Legislative Activity

The "OPTN Fee Collection Authority Act" amends the Public Health Service Act to enhance organ transplantation network operations by encouraging electronic health record integration and exploring a transplant statistics dashboard. It authorizes the Secretary to collect registration fees from OPTN members to fund these activities, ensuring transparency through public reporting of fee collection and usage. The Comptroller General will review these activities, and the fee collection authority will expire three years after enactment.

The Pharmacy Benefit Manager Transparency Act of 2025 aims to regulate pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) by prohibiting unfair pricing practices, requiring transparency in pricing and reporting, and protecting whistleblowers who report violations. It mandates PBMs to disclose drug costs, fees, and payments received from drug manufacturers, and it empowers the FTC and state attorneys general to enforce the Act. The Act also requires reports and studies on PBM practices to promote competition and lower drug costs. This law does not override existing state laws.

This resolution authorizes the Senate Judiciary Committee to spend money from the Senate's contingent fund to support its operations, including hiring staff, holding hearings, and conducting investigations from March 1, 2025, through February 28, 2027. It sets specific expense limits for different periods, including caps for consultants and staff training. Additionally, it outlines how the Select Committee on Intelligence will handle its expenses and agency contributions, specifying which costs will be covered by the Senate's contingent fund and authorizing payments for agency contributions related to committee employee compensation.

The Rural Hospital Support Act aims to improve Medicare payments to small, rural hospitals by rebasing payment calculations for sole community and Medicare-dependent hospitals to fiscal year 2016, if it results in higher payments. It also extends the Medicare-Dependent Hospital program and the increased payments under the Medicare low-volume hospital program by removing certain deadlines, ensuring continued support for these hospitals. Additionally, the bill prohibits adjustments to payment classifications and weighting factors before October 1, 2015, when using rebased target amounts. These changes are intended to provide financial stability for rural hospitals and maintain access to care in rural communities.

This resolution supports the observation of National Trafficking and Modern Slavery Prevention Month in January 2025 to raise awareness and opposition to these crimes. It recognizes the global scale of human trafficking, the vulnerability of specific populations, and the need for a coordinated effort to prevent trafficking, support victims, and prosecute offenders. The resolution encourages collaborative initiatives and a victim-centered approach to combat human trafficking and modern slavery.