POLICY BRIEFINGS

President Taps Inaugural ARPA-H Director


President Joe Biden has appointed Renee Wegrzyn to serve as the inaugural director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). Wegrzyn is a longtime biologist and former government scientist. She currently works as a Vice President of Business Development at Ginkgo Bioworks and as Head of Innovation at Concentric by Gingko. She has previous experience at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA). Wegrzyn is expected to assume her new role by October 1.


Upcoming Congressional Hearings and Markups


Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies hearing “VA’s Electronic Health Record Modernization: An Update on Rollout, Cost, and Schedule;” 10:00 a.m.; September 21

Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing “Ensuring Veterans’ Timely Access to Care in VA and the Community;” 3:00 p.m.; September 21

Senate Special Committee on Aging hearing “Stopping Senior Scams: Empowering Communities to Fight Fraud;” 10:00 a.m.; September 22


Recently Introduced Health Legislation


S.4804 — A bill to provide for civil monetary penalties for violations of mental health parity requirements; Sponsor: Murphy, Christopher [Sen.-D-CT]; Committees: Senate - Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

S.4818 — A bill to prohibit the use of Federal and local funds to impose or enforce a COVID-19 vaccine mandate in District of Columbia schools, and to repeal the Coronavirus Immunization of School Students and Early Childhood Workers Regulation Amendment Act of 2021 enacted by the District of Columbia Council; Sponsor: Cruz, Ted [Sen.-R- TX]; Committees: Senate - Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

S.4827 — A bill to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a national sepsis data trust, and to fund State-based pilots and programs to establish interoperable State-based sepsis data trusts; Sponsor: Cassidy, Bill [Sen.- R-LA]; Committees: Senate - Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

S.4839 — A bill to reauthorize and expand a grant program for State and Tribal response to opioid and stimulant use and misuse, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Baldwin, Tammy [Sen.-D-WI]; Committees: Senate - Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

H.R.8800 — To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to extend certain increases in payments for physicians services under the Medicare program through 2023; Sponsor: Bera, Ami [Rep.-D-CA-7]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.R.8805 — To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act with respect to nursing facility requirements, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Connolly, Gerald E. [Rep.-D-VA-11]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.R.8806 — To enhance the cybersecurity of the Healthcare and Public Health Sector; Sponsor: Crow, Jason [Rep.-D- CO-6]; Committees: House - Homeland Security

H.R.8809 — To provide an individual with an eligible medical condition access to an employee restroom facilities of a retail establishment under certain conditions, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Norton, Eleanor Holmes [Del.-D-DC-At Large]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.R.8811 — To amend title 38, United States Code, to expand certain rehabilitation programs for certain veterans with service-connected disabilities; Sponsor: Obernolte, Jay [Rep.-R-CA-8]; Committees: House - Veterans’ Affairs

H.R.8812 — To amend titles XVIII and XIX of the Social Security Act and the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 to increase access to services provided by advanced practice registered nurses under the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Roybal-Allard, Lucille [Rep.-D-CA-40]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Ways and Means

H.R.8815 — To amend the Public Health Service Act, to establish within the Office of Minority Health, the position of Outreach Coordinator, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Smith, Adam [Rep.-D-WA-9]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

S.Res.764 — A resolution designating September 2022, as “National Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Month”; Sponsor: Rubio, Marco [Sen.-R-FL]; Submitted in the Senate, considered, and agreed to without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent.

S.4844 — A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to support and stabilize the existing nursing workforce, establish programs to increase the number of nurses, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Merkley, Jeff [Sen.-D-OR]; Committees: Senate - Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

S.4851 — A bill to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a national project to prevent and cure Parkinson’s, to be known as the National Parkinson’s Project, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Capito, Shelley Moore [Sen.- R-WV]; Committees: Senate - Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

H.Res.1348 — Expressing support for the designation of September 15, 2022, as “National Brain Health Day”; Sponsor: Blumenauer, Earl [Rep.-D-OR-3]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce; Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

H.Res.1352 — Supporting the designation of “Telehealth Awareness Week”; Sponsor: Welch, Peter [Rep.-D-VT-At Large]; Committees: House - Oversight and Reform

H.R.8817 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to support and stabilize the existing nursing workforce, establish programs to increase the number of nurses, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Blunt Rochester, Lisa [Rep.-D-DE-At Large]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.R.8820 — To amend the Public Health Service Act to prohibit governmental discrimination against certain health care providers with certain objections to abortion; Sponsor: Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [Rep.-R-GA-1]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.R.8828 — To address potential conflicts of interest among entities serving as Food and Drug Administration contractors, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Kuster, Ann M. [Rep.-D-NH-2]; Committees: House - Energy and Commerce

H.R.8831 — To amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize certain claims for personal injury or death caused by medical malpractice onboard certain naval vessels, and for other purposes; Sponsor: Speier, Jackie [Rep.-D-CA-14]; Committees: House - Armed Services



September 19, 2022: | Page 1 Page 2

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