POLICY BRIEFINGS

COVID Vaccine Now Available for Children 5-11

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky has endorsed the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices’ (ACIP) recommendation that children 5 to 11 years old be vaccinated against COVID-19 with the Pfizer-BioNTech pediatric vaccine, allowing providers to begin vaccinating them as soon as possible. The ACIP recommendation passed by a 14-0 vote. The Pfizer vaccine is the first pediatric COVID vaccine authorized for use in this country. Children will get two injections containing 10 micrograms of antigen – one-third of the size of the adult vaccine dose – given 21 days apart. Trials have shown that vaccination is nearly 91% effective in preventing COVID-19 among children aged 5-11 years, with vaccine side effects being mild, self-limiting, and like those seen in adults and with other vaccines recommended for children. Distribution of pediatric vaccinations across the country started last week, with plans to scale up to full capacity starting this week.

Recently Introduced Health Legislation

S.3124 — A bill to amend title XI of the Social Security Act to repeal the requirement for unique health identifiers; Sponsor: Sen. Paul, Rand [R-KY]; Committees: Senate – Finance

H.Con.Res.57 — Celebrating the first anniversary of the coalition of signatory countries to the Geneva Consensus Declaration on Promoting Women’s Health and Strengthening the Family; Sponsor: Rep. Banks, Jim [R-IN-3]; Committees: House - Foreign Affairs

H.R.5801 — To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to apply additional payments, discounts, and other financial assistance towards the cost-sharing requirements of health insurance plans, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. McEachin, A. Donald [D-VA-4]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.R.5804 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve access to diabetes outpatient self-management training services, to require the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to test the provision of virtual diabetes outpatient self-management training services, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Schrier, Kim [D-WA-8]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.R.5807 — To establish national data privacy standards in the United States, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Vela, Filemon [D-TX-34]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Science, Space, and Technology

S.3132 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to modernize payments for ambulatory surgical centers under the Medicare program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT]; Committees: Senate – Finance

S.3139 — A bill to ban anticompetitive terms in facility and insurance contracts that limit access to higher quality, lower cost care; Sponsor: Sen. Braun, Mike [R-IN]; Committees: Senate - Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

H.R.5811 — To amend the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2022 to prohibit the use of funds related to any rule requiring a COVID-19 vaccination, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Moolenaar, John R. [R-MI-4]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.R.5812 — To amend title XI of the Social Security Act to repeal the requirement for unique health identifiers; Sponsor: Rep. Roy, Chip [R-TX-21]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.R.5813 — To abolish the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Biggs, Andy [R-AZ-5]; Committees: House - Education and Labor

H.R.5816 — To prohibit the federal government, or State or local government or other entity receiving federal funding, from requiring any citizen to be vaccinated, including federal agencies from requiring its employees to take any vaccination, without the citizen being fully advised in writing of all known potential risks from the vaccine and consultation with a physician followed by the voluntary informed consent of the citizen, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Gohmert, Louie [R-TX-1]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.R.5818 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to modernize payments for ambulatory surgical centers under the Medicare program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Larson, John B. [D-CT-1]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.R.5819 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to increase the amount paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to veterans for improvements and structural alterations furnished as part of home health services; Sponsor: Rep. Lawson, Al, Jr. [D-FL-5]; Committees: House - Veterans’ Affairs

H.R.5820 — To prohibit the use of certain Federal funds to facilitate mandatory vaccination programs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Lesko, Debbie [R-AZ-8]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.R.5823 — To establish a Pandemic Risk Reinsurance Program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Maloney, Carolyn B. [D-NY-12]; Committees: House - Financial Services

H.R.5824 — To permit civil actions against employers for COVID-19 vaccination mandates, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Mast, Brian J. [R-FL-18]; Committees: House – Judiciary

H.R.5829 — To prohibit federally funded COVID-19 vaccine mandates, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Timmons, William R. IV [R-SC-4]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Oversight and Reform; Education and Labor; Ways and Means

S.3149 — A bill to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish within the Office of the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the Office of Rural Health, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR]; Committees: Senate - Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

H.R.5835 — To prohibit the use of Federal funds to establish, implement, or enforce any vaccine mandate; Sponsor: Rep. Brooks, Mo [R-AL-5]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.R.5837 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand access to telehealth services relating to substance use disorder treatment, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Curtis, John R. [R-UT-3]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means; Judiciary

H.R.5848 — To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish within the Office of the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the Office of Rural Health, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. McEachin, A. Donald [D-VA-4]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.R.5850 — To ensure an evidence-based funding approach to study the effects of health profession opportunity grant demonstration projects, and to evaluate the demonstration projects; Sponsor: Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10]; Committees: House - Ways and Means

H.R.5851 — To void existing non-compete agreements for any employee who is fired for not complying with an employer’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Tenney, Claudia [R-NY-22]; Committees: House - Education and Labor; Energy and Commerce

S.3163 — A bill to improve access to medical examinations required by veterans to obtain disability compensation or pension under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Sen. Tester, Jon [D- MT]; Committees: Senate - Veterans’ Affairs

S.3166 — A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to improve coverage of dental and oral health services for adults under Medicaid, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Sen. Cardin, Ben [D-MD]; Committees: Senate – Finance

S.3170 — A bill to ensure that nothing in Federal law, other than an explicit statement in an Act of Congress, shall be construed to provide an executive agency with the authority to mandate, or implement a mandate, that an individual be inoculated by a COVID-19 vaccine, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT]; Committees: Senate - Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

S.3174 — A bill to implement the recommendations of the Inspector General of the Department of Defense with respect to mitigation of foreign suppliers in the pharmaceutical supply chain of the Department of Defense; Sponsor: Sen. Rubio, Marco [R-FL]; Committees: Senate - Armed Services

S.3184 — A bill to prohibit certain COVID-19 vaccination mandates for minors, and to require parental consent for COVID-19 vaccination of minors; Sponsor: Sen. Cruz, Ted [R-TX]; Committees: Senate - Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

S.3189 — A bill to amend title XX of the Social Security Act to provide a pathway to health careers through health profession opportunity grants; Sponsor: Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM]; Committees: Senate – Finance

S.3193 — A bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to expand the scope of practitioners eligible for payment for telehealth services under the Medicare program, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Sen. Daines, Steve [R-MT]; Committees: Senate – Finance

S.3194 — A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to Congress a report on mental health care furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs in certain States and a report on funding by Vet Centers of marketing and outreach; Sponsor: Sen. Boozman, John [R-AR]; Committees: Senate - Veterans’ Affairs

S.3195 — A bill to provide consumers with foundational data privacy rights, create strong oversight mechanisms, and establish meaningful enforcement; Sponsor: Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA]; Committees: Senate - Commerce, Science, and Transportation

S.3201 — A bill to establish a joint United States-Taiwan Infectious Disease Monitoring Center to serve as an early warning center in the case of an infectious disease outbreak in the Indo-Pacific region; Sponsor: Sen. Cotton, Tom [R-AR]; Committees: Senate - Foreign Relations

S.3203 — A bill to establish the Commission on the COVID-19 Pandemic; Sponsor: Sen. Feinstein, Dianne [D-CA]; Committees: Senate - Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

H.R.5857 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to enhance the national strategy for combating and eliminating tuberculosis, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Bera, Ami [D-CA-7]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.R.5860 — To exempt essential workers from Federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates; Sponsor: Rep. Burchett, Tim [R-TN- 2]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Oversight and Reform

H.R.5869 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the establishment of a mesothelioma patient registry, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Katko, John [R-NY-24]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.R.5870 — To establish a joint United States-Taiwan Infectious Disease Monitoring Center to serve as an early warning center in the case of an of infectious disease outbreak in the Indo-Pacific region; Sponsor: Rep. Khanna, Ro [D-CA-17]; Committees: House - Foreign Affairs

H.R.5872 — To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to treat as misbranded cosmetics with packaging or labeling using the term “natural” unless the cosmetic meets certain standards, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Maloney, Sean Patrick [D-NY-18]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.R.5874 — To promote the leadership of the United States in global innovation by establishing a robust patent system that restores and protects the right of inventors to own and enforce private property rights in inventions and discoveries, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Massie, Thomas [R-KY-4]; Committees: House – Judiciary

H.R.5875 — To amend title VII of the Public Health Service Act to increase retention of the rural health care workforce, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. McKinley, David B. [R-WV-1]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.R.5883 — To establish a value-based care program to exempt eligible rural health clinics from certain payment limitations, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Rep. Sewell, Terri A. [D-AL-7]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

November 8, 2021: | Page 1 Page 2