to authorize programs to implement nurse preceptorship and mentorship projects.
Bill· HRH.R. 1588 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2013
Medicare Drug Savings Act of 2013 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to require drug manufacturers to pay the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) drug rebates for rebate eligible (low-income) individuals. Excludes from Medicare coverage as a part D drug any drug or biological manufactured by a manufacturer that has not entered into and have in effect a rebate agreement with the Secretary. Requires a rebate agreement to require a drug or biological manufacturer to provide to the Secretary a rebate, determined according to a specified formula, for each rebate period ending after December 31, 2011, for any covered Medicare part D drug dispensed after that date to any rebate eligible individual for which payment was made by a prescription drug plan (PDP) sponsor or MedicareAdvantage (MA) organization for such period. Specifies a formula for determination of Medicaid rebate amounts for such drugs or biologicals. Amends SSA title XIX (Medicaid) to exclude any amounts paid under a rebate agreement from the determination of best price and average manufacturer price under the Medicaid program.
Bill· HRH.R. 1578 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 16 April 2013
Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to: (1) direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to resume taking applications for participation in the temporary high-risk insurance program under such Act and to provide additional funding for such purpose, and (2) eliminate the six-month waiting period for program applicants previously covered under creditable health care coverage. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the rate of the excise tax on small cigarettes to $52.33 per thousand for the period between 2014 and 2024.
Bill· SS. 726 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2013
Rural Preventive Health Care Training Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants and enter into contracts for preventive health care training of rural health care practitioners.
Bill· SS. 723 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2013
Huntington's Disease Parity Act of 2013 - Directs the Commissioner of Social Security, for purposes of determining cognitive, behavioral, and physical disability under titles II (Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance) (OASDI) and XVI (Supplemental Security Income) (SSI) of the Social Security Act (SSA), to amend specified Listings of Impairments by providing medical and evaluation criteria for Huntington's Disease. Amends SSA title II to waive the 24-month waiting period for coverage under the Medicare program for individuals diagnosed with Huntington's Disease.
Resolution· SRESS.Res. 97 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2013
Expresses the sense of the Senate that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should exercise its acknowledged authority to: (1) refuse to approve generic versions of non-abuse-deterrent opioid products that have been replaced in the market with abuse-deterrent formulations recognized by FDA as effective, and (2) require generic versions of abuse-deterrent opioid products to be formulated with comparable abuse-deterrent features.
Bill· HRH.R. 1549 (113th)passed
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2013
Helping Sick Americans Now Act - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to transfer from the Prevention and Public Health Fund any unobligated funds which are attributable to FY2013 and any funds that would otherwise be made available to the Fund for FY2014-FY2016 to a Department of Health and Human Services account to carry out the temporary high risk health insurance pool program (a program to provide health insurance coverage to eligible individuals with a preexisting condition). Requires such funds to be available for obligation on the date of enactment of this Act and to remain available through December 31, 2013. Eliminates the eligibility requirement for the temporary high risk pool which prohibits an individual from having creditable coverage (health coverage) for six months before applying for coverage through the pool.
Bill· HRH.R. 1558 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2013
Small Business Health Relief Act of 2013 - Repeals provisions of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), as added by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), that: (1) impose fines on large employers (those with more than 50 full-time employees) who fail to offer their full-time employees the opportunity to enroll in minimum essential health insurance coverage, and (2) require such large employers to file a report with the Secretary of the Treasury on health insurance coverage provided to their full-time employees. Repeals provisions of PPACA that: (1) set limits on the annual deductible on health plans offered in the small group market, (2) allow catastrophic plans to be offered in the individual market to individuals under the age of 30, and (3) impose an annual fee on health insurance entities. Deems high deductible health plans to meet essential health benefits coverage requirements if the enrollee has established a health savings account. Amends the Public Health Service Act, as amended by PPACA, to repeal the allowance of a premium rate variance by age in the individual or small group market. Repeals restrictions on payments for medications from health savings accounts, medical savings accounts, and health flexible spending arrangements. Repeals the limitation to $2,500 of annual salary reduction contributions by an employee to a health flexible spending arrangement under a cafeteria plan. Allows a health plan to maintain its status as a grandfathered health plan regardless of any modification to the cost-sharing levels, employer contribution rates, or covered benefits. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to promulgate regulations to clarify the application of such allowance. Makes this allowance effective as if included in PPACA. Voids any regulations promulgated pursuant to current related provisions before enactment of this Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 1559 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2013
Rural Preventive Health Care Training Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants and enter into contracts for preventive health care training of rural health care practitioners.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 161 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2013
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) should exercise its acknowledged authority to: (1) refuse to approve generic versions of non-abuse-deterrent opioid products that have been replaced in the market with abuse-deterrent formulations, and (2) require generic versions of abuse-deterrent opioid products to be formulated with comparable abuse-deterrent features.
Resolution· HCONRESH.Con.Res. 31 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 15 April 2013
Expresses support for: (1) Rare Pituitary Disease Awareness, and (2) a substantial national commitment to improving diagnostics and cures for rare pituitary diseases and quality of life for afflicted patients. Recognizes the importance of improving awareness and encouraging accurate and early diagnosis of Cushing's disease, Acromegaly, and other such diseases.
Bill· HRH.R. 1542 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2013
WMD Intelligence and Information Sharing Act of 2013 - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Office of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) support homeland security-focused intelligence analysis of terrorist actors, their claims, and their plans to conduct attacks involving chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear materials against the nation and of global infectious disease, public health, food, agricultural, and veterinary issues; (2) support homeland security-focused risk analysis and risk assessments of such homeland security hazards by providing relevant quantitative and nonquantitative threat information; (3) leverage homeland security intelligence capabilities and structures to enhance prevention, protection, response, and recovery efforts with respect to a chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear attack; and (4) share information and provide tailored analytical support on these threats to state, local, and tribal authorities as well as other national biosecurity and biodefense stakeholders. Requires the Office to coordinate with other DHS components, the Intelligence Community, and federal, state, local, and tribal authorities where appropriate and enable such entities to provide recommendations on optimal information sharing mechanisms and on how they can provide information to DHS. Directs the Secretary of DHS to report annually on: (1) intelligence and information sharing activities to counter the threat from weapons of mass destruction, and (2) DHS's activities in accordance with relevant intelligence strategies. Requires the Secretary to ensure that homeland security information analyzed by DHS concerning terrorist threats is provided to state, local, and private entities and the public.
Bill· HRH.R. 1531 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2013
Breast Cancer Patient Protect Act of 2013 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group or individual health plan that provides medical and surgical benefits to ensure that inpatient (and in the case of a lumpectomy, outpatient) coverage and radiation therapy are provided for breast cancer treatment. Prohibits such a plan from: (1) restricting benefits for any hospital length of stay to less than 48 hours in connection with a mastectomy or breast conserving surgery or 24 hours in connection with a lymph node dissection, insofar as the attending physician, in consultation with the patient, determines such stay to be medically necessary; or (2) requiring that a provider obtain authorization from the plan for prescribing any such length of stay. Requires such a plan to: (1) provide notice to each participant and beneficiary regarding the coverage required under this Act, and (2) ensure that coverage is provided for secondary consultations. Prohibits a health plan from taking specified actions to avoid the requirements of this Act. Allows a health insurance issuer that provides individual health insurance coverage to nonrenew or discontinue an individual's coverage based on the intentional concealment of material facts regarding a health condition related to the condition for which coverage is being claimed.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 159 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2013
Expresses support for the designation of National Osteopathic Medicine Week.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 154 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2013
Expresses support for the designation of National Minority Cancer Awareness Week.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 153 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 April 2013
Expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2009: (1) was a "bill for raising revenue" as those words were intended to be understood in article I, section 7, clause 1 of the Constitution; and (2) did not originate in the House of Representatives.
Bill· SS. 719 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2013
Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Prevention, Education, and Research Act of 2013 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish the Tick-Borne Diseases Advisory Committee. Requires the Committee to advise the Secretary and the Assistant Secretary for Health regarding the manner in which such officials can: (1) ensure interagency coordination and communication and minimize overlap regarding efforts to address tick-borne diseases, (2) identify opportunities to coordinate efforts with other federal agencies and private organizations addressing such diseases, (3) ensure interagency coordination and communication with constituency groups, (4) ensure that a broad spectrum of scientific viewpoints are represented in public health policy decisions and that information disseminated to the public and physicians is balanced, and (5) advise relevant federal agencies on priorities related to Lyme and other tick-borne diseases. Directs the Committee to regularly review published public and private treatment guidelines and evaluate such guidelines for effective representation of a wide variety of views. Requires the Secretary, acting as appropriate through various federal officials, to provide for the coordination of all federal programs and activities related to Lyme and other tick-borne diseases and the conduct or support of specified activities, including: (1) developing sensitive and accurate diagnostic tools and tests, (2) improving the efficient utilization of diagnostic testing currently available, (3) surveillance and reporting of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, (4) providing and promoting access to a clearinghouse of information on such diseases, (5) increasing public education related to such diseases, (6) creating a physician education program to educate health professionals on the latest research and diversity of treatment options for Lyme disease, (7) establishing epidemiological research objectives, and (8) determining the effectiveness of different treatment modalities.
Bill· SS. 709 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2013
Health Outcomes, Planning, and Education for Alzheimer's Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for comprehensive Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and services.
Bill· HRH.R. 1507 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2013
Health Outcomes, Planning, and Education for Alzheimer's Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for comprehensive Alzheimer's disease diagnosis and services.
Bill· HRH.R. 1487 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2013
Improved Health Care at Lower Cost Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) and XI of the Social Security Act with respect to the prohibition against certain (potential financial conflict-of-interest) physician referrals. Excepts from the physician self-referral prohibition any monetary incentive payments made by hospitals to physicians under certain incentive payment programs designed to align incentives among hospitals and physicians (through techniques such as product standardization, the substitution of lower cost products, and care coordination initiatives that encourage medically appropriate decreases in length of stay) to improve efficiency and decrease costs while maintaining or improving quality. Exempts such monetary incentive payments (creates a safe harbor for them) from federal criminal antikickback and other sanctions.
Bill· HRH.R. 1484 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 April 2013
Medicare Payment Rate Disclosure Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make publicly available on the official Medicare Internet site during a specified initial period: (1) Medicare payment rates for frequently reimbursed hospital inpatient and outpatient procedures and services, as well as for physicians' services; and (2) the period for which payment rates are applicable. Requires posting also after the initial period of an expanded selection of such items. Directs the Secretary to select at least 30 procedures and services for the basic posting and at least 100 procedures and services for the expanded posting.
Bill· SS. 701 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2013
Forty Hours is Full Time Act of 2013 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the employer mandate to provide health care coverage, to: (1) modify the formula for calculating the number of full-time employees employed by an applicable large employer subject to the mandate; and (2) define a "full-time employee" as an employee who is employed on average at least 40 hours per week (currently, 30 hours).
Bill· SS. 696 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2013
Safe Chemicals Act of 2013 - Amends the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to state that it is the policy of the United States to: (1) protect the health of children, workers, consumers, and the public and to protect the environment from harmful exposures to chemical substances; (2) promote the use of safer alternatives and other actions that reduce the use of and exposure to hazardous chemical substances and reward innovation toward safer chemicals, processes, and products; (3) require that chemicals in commerce meet a risk-based safety standard that protects vulnerable and affected populations and the environment; (4) require companies to provide sufficient health and environmental information for the chemical substances that the companies manufacture, process, or import as a condition of allowing those companies to distribute chemical substances in commerce; (5) improve the quality of information on chemical safety and use; (6) guarantee the right of the public and workers to know about the hazards and uses of chemical substances that they may be exposed to by maximizing public access to information on chemical safety and use; and (7) strengthen cooperation among the federal, state, municipal, tribal, and foreign governments. Declares that it is the goal of the United States to address the harmful exposure of vulnerable or affected populations caused by the distribution of chemical substances in commerce by: (1) reviewing all chemical substances for safety and identifying the highest priority substances for expedited review, (2) determining whether chemical substances in commerce meet the safety standard under TSCA, (3) applying appropriate restrictions to the use of a chemical substance, and (4) encouraging the replacement of harmful chemicals and processes with safer alternatives. Adds and revises definitions under TSCA. Authorizes the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to determine that a variant of a chemical substance is a new chemical substance. Redefines "distribute in commerce" to include exporting a chemical substance, mixture, or article. Defines “toxic” as a chemical substance or mixture that has a toxicological property: (1) meeting the criteria for Category 1or Category 2 for any of the toxicity endpoints established by the Globally Harmonized System for the Classification and Labeling of Hazardous Substances, (2) that causes an adverse effect that has been demonstrated in humans or other exposed organisms, or (3) for which the weight of evidence demonstrates the potential for an adverse effect in humans or other exposed organisms. Defines "toxicological property" to mean actual or potential toxicity or other adverse effects of a chemical substance or mixture, including effects of exposure on: (1) mortality; (2) morbidity, including carcinogenesis; (3) reproduction; (4) growth and development; (5) the immune system; (6) the endocrine system; (7) the brain or nervous system; (8) other organ systems; or (9) any other biological functions in humans or nonhuman organisms. Directs the Administrator to promulgate a rule that: (1) establishes minimum information sets to evaluate chemical substances; (2) provides for varied or tiered information to be provided for different chemical substances; (3) identifies the particular set that applies to a chemical substance; (4) requires each set to include sufficient information to conduct a screening-level risk assessment of the chemical substance; (5) specifies information quality and reliability requirements applicable to the information submitted; (6) accommodates the use of alternative testing methods and strategies to generate information quickly, at low cost, and with reduced use of animal-based testing to the extent such methods and strategies would yield information of equivalent quality and reliability; and (7) establishes sets sufficient to carry out categorization of new and existing chemical substances, assignment of chemical substances to priority classes, and safety standard determinations. Requires chemical manufacturers and processors to submit and update their minimum information sets. Authorizes the Administrator to: (1) require by rule or order the testing of, and the submission of test results for, any chemical substance; (2) require submission of a sample of any chemical substance for testing by a specified date; and (3) impose restrictions on violators of testing requirements, including a prohibition against manufacturing, processing, or distributing chemical substances. Requires such rule or order to: (1) include standards for the development of test information for a substance, and (2) specify testing deadlines. Authorizes the Administrator to prescribe standards for the development of test information for health and environmental information. Requires the Administrator to review such standards at least once every three years and make revisions if necessary. Requires any rule or order that requires the testing and submission of information for a particular chemical substance or for a category of chemical substances to expire by the end of the applicable reimbursement period. Sets forth exemptions to such testing requirements. Requires the Administrator, within 15 days after the receipt of test information pursuant to such rule or order, to publish a notice that: (1) identifies the chemical substance for which information has been received, (2) lists the uses of such substance and the information required by the applicable standards for the development of test information, and (3) describes the nature of such information developed. Requires each person who submits information under TSCA, rule, or order to certify that such information is accurate and reliable and includes all material facts. Prohibits a person from commercially manufacturing a new substance or processing a substance for a new use unless the person submits to the Administrator a notice of the intention to manufacture or process such substance and complies with data submission requirements, and the Administrator finds that: (1) the chemical substance is likely to meet the applicable safety standard under TSCA; or (2) the person has established that such use is in the paramount interest of national security, that the lack of availability of such substance would cause significant disruption in the national economy, and that such use is a critical or essential use for which no feasible safer alternative is available or that such use, as compared to alternatives, provides a substantial net benefit to human health, the environment, or public safety. Requires the Administrator to promulgate a rule that: (1) designates the categories for substances of very high concern, substances likely to meet the safety standard, substances with insufficient information, and substances unlikely to meet the safety standard; (2) specifies the process and criteria the Administrator will use to categorize new chemical substances; and (3) describes criteria and factors the Administrator will use to assess the weight of evidence and the quality and reliability of information used to inform categorization decisions. Requires the Administrator to assign a new chemical substance to one of such categories within 90 days after receiving such notice. Requires the Administrator to designate as a "substance of very high concern" any new substance that: (1) is toxic, persists in the environment, and is bioaccumulative; or (2) is highly hazardous. Prohibits manufacturing or processing such substance unless notice has been submitted pursuant to TSCA and the criteria for a substance of very high concern has been met. Requires the Administrator to designate as a "substance likely to meet the safety standard" any new chemical substance that the Administrator determines would likely meet the safety standard under TSCA: (1) for uses and under conditions specified by the submitter of such notice for such substance, and (2) for uses and under additional conditions that could be specified by the Administrator in making a safety standard determination for such substance. Requires the Administrator to assign to such category any new chemical substance that meets the criteria specified for "substances of very low concern" and "substances to undergo safety standard determinations." Authorizes a chemical substance designated as a "substance likely to meet the safety standard" to be manufactured or processed under specified conditions, pending the completion of a safety standard determination. Requires the Administrator to designate as a "substance with insufficient information" any new chemical substance for which the Administrator concludes that needed information for such substance is not available, is insufficient, or is not of sufficient quality and reliability to allow for an informed categorization decision. Prohibits any person from manufacturing or processing a chemical substance designated under this category until the Administrator has recategorized the substance. Requires the Administrator to designate as a "substance unlikely to meet the safety standard" any new chemical substance that the Administrator determines would be unlikely to meet such standard: (1) for uses and under conditions specified by the submitter of a notice of the intention to manufacture or process the substance, or (2) for other uses or under additional conditions that the Administrator may evaluate in making a safety standard determination for the substance. Prohibits the manufacture and process of such substances. Prohibits, subject to an exemption, any person from manufacturing or processing an existing chemical substance for which the Administrator has not made a safety standard determination for a use that was not ongoing prior to this Act's enactment or at a volume that is significantly increased from the volume as of this Act's enactment. Prohibits manufacturing, processing, distributing in commerce, using, or disposing of an existing chemical that has met the applicable safety standard for uses at production volumes or in manners other than those specified in the safety determination, unless: (1) notice is made of the intention to manufacture and process such chemical; and (2) the Administrator determines that the person submitting such notice will continue to meet such standard. Sets forth provisions concerning amending safety standards and safety standard determinations. Requires the Administrator to determine that a variant of a chemical substance exhibiting special substance characteristics: (1) is a use that is separate from any use of the substance that does not exhibit such characteristics, or (2) is a distinct substance. Requires manufacturers or processors of: (1) a variant that the Administrator determines has a separate use, to satisfy conditions established by the Administrator; and (2) a distinct chemical substance that is not listed in the active inventory of chemical substances manufactured or processed published by the Administrator, to comply with requirements for new chemicals. Authorizes the Administrator to exempt from requirements for new chemicals and new uses of chemicals an intrinsically safe chemical substance that does not and would not pose any risk of injury to human health or the environment under any intended or reasonably anticipated levels of production, patterns of use, or exposures arising at any stage across the lifecycle of such substance. Authorizes the Administrator to order a manufacturer or processor to revise quality control procedures that are inadequate to prevent a chemical substance from presenting a risk of injury to human health or the environment. Sets forth provisions concerning notice requirements for polymeric chemical substances. Authorizes the Administrator to permit a person to manufacture or process of a chemical substance for test marketing purposes: (1) upon a showing that the manufacture, processing, distribution in commerce, use, and disposal of such substance will not endanger human health or the environment; and (2) under such restrictions as the Administrator considers appropriate. Requires the Administrator to provide fair and equitable reimbursement for the costs incurred to comply with information submission requirements for a chemical substance when information has already been submitted for an equivalent substance. Sets forth exemptions from notice and data submission requirements for chemical substances that are manufactured and processed in small quantities solely for the purpose of: (1) scientific experimentation or analysis; or (2) chemical research on, or analysis of, substances. Authorizes the Administrator to exempt from notice and data submission requirements the manufacturing or processing of any chemical substance: (1) that exists temporarily as a result of a chemical reaction in the manufacturing or processing of a mixture or another substance; and (2) to which there is, and will be, no human or environmental exposure. Requires that each submission of information required under TSCA be accompanied by a certification of the accuracy, reliability, and inclusion of all material facts of such submission. Repeals provisions prohibiting federal agencies from selling, distributing, or transferring elemental mercury. Requires the Administrator to: (1) establish a system for assigning chemical substances into batches to ensure that an efficient and orderly process and pace are established for the determination of safety of chemical substances in commerce and the application of risk management measures as needed, (2) assign chemical substances on the active portion of the inventory to batches of chemical substances at least once every five years until all such substances have been so assigned, and (3) publish the list of substances assigned to each batch. Requires the initial batch to include substances for which reports are submitted to the Administrator under the chemical data reporting rule as of this Act’s enactment. Authorizes the Administrator to: (1) include in such batch substances that are manufactured at volumes below the threshold for substances subject to basic reporting under such rule but that are used or released into the environment in a manner that warrants early evaluation by the Administrator; and (2) exclude from such batch substances that are reported under such rule but that are used or released into the environment in a manner that does not warrant early evaluation. Requires the Administrator to assign chemical substances to subsequent batches in a manner that reflects the extent to which the substances warrant earlier or later evaluation. Requires the Administrator to promulgate regulations that: (1) establish the categories and specify the process and criteria the Administrator will use to categorize chemical substances; (2) designate the process and criteria the Administrator will use to prioritize substances that are placed in the category of chemical substances to undergo safety standard determinations; (3) describe how the categorization and prioritization process and criteria relate to and take into account the categorization and prioritization decisions made in other jurisdictions, including states and foreign governments; (4) describe criteria and factors the Administrator will use to weigh evidence and assess the quality and reliability of information used to inform categorization and prioritization decisions; (5) incorporate and establish criteria for substances of very high concern, substances of very low concern, substances to undergo safety standard determinations, and substances with insufficient information; and (6) establish specified priority classes and criteria. Prohibits a chemical substance from being simultaneously in more than one the following categories: substances of very high concern, substances likely to meet the safety standard, substances with insufficient information, and substances unlikely to meet the safety standard. Requires the Administrator to publish: (1) such category assignments for chemical substances in the initial and subsequent batches, and (2) the priority class assignments for the chemical substances in the initial batch of chemical substances that the Administrator has assigned to the category of "substances to undergo safety standard determinations and for the substances in subsequent batches that the Administrator has assigned to the category of "chemical substances to undergo safety standard determinations." Requires the Administrator to designate as "Priority Class 1" those chemical substances that the Administrator determines warrant safety standard determinations in the near term. Requires the Administrator to initially assign as "Priority Class 1" substances that possess relatively greater hazard potential and for which there is evidence of more significant or widespread exposure. Authorizes the Administrator to designate as "Priority Class 1" any substance initially assigned to a lower priority class as safety determinations for the substance are completed. Directs the Administrator to: (1) designate as "Priority Class 2" those chemical substances that the Administrator determines are of lower priority than Priority Class 1 substances with respect to the timing for conducting safety standard determinations, and (2) require submission of the applicable minimum information set within five years of this Act’s enactment and within five years after the assignment of a substance to such priority. Requires the Administrator to designate as "Priority Class 3" those chemical substances that the Administrator determines may be set aside for further assessment until such time as: (1) safety stand determinations are completed on all Priority Class 1and 2 substances, and (2) new information arises that warrants reprioritization of such substance to a higher priority class. Prohibits the Administrator from requiring submission of the applicable minimum information set for a substance designated under such class until such time as the substance is reassigned to Priority Class 1 or 2. Sets forth provisions concerning reprioritizing chemical substances. Requires chemical substance manufacturers and processors to: (1) bear the burden of proving that chemical substances meet applicable safety standards, and (2) provide sufficient information for the Administrator to determine whether such standards have been met. Allows a chemical substance that undergoes a safety standard determination to be manufactured, processed, or distributed in commerce only if the Administrator determines that the chemical substance: (1) meets the safety standard, or (2) can meet the safety standard for uses through the imposition of additional conditions. Requires the Administrator to base a determination of whether such standard has been met solely on considerations of human health and the environment. Prohibits the Administrator from being required to conduct a risk assessment to determine that a manufacturer or processor has not met the burden of proof. Prohibits a determination by the Administer that a manufacturer or processor has not established that the chemical substance meets the applicable safety standard from being subject to judicial review. Requires the Administrator to: (1) conduct safety standard determinations of all chemical substances assigned to the category of "substances to undergo safety standard determinations," beginning with substances initially designated as Priority Class 1; (2) complete and publish such determinations for all substances designated as Priority Class 1 in the initial batch within five years of this Act’s enactment; (3) complete and publish such determinations for all substances designated as Priority Class 1 in subsequent batches within five years of the designation of a substance as Priority Class 1; and (4) complete and publish such determinations for Priority Class 2 or 3 substances that have been reprioritized as Priority Class 1 within five years after such reprioritization. Requires the Administrator, in making such determinations, to determine whether the manufacturers and processors of a chemical substance have established that the substance meets the safety standard. Requires the Administrator to seek to publish such determinations and risk management decisions concurrently. Prohibits the Administrator from unduly delaying the issuance of any safety standard determination if more information or analysis is required to make a determination regarding risk management. Requires the Administrator to publish completed determinations no less frequently than annually and at a pace sufficient to demonstrate steady progress toward completing all such determinations within the required time frame. Prohibits manufacturing, processing, or distributing substances subject to such determinations for any use or under any condition other than those specified in such orders within specified periods. Authorizes the Administrator to grant an extension of such deadline if the manufacturer or processor demonstrates: (1) a compelling technological need to continue a restricted activity beyond such period, and (2) that a factor wholly beyond the control of the manufacturer or processor prevents compliance with such restriction within such period. Sets forth provisions concerning: (1) initiating a redetermination of whether a substance meets such standards, and (2) petitions for redeterminations. Authorizes the Administrator, after a chemical substance has been assigned to the category of substances of very high concern, to require the submission of additional information that is necessary to conduct an expedited assessment of the known uses of, and exposures to, such substance. Requires the Administrator to complete and publish an identification and assessment of the known uses, and exposures to, a substance within a year of the date on which a substance is assigned to such category. Requires the Administrator to impose use restrictions and other conditions within 18 months on the manufacturing, processing, use, distribution, and disposal of such substance that are necessary to achieve the maximum practicable reduction in human or environmental exposure to the chemical. Prohibits manufacturing, processing, or distributing substances subject to such determinations for any use or under any condition other than those specified in such orders. Authorizes the Administrator to: (1) require that the manufacturer or processor submit a description of the quality control procedures followed in such manufacturing or processing of a chemical substance if the Administrator has a reasonable basis to conclude that the substance is being manufactured or processed in a manner that may present a substantial endangerment to health or the environment, (2) order the manufacturer or processor to revise such procedures to remedy such inadequacy, and (3) order the manufacturer or processor to give notice when such procedures have resulted in the distribution of a substance that may present a substantial endangerment to human health or the environment and provide for the replacement or repurchase of such substance. Sets forth provisions concerning exemptions from restrictions on manufacturing a new chemical substance and substances of very high concern and safety standard determination requirements. Prohibits an agency from conveying, selling, or distributing any elemental mercury, other than mercury contained within an article containing a chemical substance, under the agency's control or jurisdiction. Exempts from such prohibition: (1) a transfer between federal agencies of elemental mercury for the sole purpose of facilitating storage of mercury to carry out such Act; or (2) a conveyance, sale, distribution, or transfer of coal. Requires the Administrator to: (1) designate asbestos as a chemical substance of very high concern; (2) complete and publish an identification and assessment of the known uses of, and exposures to, asbestos; (3) impose, by order, use restrictions and other conditions on the manufacturing, processing, use, distribution in commerce, and disposal of asbestos to achieve the maximum practicable reduction in human or environmental exposure to asbestos; and (4) select conditions that permanently reduce or eliminate the possibility of exposures to the maximum extent practicable. Prohibits manufacturing, processing, or distributing in commerce asbestos for any use or under any condition other than those specified in such order. Requires the Administrator to publish guidance describing the steps agencies must take to: (1) enhance protections for public health and safety and the environment; and (2) better solicit information from, and protect the health and safety of, people located near areas where asbestos is located, transported, and disposed. Provides that nothing in such guidance should be construed to affect or limit the application of, or obligation to comply with, any environmental law. Redefines asbestos to include any: (1) material formally classified as tremolite, including winchire asbestos and richterite asbestos; and (2) asbestiform amphibole mineral. Authorizes the Administrator to: (1) commence a civil action for seizure of and relief from a chemical substance that may present an imminent and substantial (currently imminent) endangerment to health or the environment, and (2) issue orders to protect health or the environment from such substances. Authorizes such action to be: (1) commenced notwithstanding the existence of a rule or order under TSCA and the pendency of any administrative or judicial proceeding under TSCA, and (2) proceeded against by process of libel for seizure and condemnation of such substance. Revises provisions concerning venue and consolidation of such actions. Requires each manufacturer to submit to the Administrator a declaration of the interest of the manufacturer for a chemical substance in which the manufacturer has a commercial interest. Requires such declarations notwithstanding any exclusions or exemptions from other notification or reporting requirements of TSCA. Authorizes: (1) a processor of a substance in which the processor has a current or potential commercial interest to voluntarily submit a declaration for such substance; and (2) a manufacturer or processor to submit a declaration of a cessation of producing, importing, processing, and exporting a substance. Establishes criteria for identifying substances to which such declarations apply. Requires the Administrator to issue guidance describing such criteria and specifying the supporting information manufacturers and processors are to include in such declarations. Sets forth provisions regarding: (1) the Administrator reviewing such declarations and establishing a periodic reporting program on such chemical substances; (2) manufacturers and processors maintaining records to support such declarations and report; and (3) manufacturers and processors updating information contained in such reports at least every four years, when they come into possession of or generate significant new information regarding the production, processing, use, distribution, hazard, or exposure potential of such substances, and when there is a significant change in the production, distribution, or use of such substances. Revises provisions concerning the inventory of chemical substances manufactured or processed that the Administrator is required to publish. Requires the Administrator to establish an Internet-accessible database for storing and sharing information relating to the toxicity and use of, and exposure to, chemical substances. Requires any person that manufactures, processes, or distributes any chemical substance to maintain and, on request, submit to the Administrator records of significant adverse reactions to human health or the environment alleged to have been caused by the substance. Requires any person that manufactures, processes, or distributes a chemical substance and that obtains information that reasonably supports the conclusion that the substance presents a substantial risk of injury to health or the environment to immediately inform the Administrator of the information unless the person has actual knowledge that the Administrator has been adequately informed of the information. Requires the Administrator to report to federal agencies in cases where action may be taken under law not administered by the Administrator to address activities involving, uses of, or exposures to a chemical substance that do not meet a safety standard under TSCA. Revises provisions concerning inspections, including by allowing the Administrator to: (1) inspect any place at which records relating to substances or compliance with TSCA are held, and (2) require the attendance and testimony of witnesses and the production of reports and information. Repeals provisions concerning exemptions to TSCA for chemical substances that are manufactured, processed, or distributed in commerce for export. Establishes deadlines for notifications to the Administrator relating to the exportation of such chemical substances. Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security (currently the Secretary of the Treasury) to refuse entry into the U.S. customs territory of chemical substances under specified circumstances. Revises data disclosure requirements, including provisions concerning designating and releasing confidential data. Requires the Administrator to treat as confidential: (1) precise information describing the manufacture, processing, or distribution of a chemical substance; (2) marketing and sales information; (3) information identifying the customers of a manufacturer, processor, or distributor; (4) details of the full composition of a mixture of a particular manufacturer or processor; (5) precise information about the use, function, or application of a substance in a process, mixture, or product of a particular manufacturer or processor; and (6) precise production or import volumes of a particular manufacturer, processor, or distributor. Requires the Administrator to disclose: (1) the identity of a chemical substance; (2) safety standard determinations; (3) specified health and safety study data; (4) health and safety data in notices of substantial risk; (5) general information describing the manufacturing volumes and the functions and uses of substances; (6) any information indicating the presence of a substance in consumer products intended for use by children aged 14 years or younger if such substance is a known or probable reproductive, developmental, neurological, or immunological toxicant, carcinogen, or mutagen, is persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic, or has been found by the Administrator to not meet a safety standard. Provides that such requirements do not authorize the release of data that discloses a process used in the manufacturing or processing of a substance. Establishes exemptions from requirements to disclose identities of substances. Requires the Administrator to promulgate rules that specify: (1) the acceptable bases on which written requests to maintain confidentiality of information may be approved, (2) the nature of the documentation and justification that must accompany such a request, and (3) the types of information the Administrator determines warrant protection for an indefinite period of time. Sets forth provisions concerning the review of such requests. Requires the Administrator, if a request to maintain confidentiality of information is approved, to specify a time period not to exceed five years for which such information will be kept confidential, unless the information otherwise becomes available to the public or the request for confidentially is exempted from such time constraint. Establishes a civil penalty for: (1) wrongful disclosure of information by current and former officers or employees of the United States, and (2) false requests for confidential treatment by officers or employees of companies that submit information. Requires all information reported to or otherwise obtained by the Administrator under TSCA to be made available to Congress upon request. Requires the Administrator to facilitate the sharing of information pertaining to chemical substances that workers may come into contact with or that they may otherwise be exposed to during the course of work with those workers and their bargaining agents. Prohibits any person from manufacturing, processing, distributing, using, or disposing of chemical substances that such person knew or had reason to know was manufactured, processed, or distributed in violation of any rule, order, prohibition, restriction, or other requirement imposed by TSCA. Prohibits any person from failing or refusing to establish or maintain records or to submit accurate and complete reports, notices, information submissions, disclosures, declarations, certifications, or other information as required by TSCA. Prohibits any person from making or submitting a statement, declaration, disclosure, certification, writing, data set, or representation that is materially false or from falsifying or concealing any material fact in taking any action or making any communication pursuant to TSCA. Increases the cap on the amount of civil and criminal penalties for each violation of TSCA. Authorizes fining and imprisoning individuals who knowingly violate TSCA and who know at that time that the violation places another person in imminent danger of death or serious bodily injury. Revises enforcement provisions, including by authorizing the Administrator to: (1) commence a civil action in the appropriate U.S. district court to compel compliance of any person with any provision of, or any rule or order promulgated pursuant to, TSCA; and (2) seek civil or criminal penalties. Revises preemption provisions by providing that nothing in TSCA affects the right of a state to adopt or enforce any requirement that is different from, or in addition to, a requirement under TSCA unless compliance with both requirements is impossible, in which case the applicable provisions of TSCA shall control. Revises provisions concerning citizens’ civil action by allowing a person to commence a civil action for a violation of this Act or order issued under this Act (currently actions are limited to specific violations). Revises provisions concerning citizens’ petitions by allowing a person to petition the Administrator to initiate a proceeding for the issuance, amendment, or repeal of a rule or order under TSCA (currently petitions are limited to initiating proceedings for issuing, amending, or repealing specific requirements). Repeals a cap on fees from persons required to submit data to defray the cost of administering TSCA. Authorizes appropriations to the Administrator to carry out TSCA for 2013-FY2020. Requires the Administrator to establish: (1) the Children’s Environmental Health Research Program to provide grants to further the understanding of the vulnerability of children to chemical substances, and (2) the Interagency Science Advisory Board on Children’s Health Research. Requires the Administrator, when a chemical substance has been identified as being present in human biological media that may have adverse effects on early childhood development, to coordinate with the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct a biomonitoring study to determine the presence of such substance in such media in, at a minimum, pregnant women and infants. Requires: (1) the Secretary to publish such study, and (2) manufacturers and processors to disclose any substance that is determined to be present in such study. Requires the Administrator to: (1) take action to minimize the use of animals in testing of chemical substances, and (2) establish the Interagency Science Advisory Board on Alternative Testing Methods. Requires the Administrator to establish: (1) a program to create market incentives for the development of safer alternatives to existing chemical substances that reduce or avoid the use and generation of hazardous substances, (2) a network of no less than four green chemistry and engineering centers to support the development and adoption of safer alternatives to chemical substances, and (3) a program to facilitate the development of a workforce that produces such alternatives. Requires the Administrator to make grants to promote and support the research, development, and adoption of such alternatives. Requires the Secretary of State, the heads of other appropriate federal agencies, and the Administrator to cooperate with international efforts to develop: (1) a common protocol or electronic database relating to substances, or (2) safer alternatives for substances. Requires the Administrator to establish and implement procedures to ensure data reliability. Requires the Administrator to: (1) identify localities of the United States that are subject to exposure to toxic substances at levels that are significantly greater than the average exposure, (2) publish a list of such localities, (3) update such list at least every five years, and (4) develop and publish action plans to reduce such disproportionate exposure. Requires the Administrator to implement and support the implementation by the United States of the provisions of the Stockholm Convention, the Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants to the Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP POPs Protocol), and the Rotterdam Convention that have entered into effect for the United States. Prohibits manufacturing, processing, distributing, using, disposing of, or taking any other action with respect to a chemical that is listed on any Annex of the Stockholm Convention the LRTAP POPs Protocol, or the Rotterdam Convention or that is identified by notification to the Secretariat of the Rotterdam Convention by the United States as banned or severely restricted in the United States if such listings have entered into force for the United States, in a manner inconsistent with obligations for such chemicals under such agreements. Requires the Administrator to provide public notice of the chemicals that are subject to the instrument of ratification for the Stockholm Convention, LRTAP POPs Protocol, or Rotterdam Convention and of any chemical added after such instrument has entered into force for the United States within 30 days of the deposit of such instrument or the listing of any chemical added. Authorizes the Administrator to promulgate regulations to carry out the Stockholm Convention, the LRTAP POPs Protocol, and the Rotterdam Convention and to ensure compliance with any obligations under such instruments.
Bill· HRH.R. 1468 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2013
Strengthening and Enhancing Cybersecurity by Using Research, Education, Information, and Technology Act of 2013 or SECURE IT - Authorizes private entities to employ countermeasures and use cybersecurity systems to obtain, identify, or possess cyber threat information on its own networks or the networks of another entity with such entity's authorization. Allows private entities, nonfederal government agencies, or state, tribal, or local governments to voluntarily disclose cyber threat information to designated cybersecurity centers or to each other to assist with preventing, investigating, or mitigating threats to information security. Requires such entities and governments providing electronic communication, remote computing, or information security services to a federal agency to inform the agency of a significant cyber incident involving the federal information system of that agency that: (1) is directly known as a result of providing such services and directly related to the provision of such services, and (2) has impeded or will impede the performance of a critical mission of the federal agency. Defines "significant cyber incident" as a cyber incident resulting in, or an attempted cyber incident that, if successful, would have resulted in: (1) the exfiltration from a federal information system (an information system used or operated by an executive agency, contractor, or another organization on behalf of an executive agency) of data essential to the operation of the such a system, or (2) an incident in which an operational or technical control essential to the security or operation of a such a system was defeated. Directs federal agencies receiving such significant cyber incident information to report the information to a cybersecurity center. Permits cyber threat information provided to a cybersecurity center to be disclosed to, retained by, or used by, consistent with otherwise applicable federal law, the federal government for a cybersecurity or national security purpose or to prevent, investigate, or prosecute various criminal offenses for which law enforcement officials are authorized, under existing law, to seek a court order authorizing an interception of wire, oral, or electronic communications. Prohibits the disclosure, retention, or use of such information for any use not expressly permitted. Prohibits federal, state, tribal, or local agencies from directly using such information to regulate an entity's lawful activities. Sets forth conditions with regard to information provided to a cybersecurity center including: (1) the disclosure of such information to state, tribal, or local governments; (2) the use, distribution, and any prerequisite consent necessary for sharing such information; and (3) the legal treatment of such information under specified privileges, exemptions, ex parte communications rules, and requirements for disclosing public information and records. Provides legal protections to entities engaged in authorized cybersecurity activities. Directs the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and Secretary of Defense (DOD) to develop procedures for sharing, through cybersecurity centers, classified and unclassified information. Authorizes the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency to review compliance by the cybersecurity centers and federal agencies with required procedures, including privacy and civil liberty protections through anonymization or other methods. Amends the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 to replace existing information security procedures for federal agencies with a new framework for coordinating and securing federal information. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to issue compulsory and binding policies and directives governing agency information security operations. Requires that national security systems be overseen as directed by the President. Requires each agency to comply with such policies and provide risk-commensurate information security protections for information systems used or operated by the agency or a contractor or other organization on an agency's behalf. Requires each agency's Chief Information Officer to develop an agencywide information security program. Directs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to designate an entity to conduct an ongoing security analysis of agency information systems using automated processes. Requires each agency to develop a timeline for the implementation of technology facilitating continuous monitoring and threat assessments. Sets forth separate requirements for national security systems. Requires that federal information systems be based on National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. Amends the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act to increase and further delineate the criminal penalties for computer fraud and related activities. Establishes an offense for aggravated damage to a public or private critical infrastructure computer that manages or controls systems or assets vital to national defense, national security, national economic security, or public health or safety. Amends the High-Performance Computing Act of 1991 to re-designate the National High-Performance Computing Program as the Networking and Information Technology Research and Development Program. Requires the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (STP) to establish goals for inter-agency collaborative research and development with Program Component Areas, industry, institutions of higher education, federal laboratories, and international organizations. Directs agencies to develop a five-year strategic plan. Requires that agencies be encouraged under the Program to address application areas with potential for contributions to national economic competitiveness and other societal benefits including technical solutions to cybersecurity, health care, energy management, transportation, cyber-physical systems, physical and behavioral phenomena, and privacy protection. Defines "cyber-physical systems" as physical or engineered systems whose networking and information technology functions and physical elements are integrated and actively connected to the physical world through sensors, actuators, or other means to perform monitoring and control functions. Requires the STP Director to convene a task force to report to Congress on options for the research, development, and organizational structure of cyber-physical systems. Requires the National Science Foundation (NSF) to carry out a Federal Cyber Scholarship-for-Service program. Requires the NIST to coordinate federal agencies engaged in the development of international technical standards. Amends the Cyber Security Research and Development Act to add research areas eligible for NSF computer and network security research grants. Authorizes various grant programs through FY2015. Requires commercial entities that acquire, maintain, store, or utilize personal information (covered entities) to take reasonable measures to protect and secure data in electronic form containing personal information. Directs a covered entity that owns or licenses such data to give notice of any breach of the security of the system that the entity reasonably believes has caused or will cause identity theft or other financial harm to each individual: (1) who is a U.S. citizen or resident; and (2) whose personal information was, or that the covered entity reasonably believes has been, accessed and acquired by an unauthorized person. Requires: (1) a covered entity to notify the Secret Service or the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of a security breach of personal information involving more than 10,000 individuals; (2) a third-party entity contracted to maintain, store, or process data containing personal information to notify the covered entity of a breach of security of a system; and (3) a service provider to notify the covered entity if it becomes aware of a breach of security involving personal information owned or possessed by a covered entity and if such covered entity can be reasonably identified. Sets forth enforcement authority for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) along with civil monetary penalties for violations of such information protection and notification requirements. Preempts information security practices of the Communications Act of 1934 applicable to telecommunication carriers, satellite operators, and cable operators. Exempts certain financial institutions and entities subject to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
Bill· HRH.R. 1473 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2013
Standard of Care Protection Act of 2013 - Declares that the development, recognition, or implementation of any guideline or other standard under any provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) or titles XVIII (Medicare) or XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act shall not be construed to establish the standard of care or duty of care owed by a health care provider to a patient in any medical malpractice case. Declares also that no provision of PPACA or amendments made by it shall be construed to preempt any state law governing medical professional liability cases.
Bill· HRH.R. 1472 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2013
State Flexibility Act - Amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to repeal certain state Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) maintenance of effort requirements under titles XIX and XXI of the Social Security Act. (Under "maintenance of efforts" a state is prohibited from having eligibility standards, methodologies, or procedures under its state Medicaid or CHIP plan that are more restrictive than those in effect on March 23, 2010, under PPACA.)
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 149 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2013
Expresses support for: (1) the designation of, and the goals and ideals of, Parkinson's Awareness Month; and (2) research to find better treatments and, eventually, a cure for Parkinson's disease. Recognizes those living with Parkinson's who participate in clinical trials. Commends the dedication of state, local, regional, and national organizations, volunteers, researchers, and millions of people in the United States working to improve the quality of life of persons with Parkinson's and their families.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 148 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 10 April 2013
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Youth HIV & AIDS Awareness Day. Encourages state and local governments to recognize and support such a day. Promotes effective and comprehensive HIV prevention education programs as a tool to ensure that all people in the United States are educated about HIV. Urges youth-friendly and accessible health care services to better provide for the early identification of HIV through voluntary routine testing and to connect those in need to clinically and culturally appropriate care and treatment as early as possible. Commends the work of AIDS service organizations, community and faith-based organizations, and school-based health centers that are providing youth-friendly, effective, prevention, treatment, care, and support services to young people living with and vulnerable to HIV/AIDS. Recognizes the importance of interventions that address young people's structural barriers to living healthy lives. Prioritizes youth leadership and development to ensure youth involvement in decisions that impact their health and well-being as well as to advance a pipeline for the next generation of HIV/AIDS professionals as a necessary means to achieving an AIDS-free generation.
Bill· SS. 684 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Mni Wiconi Project Act Amendments of 2013 - Amends the Mni Wiconi Project Act of 1988 to direct the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) to develop plans for completing, and to enter into agreements with specified agency heads to complete, the Oglala Sioux Rural Water Supply System, the Rosebud Sioux Rural Water System, and the Lower Brule Sioux Rural Water System. Requires such plans to require: (1) the completion of remaining components of the applicable system in accordance with the Final Engineering Report dated May 1993; (2) the improvement, repair, and replacement of existing water systems; and (3) the transfer of those existing water systems to the United States, to be held in trust for the applicable tribe and made part of the applicable rural water system. Requires the Secretary to enter into agreements with the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Secretary of Agriculture, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to fulfill the trust responsibility of the United States and to complete such water systems. Requires: (1) the Administrator to assist the Secretary in meeting the environmental and safe drinking water needs of the Pine Ridge, Rosebud, and Lower Brule Indian Reservations; (2) the HHS Secretary to assist the Secretary in meeting the water supply and public health needs of such Reservations; (3) the HUD Secretary to assist the Secretary by carrying out projects to connect houses that are eligible for funding from HUD on the Oglala, Rosebud, and Lower Brule Sioux Reservations through plumbing, water pipes, appurtenances, and interconnections to the applicable water systems to meet water conservation standards; (4) the Secretary and the Secretary of Agriculture to complete, within 15 years, the livestock distribution systems for the Oglala and Rosebud Sioux water systems; and (5) the Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to assist the Secretary in completing the Oglala, Rosebud, and Lower Brule Sioux water systems by constructing, repairing, and upgrading plumbing fixtures, skirting, and other necessary features to ensure that houses within the service areas are able to meet the standards for connecting to those systems. Authorizes appropriations under such Act for planning, design, and construction and for operation and maintenance of such water systems.
Bill· SS. 689 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Mental Health Awareness and Improvement Act of 2013 - Achievement Through Prevention Act - Amends part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to allow states, local educational agencies (LEAs), and schools to use school improvement funds to implement schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and supports and early intervening services and coordinate them with similar activities carried out under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. (Early intervening services are a set of coordinated services for students in kindergarten through grade 12 who are not currently identified as needing special education or related services, but who need additional academic and behavioral support to succeed in a general education environment.) Amends part D of title I of the ESEA to require states that receive funds for the education of neglected or delinquent children or youth to use positive behavioral interventions and supports, early intervening services, and school-based mental health programs to improve such students' academic performance and reduce their need for discipline. Requires an LEA to use subgrant funds to carry out in-service training for school personnel in: (1) the techniques and supports needed to identify early any children with trauma histories and children with, or at risk of, mental illness; and (2) the use of mechanisms to refer such children to appropriate treatment and intervention services. Authorizes programs to prevent the illegal use of drugs and violence among students to include development of school-based mental health programs. Amends the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize and revise requirements for a youth interagency research, training, and technical assistance resource center to expand its focus from youth suicides to suicides among all ages, particularly among groups at high risk for suicide. Reauthorizes a program of grants for the development of state or tribal youth suicide early intervention and prevention strategies. Reauthorizes and revises a grant program to enhance services for students with mental health or substance use disorders at institutions of higher education. Renames mental illness awareness training grants "mental health awareness training grants." Authorizes the use of grant funds for evidence-based programs for the purpose of the safe de-escalation of crisis situations involving individuals with a mental illness. Revises requirements for grants to address the problems of persons who experience violence-related stress to specify their use for the continued operation of the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative focusing on the mental, behavioral, and biological aspects of psychological trauma response. Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to report to specified congressional committees on federal requirements that impact access to treatment of mental health and substance use disorders related to integration with primary care, administrative and regulatory issues, quality measurement and accountability, and data sharing. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Administrator for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to advance, through existing programs as appropriate, the education and awareness of providers, patients, and other appropriate stakeholders regarding all products approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat opioid use disorders. Directs the Comptroller General to evaluate the utilization of mental health services for children, including the usage of psychotropic medications. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require Secretary to provide technical assistance to grantees regarding evidence-based practices for the prevention and treatment of geriatric substance use and mental health disorders, as well as disseminate information about such practices to states and nongrantees. Encourages the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to improve, particularly through the voluntary inclusion of additional states, the National Violent Death Reporting System. Directs the Comptroller General to evaluate the status of implementation of recommendations made in the report to the President, "On Issues Raised by the Virginia Tech Tragedy."
Bill· SS. 672 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Medicare Safe Needle Disposal Coverage Act of 2013 - Amends part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to cover as a part D drug any devices approved for home use by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the safe and effective containment, removal, decontamination, and disposal of home-generated needles, syringes, and other sharps through a sharps container, decontamination/destructive device, or sharps-by-mail program or similar program.
Bill· HRH.R. 1407 (113th)open
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Animal Drug User Fee Amendments of 2013 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to extend for FY2014-FY2018 the authority of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to collect animal drug user fees, specifically new animal drug application or supplemental animal drug application fees, animal drug product fees, animal drug establishment fees, and animal drug sponsor fees. Revises the due date for annual user fees to the later of January 31 of each year or the first business day after enactment of an appropriations act providing for the collection and obligation of fees for the fiscal year. Establishes the amount of revenue such fees can generate. Specifies percentages of the total revenue that shall be derived from each type of user fee. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to adjust the total revenue amounts for FY2015 and subsequent fiscal years for inflation. Authorizes the Secretary to accept payment of user fees prior to their due date. Requires the total fees collected for FY2016-FY2018 to be increased by the cumulative amount, if any, by which the amount of user fees collected and appropriated for prior fiscal year falls below the cumulative amount of fees authorized. Extends requirements for the FDA to report to Congress on achieving goals related to animal drug development and review processes and implementation of authority to collect animal drug user fees. Terminates the authority to collect user fees October 1, 2018.
Bill· HRH.R. 1428 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act of 2013 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Benefits) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to extend the months of coverage of immunosuppressive drugs for kidney transplant patients. Amends SSA title XVIII (Medicare) to make eligible for enrollment in Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance), solely for the purpose of such drug coverage, every individual whose insurance benefits under Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) have ended by reason of a kidney transplant or the end of any requirement for a regular course of dialysis. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to determine a monthly premium rate for such individuals equal to 35% of the monthly actuarial rate for enrollees age 65 and over. Prescribes a formula for detemination of a government contribution to such a premium.
Bill· HRH.R. 1416 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2013 - Declares that, notwithstanding the presidential sequestration order issued on March 1, 2013, the budgetary resources sequestered for payments for drugs and biologicals under title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act shall be available for obligation for drugs and biologicals furnished on or after enactment of this Act in the same amount and manner as if such order had not been issued. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make any payments under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) that may be required to reimburse for reductions in payments made under the sequestration order for drugs and biologicals furnished on or after April 1, 2013, and before enactment of this Act.
Bill· HRH.R. 1429 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Scleroderma Research and Awareness Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand, intensify, and coordinate NIH activities relating to scleroderma, with particular emphasis on: (1) research focused on the etiology of scleroderma and the development of new treatment options; (2) clinical research to evaluate new treatments options; and (3) basic research on the relationship between scleroderma and secondary conditions, such as pulmonary hypertension, gastroparesis, Raynaud's phenomenon, and Sjogren's Syndrome. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to carry out an educational campaign to increase public awareness of scleroderma. Permits print, video, and web-based materials distributed through this campaign to include: (1) basic information on scleroderma and its symptoms; and (2) information on the incidence and prevalence of scleroderma, diseases and conditions affiliated with scleroderma, or the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of scleroderma.
Bill· HRH.R. 1427 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Truth in Healthcare Marketing Act of 2013 - Prohibits any person from making any deceptive or misleading statement, or engaging in any deceptive or misleading act, that: (1) misrepresents whether such person holds a state health care license; or (2) misrepresents such person's education, training, degree, license, or clinical expertise. Requires any person who is advertising health care services provided by such person to disclose the applicable license under which such person is authorized to provide those services. Deems a violation of this Act to be an unfair or deceptive act or practice under the Federal Trade Commission Act. Directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to study and report to Congress on health care professionals' misrepresentations under this Act. Declares that nothing in this Act shall be construed or have the effect of changing state scope of practice for any health care professional.
Bill· HRH.R. 1408 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Animal Generic Drug User Fee Amendments of 2013 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to extend for FY2014-FY2018 the authority of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to collect generic animal drug user fees, specifically abbreviated application fees for generic new animal drugs, generic new animal drug product fees, and generic new animal drug sponsor fees. Subjects generic animal drug applications to a fee 50% of the amount of the normal fee if the application is for an animal drug which contains more than one active ingredient, or the labeling of the drug prescribes, recommends, or suggests use of the drug in combination with one or more other animal drugs, and the active ingredients or drugs intended for use in the combination have previously been separately approved. Revises the due date for annual generic animal drug user fees to the later of January 31 of each year or the first business day after enactment of an appropriations act providing for the collection and obligation of fees for the fiscal year. Establishes the total amount of revenue each type of generic user fee shall generate. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to accept payment of user fees prior to their due date. Extends requirements for the FDA to report to Congress on achieving goals related to the generic animal drug development and review process and the implementation of the authority to collect generic animal drug fees. Terminates the authority to collect generic animal drug user fees October 1, 2018.
Resolution· HRESH.Res. 144 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 9 April 2013
Express support for the designation of National Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness Month. Declares that steps should be taken to: (1) raise awareness of and increase public knowledge about congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH); (2) inform minority populations about CDH; (3) disseminate information on the importance of good neonatal care for CDH patients; (4) promote good prenatal care and the use of ultrasounds to detect CDH in utero; and (5) encourage research on CDH to discover its causes, develop treatments, and find a cure.
Bill· HRH.R. 1404 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 25 March 2013
Medicaid Expansion Repeal and State Flexibility Act - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), to eliminate: (1) the increased federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for medical assistance for newly eligible mandatory individuals, (2) related equitable Medicaid support for certain states, (3) maintenance of effort requirements pending full operation of a state healthcare insurance exchange, and (4) minimum essential coverage according to PPACA for Medicaid benchmark benefits.
Resolution· SRESS.Res. 91 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 22 March 2013
Expresses support for the goals and ideals of National Public Health Week. Recognizes the efforts of public health professionals, governments, and individuals in preventing disease and injury. Encourages increased efforts and investment of resources to improve the health of people in the United States through interventions to promote community health and prevent disease and injury and through the strengthening of the public health system.
Bill· SS. 650 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Access to Independent Health Insurance Advisors Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to exclude remuneration paid for licensed independent insurance producers from administrative cost calculations for purposes of calculating the medical-loss ratio of a health insurance plan. Defines "independent insurance producer" to mean an insurance agent or broker, insurance consultant, benefit specialist, limited insurance representative, and any other person required to be licensed under the laws of the particular state to sell, solicit, negotiate, service, effect, procure, renew, or bind policies of insurance coverage or offer advice, counsel, opinions, or services related to insurance.
Bill· SS. 644 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Preventing Abuse of Cough Treatments Act of 2013 or PACT Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to prohibit the sale or offering for sale of a drug containing dextromethorphan, and not subject to practitioner supervision requirements, to an individual under age 18, except if the sale is made: (1) pursuant to a validly issued prescription; or (2) to an individual who provides proof of being actively enrolled in the military, including a valid military identification card. Imposes civil monetary penalties that escalate upon repeated violation. Deems to be adulterated any unfinished dextromethorphan that is possessed, received, or distributed in violation of this Act. Prohibits a person from: (1) possessing or receiving unfinished dextromethorphan unless the person is registered with the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) as a producer of a drug or device or otherwise registered, licensed, or approved under federal or state law to engage in the practice of pharmacy, pharmaceutical production, or manufacture or distribution of drug ingredients; or (2) distributing unfinished dextromethorphan to any person other than a registered or otherwise authorized person. Excludes from such prohibitions common carriers that possess, receive, or distribute unfinished dextromethorphan for purposes of distributing it between registered, licensed, or approved persons. Imposes additional civil monetary penalties for such possession and distribution violations.
Bill· SS. 642 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Consistency, Accuracy, Responsibility, and Excellence in Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require personnel (excluding physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants) who furnish the technical component of medical imaging examinations or radiation therapy procedures for medical purposes (except certain exempt individuals and suppliers) to possess current: (1) certification in the medical imaging or radiation therapy modality and service they furnish from a certification organization designated under this Act; and (2) state licensure or certification, if required by the state, where such services and modalities are within the profession's scope of practice as defined by the state. Gives individuals enrolled in specified training or certification programs when the list of approved certification organizations is published an additional six months after completion of a training program to become fully qualified under this Act. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) establish a program for designating certification organizations after consideration of specified criteria; (2) provide a process for individuals whose training or experience is determined to be equal to, or in excess of, that of a graduate of an accredited educational program in that specialty to demonstrate that their experience meets the educational standards for qualified personnel in their imaging modality or radiation therapy procedures; and (3) publish a list of designated certification organizations. Authorizes the Secretary to waive standards under this Act or to develop alternative standards for rural or health professional shortage areas as appropriate. Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to allow Medicare payment for medical imaging and radiation therapy services only if the examination or procedure is furnished by an individual who meets this Act's requirements.
Bill· SS. 641 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants or contracts for the establishment or operation of Palliative Care and Hospice Education Centers. Requires such Centers to: (1) improve the training of health professionals in palliative care for individuals with serious or life-threatening illnesses; (2) develop and disseminate related curricula; (3) support the training and retraining of faculty to provide instruction in palliative care; (4) support continuing education of health professionals who provide palliative care; (5) provide students with clinical training in palliative care in long-term care facilities, home care, hospices, chronic and acute disease hospitals, and ambulatory care centers; and (6) establish traineeships for individuals preparing for advanced education nursing degrees in palliative care. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to and enter into contracts with schools of medicine, schools of osteopathic medicine, teaching hospitals, and graduate medical education programs to provide support for projects that fund the training of physicians who plan to teach palliative medicine. Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a program to provide Palliative Medicine and Hospice Academic Career Awards to eligible individuals; (2) award grants or contracts to entities that operate a Palliative Care and Hospice Education Center; (3) award incentive grants or contracts to advanced practice nurses, clinical social workers, pharmacists, chaplains, or students of psychology pursuing an advanced degree in palliative care or related fields; and (4) award grants to schools of nursing, health care facilities, or programs leading to certification as a certified nurse assistant to develop and implement programs and initiatives to train individuals in providing palliative care in health-related educational, hospice, home, or long-term care settings.
Bill· SS. 637 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Collaborative Academic Research Efforts for Tourette Syndrome Act of 2013 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand, intensify, and coordinate NIH programs and activities regarding Tourette syndrome. Requires the Director to develop a system to collect data on Tourette syndrome, including epidemiological information regarding its incidence and prevalence in the United States, primary data, and data on the availability of medical and social services for individuals with Tourette syndrome and their families. Requires the Director to award grants and contracts to public or nonprofit private entities to pay costs of planning, establishing, improving, and providing basic operating support for between four and six centers of excellence in different regions of the United States to conduct basic and clinical research on Tourette syndrome. Requires the Director to designate a portion of the amounts made available to carry out NIH programs and activities for a fiscal year to carry out programs and activities with respect to Tourette syndrome.
Bill· SS. 636 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Puerto Rico Hospital HITECH Amendments Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to apply Medicare HITECH (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act) payments to subsection (d) hospitals in Puerto Rico to allow them to qualify for incentives for adoption and meaningful use of certified electronic health record (EHR) Technology. (Generally, a subsection [d] hospital is an acute care hospital, particularly one that receives payments under Medicare's inpatient prospective payment system [IPPS] when providing covered inpatient services to eligible beneficiaries.)
Resolution· SRESS.Res. 89 (113th)passed
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Designates March 25, 2013, as National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day.
Bill· HRH.R. 1327 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Free Syria Act of 2013 - Expresses the sense of Congress that: the United States should increase its humanitarian support for those affected by the conflict in Syria; Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon should be commended for keeping its borders open to Syrian refugees; the President should urge other countries in the area to keep their borders open for such purpose, and should urge the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to expedite the protection and resettlement of the most vulnerable refugees; the President should provide temporary immigration relief measures for and grant humanitarian parole to Syrian nationals with approved immigrant petitions; the United States should coordinate its assistance efforts with the Syrian Opposition Coalition's Assistance Coordination Unit; individuals within the Bashar al Assad (Assad) regime who have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity must be brought to justice; U.S. military assistance should be provided only to groups demonstrating a commitment to securing, safeguarding, and ultimately eliminating Syrian chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons-related materials; the United States should provide non-lethal military equipment to friendly Syrian opposition military forces; all countries should deny the use of their airspace to Syrian-bound Iranian aircraft containing weapons; and the United States and its partners should take steps to ensure that women are full and equal participants in negotiations regarding the future of Syria and in all transitional and future Syrian government institutions. Outlines governing principles for the provision of U.S. humanitarian assistance to address the Syrian conflict. Authorizes assistance for the protection of women, children, and other vulnerable populations affected. Prohibits any assistance to an entity that has attacked or prevented the operation or activities of health care facilities or providers. Authorizes the Secretary of State to provide additional humanitarian assistance to Syria. Earmarks funds authorized under this Act for Syrian opposition-allied local coordination committees and the provision of U.S. civilian broadcasting to Syria. Requires assistance funds to be marked as being "From the American People" and to include a representation of the U.S. flag. Expresses the sense of Congress supporting the provision of appropriate military assistance for vetted Syrian opposition forces. Authorizes the President to direct the drawdown of Department of Defense (DOD) defense articles and services, and to provide military education and training, for such forces. Authorizes the President to: establish a program to facilitate the destruction of Syrian chemical and biological weapons, other weapons of mass destruction, and associated parts and equipment; provide assistance, make contributions, and use the U.S. voice, vote, and influence to provide post-Assad governmental transition assistance to Syria; and temporarily suspend certain sanctions against Syria in the event of a post-Assad government which meets specified requirements. Provides temporary personnel authorities in connection with aiding Syria in the establishment of a post-regime government.
Bill· HRH.R. 1325 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Comprehensive Immunosuppressive Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act of 2013 - Amends title II (Old Age, Survivors and Disability Benefits) (OASDI) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to extend the months of coverage of immunosuppressive drugs for kidney transplant patients. Amends SSA title XVIII (Medicare) to make eligible for enrollment in Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance), solely for the purpose of such drug coverage, every individual whose insurance benefits under Medicare part A (Hospital Insurance) have ended by reason of a kidney transplant or the end of any requirement for a regular course of dialysis. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to determine a monthly premium rate for such individuals equal to 35% of the monthly actuarial rate for enrollees age 65 and over. Prescribes a formula for detemination of a government contribution to such a premium.
Bill· HRH.R. 1310 (113th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 21 March 2013
Medicare Patient Empowerment Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to allow any Medicare beneficiary to enter into a contract with an eligible professional for any item or service covered by Medicare. Allows such beneficiaries to submit a claim for Medicare payment in the amount that would otherwise apply if the claim had been filed by a participating physician or supplier in the payment area where the eligible professional covered by the contract resides. Requires a Medicare beneficiary to agree in writing in such a contract to: (1) pay the physician or practitioner for a Medicare-covered item or service; and (2) submit (in lieu of the physician or practitioner) a claim for Medicare payment. Allows a beneficiary, however, to negotiate, as a term of the contract, for the eligible professional to file such claims on the beneficiary's behalf. Preempts state laws from limiting the amount of charges for physician and practitioner services for which Medicare payment is made.
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