Records whose title is actually about this topic. Use a country filter if the list is still too broad.
Records
Bill· SS. 1864 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2001
Nurse Reinvestment Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to permit the service required by the Nursing Workforce Development Student Loan Repayment program to be performed in a nursing home, in a hospice, in a home health agency, in a nurse-managed health center, or in a public health department, in addition to facilities where such service may currently be performed. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a National Nurse Corps Scholarship program to provide scholarships to individuals seeking nursing education in exchange for service from such individuals in critical nursing shortage areas or facilities upon completion of such education. Sets forth eligibility, application, payment, and reporting requirements. Requires the Secretary to award grants to schools of nursing and/or health care facilities to develop and support: (1) educational outreach programs to encourage entry into the profession, targeting primary, secondary, and other schools, the disadvantaged, underrepresented minorities, and underserved rural and urban communities; (2) career ladder programs; (3) gerontology curriculum and competencies and efforts to encourage long-term care nursing services for the elderly as a career choice; (4) nurse internship and residency programs; and (5) demonstrations of models and best practices in nursing care, including retention strategies. Requires the Secretary to develop and administer a comprehensive national multi-media public education campaign to encourage pursuit of the nursing profession. Includes grants for similar State campaigns. Requires the Secretary to award grants to area health education centers to develop models of excellence for nurses or expand existing school mentoring programs to include one for nurses. Establishes for advanced degree nursing students: (1) a fast-track nursing faculty loan program, providing loan forgiveness in exchange for teaching services; and (2) a scholarship and stipend program. Establishes a National Commission on the Recruitment and Retention of Nurses to make innovative and creative recommendations concerning recruitment, retention, and advancement.
Bill· SS. 1866 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2001
Assurance of Advanced Life Support Act of 2001 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to revise the fee schedule for ambulance services to phase-out the current basis of reimbursement in the same manner as the new portions of the fee schedule are phased-in with respect to the levels of ambulance service required to equip all ambulances to provide advanced life support services.
Bill· SS. 1878 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2001
United States/Mexico Border Health Improvement Act of 2001- Creates programs to improve health care for the residents of the United States-Mexico Border Area, which is considered to be United States territory within 100 kilometers of Mexico. Includes the following: (1) formation of an Office of Border Health to monitor health care delivery to Border Area residents and award grants to eligible entities and programs seeking to improve health care to such residents; (2) creation of a National Border Health Databank by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as well as a Border Health Surveillance Network within the CDC to grants for development of border health epidemiology training programs; (3) authorizing the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to Southwestern border States or localities for increasing resources available for community water fluoridation; and (4) creation of a United States Hispanic Nutrition Education and Research Center at a regional academic health center. Amends the Public Health Service Act by directing the Secretary to: (1) award grants to eligible entities to open community health centers in medically underserved parts of the Border Area; (2) initiate a higher education loan repayment program and recruit National Health Service Corps members to provide health services for Border Area residents in exchange for participation in the program; and (3) set aside certain grant funds for any State that proposes to increase screening of Border Area residents for breast and cervical cancer.
Bill· HRH.R. 3580 (107th)open
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2001
Medical Device Amendments of 2001 - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish within the Office of the Commissioner of Food and Drugs the Office of Combination Products and Product Jurisdiction to designate the component of the Food and Drug Administration with primary or exclusive responsibility for the premarket and postmarket regulation of drugs, devices, and biological products. Authorizes the Commissioner to establish a fellowship program to augment the scientific expertise of the agency component responsible for regulating devices. Revises or sets forth requirements concerning: (1) facility inspection by nongovernment inspectors; (2) outside expert review (accredited third parties) of applications for devices subject to premarket notification; (3) designating priority devices for the treatment of serious diseases or conditions; (4) manufacturers and importers reports only for types of devices requiring malfunction reporting; (5) labeling for intended use of devices found substantially equivalent to legally marketed devices; (6) notification of false or misleading proposed labeling: (7) approving supplements to approved applications seeking to add a specification of a subpopulation under an approved condition of use; (8) using the least burdensome scientific evidence required to demonstrate a device's effectiveness; (9) investigational plans examining the safety, effectiveness or substantial equivalence of a device; (10) notification of deficiencies; (11) the guidance development process utilizing nongovernment employees; (12) modular review of applications; (13) registration; and (14) electronic labeling.
Bill· HRH.R. 3569 (107th)open
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2001
Rural Equity Payment Index Reform Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to establish a minimum geographic cost-of-practice index value for physicians' services furnished under the Medicare program.
Bill· HRH.R. 3563 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2001
Group Health Plan Coverage Expansion Act of 2001 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to direct the Secretary of Labor to establish a program to promote and facilitate expansion of coverage under group health plans. Requires administrators of employee benefit plans under ERISA to notify plan participants, in plan descriptions, of the availability of : (1) child health insurance assistance, through the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) under title XXI of the Social Security Act (SSA); and (2) cash benefits for eligible elderly or disabled individuals, through Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments under title XVI of SSA. Prohibits group health plans, and health insurance issuers offering group health insurance coverage, under ERISA, from imposing: (1) any aggregate lifetime limit on benefits, including any category of benefits; or (2) any change in the premium rates charged to any participant or beneficiary to make them more than those charged to otherwise similarly situated individuals solely on the basis of a pre-existing condition. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow pension or annuity plans to make payments for premiums for continuation coverage (COBRA benefits, in reference to requirements of title X of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985) under a group health plan on behalf of a qualified beneficiary, if such COBRA benefits are subordinate to retirement benefits provided by the plan and to the qualified current retiree health liabilities of a health benefits account which is part of such plan. Amends ERISA to authorize the Secretary or a State to bring a civil action for equitable relief against a qualified individual for not maintaining substantial health insurance coverage while obtaining emergency room services. Authorizes a court to order such a defendant to maintain at least two years of substantial health insurance coverage on the patient involved.
Bill· HRH.R. 3555 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2001
United States Security (USA) Act of 2001 - Sets forth "Buy America" provisions permitting, subject to exception, Federal financial assistance under this Act for a project only if steel and manufactured goods used in the project are of U.S. origin. Authorizes appropriations to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to: (1) design, construct, and equip new facilities and renovate existing facilities for defending against and combating bioterrorism and other public health threats; (2) establish a Scientific Communication Center; and (3) improve security at CDC facilities. Amends the: (1) Atomic Energy Act to provide for sufficient potassium iodide tablet stockpiles; and (2) Public Health Service Act to provide for a contingency bone marrow donor program. Requires national standards for the implementation of quarantines. Authorizes appropriations for sequencing the genomes of biological pathogens. Directs the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency to make grants to units of local government and emergency response units to plan, train, and equip emergency responders. Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to provide staffing for adequate fire and emergency response. Directs the Secretary of Education to make grants to local educational agencies and institutions of higher learning to enhance security and emergency preparedness. Authorizes appropriations to the Secretary of Transportation to establish programs to: (1) address the lack of security on critical highway infrastructure; (2) improve interagency training for and communication among first responders to a terrorist attack; (3) provide real-time information and guidance for the traveling and non-traveling public; and (4) address the lack of adequate security for locks and dams, the lack of cargo information, and the inability to share information in a timely fashion with agencies such as the Coast Guard. Authorizes appropriations to the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to assess the vulnerability of the 50 busiest U.S. seaports and establish: (1) in the Coast Guard the position of Assistant Commandant for Maritime Security; (2) a sea marshal program; (3) a national port security task force; (4) a maritime security institute; and (5) terrorism response plans for responding to a maritime terrorist attack. Authorizes appropriations to the Secretary of Transportation for the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) for specified passenger rail and freight rail protection projects. Authorizes appropriations to the Secretary of Transportation with respect to public transit security, including installation of communications, surveillance, detection systems, and personal protective and detection equipment at public transit facilities. Requires a National Academy of Sciences energy pipeline security study. Authorizes appropriations for upgrading and expanding the current infrastructure of the Aviation Safety Reporting System of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Directs the Secretary of Transportation to carry out pilot projects with air carriers for real-time transmission to the FAA of cockpit voice and flight data and cabin video data from aircraft. Establishes a pilot program to deploy commercially available fuel cells at public use airports to ensure a reliable energy supply for new and emerging aviation security technologies, airport control towers, airport terminals, and other airport facilities. Requires the following officials to submit risk management assessment reports to Congress: (1) the Secretary of Energy regarding oil refineries, natural gas, and liquid natural gas storage facilities; (2) the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency regarding chemical manufacturing facilities; (3) the Chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regarding nuclear facilities; (4) the Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission regarding the domestic electric power grid; (5) the Secretary of Commerce regarding the Nation's fiber optic infrastructure; and (6) the Administrator of the General Services Administration regarding Federal buildings. Directs the Secretary of Energy to coordinate development and implementation of an interagency plan to prepare for and defend against terrorist attacks against high-level nuclear waste transportation facilities and infrastructure, interim storage facilities, intermodal transfer facilities, and central repositories. Directs the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate and develop a plan to ensure that Federal, State, and local governments can respond adequately to the consequences of a terrorist attack against the transportation or storage of high-level nuclear waste. Amends the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to direct the NRC to: (1) establish a system to ensure that transportation of nuclear materials under its jurisdiction meets certain requirements; and (2) commence a rulemaking to consider changes to the design basis threat for NRC-licensed facilities. Authorizes the President, whenever a state of war or national emergency exists, to: (1) deploy either the Armed Forces or the National Guard to defend NRC-licensed facilities from terrorist attack or threat from any foreign power; and (2) restrict air space in the vicinity of such facilities. Requires each Federal agency to take certain steps to enhance cyber security. Authorizes appropriations for State and local governments to do the same. Requires the Attorney General to update a specified study assessing the vulnerability of Federal facilities. Requires the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Director of Central Intelligence to investigate whether existing computer knowledge assessment technologies meeting specified criteria can be used to detect individuals with terrorist training. Directs the Attorney General to create a pilot program for establishing civilian supplemental incident response teams. Authorizes appropriations to the U.S. Postal Service to enhance its ability to detect and neutralize, or otherwise respond to, any dangerous matter entered into the mails without authorization. Directs the United States Customs Service to expedite the development and deployment of pulsed fast neutron analysis technology and authorizes appropriations for the development of scanners capable of sensing biological and chemical contaminants in microscopic airborne quantities. Directs the Attorney General to: (1) take specified measures for identifying individuals crossing U.S. Borders; and (2) increase to specified levels the number of U.S. Border Patrol personnel, U.S. marshals, and Immigration and Naturalization Service and Customs Service inspectors at ports of entry by 2003. Requires the Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization to establish a border health inspectors corps to inspect individuals who may be intending to infect others for infectious disease. Requires the Director of Homeland Security to consider a program to improve aerial reconnaissance activities at U.S. borders, to include the use of unmanned aerial vehicle systems. Directs the President, acting through the Office of Homeland Security, to oversee the appropriate sharing of information among Federal, State, and local agencies involved in intelligence collection and law enforcement. Directs the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security to develop within such Office an entity to develop a system-wide information network to integrate existing watch lists of suspected terrorists. Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require the prompt assignment of specified channels for public safety purposes. Requires the Attorney General to establish regional emerging threat workspaces. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to maintain a secure database on select biological agents that pose a threat to public health by terrorist attack. Directs the President to establish within the Office for Homeland Security a center to develop an interagency clearinghouse for new counterterrorism technologies. States the policy of the United States to work with other nations, especially Russia, to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction and the proliferation of necessary materials and expertise. Authorizes appropriations for cooperative threat reduction programs. Requires the Secretary of Defense to develop an integrated plan for the use of technology to combat terrorism. Creates within the Executive Office of the President a Director of Homeland Security who shall conduct a comprehensive risk assessment of threat to the United States and develop a five-year homeland security strategy in response.
Bill· HRH.R. 3605 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2001
Small Business Paperwork Amnesty Act - Amends the Paperwork Reduction Act to direct agency heads not to impose civil fines for first-time paperwork violations by small business concerns unless there is potential for serious harm to the public interest, the detection of criminal activity would be impaired, the violation is not corrected within six months, the violation is a violation of internal revenue law or a law concerning the assessment or collection of any tax, debt, revenue, or receipt, or the violation presents a danger to the public health or safety. Permits an agency to determine that a fine should not be imposed for a violation that presents a danger to public health or safety if the violation is corrected within 24 hours.
Bill· HRH.R. 3581 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2001
Preventing Teen Pregnancy Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award, on a competitive basis, grants to public and private entities to establish or expand teenage pregnancy prevention programs.
Bill· HRH.R. 3602 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2001
Certified Nurse Midwifery Medicare Services Act of 2001 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for the coverage of and payment for certified midwife services (currently only certified nurse-midwife services are covered) and freestanding birth center services under Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance). Declares that nothing precludes certified nurse-midwives and certified midwives from teaching or supervising an intern or resident-in-training.
Bill· HRH.R. 3594 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2001
Medicaid Nursing Incentive Act of 2001 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to eliminate the State option to include nurse practitioners, certified nurse-midwives, and physician assistants as primary care case managers. Specifies as primary care case managers any nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife, or physician assistant that provides primary care case management services under a primary care case management contract. Revises the coverage of certain nurse practitioner services under the Medicaid fee-for-service program to remove the specification of certified pediatric nurse practitioner and certified family nurse practitioner in order to extend such coverage to services furnished by any certified nurse practitioner or clinical nurse specialist. Includes certified nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists in the mix of service providers which Medicaid managed care organizations are required to maintain.
Bill· HRH.R. 3584 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2001
Medicare+Choice Improvement and Stabilization Act of 2001 - Amends part C (Medicare+Choice) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to make each annual Medicare+Choice capitation rate for a Medicare+Choice payment area for a contract year equal to the largest of the amounts specified under current law or, for 2003, 100 percent of the fee-for-service costs for the Medicare+Choice payment area for services covered under Medicare parts A (Hospital Insurance) or B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) for individuals entitled to benefits under part A and enrolled under part B who are not enrolled in a Medicare+Choice plan under this part for the year. Revises the calculation of the national standardized annual Medicare+Choice capitation rate used in determining the input-price-adjusted annual national Medicare+Choice capitation rate for a Medicare+Choice payment area for calculation of annual Medicare+Choice capitation rates for 2003. Eliminates budget neutrality in such calculation for a year other than 2003. Modifies requirements for establishment of standards (other than solvency standards) for provider-sponsored organizations for Medicare+Choice organizations and plans in relation to State laws to avoid duplicative State regulation. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a demonstration program under which payment rules for Medicare+Choice organizations are modified in order to promote: (1) the offering of Medicare+Choice plans by preferred provider organizations, of Medicare+Choice plans that provide point-of-sale coverage for other than participating providers, and of MSA plans: and (2) the use of disease management programs by Medicare+Choice plans. Amends SSA title XVII part C to: (1) suspend the limitation for program reentry for Medicare+Choice organizations for 2003 and 2004; and (2) set forth rules governing specialized Medicare+Choice plans for special needs beneficiaries. Amends the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 to provide for extension of municipal health service demonstration projects.
Bill· HRH.R. 3572 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2001
Medicare Remote Monitoring Services Coverage Act of 2001 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to provide for coverage of remote monitoring services under Medicare.
Bill· HRH.R. 3585 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2001
Medicare Substitute Adult Day Care Services Act of 2001 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of substitute adult day care services.
Bill· HRH.R. 3589 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2001
Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to eligible entities to carry out and evaluate demonstrations of models and best practices in nursing care and to develop innovative strategies or approaches for retention of professional nurses.
Bill· HRH.R. 3565 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2001
Nursing Home Security Act of 2001 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to increase by ten percentage points the Federal medical assistance percentage for nursing facility services furnished by a nursing facility in a quarter if: (1) on average during the quarter at least 85 percent of the facility residents are entitled to have payment made for such services under Medicaid; and (2) the State provides satisfactory assurances that additional payments to it resulting from such increase are used exclusively to provide for an increase in payments to such facilities, and do not result in a reduction in aggregate State expenditures for nursing facilities under the State plan.
Bill· HRH.R. 3567 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2001
Coal Industry Retiree Health Benefit Stability and Fairness Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to authorize appropriations to the Combined Fund and the United Mine Workers of America 1992 Benefit Plan to: (1) pay any benefit or administrative costs of unassigned beneficiaries of the Combined Fund; (2) pay any benefit or administrative costs of unassigned beneficiaries of the 1992 UMWA Plan; and (3) eliminate any annual deficit in any premium account of the Combined Fund as certified by the Trustees of the Combined Fund. Makes other related revisions, including: (1) providing for refunds to certain operators; (2) reductions in annual health benefit premiums to the Fund in the event of a surplus. Redefines a coal wage agreement as: (1) the 1988 agreement, meaning the collective bargaining agreement between the settlors which became effective on February 1, 1988; and (2) the coal wage agreement, meaning the 1988 agreement and any predecessor to the 1988 agreement.
Resolution· HCONRESH.Con.Res. 298 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 20 December 2001
Expresses the sense of Congress that, in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, State and local officials should: (1) designate school nurses as first responders; and (2) remove any legal or regulatory barriers that would impede such nurses in responding medically to a biological or chemical attack.
Bill· SS. 1851 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2001
Medicare+Choice Consumer Protection Act of 2001 - Amends part C (Medicare+Choice) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to: (1) provide for continuous open enrollment and disenrollment in Medicare+Choice plans; (2) permit enrollment in the Medicare supplemental insurance (Medigap) program when Medicare+Choice plans reduce benefits or when a provider leaves a Medicare+Choice plan; and (3) limit Medicare+Choice cost-sharing.
Bill· HRH.R. 3540 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2001
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to extend the minimum Medicare claims filing deadlines to account for delay in processing adjustments from secondary to primary payor status.
Bill· HRH.R. 3545 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2001
Medicare Rural Ambulance Service Improvement Act of 2001 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA), as amended by the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000, to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to increase by 20 percent the payment under Medicare for rural ambulance services. Increases by $7.50 per mile the payment rate for the first 17 miles of an ambulance trip transporting a patient. Provides for determination of rural areas based on population density by postal zip codes. Requires the use of recent data for calculation of budget neutrality adjustments to payments for ambulance services. Exempts ambulance suppliers from certain provider designation rules. Directs the Secretary to determine and apply separately the reasonable costs of ground and air ambulance services.
Bill· HRH.R. 3536 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2001
Nursing Shortage State Response Act of 2001 - States that nothing in the Social Security Act shall prevent a State from creating new positions and categories of nursing assistants and from permitting Medicare and Medicaid payment for them if the assistants hired are doing tasks that would be Medicare/Medicaid funded if performed by a nurse.
Bill· HRH.R. 3549 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2001
World Trade Center Worker and Contractor Protection Act - Provides for Federal indemnification and liability protection to contractors or volunteers in connection with their response to the World Trade Center attacks by undertaking rescue and evacuation, recovery of bodies, clean up, environmental remediation, removal and transportation of debris, control of pollutants, securing of public and private property, and protection of the public health, safety and welfare.
Bill· HRH.R. 3529 (107th)open
United States · United States Congress · 19 December 2001
Economic Security and Worker Assistance Act of 2001 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) provide for a supplemental rebate; and (2) accelerate the 25 percent individual income tax rate. Sets forth provisions specifically applicable to business, including: (1) a special depreciation allowance for certain property acquired after September 10, 2001, and before September 11, 2004; (2) a temporary increase in section 179 expensing; and (3) an increased carryback period for certain losses. Extends varied expiring provisions, including: (1) the credits for qualified electric vehicles, work opportunity credit, and the welfare-to-work credit; and (2) provisions concerning the taxable income limit on percentage depletion for oil and natural gas produced from marginal properties, parity in the application of certain limits to mental health benefits, and the availability of medical savings accounts. Reauthorizes Temporary Assistance for Needy Families supplemental grants for population increases for FY 2002. Provides special allowances for a designated "New York Liberty Zone" for the area damaged in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Provides for specified tax relief for victims of terrorist attacks and presidentially declared and other disasters. Temporary Extended Unemployment Compensation Act of 2001 - Provides a program of temporary extended unemployment compensation. Establishes a displaced worker health insurance credit. Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, with respect to national emergency grants, to authorize grants for employment and training assistance and temporary health care coverage assistance to workers affected by major economic dislocations. Amends the Social Security Act to provide for temporary State health care assistance.
Bill· SS. 1836 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2001
Veterinary Health Enhancement Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish veterinary scholarship and loan repayment programs in return for service in veterinary shortage areas. Authorizes appropriations.
Bill· SS. 1840 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2001
Rural Communities Hospice Care Access Improvement Act of 2001 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act (SSA) to create an exception to the Medicare 20 percent inpatient care limitation for certain rural hospice programs with 20 beds or fewer.
Bill· HRH.R. 3511 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2001
Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to set the conversion factor (update) for payments under the Medicare physician fee schedule for the first six months of 2002 at the conversion factor for 2001. Declares that this conversion factor and a specified update adjustment factor for services furnished on or after July 1, 2002, shall be applied as if this Act had not been in effect. Directs the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MEDPAC) to study and report to Congress on replacing or modifying the use of the sustainable growth rate as a factor in determining the update for such payments such that the factor used more fully accounts for changes in the unit costs of providing physicians' services.
Resolution· HCONRESH.Con.Res. 291 (107th)open
United States · United States Congress · 18 December 2001
Expresses the sense of Congress that it: (1) strongly supports efforts to raise public awareness of endometriosis throughout the medical and lay communities; and (2) recognizes the need for better support of patients with endometriosis, the need for physicians to better understand the disease, the need for more effective treatments, and ultimately, the need for a cure.
Bill· HRH.R. 3504 (107th)open
United States · United States Congress · 17 December 2001
Amends the Public Health Service Act to state that a qualified organ procurement organization's certification or recertification in effect as of January 1, 2000, remains in effect at least through July 31, 2004, and is subject to subsequent recertification not more frequently than every four years.
Bill· SS. 1833 (107th)open
United States · United States Congress · 14 December 2001
Amends the Public Health Service Act to state that a qualified organ procurement organization's certification or recertification in effect as of January 1, 2000, remains in effect at least through July 31, 2004, and is subject to subsequent recertification not more frequently than every four years.
Law· HRH.R. 3487 (107th)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2001
Nurse Reinvestment Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop national public service announcements and make grants to support State and local broadcasts promoting the nursing profession. Expands eligibility for the nursing loan repayment program to include service in private hospitals, State or local departments of public health, skilled nursing facilities, home health agencies, hospice programs, and ambulatory surgical centers, subject to certain restrictions. Authorizes the Secretary to provide nursing scholarships in exchange for nursing services in designated health facilities. Treats such scholarships as equivalent to those made under the National Health Service Corps Scholarship Program for repayment purposes, except as specified. Grants preference to applicants with the greatest financial need and/or a willingness to serve in geographic areas with nursing shortages and need. Requires the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on: (1) any differences in nurse hiring practices between profit and nonprofit private entities because of the inclusion of for-profit privates in the loan repayment program; and (2) whether a nursing school faculty shortage exists.
Bill· HRH.R. 3492 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2001
Hospice Improvement Program Act of 2001 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish Hospice Demonstration Projects to increase the utility of Medicare (title XVIII of the Social Security Act (SSA)) hospice services for seriously ill Medicare beneficiaries. Includes a supportive and comfort care benefit within such program. Requires the Secretary to conduct demonstration projects in at least three, but not more than six, sites. Sets forth the criteria for selecting such sites, including geographic diversity and accessibility. Requires special rules for adjusting payment to any Medicare+Choice (SSA title XVIII part C) organization offering a Medicare+Choice plan to reflect an enrolled member's participation in such a project. Directs the Secretary to establish a Hospice Education Grant program under which the Secretary awards education grants to entities participating in the demonstration projects for the purpose of providing information about the Medicare hospice benefit and the benefits available to Medicare beneficiaries under the demonstration projects.
Bill· HRH.R. 3495 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 13 December 2001
Human Cloning Prevention Act of 2001 - Prohibits any Federal agency from making, or entering into any obligation to make, any grant, contract, or other payment to any individual, business, institution, or organization that: (1) has engaged in human cloning in the past year; or (2) controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with any such individual or entity.
Bill· HRH.R. 3471 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2001
Work Opportunity and Relief Compensation Act - Sets forth health insurance coverage options for recently unemployed individuals and their families. Requires establishment of a temporary program under which 75 percent of the premium for COBRA continuation coverage shall be provided for an individual who: (1) at any time between September 11, 2001, and December 31, 2002, is separated from employment; and (2) is eligible for, and has elected, COBRA continuation coverage. (COBRA refers to title X of the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, and concerns continuing post-employment employee group health plan coverage under specified provisions of the Public Health Service Act, the Internal Revenue Code, and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of1974.) Permits a State to elect to provide temporary Medicaid coverage (under title XIX of the Social Security Act) for individuals who: (1) are separated from employment at any time between September 11, 2001, and December 31, 2002; (2) are not eligible for COBRA continuation coverage; (3) are not insured; and (4) do not have assets, resources, and earned or unearned income that exceed limitations set by the State. Permits a State to pay the entire COBRA premium for certain low-income individuals. Includes in the optional Medicaid eligibility category for such illnesses Indian women with breast or cervical cancer who are eligible for health services under a medical care program of the Indian Health Service or of a tribal organization. Increases the allowed Federal Medicaid disproportionate share hospital (DSH) allotment in extremely low-DSH States. Prohibits the Secretary of Health and Human Services, for a certain period, from implementing any modification to upper payment limits for services furnished by non-State government-owned or operated hospitals. Revises the transitional medical assistance (TMA) program to give States the option to: (1) waive notice and reporting requirements; (2) extend eligibility period for low-income individuals; (3) allow families to receive TMA if they have received Medicaid for fewer than three of the preceding six months; and (4) not comply with certain TMA requirements if coverage is extended to certain low-income families. Temporary Unemployment Compensation Act of 2001 - Provides for a program of temporary supplemental unemployment compensation. Includes among eligibility requirements an individual's not having rights, with respect to a week, to other compensation (excluding extended compensation). Applies program agreements to weeks of unemployment: (1) beginning after the date on which such an agreement is entered into; and (2) ending before January 1, 2003.
Bill· HRH.R. 3465 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2001
Call to Service Act of 2001 - Amends National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA) to extend the authorization of appropriations for specified programs. Revises the Americorps program. Directs the Corporation for National and Community Service to: (1) increase the number of approved national service positions; and (2) ensure that half of any such increased number are for programs that address public safety needs, including homeland defense and public health. Allows the Corporation to allot a limited portion of national service positions to receive educational awards only. Allows releases of participants from completing service terms, and requires released participants to receive a portion of the educational award. Includes programs at veterans' facilities or in public health among national service projects. Requires consultation by the Corporation and State Commissions for National and Community Service, respectively, with the Director of the Office of Homeland Security and State emergency management agencies to determine ways to promote homeland security and emergency management through national service programs. Authorizes the Corporation to make grants through the senior training programs and programs of national significance. Amends the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 to extend the authorization of appropriations for the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, Foster Grandparent Program, and Senior Companion Program. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to require that specified increasing percentages of HEA grants for college work-study programs be used to compensate students in community service. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude national service educational awards from gross income. Amends Federal law relating to the Armed Forces to provide for: (1) employment of retired military personnel as instructors in basic training programs; (2) improved access to institutions of higher education for military recruiting purposes; (3) increase the amount of basic educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill; and (4) allow use of entitlements to basic education assistance for contributions to Coverdell education savings accounts under the Internal Revenue Code. Requires heads of institutions of higher education to provide the Department of Defense the same access to students for recruiting purposes provided generally to prospective employers. Directs the Secretaries of Defense and of State to establish a Commission on Military Recruitment and National Service.
Bill· HRH.R. 3472 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2001
Patient Care Innovation Act of 2001 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to designated eligible hospitals and nursing facilities for the design and implementation of innovative models that provide high quality patient care, recognize and effectively use the professional competencies of nurses, and create an environment conducive to their retention and recruitment.
Bill· HRH.R. 3462 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2001
Community Access to Emergency Defibrillation Act of 2001 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to States, political subdivisions of States, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations to develop and implement public access defibrillation programs by: (1) training and equipping local emergency medical services personnel to administer immediate care, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillation (AED), to cardiac arrest victims; (2) purchasing AEDs, placing the defibrillators in public places where cardiac arrests are likely to occur, and training personnel in such places to administer CPR and AED to such victims; (3) setting procedures for proper maintenance and testing of such devices; (4) providing training to members of the public in CPR and AED; (5) integrating the emergency medical services system with the public access defibrillation programs; and (6) encouraging private companies to purchase AEDs and provide training for their employees to administer CPR and AED to cardiac arrest victims in their community. Directs the Secretary to award grants to States, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations to develop and implement innovative, comprehensive, community-based public access defibrillation demonstration projects that: (1) provide CPR and AED to cardiac arrest victims in unique settings; (2) provide training to community members in CPR and AED; and (3) maximize community access to AEDs. Directs the Secretary to award a grant to a health care organization to establish a national information clearinghouse that provides information to increase public access to defibrillation in schools.
Bill· HRH.R. 3469 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 12 December 2001
Family Life Education Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants to States for family life education, including abstinence and contraception. Expresses the sense of Congress that States should, but need not, provide matching funds. Requires the Secretary to provide for national evaluation of a representative sample of such programs for effectiveness in changing adolescent sexual behavior, including the delay of sexual and high-risk activity, the prevention of pregnancy and disease (including HIV/AIDS), and the increase of contraceptive knowledge.
Bill· SS. 1806 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2001
Pharmacy Education Aid Act of 2001 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to include pharmacist services within the National Health Service Corps program of scholarships, including first-year pharmacy studies, loans, and funding. Authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants and contracts to qualifying pharmacy schools for: (1) student and faculty recruitment and retraining, with scholarship preference for students with financial need; (2) computer-based pharmaceutical education systems; and (3) facilities construction. Authorizes the Secretary to establish a loan repayment program for qualifying individuals who become pharmacy school faculty.
Bill· SS. 1804 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2001
American Economic Security and Stimulus Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require employers to provide eligible employees with a simplified application for an earned income eligibility certificate. Extends eligibility for advanced payment of the earned income credit to employees without qualifying children. Makes the 25 percent individual income tax rate effective in calender year 2002 rather than 2006. Temporarily expands penalty-free retirement plan distributions for health insurance premiums for individuals receiving unemployment compensation, as specified. Increases the child tax credit to $1,000. Allows a tax credit of up to $500 for qualified elementary and secondary education expenses (computer technology or equipment). Allows for certain property acquired after September 10, 2001, and before September 11, 2002: (1) an additional first year 10 percent depreciation allowance; and (2) an additional allowance against the alternative minimum tax. Temporary Emergency Unemployment Compensation Act of 2001 - Provides for a program of temporary emergency unemployment compensation. Provides for a temporary reduction in the interest rate applicable to repayments of advances to State unemployment funds. Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to temporarily expand the National Emergency Grant program to address employment needs resulting from the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, including: (1) assistance for employment and training and temporary health care coverage premiums for workers affected by major economic dislocations (2) personal/business income compensation to a dislocated worker/ independently owned business or proprietorship if such worker/business is unable to work/fully function; and (3) COBRA continuation coverage.
Bill· HRH.R. 3450 (107th)open
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2001
Health Care Safety Net Improvement Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to increase the authorization of appropriations for health centers for FY 1997 through FY 2002 and authorize such appropriations as may be necessary for such centers for FY 2003 through FY 2006. Includes within: (1) "required primary health services" appropriate cancer screening (currently, screening for breast and cervical cancer), specialty referral when medically indicated, and specified housing-related services; and (2) "additional health services" behavioral and mental health substance abuse services. Permits grants to health centers for the planning and development of management networks. Rewrites PHSA provisions regarding rural health. Provide grants for expanded delivery of health care services in rural areas, for the planning and implementation of integrated health care networks in rural areas, and for the planning and implementation of small health care provider quality improvement activities. Telehealth Grant Consolidation Act of 2001 - Provides for the establishment: (1) of telehealth network and telehealth resource centers grant programs; and (2) an Office for the Advancement of Telehealth. Provides for grants to eligible entities to enable such entities to provide for improved emergency medical services in rural areas. Reauthorizes and rewrites PHSA provisions regarding the National Health Service Corps program. Prohibits an entity to which a Corps member is assigned from denying requested health services and discriminating in the provision of services because an individual is unable to pay. Provides for a community access demonstration program to improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and coordination of services for uninsured and underinsured individuals. Expands the availability of dental health services.
Law· HRH.R. 3448 (107th)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2001
Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Response Act of 2001 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to add provisions directing the Secretary of Health and Human Services, building upon core public health capabilities, to carry out health-related activities to prepare for and respond to bioterrorism and other public health emergencies. Requires collaboration with States and local governments to ensure a national bioterrorism and public health emergency preparedness plan. Establishes within the Department of Health and Human Services the position of Assistant Secretary for Emergency Preparedness. Expands the role of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Directs the Secretary to provide for the establishment of a coordinated network of public health laboratories. Provides for: (1) the education of health care personnel regarding recognition and identification of bioweapons; and (2) grants to train health professionals and register volunteers. Requires the maintenance of a national stockpile or stockpiles of drugs, vaccines and other biological products, medical devices, and other supplies adequate to meet the health security needs of the United States in the event of a bioterrorist attack or other public health emergency. Provides for countermeasure research, development, and evaluation. Provides for the waiver of certain Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP requirements during national emergencies. Provides for enhanced regulatory control of dangerous biological agents and toxins. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for the protection of the food and drug supply against intentional adulteration. Amends the Safe Drinking Water Act to protect the water supply against terrorist and other intentional acts.
Law· HRH.R. 3447 (107th)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2001
Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Programs Enhancement Act of 2001 - Revises various requirements relating to the Department of Veterans Affairs employee incentive scholarship program, including by reducing the period of employment required for eligibility and by increasing the years for which a scholarship may be paid. Makes permanent the education debt reduction program. Authorizes: (1) additional pay for Saturday duty for health care professionals in the Department's Veterans Health Administration (VHA); and (2) unused sick leave to be included in the annuity computation for VHA nurses. Establishes the National Commission on VA Nursing. Authorizes the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide service dogs to veterans enrolled in the veterans' patient enrollment system. Provides the basis for maintenance of the Department's capacity to provide for the specialized treatment and rehabilitative needs of disabled veterans who: (1) are seriously mentally ill; or (2) have spinal cord dysfunction, traumatic brain injury, blindness, or prosthetics and sensory aids. Directs the Secretary to provide chiropractic care and services to veterans enrolled in the veterans' patient enrollment system. Authorizes the Secretary to carry out a major medical facility project at the Department's Medical Center in Miami, Florida. Urges the Secretary to assess the Department's provision of special telephone services for veterans. Directs the Secretary to provide consultation, counseling, training and mental health services to family members of a veteran receiving treatment for a service-connected disability and authorizes the Secretary to provide such services in connection with a veteran receiving treatment for a non-service-connected disability. Authorizes: (1) bereavement counseling to family members of veterans who die in the line of duty or were participating in a hospice program; and (2) humanitarian hospital or medical care in emergency cases.
Bill· HRH.R. 3457 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2001
Pathogen Research, Emergency Preparedness and Response Efforts Act of 2001 (PREPARE Act) - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to encourage the development and manufacture of new products or new uses for products which can identify, prevent, or treat biological agents. Permits a limited antitrust exemption for the cooperative efforts of the pharmaceutical, biotechnical, medical device, and research industries when working to develop and bring such countermeasure products to market. Authorizes the Secretary to enter into contracts and provide assistance for product development, including good manufacturing practices and facility security. Requires the Secretary to ensure that medical supplies from the National Pharmaceutical Stockpile are located in appropriate proximity to the site of special events. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to permit: (1) fast-track designation and priority review for unapproved countermeasure products; and (2) the use of animal trials for drugs useful against lethal or disabling agents. Requires the Secretary to: (1) prohibit the unauthorized transportation of biological agents; (2) establish and maintain a list of each biological agent and toxin potentially threatening to public health and another list of those agents and toxins potentially threatening to national security; and (3) establish safety procedures for the transfer of such agents and toxins. Requires the Secretaries of Health and Human Services and Defense to coordinate the creation of a government-owned, contractor-operated vaccine production facility on a military installation.
Bill· HRH.R. 3458 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2001
Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make a grant to or contract with nonprofit organizations for: (1) the development and dissemination of curriculum and materials for responding to a terrorist event involving a nuclear, biological, or chemical element, addressed to the informational, educational, and/or planning needs of health care professionals, the general public, and local governments and businesses; and (2) establish and maintain an emergency medicine alert network for use at the Federal and State levels for information sharing concerning a terrorist event and response methods.
Bill· HRH.R. 3452 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 11 December 2001
Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the National Institutes of Health, to develop an annual list of approved drugs for which: (1) there is an approved or pending new drug application or no patent or market exclusivity protection; and (2) additional pediatric safety and effectiveness studies are needed. Directs the Secretary to award contracts to entities with appropriate experience for pediatric clinical trials of such drugs. Establishes a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) contract process for related labeling changes. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to: (1) eliminate the user fee waiver for pediatric supplements to a human drug application; (2) provide priority status for pediatric supplements; (3) include neonates within the definition of pediatric studies; (4) provide for dissemination of pediatric supplement information; and (5) set forth requirements for the additional six-month exclusivity period for new or already-marketed pediatric drugs. Directs the Secretary to establish an Office of Pediatric Therapeutics within the Office of the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, which shall coordinate all FDA pediatric activities. Includes within the purposes and activities of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health the collection of funds for pediatric pharmacological research. Directs the Secretary to contract with the Institute of Medicine to review Federal regulations, reports, and support for research involving children, with particular attention to issues of compensation, informed consent, and risk/ benefits assessments in terms of research versus therapeutic treatment.
Bill· SS. 1792 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 10 December 2001
Call to Service Act of 2001 - Amends National and Community Service Act of 1990 (NCSA) to extend the authorization of appropriations for specified programs. Revises the Americorps program. Directs the Corporation for National and Community Service to: (1) increase the number of approved national service positions; and (2) ensure that half of any such increased number are for programs that address public safety needs, including homeland defense and public health. Allows the Corporation to allot a limited portion of national service positions to receive educational awards only. Allows releases of participants from completing service terms, and requires released participants to receive a portion of the educational award. Includes programs at veterans' facilities or in public health among national service projects. Requires consultation by the Corporation and State Commissions for National and Community Service, respectively, with the Director of the Office of Homeland Security and State emergency management agencies to determine ways to promote homeland security and emergency management through national service programs. Authorizes the Corporation to make grants through the senior training programs and programs of national significance. Amends the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 to extend the authorization of appropriations for the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program, Foster Grandparent Program, and Senior Companion Program. Amends the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA) to require that specified increasing percentages of HEA grants for college work-study programs be used to compensate students in community service. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude national service educational awards from gross income. Amends Federal law relating to the Armed Forces to provide for: (1) employment of retired military personnel as instructors in basic training programs; (2) improved access to institutions of higher education for military recruiting purposes; (3) increase the amount of basic educational assistance under the Montgomery GI Bill; and (4) allow use of entitlements to basic education assistance for contributions to Coverdell education savings accounts under the Internal Revenue Code. Requires heads of institutions of higher education to provide the Department of Defense the same access to students for recruiting purposes provided generally to prospective employers. Directs the Secretaries of Defense and of State to establish a Commission on Military Recruitment and National Service.
Law· SS. 1789 (107th)enacted
United States · United States Congress · 8 December 2001
Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, through the National Institutes of Health, to develop an annual list of approved drugs for which: (1) there is an approved or pending new drug application or no patent or market exclusivity protection; and (2) additional pediatric safety and effectiveness studies are needed. Directs the Secretary to award contracts to entities with appropriate experience for pediatric clinical trials of such drugs. Establishes a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) contract process for related labeling changes. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to: (1) eliminate the user fee waiver for pediatric supplements to a human drug application; (2) provide priority status for pediatric supplements; (3) include neonates within the definition of pediatric studies; (4) provide for dissemination of pediatric supplement information; and (5) set forth requirements for the additional six-month exclusivity period for new or already-marketed pediatric drugs. Directs the Secretary to establish an Office of Pediatric Therapeutics within the Office of the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, which shall coordinate all FDA pediatric activities. Includes within the purposes and activities of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health the collection of funds for pediatric pharmacological research. Directs the Secretary to contract with the Institute of Medicine to review Federal regulations, reports, and support for research involving children, with particular attention to issues of compensation, informed consent, and risk/ benefits assessments in terms of research versus therapeutic treatment.
Bill· SS. 1787 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 7 December 2001
Rural Safety Act of 2001 - Amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to: (1) authorize the Attorney General to make grants to rural local and tribal governments for the retention for one additional year of police officers funded through the cops on the beat (or COPS) Program; and (2) authorize the use of COPS grants on a matching funds basis to assist the police departments of such units in improving police communications, and in developing and improving access to crime-solving technologies. Directs the Office of Justice Programs of the Department of Justice to make grants to such units to: (1) establish or improve 911 service in those communities; and (2) establish restorative justice programs for juveniles, such as victim/offender mediation and family and community conferences. Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, to make grants to establish in rural areas substance abuse (particularly methamphetamine) prevention and treatment pilot programs and methamphetamine prevention education programs. Directs the Attorney General to provide for the cleanup of methamphetamine laboratories and related hazardous waste, and for the improvement of contract-related response time for cleanup of methamphetamine laboratories and related hazardous waste by providing additional contract personnel, equipment, and facilities, in rural areas. Establishes a Rural Policing Institute as part of the Small Town and Rural Training Program..
Bill· HRH.R. 3431 (107th)referred
United States · United States Congress · 6 December 2001
Stroke Treatment and Ongoing Prevention Act of 2001 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a national education and information campaign promoting stroke prevention and immediate treatment. Directs the Secretary to: (1) maintain the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Registry and Clearinghouse, including conducting and/or making available research concerning best practices for prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation; (2) make grants to States to establish statewide stroke prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation systems; and (3) develop a model curriculum for training emergency medical services personnel. Sets forth requirements for the State grant program, including matching funds, standards for care and facilities, central data reporting and analysis, special consideration for geographic areas with high rates of disability from stroke or significant need, and technical assistance. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to develop and implement education programs for appropriate medical personnel with regard to newly developed diagnostics, technologies, and therapies for stroke prevention and treatment.