POLICY BRIEFINGS

AHA Expresses Support for Health Worker Vaccine Requirements

The American Hospital Association (AHA) has joined dozens of provider and other health associations in support of vaccine mandates for health care workers. “The AHA supports hospitals and health systems that choose, based on local factors, to mandate COVID-19 vaccines for their workforce. Doing so will help protect the health and well-being of health care personnel and the patients and communities they proudly serve,” AHA CEO Rick Pollack stated in prepared remarks. America’s Essential Hospitals, the Association of American Medical Colleges, and the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology also support such requirements.

Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups

Senate Finance Committee hearing “Implementation and Enforcement of the United States – Mexico – Canada Agreement: One Year After Entry into Force;” 9:30 a.m.; July 27

Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee hearing “The Path Forward: Building on Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic;” 10:00 a.m.; July 27

Senate Judiciary Committee hearing “America Under Cyber Siege: Preventing and Responding to Ransomware Attacks;” 10:00 a.m.; July 27

House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health hearing “Aging in Place: Examining Veterans’ Access to Home and Community Based Services;” 10:00 a.m.; July 27

Senate Foreign Relations Committee markup of legislation, including S. 2297, International Pandemic Preparedness and COVID-19 Response Act; 9:00 a.m.; July 28

House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Human Services hearing “Food for Thought: Examining Federal Nutrition Programs for Young Children and Infants;” 10:15 a.m.; July 28

Senate Judiciary Committee markup of drug pricing legislation, including S. 1425, Stop STALLING Act; S. 1428, Preserve Access to Affordable Generics and Biosimilars Act; S. 1388, Prescription Pricing for the People Act; and S. 1435, Affordable Prescriptions for Patients Act; 9:00 a.m.; July 29

House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing “The Path Forward: Advancing Treatments and Cures for Neurodegenerative Diseases;” 11:00 a.m.; July 29

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

H.R.4492 — To establish an interagency forum for biodefense preparedness, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep. Swalwell, Eric [D-CA-15]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Armed Services; Homeland Security; Agriculture

H.R.4491 — To amend the National Security Act of 1947 to modify the membership of the National Security Council, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep. Swalwell, Eric [D-CA-15]; Committees: House - Armed Services; Foreign Affairs; Intelligence (Permanent Select)

H.R.4486 —To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct annual surveys of veterans on experiences with medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep. Rice, Tom [R-SC-7]; Committees: House - Veterans’ Affairs

H.R.4480 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to require group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance coverage to provide coverage for services furnished via telehealth if such services would be covered if furnished in-person, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep. Phillips, Dean [D-MN-3]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.R.4479 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure equitable payment for, and preserve Medicare beneficiary access to, diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals under the Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system. Sponsor: Rep. Peters, Scott H. [D-CA-52]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.R.4476 – To establish the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Trade and Economic Security Council and the position of Assistant Secretary for Trade and Economic Security within the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep. Meijer, Peter [R-MI-3]; Committees: House - Homeland Security; Energy and Commerce

H.R.4472 — To strengthen the use of patient-experience data within the benefit-risk framework for approval of new drugs. Sponsor: Rep. Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-6]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.R.4470 — To amend title 41, United States Code, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, to ensure availability of personal protective equipment during pandemics and other public health emergencies through stockpile requirements and domestic manufacturing incentives, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep. Maloney, Carolyn B. [D-NY-12]; Committees: House - Ways and Means; Oversight and Reform

H.R.4465 — To enhance transparency and accountability measures in Federal grantmaking to safeguard federally funded research and technology development, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8]; Committees: House - Oversight and Reform

H.R.4459 — To amend the Controlled Substances Act to clarify how controlled substance analogues that are imported or offered for import are to be regulated, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep. Katko, John [R-NY-24]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.R.4450 — To require health insurance coverage for the treatment of infertility. Sponsor: Rep. DeLauro, Rosa L. [D-CT- 3]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Oversight and Reform; Armed Services; Veterans’ Affairs

H.R.4449 — To provide low-income individuals with opportunities to enter and follow a career pathway in the health professions, to extend and expand demonstration projects, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL- 7]; Committees: House - Ways and Means

H.R.4439 — To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to improve coverage of adult oral health care under the Medicaid program, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep. Barragan, Nanette Diaz [D-CA-44]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.R.4438 – To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to exclude from Federal health care programs health care providers performing certain acts forcing contraception with respect to individuals subject to a conservatorship. Sponsor: Rep. Smith, Jason [R-MO-8]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.R.4437 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for permanent payments for telehealth services furnished by Federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics under the Medicare program. Sponsor: Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-PA-15]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.Res.536 — Expressing support for the designation of the week of July 19 through July 25, 2021, as “Black Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week”, and supporting the goals and ideals of raising awareness and understanding of maternal mental health conditions as they affect Black individuals; Sponsor: Rep. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE-At Large]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.Res.538 — Supporting the goals and ideals of Bebe Moore Campbell Black, indigenous, and people of color (“BIPOC”) Mental Health Awareness Month in July 2021; Sponsor: Rep. Johnson, Eddie Bernice [D-TX-30]; Committees: House - Oversight and Reform

H.Res.539 — Recognizing the maternal health crisis in the United States and the importance of reducing mortality and morbidity among all women, and honoring mothers; Sponsor: Rep. McEachin, A. Donald [D-VA-4]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.R.4502 — Making appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. DeLauro, Rosa L. [D-CT-3]; Committees: House – Appropriations

H.R.4506 — To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish tests and vaccinations to veterans during public health emergencies; Sponsor: Rep. Amodei, Mark E. [R-NV-2]; Committees: House - Veterans’ Affairs

H.R.4510 — To provide for the designation of areas as Health Enterprise Zones to reduce health disparities and improve health outcomes in such areas, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Brown, Anthony G. [D-MD-4]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.R.4511 — To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to authorize the use of emergency use authorization data and real world evidence gathered during an emergency to support premarket applications for drugs, biological products, and devices, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Burgess, Michael C. [R-TX-26]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.R.4528 — To direct the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to study the feasibility of establishing a pilot program to assign certain officers of the Armed Forces to serve as directors of medical centers of the Department of Veterans Affairs; Sponsor: Rep. Mast, Brian J. [R-FL-18]; Committees: House - Veterans’ Affairs

S.2386 — A bill to amend the VA MISSION Act of 2018, to expand the peer specialist support program of the Department of Veterans Affairs to all medical centers of the Department, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]; Committees: Senate - Veterans’ Affairs

S.2390 — A bill to allow Americans to receive paid leave time to process and address their own health needs and the health needs of their partners during the period following a pregnancy loss, an unsuccessful round of intrauterine insemination or of an assisted reproductive technology procedure, a failed adoption arrangement, a failed surrogacy arrangement, or a diagnosis or event that impacts pregnancy or fertility, to support related research and education, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL]; Committees: Senate - Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

S.2401 — A bill to reauthorize the Assistive Technology Act of 1998, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Sen. Casey, Bob [D-PA]; Committees: Senate - Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

H.R.4547 — To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to establish additional criteria for determining when employers may join together in a group or association of employers that will be treated as an employer under section 3(5) of such Act for purposes of sponsoring a group health plan, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Walberg, Tim [R-MI-7]; Committees: House - Education and Labor

H.R.4554 — To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to provide grants to support for States to identify and act on racial disparities, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Butterfield, G. K. [D-NC-1]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.R.4555 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize a public education campaign across all relevant programs of the Health Resources and Services Administration to increase oral health literacy and awareness; Sponsor: Rep. Cardenas, Tony [D-CA-29]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.R.4558 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow the deduction for health insurance costs in computing self-employment taxes; Sponsor: Rep. Delgado, Antonio [D-NY-19]; Committees: House - Ways and Means

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