Healthcare

Preventing and Reducing Improper Medicare and Medicaid Expenditures to Restore Integrity to Benefits Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2015

Preventing and Reducing Improper Medicare and Medicaid Expenditures to Restore Integrity to Benefits Act of 2015 This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to make several changes related to the prevention of Medicaid fraud. With respect to the Medicaid Integrity Program (MIP), the bill: (1) specifies that program appropriations may cover costs of equipment, travel, training, and salaries and benefits; and (2) allows the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) flexibility in determining the number of additional staff necessary to carry out the program. (MIP is a federal program aimed at preventing and reducing provider fraud, waste, and abuse in the Medicaid program.) Under current law, HHS may contract with Medicare administrative contractors (MACs), which are private insurers that process Medicare claims within specified geographic jurisdictions. The bill requires HHS to provide specified incentives for MACs to reduce improper payment error rates within their jurisdictions. The bill establishes criminal penalties of up to 10 years imprisonment and up to $500,000 in fines for illegally purchasing or distributing Medicare, Medicaid, or Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) beneficiary identification or billing privileges. The bill increases the scope of the Medicare-Medicaid Data Match Program (Medi-Medi Program), an existing program through which contractors and participating governmental agencies collaboratively analyze Medicare and Medicaid billing trends. HHS must establish a plan to encourage states to participate in the Medi-Medi Program. HHS shall develop and implement a plan to allow states to access relevant data on improper or fraudulent payments made under the Medicare program on behalf of individuals dually eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid.

U.S.-Israel Global Neuroscience Partnership Act

United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2015

U.S.-Israel Global Neuroscience Partnership Act This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants to eligible entities for U.S.-Israel cooperative neuroscience research and related technological innovation. The programs shall be carried out through the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The bill establishes in NIH a U.S.-Israel Neuroscience Advisory Committee. The grant program and the Committee are terminated seven years after enactment of this Act.

Improving Access to Mental Health Act

United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2015

Improving Access to Mental Health Act This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) increase the Medicare reimbursement rate for clinical social worker services, (2) exclude clinical social worker services from the prospective payment system in which predetermined amounts form the basis for payment under Medicare, and (3) alter the definition of “clinical social worker services” as it relates to Medicare. Under current law, “clinical social worker services”: (1) include services performed for the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses, and (2) exclude services furnished to an inpatient of a skilled nursing facility as a condition of the facility's participation in the Medicare program. The bill repeals these provisions and instead specifies that such services include certain types of health behavior assessment and intervention.

Congratulating the National Institute of Nursing Research on the occasion of its 30th Anniversary.

United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2015

Congratulates the National Institute of Nursing Research on the occasion of its 30th anniversary. Commends the Institute for its ongoing support of nursing research.

Veteran CARE Act

United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2015

Veteran Care Agreements Rule Enhancement Act or Veteran CARE Act This bill authorizes the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), if unable to furnish hospital care, medical services, or extended care at VA facilities or under other authorized contracts or sharing agreements, to enter into a Veterans Care Agreement with an eligible provider to furnish such care and services. The VA shall review agreements exceeding $1 million annually at least once every two years. The VA shall establish a process for the certification of eligible providers. An eligible provider is: a physician or provider of services that has entered into a provider agreement under the Social Security Act; a provider of items and services receiving payments under a state Medicaid plan; an aging and disability resource center, an area agency on aging, or a center for independent living; or any other health care provider the VA considers appropriate. The VA shall establish a system or systems to monitor the quality of care and services furnished to veterans, which shall be used in assessing whether to renew an agreement. An agreement may be made with a health care provider to provide veterans with nursing home care.

Improving Access to Mental Health Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2015

Improving Access to Mental Health Act of 2015 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) increase the Medicare reimbursement rate for clinical social worker services, (2) exclude clinical social worker services from the prospective payment system in which predetermined amounts form the basis for payment under Medicare, and (3) alter the definition of "clinical social worker services" as it relates to Medicare. Under current law, "clinical social worker services": (1) include services performed for the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses, and (2) exclude services furnished to an inpatient of a skilled nursing facility as a condition of the facility's participation in the Medicare program. The bill repeals these provisions and instead specifies that such services include certain types of health behavior assessment and intervention.

Protecting Consumers from Unreasonable Rates Act

United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2015

Protecting Consumers from Unreasonable Rates Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to declare that federal requirements that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) review unreasonable premium increases in health care coverage do not prohibit a state from imposing additional rate requirements on health insurance issuers that are more protective of consumers. The review is expanded to include all rate increases, not only premium increases. HHS or the relevant state insurance commissioner or state regulator must ensure that any excessive, unjustified, or unfairly discriminatory rates are corrected before, or as soon as possible after, implementation, including through mechanisms such as denying rates, modifying rates, or requiring rebates to consumers. HHS may apply civil monetary penalties to health insurance issuers that fail to comply with a corrective action taken by HHS and may make the plan involved ineligible for classification as a qualified health plan. HHS must determine whether HHS or the state insurance commissioner or regulator will undertake such corrective actions based on whether the state can adequately undertake the actions. This Act applies to health plans grandfathered under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Timely Mental Health for Foster Youth Act

United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2015

Timely Mental Health for Foster Youth Act This bill amends part B (Child and Family Services) of title IV of the Social Security Act with respect to state plans for the ongoing oversight and coordination of health care services for children in a foster care placement. An initial mental health screening of any child in foster care must be completed within 30 days after the child enters into foster care. In the case of any child for whom a mental health issue is identified in such initial screening, a comprehensive assessment of the child's mental health must be completed within 60 days after the child's entry into foster care.

Establishing the Select Committee on Gun Violence Prevention.

United States · United States Congress · 8 October 2015

Establishes the House Select Committee on Gun Violence Prevention to investigate and report on: the causes of mass shootings, methods to improve the federal firearms purchaser background check system, connections between access to firearms and dangerously mentally ill individuals, strengthening federal penalties for trafficking and straw purchasing of firearms, closing loopholes that allow some domestic abusers continued access to firearms, linkages between firearms and suicide, gun violence's effect on public health, the correlation between state gun violence prevention laws and the incidence of gun violence, the importance of having reliable and accurate information on gun violence and its toll on our nation, the implementation of effective gun violence prevention laws in accordance with the Second Amendment to the Constitution, and rates of gun violence in large metropolitan areas.

Medicare Premium Fairness Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2015

Medicare Premium Fairness Act of 2015 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) prevent 2016 increases to Medicare Part B premiums and deductibles for enrollees, and (2) authorize federal funding to offset the corresponding reduction in aggregate monthly premiums. Under current law, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must annually determine the monthly actuarial rate upon which Part B premiums and deductibles are based. The bill temporarily freezes that rate at the 2015 level for enrollees, effectively preventing increases to premiums and deductibles for those enrollees in 2016. (Current law already protects Part B enrollees whose benefits are deducted from their Social Security benefits from premium increases that would result in a smaller Social Security check.)

Women's Public Health and Safety Act

United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2015

Women's Public Health and Safety Act This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to allow a state to exclude from participation in the state's Medicaid program a provider that performs an abortion, unless: (1) the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, or (2) the woman suffers from a physical issue that would place her in danger of death unless an abortion is performed. (Under current law, a state plan for medical assistance must provide that any individual eligible for medical assistance may obtain required services from any provider qualified to perform them.)

Provider Payment Sunshine Act

United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2015

Provider Payment Sunshine Act This bill amends title XI (General Provisions) of the Social Security Act to expand reporting requirements related to the transparency of physician ownership or investment interests. Under current law, a manufacturer of drugs, devices, or medical supplies that are covered under Medicaid or Medicare must regularly report on any payment or transfer of value by the manufacturer to a “covered recipient,” defined as either a physician who is not an employee of the manufacturer or a teaching hospital. The bill expands the definition of “covered recipient” to also include any of the following practitioners who is not an employee of the manufacturer: (1) a physician assistant, (2) a nurse practitioner, (3) a clinical nurse specialist, (4) certified registered nurse anesthetist, or (5) a certified nurse-midwife.

Family Health Care Accessibility Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2015

Family Health Care Accessibility Act of 2015 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to deem a health professional volunteer providing primary health care to an individual at a community health center or through programs or events carried out by a center to be an employee of the Public Health Service for purposes of any civil action that may arise from providing services to patients. For a volunteer to be covered by this liability protection, the Department of Health and Human Services must approve the center's application to sponsor the volunteer.

Protecting Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2015

Protecting Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2015 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) prevent 2016 increases to Medicare Part B premiums and deductibles for enrollees, and (2) authorize federal funding to offset the corresponding reduction in aggregate monthly premiums. Under current law, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must annually determine the monthly actuarial rate upon which Part B premiums and deductibles are based. The bill temporarily freezes that rate at the 2015 level for enrollees, effectively preventing increases to premiums and deductibles for those enrollees in 2016. (Current law already protects Part B enrollees whose benefits are deducted from their Social Security benefits from premium increases that would result in a smaller Social Security check.)

A resolution designating the week of October 5 through October 9, 2015, as "National Health Information Technology Week" to recognize the value of health information technology in transforming and improving the healthcare system for all people in the United States.

United States · United States Congress · 7 October 2015

Designates October 5-October 9, 2015, as National Health Information Technology Week. Recognizes the value of information technology in transforming health care. Encourages all interested parties to promote the use of information technology. Calls on all people to be engaged in their mental and physical health through the use of health information technology.

PENDING HEALTH CARE AND BENEFITS LEGISLATION

United States · United States Senate · 6 October 2015

Improving Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2015

Improving Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women Act of 2015 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to extend support for residential substance abuse treatment programs for pregnant and postpartum women through FY2020. The Center for Substance Abuse Treatment must carry out a pilot program to make grants to state substance abuse agencies to support services for pregnant and postpartum women who have a primary diagnosis of a substance use disorder.

TRUST IT Act

United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2015

Transparent Ratings on Usability and Security to Transform Information Technology Act of 2015 or the TRUST IT Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to define "information blocking" and "interoperability" for health information technology (IT). Information blocking is preventing, discouraging, or interfering with the access, exchange, or use of electronic health information. Interoperability is the ability of health information systems to exchange information and use exchanged information. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) may publish information demonstrating how health IT meets the certification criteria of the voluntary health IT certification program. To be certified, health IT must meet security requirements, incorporate user-centered design, and achieve interoperability. Entities seeking certification of health IT must attest to meeting requirements regarding information blocking, communication between users and a certification body, and interoperability. The ONC must: (1) recognize a council to establish a rating program to evaluate the interoperability, usability, and security of health IT; (2) publish ratings from that program; (3) convene stakeholders to develop reporting criteria for entities offering health IT; and (4) establish a process for certification bodies to collect confidential feedback. The ONC may fine entities offering certified health IT that is rated less than satisfactory or entities that do not meet reporting requirements. The ONC may decertify health IT. The ONC must establish a revolving fund to reimburse users of health IT that becomes decertified for the cost of new certified health IT. Such users are exempt for one year from Medicare payment adjustment under the program that incentivizes meaningful use of electronic health records. The ONC must publish information on individuals' rights under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

Recognizing October 7th as National Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Day.

United States · United States Congress · 6 October 2015

Supports the goals and ideals of Trigeminal Neuralgia Awareness Day. (Trigeminal neuralgia is a chronic neurological condition that causes episodes of extreme pain in the face.) Recognizes and reaffirms the commitment of the United States to ending trigeminal neuralgia by promoting awareness and education programs, supporting research, and expanding access to medical treatment. Expresses gratitude to the family members and friends of individuals living with trigeminal neuralgia. Salutes the health care professionals and medical researchers who provide assistance to individuals affected by trigeminal neuralgia and continue to work to find ways to end trigeminal neuralgia.

Grow Our Own Directive: Physician Assistant Employment and Education Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2015

Grow Our Own Directive: Physician Assistant Employment and Education Act of 2015 This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out the Grow Our Own Directive or G.O.O.D. pilot program to provide educational assistance to certain former members of the Armed Forces for education and training as VA physician assistants. An individual is eligible to participate in the program if the individual: has medical or military health experience gained while serving in the Armed Forces; has received a certificate, associate degree, baccalaureate degree, master's degree, or postbaccalaureate training in a science relating to health care; has participated in the delivery of health care services or related medical services; and does not have a degree of doctor of medicine, doctor of osteopathy, or doctor of dentistry. The VA shall: provide educational assistance to program participants for the costs of obtaining a master's degree in physician assistant studies or a similar master's degree, ensure that mentors are available for program participants at each VA facility at which a participant is employed, and seek to partner with specified government programs and with appropriate educational institutions that offer degrees in physician assistant studies. The VA shall: establish specified standards to improve the education and and hiring of VA physician assistants, and implement a national plan for the retention and recruitment of VA physician assistants that includes the adoption of competitive pay standards. VA physician assistant pay grades are established.

An Act Making Appropriations to Stop Regulatory Excess and for Other Purposes, 2016

United States · United States Congress · 5 October 2015

An Act Making Appropriations to Stop Regulatory Excess and for Other Purposes, 2016 Provides FY2016 appropriations for financial services and general government; the Department of the Interior and the Environmental Protection Agency; the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; and several related agencies. Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2016 Department of the Treasury Appropriations Act, 2016 Provides appropriations to the Department of the Treasury, including the Internal Revenue Service. Executive Office of the President Appropriations Act, 2016 Provides appropriations to the Executive Office of the President. Judiciary Appropriations Act, 2016 Provides appropriations to the judiciary, including the Supreme Court of the United States and other federal courts. District of Columbia Appropriations Act, 2016 Provides appropriations to the District of Columbia, including Federal Funds and District of Columbia Funds. Provides appropriations to independent agencies responsible for overseeing areas such as the financial, telecommunications, and consumer products industries; federal elections; the federal workforce; and federal buildings. D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program School Certification Requirements Act Amends the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results Act to establish additional requirements for schools participating in the program. Financial Regulatory Improvement Act of 2015 Amends the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the Federal Home Loan Bank Act, the Riegle Community Development and Regulatory Improvement Act of 1994, the Truth in Lending Act, the Consumer Financial Protection Act of 2010, the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, and other laws that regulate financial institutions and securities markets. Changes the process and criteria for determining the size of financial entities that are systemically important and are subject to additional regulations and oversight. Amends provisions that provide protections to consumers of various financial products. Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016 Provides appropriations to the Department of the Interior for: the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement, and the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Bureau of Indian Education. Provides appropriations to Interior for Departmental Offices and Department-Wide Programs. Provides appropriations to the Environmental Protection Agency. Provides appropriations to the Department of Agriculture (USDA) for the Forest Service. Provides appropriations to the Department of Health and Human Services for the Indian Health Service, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Provides appropriations for the Council on Environmental Quality and the Office of Environmental Quality, the Smithsonian Institution, the National Gallery of Art, and other related agencies and programs. Amends the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 to require specified adjustments to discretionary spending limits in FY2016-FY2021 to accommodate appropriations for wildfire suppression operations in the Wildland Fire Management accounts at USDA and Interior. Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2016 Department of Labor Appropriations Act, 2016 Provides appropriations to the Department of Labor for: the Employment and Training Administration, the Employee Benefits Security Administration, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, the Wage and Hour Division, the Office of Labor-Management Standards, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs, the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Mine Safety and Health Administration, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and Departmental Management. Department of Health and Human Services Appropriations Act, 2016 Provides appropriations to the Department of Health and Human Services for: the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Administration for Children and Families, the Administration for Community Living, and the Office of the Secretary. Department of Education Appropriations Act, 2016 Provides appropriations to the Department of Education and related programs. Provides appropriations to related agencies, including: the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, the National Labor Relations Board, and the Social Security Administration. Sets forth permissible, restricted, and prohibited uses for funds provided by this and other appropriations Acts.

Reducing Employer Burdens, Unleashing Innovation, and Labor Development Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2015

Reducing Employer Burdens, Unleashing Innovation, and Labor Development Act of 2015 This bill expresses the sense of Congress that increasing the competitiveness of U.S. manufacturers will strengthen the national economy. Investing in America's Workforce Act The Workforce Investment Act of 1998 is amended to require state or local workforce investment systems to use youth activities funds allocated to a local area for programs that provide training. The Internal Revenue Code is amended to: (1) extend through 2016 the tax credit for increasing research activities, and (2) increase and make permanent the alternative simplified research tax credit. The Joint Committee on Taxation shall notify Congress of any introduced tax reform bill for: (1) a transition to a more globally competitive corporate tax code, (2) a reduction in the code's complexity, and (3) the elimination of special interest loopholes. The Department of Homeland Security shall establish within the Office of International Trade of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) a Trade Remedy Law Enforcement Division (including a National Targeting and Analysis Group) to prevent and counter evasion of antidumping (AD) duty or countervailing duty (CVD) orders with respect to covered merchandise entered into the United States. The Tariff Act of 1930 is amended to permit access to certain proprietary information to a CBP officer or employee investigating possible negligence or gross negligence with respect to covered merchandise entered into the United States. The Department of the Treasury shall negotiate and enter into bilateral agreements with customs authorities of foreign countries to prevent evasion of U.S. and foreign trade remedy laws. This bill prescribes procedures for the administering authority (the Department of Commerce, or any other U.S. officer responsible for such duties) to initiate an AD or CV duty investigation for merchandise imported into the United States upon its own initiation, or the filing of a petition by interested parties or referral by the CBP Commissioner. The weighted average dumping margin or individual CVD rate determined for a new exporter or producer of merchandise in a review by the administering authority as to whether an AD or CVD shall be imposed shall be based solely on the bona fide U.S. sales made by the exporter or producer during the period of review. It is the sense of Congress that the Export Administration Act of 1979 should be reformed and reauthorized. Federal Spectrum Incentive Act of 2015 The National Telecommunications and Information Administration Organization Act is amended to allow federal entities that utilize government station licenses to participate in the incentive auction program under which licensees of electromagnetic spectrum voluntarily relinquish their spectrum rights in order for the spectrum to be auctioned for a repurposed commercial use in exchange for a percentage of the auction proceeds. A Federal Spectrum Incentive Fund is established in the Treasury. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must, before promulgating a final rule that regulates any aspect of the production, supply, distribution, or use of energy (or that provides for regulation by state or local governments) and that is estimated by EPA or OMB to impose aggregate costs of more than $1 billion, to report: (1) an estimate of the rule's total costs and benefits, (2) an estimate of the increases in energy prices that may result, and (3) a detailed description of the employment effects that may result. Electricity Security and Affordability Act The EPA may not issue, implement, or enforce any proposed or final rule under the Clean Air Act that establishes a performance standard for greenhouse gas emissions from any new source that is a fossil fuel-fired electric utility generating unit unless the rule meets specified requirements of this Act. The force and effect of specified proposed rules (or similar successor proposed or final rules) are nullified for Standards of Performance for Greenhouse Gas Emissions for New Stationary Sources: Electric Utility Generating Units issued before enactment of this Act. LNG Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act For proposals that must also obtain authorization from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission or the U.S. Maritime Administration to site, construct, expand, or operate liquified natural gas (LNG) export facilities, the Department of Energy (DOE) shall issue a decision on an application for authorization to export natural gas within 30 days after the later of: (1) the conclusion of the review to site, construct, expand, or operate the LNG facilities required by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA); or (2) the enactment of this Act. The Natural Gas Act is amended to set as a condition for approval of any authorization to export LNG that the DOE require the applicant to disclose publicly its specific destination or destinations. Preventing Government Waste and Protecting Coal Mining Jobs in America The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 is amended to require state programs for regulation of surface coal mining to incorporate the necessary rule concerning excess spoil, coal mine waste, and buffers for perennial and intermittent streams published by the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement on December 12, 2008. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the health care provisions of the Health Care and Education and Reconciliation Act of 2010 are repealed, effective as of their enactment. The provisions amended or repealed by such Acts are restored or revived. The Public Health Service Act (PHSA), as restored under this Act, is amended to prohibit a group health plan and a health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage from establishing lifetime limits on the dollar value of benefits for any individual. Each state must mitigate the cost of high risk individuals in the state through: (1) a state reinsurance program, or (2) a state high risk pool. The PHSA is amended to require the laws of the state designated by a health insurance issuer (primary state) to apply to individual health insurance coverage offered by that issuer in the primary state and in any other state (secondary state), but only if the coverage and issuer comply with the conditions of this Act. Conditions are prescribed for lawsuits arising from health care liability claims. The PHSA is amended to deem a hospital or an emergency department and a physician or physician group to be a Public Health Service employee with federal liability protection for purposes of any civil action arising from emergency and post-stabilization services. Nothing in the McCarran-Ferguson Act (which exempts the insurance business generally from federal regulation) shall modify, impair, or supersede the operation of any of the antitrust laws with respect to the business of health insurance. No class action may be heard in a federal or state court on a claim against a person engaged in the business of health insurance for violation of any of the antitrust laws except for actions commenced by: the United States or any state; or a named claimant for an injury only to itself. A health care professional shall not be liable under federal or state law, with certain exceptions, for harm caused by any act or omission if: (1) the professional is serving as a volunteer in response to a disaster; and (2) the act or omission occurs during the period of the disaster, in the professional's capacity as such a volunteer, and in a good faith belief that the individual being treated is in need of health care services. The plaintiff in any civil action or proceeding against a health care professional bears the burden of proving by clear and convincing evidence that the limitation of liability under the Act does not apply. Lowering Gasoline Prices to Fuel an America That Works Act of 2015 The Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act (OCSLA) is amended to direct Interior to implement a lease sales program that includes at least 50% of the available unleased acreage within each outer Continental Shelf (OCS) planning area considered to have the largest undiscovered, technically recoverable oil and gas resources. Interior shall develop a five-year oil and gas leasing program with a domestic strategic production goal determined according to a specified formula. Interior shall conduct oil and gas Lease Sale 220 offshore Virginia, subject to a specified condition if the Department of Defense proposes a deferral from a lease offering due to irreconcilable defense-related activities. Interior shall conduct a lease sale within two years after enactment of this Act for certain areas off the coast of South Carolina with the most geologically promising hydrocarbon resources. Interior must: (1) offer for sale leases of tracts in the Santa Maria and Santa Barbara/Ventura Basins of the Southern California OCS Planning Area, and (2) prepare for all lease sales required under this Act a NEPA multisale environmental impact statement. 37.5% of the amount of new federal leasing revenues shall be allocated to affected coastal states within 200 miles of the leased tract. This bill establishes in Interior: (1) an Under Secretary for Energy, Lands, and Minerals; (2) an Assistant Secretary of Ocean Energy and Safety; (3) an Assistant Secretary of Land and Minerals Management; (4) a Bureau of Ocean Energy; (5) an Ocean Energy Safety Service; and (6) an Office of Natural Resources Revenue. Interior shall establish: (1) a National Offshore Energy Safety Academy, and (2) an OCS Energy Safety Advisory Board. Interior shall also: (1) certify annually that certain of its personnel comply fully with federal employee ethics laws and regulations; and (2) conduct random drug testing of such personnel. The Minerals Management Service is abolished. Interior shall collect non-refundable fees from the operators of facilities subject to inspection. An Ocean Energy Enforcement Fund is established in the Treasury for deposit of such fees. The Bureau of Ocean Energy and the Ocean Energy Safety Service may not implement any limitation on activities under their jurisdictions because of the coastal and marine spatial planning component of the National Ocean Policy developed under Executive Order No. 13547. The OCS is redefined to include all submerged lands lying within the U.S. exclusive economic zone and the Continental Shelf adjacent to any U.S. territory. Interior shall promulgate rules regarding the revenue streams contemplated by the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006, including the timing and methods of disbursements of certain funds under such Act. For FY2024-FY2055 the maximum amount of qualified OCS revenues distributed to Gulf producing states shall be increased. The South Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf Planning Area is defined. The OCSLA is amended to require the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to enter into partnerships to conduct oil- or gas-related geological and geophysical investigations on the OCS with institutions of higher education nominated by the governors of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. Federal Lands Jobs and Energy Security Act Interior shall encourage the use of U.S. workers and equipment manufactured in the U.S. in all construction related to mineral resource development under this Act. Streamlining Permitting of American Energy Act of 2015 The Mineral Leasing Act (MLA) is amended to direct Interior to revise requirements for the processing of drill permit applications. A permit application shall be deemed approved if Interior has not made a decision by 60 days after its receipt. Interior shall collect specified fees for processing a drill permit application and for documentation to accompany each protest for an application, a lease, or a right of way. Interior shall: establish a Federal Permit Streamlining Project in every Bureau of Land Management (BLM) field office responsible for permitting energy projects on federal land, and provide 50% matching funds for joint projects with states to conduct oil and gas resource assessments on federal lands with significant oil and gas potential. Providing Leasing Certainty for American Energy Act of 201 5 Interior, in conducting lease sales under the MLA, must offer for sale at least 25% of the annual nominated acreage not previously made available for lease. This acreage shall be shielded from protest and eligible for categorical exclusions under NEPA. Interior shall not: withdraw any covered energy project without finding a violation of lease terms by the lessee; delay indefinitely issuance of project approvals, drilling and seismic permits, and rights of way for activities under a lease; or cancel or withdraw any lease parcel after a competitive lease sale has occurred and a winning bidder has made the last payment for the parcel. The BLM Instruction Memorandum 2010-117 (which establishes a process to ensure orderly, effective, timely, and environmentally responsible leasing of oil and gas resources on federal lands) shall have no force or effect. Protecting Investment in Oil Shale the Next Generation of Environmental, Energy, and Resource Security Act or the PIONEERS Act The final regulations regarding oil shale management published by the BLM on November 18, 2008, as well as a specified resource management plan, are deemed to satisfy all legal and procedural requirements under any law, and Interior shall implement them, including the oil shale leasing program they authorize, without any other administrative action necessary. Interior shall hold a lease sale that offers an additional ten parcels for lease for research, development, and demonstration of oil shale resources, including at least five separate commercial lease sales, in multiple lease blocs, in certain areas of at least 25,000 acres. Planning for American Energy Act of 2015 The MLA is amended to direct Interior to publish every four years a Quadrennial Federal Onshore Energy Production Strategy. National Petroleum Reserve Alaska Access Act The Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976 is amended to require the competitive leasing of oil and gas in the National Petroleum Reserve (NPR) in Alaska to include at least one lease sale annually in those areas most likely to produce commercial quantities of oil and natural gas each year between 2017-2027. Interior must ensure permits according to a specified time line for all surface development activities, including pipelines and roads construction, to: (1) develop NPR areas subject to oil and gas leases, and (2) transport oil and gas from and through the NPR to existing infrastructure on the North Slope of Alaska. Interior must issue: (1) a new proposed integrated activity plan from among the non-adopted alternatives in the NPR Alaska Integrated Activity Plan Record of Decision dated February 21, 2013. The February 21, 2013, Record of Decision shall have no force or effect. The U.S. Geological Survey shall conduct and complete a resource assessment in cooperation with Alaska and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. BLM Live Internet Auctions Act The MLA is amended to authorize Interior to conduct onshore oil and gas lease sales through Internet-based live bidding methods. Native American Energy Act The Energy Policy Act of 1992 is amended to allow Interior, an affected Indian tribe, or a certified third-party appraiser under contract with the Indian tribe to appraise Indian land or trust assets involved in a transaction requiring Interior approval. Tribes may, however, waive such appraisals. The Tribal Forest Protection Act of 2004 is amended to direct Interior to enter into agreements with Indian tribes to carry out demonstration projects involving woody biomass from federal lands to promote biomass energy production on Indian forest land and in nearby communities. The Long-Term Leasing Act is amended to authorize the Navajo Nation to enter into mineral resource leases on their restricted lands without Interior's approval. No Interior rule regarding hydraulic fracturing may have any effect on land held in trust or restricted status for Indians, except with the express consent of its specific beneficiaries. Protecting States' Rights to Promote American Energy Security Act Interior may not enforce any federal regulation, guidance, or permit requirement regarding hydraulic fracturing relating to oil, gas, or geothermal production activities on or under any land in any state that has regulations, guidance, or permit requirements for that activity. (Hydraulic fracturing is the process by which fracturing fluids, including a fracturing fluid system, are pumped into an underground geologic formation to generate fractures or cracks, thereby increasing rock permeability near the wellbore and improving production of natural gas or oil.) The GAO shall examine the economic benefits of domestic shale oil and gas production resulting from hydraulic fracturing. Interior shall not enforce any federal regulation, guidance, or permit requirement governing the hydraulic fracturing process, or any of its components, relating to oil, gas, or geothermal production activities on land held either in trust or restricted status for the benefit of Indians except with the express consent of the specific beneficiary. The President shall establish or designate a Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Education Advisory Panel. The National Science Foundation shall establish, within the Directorate for Education and Human Resources, a STEM Education Coordinating Office.

Improving Access to Emergency Psychiatric Care Act

United States · United States Congress · 2 October 2015

Improving Access to Emergency Psychiatric Care Act This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to: (1) extend the emergency psychiatric demonstration project, which allows eligible states to provide payment for medical assistance to certain psychiatric institutions under title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act; and (2) eliminate certain limitations on federal funding for the project. Provided that an eligible state's participation is projected not to increase net Medicaid program spending: (1) a state that is already participating in the project may continue to do so through FY2016, and (2) the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may allow a participating state or a new eligible state to participate in the project through 2019. HHS must submit recommendations to Congress regarding whether the project should be further extended or expanded.

Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick Whistleblower Protection Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2015

Dr. Chris Kirkpatrick Whistleblower Protection Act of 2015 This bill directs the Special Counsel: (1) within 10 days after a federal agency terminates a probationary employee who has submitted an allegation of a prohibited personnel practice, to determine whether a substantial likelihood exists that the agency engaged in such practice and that the termination was related; (2) upon determining such likelihood exists, to request the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) to order a stay of the termination for 60 days (and up to an additional 6 months) to complete an investigation; (3) upon determining that the employee's termination was related to such a practice, to request the MSPB to order reinstatement of such employee; and (4) upon determining that the agency did not engage in such a practice or that the employee's termination was not related to such a practice, to request the MSPB to order the immediate enforcement of the termination. An agency must give priority to a request for a transfer submitted by an employee granted such a stay or reinstated. The Special Counsel, in carrying out duties to protect employees and applicants, is authorized to: (1) have access to all material available to an agency that relates to a matter within the Special Counsel's jurisdiction, and (2) request necessary information or assistance from any agency. The bill: (1) authorizes an agency to remove or demote an employee upon determining that the employee retaliated against a whistleblower; (2) provides for the appeal of such removal or demotion; (3) requires an agency to take specified actions to determine whether the suicide of an employee was work-related; (4) prohibits an executive branch employee from accessing the medical records of another employee without that employee's consent, except in an emergency situation; and (5) requires executive agencies to provide training to supervisors regarding how to respond to complaints alleging a violation of whistleblower protections. Each agency must: (1) provide each new employee information regarding whistleblower protections and the role of the Special Counsel, and (2) make information about such protections available on an online portal. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) must notify a VA employee not later than five days after another VA employee accesses such employee's medical record. An employee who believes his or her medical record was accessed in violation of federal privacy law must file a complaint with the Office of Accountability Review, which must then determine whether such a violation occurred and take specified actions against the violator. The VA must: (1) conduct a program of outreach to inform its employees of available mental health services, (2) assess the feasibility of using mental health professionals who provide mental health services for the VA to provide mental health services to its employees, and (3) develop protocols to address threats from individuals receiving VA health care directed towards VA employees who are providing such care. The Government Accountability Office shall assess the reporting, accountability, and chain of command structure of the VA police officers at VA medical centers.

Co-Prescribing to Reduce Overdoses Act of 2016

United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2015

Co-Prescribing to Reduce Overdoses Act of 2015 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a grant program to support prescribing opioid overdose reversal drugs, such as naloxone, for patients at an elevated risk of overdose, including patients prescribed an opioid. (Opioids are drugs with effects similar to opium, such as heroin and certain pain medications.) Grant recipients may use the funds to purchase opioid overdose reversal drugs, establish a program for prescribing such drugs, train health care providers and pharmacists on prescription of such drugs, track patients and outcomes, and for other specified activities. HHS must award grants to certain community groups and state and municipal health departments to develop guidelines on prescribing opioid overdose reversal drugs.

Preserving Access to Orphan Drugs Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2015

Preserving Access to Orphan Drugs Act of 2015 This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to expand the definition of orphan drug for purposes of the annual fee paid by brand name prescription drug manufacturers and importers to include medications for rare conditions that were, prior to 2011, approved or in clinical trials. (Drug manufacturers and importers pay an annual fee based on their sales of brand name prescription drugs, excluding sales of orphan drugs.) Currently, only medications for rare conditions for which a tax credit for clinical trials was allowed are considered orphan drugs. This Act applies to fees paid after 2014.

Opioid Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2015

Opioid Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 2015 This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to states to develop a peer review process to identify and investigate questionable or inappropriate prescribing and dispensing patterns of drugs classified as schedule II or III under the Controlled Substances Act, which are drugs with an accepted medical use that have the potential to be abused and addictive. This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require HHS to establish grant programs to: (1) facilitate training to increase the capacity of health care providers to screen and treat patients to prevent drug abuse, and (2) develop continuing education criteria that allow health profession boards or state agencies to certify appropriate education for safe prescribing of schedule II or III drugs. The Health Resources and Services Administration must award grants to evaluate the prospect of state health professions boards expanding the authority of providers to prescribe drugs to treat drug abuse. The Drug Enforcement Administration must request that practitioners registered to dispense controlled substances screen patients for potential drug abuse before prescribing a schedule II or III drug. The Food and Drug Administration must consider whether naloxone (a prescription drug used to rapidly reverse an overdose of heroin or other opioids, which are drugs with effects similar to opium) should be available without a prescription. HHS must convene or coordinate with an interagency working group to encourage states and local governments to increase opportunities for disposal of opiates (drugs derived from opium) and to reduce opportunities for abuse of opiates. The Government Accountability Office must review federal opioid abuse activities and make recommendations to reduce opioid abuse and overdoses.

Expanding Opportunities for Recovery Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2015

Expanding Opportunities for Recovery Act of 2015 This bill requires the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to award grants to states to expand access to clinically appropriate services for opioid abuse or addiction. States must use these grants to provide up to 60 consecutive days of services to individuals who otherwise would not have access to substance abuse services.

Scleroderma and Fibrosis Research Enhancement Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2015

Scleroderma and Fibrosis Research Enhancement Act of 2015 This bill requires the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) to establish the National Commission on Scleroderma and Fibrosis Research. (Scleroderma and fibrosis are connective tissue conditions that cause hardening or scarring of skin and organs.) The commission must develop a long-term, comprehensive plan for scleroderma and fibrosis research. The plan must: (1) prioritize research that has cross-cutting value and requires coordination across NIH, and (2) include specific steps for implementation of the research. The commission must establish working groups to make research recommendations for the various organs and systems impacted by fibrotic illness. The commission must be terminated not later than two years after establishment. The NIAMS must create the Scleroderma and Fibrosis Working Group to oversee and assist with implementation of the long-term plan.

Celebrating 25 years of success from the Office of Research on Women's Health at the National Institutes of Health.

United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2015

Commends the Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for its work over the past 25 years to improve and save the lives of women worldwide. Expresses that the ORWH must remain intact for this and future generations. Recognizes that there remain striking sex and gender differences among many diseases and conditions on which the ORWH should continue to focus. Encourages the ORWH to continue to focus on ensuring that NIH supports biomedical research that considers sex as a biological variable. Encourages the NIH to continue to consult and involve the ORWH on all matters related to the influence of sex and gender on health.

Ensuring Enhanced Access to Primary Care Act

United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2015

Ensuring Enhanced Access to Primary Care Act This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to: (1) extend the application of the Medicare payment rate floor to certain primary care services furnished under the Medicaid program, and (2) apply the same payment rate floor to primary care services furnished under the Medicaid program by certain other providers. A payment rate floor reflects the minimum rate of payment for applicable services. Under current law, the Medicare payment rate floor for primary care services also applies under the Medicaid program to primary care services furnished in 2013 or 2014 by a physician with a primary specialty designation of family medicine, general internal medicine, or pediatric medicine. The bill establishes an additional two-year period in which the floor shall apply to services provided a physician with one of these primary specialty designations or with a primary specialty designation in psychiatry, neurology, or obstetrics and gynecology. However, the floor shall apply only if the physician self-attests to being Board certified in the applicable specialty.

A bill to correct inconsistencies in the definitions relating to Native Americans in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

United States · United States Congress · 1 October 2015

This bill amends title I (Quality, Affordable Health Care for All Americans) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to add a definition of “Indian.” This definition includes individuals of Indian descent who are members of an Indian community served by the Indian Health Service and individuals considered by the Department of Health and Human Services to be Indian for purposes of eligibility for Indian health care services, including California Indians, Eskimos, Aleuts, or other Alaska Natives. Individuals included in the above definition are eligible for special monthly enrollment periods on health insurance exchanges and elimination of cost-sharing under individual health coverage for those whose income is not more than 300% of the poverty line. (Currently, only members of Indian tribes are eligible for these benefits.) Indians are exempted from the penalty for not maintaining minimum essential health coverage.

Exchange Inclusion for a Healthy America Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2015

Exchange Inclusion for a Healthy America Act of 2015 This bill allows undocumented aliens to obtain health care coverage by amending: (1) the Internal Revenue Code to eliminate the restriction of the tax credit for health care insurance premium assistance to persons lawfully present in the United States; and (2) the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to eliminate restrictions of benefits under such Act, including cost-sharing reduction, pre-existing condition coverage, and minimum essential health care coverage, to persons lawfully present in the United States. This expanded coverage is effective for taxable or plan years beginning after December 31, 2015. The bill also extends PPACA benefits to individuals who are granted deferral from removal under specified Department of Homeland Security deferred action plans.  

GEDI Act

United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2015

Gestational Diabetes Act of 2015 or the GEDI Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop a multisite gestational diabetes research project within the diabetes program of the CDC to expand and enhance surveillance data and public health research on gestational diabetes.  The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must expand and intensify public health research on gestational diabetes, including; (1) developing and testing novel approaches for improving postpartum testing or screening and for preventing type 2 diabetes in women with a history of gestational diabetes, and (2) conducting research to further understanding of the factors and health systems that influence the risk of gestational diabetes and the development of type 2 diabetes in women with a history of gestational diabetes. The CDC must: (1) award grants for demonstration projects to reduce the incidence of gestational diabetes, the recurrence of such disease in subsequent pregnancies, and the development of type 2 diabetes in women with a history of gestational diabetes; and (2) work with state and Indian tribal-based diabetes prevention and control programs assisted by the CDC to encourage postpartum follow-up after gestational diabetes to reduce the incidence of gestational diabetes and its recurrence, the development of type 2 diabetes in at-risk women, and related complications.

Tobacco to 21 Act

United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2015

Tobacco to 21 Act This bill prohibits the sale or distribution of tobacco products to individuals under the age of 21. The Department of Health and Human Services must enforce this prohibition by taking necessary actions including, as appropriate, conducting undercover compliance checks, performing retailer inspections, initiating enforcement actions for noncompliance, and establishing requirements that retailers check identification.

21st Century Women's Health Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2015

21st Century Women's Health Act of 2015 This bill amends the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to allow the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants for family planning service projects, expansion of family planning preventive health services, and training of nurse practitioners specializing in women's health care. This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require state Medicaid programs to offer free preventive care, including contraceptives. A hospital cannot receive federal funds unless it promptly provides information about emergency contraception to any woman arriving at the hospital who is a victim of sexual assault. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Health Resources and Services Administration must develop and disseminate information on emergency contraception. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality must study sexual assault survivors' access to emergency contraception. The PHSA is amended to establish an Office of the Ombudsperson on Women's Health in HHS to handle complaints involving HHS regarding women's health services and to study the adequacy of health plan provider networks for women's health services. HHS must coordinate a national public education campaign regarding preventive health services for women and families. HHS must award states grants to establish maternal mortality review committees to investigate pregnancy-related deaths. The National Institutes of Health must organize a national workshop on severe maternal morbidity. To eliminate disparities in maternal health outcomes, HHS must conduct research, expand access to services that improve maternity care, and compare and implement interventions for reducing disparities.

Preserving Patient Access to Post-Acute Hospital Care Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2015

Preserving Patient Access to Post-Acute Hospital Care Act of 2015 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to delay by two additional years the application of negative payment adjustments under the "25-percent rule" to certain long-term care hospitals (LTCHs) and satellite facilities. This rule reduces payments to a long-term care facility that admits proportionately more patients from any single hospital. The bill also continues for two additional years the moratorium, for the purposes of Medicare, on establishing new LTCHs or increasing LTCH beds.

Building a Health Care Workforce for the Future Act

United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2015

Building a Health Care Workforce for the Future Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award matching grants to enable states to implement scholarship programs to ensure an adequate supply of health professionals. HHS may award grants to assist medical schools in developing and strengthening primary care mentorship programs and cultivating leaders in primary care among its students. HHS must award grants to medical and other health professions schools to promote priority competencies that are selected annually by the Advisory Committee on Training in Primary Care Medicine and Dentistry, in order to foster curricular innovations to improve the education and training of health care providers. HHS must seek to enter into a contract whereby the National Academy of Medicine (formerly known as the Institute of Medicine) studies the documentation requirements for cognitive services (evaluation and management services) required under Medicare and Medicaid and through private health insurers.

Preserving Medicare Advantage for all Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 30 September 2015

Preserving Medicare Advantage for all Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2015 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) temporarily prohibit the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid from terminating a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan contract solely because the MA plan fails to achieve a certain minimum quality rating, provided that the MA plan achieves a quality rating of at least two out of five stars; and (2) establish a demonstration project to provide funds to MA organizations for the development or expansion of programs or services to improve health care delivery and outcomes for enrollees of low socioeconomic status. To qualify for demonstration project funding, an MA plan must meet specified requirements with respect to quality ratings and the percentage of plan enrollees either eligible for a low-income subsidy or dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. MA organizations receiving funds under the demonstration project must use those funds to target improvement by the MA plan with respect to certain quality rating measures.

Gluten in Medicine Disclosure Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2015

Gluten in Medicine Disclosure Act of 2015 This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to prohibit the sale of any drug intended for human use that contains an ingredient other than a polyol that constitutes or is derived from a grain or starch-containing ingredient and whose label does not include a parenthetical statement identifying the source of that ingredient.

Health Insurance for Former Foster Youth Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2015

Health Insurance for Former Foster Youth Act This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to make technical revisions indicating that medical assistance is available to former foster care children regardless of whether they move between states.

Veterans Access to Care Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2015

Veterans Access to Care Act This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to automatically designate medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) as health professional shortage areas. Individuals may not participate in both the VA's Health Professionals Education Assistance Program and the National Health Service Corps scholarship or loan repayment programs. The Department of Health and Human Services, in carrying out the National Health Service Corps Program, must consult with the VA regarding health professional shortage areas that are VA medical facilities.

HIV Clinical Services Improvement Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2015

HIV Clinical Services Improvement Act This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require payment under the Medicaid program for services furnished by recipients of Ryan White Part C grants, which support comprehensive primary care in outpatient settings for individuals living with HIV. Providers must be paid an amount equivalent to the prior average costs of providing these services. However, a state plan may establish an alternative payment methodology that: (1) is agreed to by the state and the grantee, and (2) results in payment to the grantee that at least equals the amount otherwise required to be paid to the grantee under the bill. As a condition of receiving payment under the bill, a grantee shall be subject to specified quality management and reporting requirements.

Directing the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make corrections in the enrollment of H.R. 719.

United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2015

Directs the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make a correction in the enrollment of H.R. 719 (Continuing Appropriations Act, 2016) to add division titles and restrict funding for Planned Parenthood. Prohibits, for a one-year period, federal funds from being provided to Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc., or any of its affiliates or clinics, for any purpose unless the entities certify that they will not perform abortions or provide funds to any entity that performs an abortion during the period. Includes exceptions for rape, incest, or a physical condition that endangers a woman's life unless an abortion is performed. Requires the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture to seek repayment of federal assistance received by Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc., or any affiliate or clinic, if it violates the terms of the required certification. Provides additional funding for community health centers for the one-year period and prohibits the funds from being used for abortions other than the exceptions described above.

Tobacco to 21 Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2015

Tobacco to 21 Act This bill prohibits the sale or distribution of tobacco products to individuals under the age of 21. The Department of Health and Human Services must enforce this prohibition by taking necessary actions including, as appropriate, conducting undercover compliance checks, performing retailer inspections, initiating enforcement actions for noncompliance, and establishing requirements that retailers check identification.

HIV Clinical Services Improvement Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2015

HIV Clinical Services Improvement Act This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to require payment under the Medicaid program for services furnished by recipients of Ryan White Part C grants, which support comprehensive primary care in outpatient settings for individuals living with HIV. Providers must be paid an amount equivalent to the prior average costs of providing these services. However, a state plan may establish an alternative payment methodology that: (1) is agreed to by the state and the grantee, and (2) results in payment to the grantee that at least equals the amount otherwise required to be paid to the grantee under the bill. As a condition of receiving payment under the bill, a grantee shall be subject to specified quality management and reporting requirements.

Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2015

Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act of 2015 This bill amends the Black Lung Benefits Act to revise requirements for miners' claims for pneumoconiosis (black lung) benefits. A mine operator must give a copy of the examining physician's report to miners required to have a medical examination of their respiratory condition. The Department of Labor must pay the attorneys' fees of prevailing parties on a qualifying black lung benefit claim. This bill revises: (1) the standards of medical evidence that establish a presumption that a miner is totally disabled by black lung, and (2) payments to miners (including their dependents) totally disabled by black lung. Black lung clinics may use federal funds to help individuals file black lung benefit claims. A person may not: (1) make a false statement or misrepresentation in increasing or reducing black lung benefits, or (2) threaten or mislead a participant in a proceeding regarding black lung benefits. Labor, upon request, must give a claimant the opportunity to substantiate a claim for benefits through a pulmonary evaluation of the miner. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) must establish a pilot program to assure accurate classifications of chest radiographs in black lung cases where the diagnosis is at issue. Labor, in coordination with NIOSH, must educate certain individuals who work on black lung benefits about medical evidence relevant to claims. A previously denied claimant may file a claim for black lung benefits within one year after enactment of this Act. Labor must report to Congress a strategy to reduce the backlog of black lung cases pending before the Office of Administrative Law Judges. The Government Accountability Office must report on any barriers to health care faced by coal miners with black lung. The bill amends the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 to direct Labor to use data from continuous personal dust monitors to determine whether to make changes to respirable dust concentration standards, controls, and measurements. Establishment of the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs is codified.

Alaskan Pollock and Golden King Crab Labeling Act

United States · United States Congress · 29 September 2015

Alaskan Pollock and Golden King Crab Labeling Act This bill declares the acceptable market name of Gadus chalcogrammus is "pollock" and the acceptable market name of Lithodes aequispinus is "golden king crab." This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to allow the sale of pollock labeled "Alaskan pollock" or "Alaska pollock" only if the pollock was harvested in the exclusive economic zone or state waters adjacent to Alaska.

Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act of 2015

United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2015

Black Lung Benefits Improvement Act of 2015 This bill amends the Black Lung Benefits Act to revise requirements for miners' claims for pneumoconiosis (black lung) benefits. A mine operator must give a copy of the examining physician's report to miners required to have a medical examination of their respiratory condition. The Department of Labor must pay the attorneys' fees of prevailing parties on a qualifying black lung benefit claim. This bill revises: (1) the standards of medical evidence that establish a presumption that a miner is totally disabled by black lung, and (2) payments to miners (including their dependents) totally disabled by black lung. Black lung clinics may use federal funds to help individuals file black lung benefit claims. A person may not: (1) make a false statement or misrepresentation in increasing or reducing black lung benefits, or (2) threaten or mislead a participant in a proceeding regarding black lung benefits. Labor, upon request, must give a claimant the opportunity to substantiate a claim for benefits through a pulmonary evaluation of the miner. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) must establish a pilot program to assure accurate classifications of chest radiographs in black lung cases where the diagnosis is at issue. Labor, in coordination with NIOSH, must educate certain individuals who work on black lung benefits about medical evidence relevant to claims. A previously denied claimant may file a claim for black lung benefits within one year after enactment of this Act. Labor must report to Congress a strategy to reduce the backlog of black lung cases pending before the Office of Administrative Law Judges. The Government Accountability Office must report on any barriers to health care faced by coal miners with black lung. The bill amends the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977 to direct Labor to use data from continuous personal dust monitors to determine whether to make changes to respirable dust concentration standards, controls, and measurements. Establishment of the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs is codified.

Earth Act

United States · United States Congress · 28 September 2015

Earth Act This bill amends the Trade Act of 1974 to revise requirements under the General System of Preferences (GSP). The President shall not designate a foreign country as a beneficiary developing country eligible for preferential treatment under the GSP if it fails to enforce effectively its environmental laws or meet its international environmental obligations, including as they relate to public health.