Washington, D.C. — House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) issued the following statement after the House passed 14 bipartisan health bills: 

“These commonsense solutions will help reform and extend programs that support the health and wellbeing of the American people. I commend the Members who led these bipartisan initiatives for their hard work as well as my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee for their work to shepherd them through the committee process and across the House floor,” said Chair Rodgers. 

BACKGROUND ON THE BILLS:

H.R. 8111, the Medicaid Program Improvement Act:  

• Led by Rep. Miller-Meeks (R-IA).
• Would require States to regularly obtain beneficiary address information from reliable sources, including (where applicable) Medicaid managed care plans, to promote the State’s ability to contact the beneficiary, and to confirm a Medicaid beneficiary’s residence is within the state. 
• Passed the House unanimously.
• Passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on June 12, 2024. 

H.R. 8112, To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to further require certain additional provider screening under the Medicaid program: 

• Led by Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY).
• Would require States to regularly check the Data Exchange System (DEX) to determine as part of a provider’s enrollment (or reenrollment or revalidation of enrollment) in the Medicaid program that the provider is not prohibited from participating in the Medicare program. 
• Passed the House unanimously.
• Passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on June 12, 2024. 

H.R. 8089, the Medicare and Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act of 2024: 

• Led by Rep. Mike Garcia (R-CA).
• Would require States to check the Death Master File upon enrollment (or reenrollment or revalidation or enrollment), and on at least a quarterly basis, in order to identify deceased providers. Existing federal laws, regulations, and guidance dictate the steps states must take in the event the state identifies that the provider is deceased. 
• Passed the House unanimously.
• Passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on June 12, 2023. 

H.R. 8084, the LIVE Beneficiaries Act: 

• Led by Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL).
• Would require States to screen the Social Security Administration’s Death Master File (DMF) to identify currently enrolled Medicaid beneficiaries who are deceased and remove identified deceased beneficiaries from enrollment in Medicaid. 
• Passed the House unanimously.
• Passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on June 12, 2024. 

H.R. 6160, To amend the Public Health Service Act to reauthorize a lifespan respite care program: 

• Led by Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-NY).
• Reauthorizes for five years the lifespan respite care program administered by the Administration of Community Living (ACL) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support state respite care systems. 
• Passed the House unanimously.
• Passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on March 20, 2024. 

S. 4351, the Poison Control Centers Reauthorization Act of 2024:  

• Led by Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA).
• Reauthorizes certain poison control programs, including the national toll-free phone number, support for poison control center utilization, and resources to local poison control centers. 
• Passed the House unanimously.
• The bill’s companion legislation (H.R. 7251), led by Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR), passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on March 20, 2024.

H.R. 7406, the DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act of 2024: 

• Led by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA).
• Authorizes the INCLUDE (INvestigation of Co-occurring conditions across the Lifespan to Understand Down syndromE) Project at the NIH, which is currently funded, and is designed to promote the scientific understanding of Down syndrome and co-occurring conditions and improve the quality of life of every American, not just individuals with Down syndrome and their families. 
• Passed the House unanimously.
• Passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on March 20, 2024.

H.R. 7218, the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Reauthorization Act of 2024: 

• Led by Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY).
• Reauthorizes programs to support states, local public health departments, and other entities in their efforts to educate and support early detection and diagnosis; reduce associated risks; support patients and caregivers; and promote public health knowledge and awareness of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, among other activities, at currently appropriated levels for fiscal years 2025 through 2029. 
• Passed the House unanimously.
• Passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on March 20, 2024.

H.R. 6033, the Supporting Patient Education And Knowledge (SPEAK) Act of 2024:

• Led by Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA).
• Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to, in consultation with stakeholders, issue and disseminate best practices for delivering quality care via telehealth to beneficiaries with limited English language proficiency. 
• Passed the House unanimously.
• Passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on June 12, 2024.

H.R. 7858, the Telehealth Enhancement for Mental Health Act of 2024:

• Led by Rep. John James (R-MI).
• Improves process by which Medicare tracks claims for services provided by telehealth. 
• Passed the House unanimously.
• Passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on June 12, 2024.

S. 265, the SIREN Reauthorization Act: 

• Led by Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL).
• Reauthorizes and modifies the rural emergency medical services (EMS) training program through 2028. 
• Passed the House unanimously.
• The bill’s companion legislation (H.R. 4646), led by Rep. David Joyce (R-OH), passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on March 20, 2024. 

H.R. 7208, the Dennis John Benigno Traumatic Brain Injury Reauthorization Act of 2024: 

• Led by the late Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ).
• Reauthorizes Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) programs at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which allocate resources for TBI prevention, improving access to TBI rehabilitation, and support TBI patient advocacy systems. The bill reauthorizes the program for five fiscal years from 2025 through 2029. 
• Passed the House unanimously.
• Passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on March 20, 2024.

H.R. 4758, the Accelerating Kids’ Access to Care Act: 

• Led by Rep. Lori Trahan (D-MA).
• Streamlines Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) out-of-state pediatric provider enrollment requirements to promote timely access to care for children needing to travel out-of-state for care. 
• Passed the House unanimously.
• Passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on June 12, 2024.

H.R. 7213, the Autism CARES Act of 2024:

• Led by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ).
• Reauthorizes and makes improvements to certain programs related to autism spectrum disorder, including the Developmental Disabilities Surveillance and Research Program; Autism education, early detection, and intervention; and the Interagency Autism Coordination Committee at currently appropriated levels for fiscal years 2025 through 2029. 
• Passed the House by a bipartisan vote of 402-13.
• Passed out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously on June 12, 2024.