Legislative Activity

This bill disapproves and nullifies the Environmental Protection Agency's rule that allowed California to set its own vehicle emissions standards under the Advanced Clean Cars II Waiver. By disapproving this rule, the bill prevents California from implementing stricter emission standards and effectively maintains federal control over vehicle emission standards.

The "ABC-ED Act of 2025" aims to address emergency department boarding and crowding by allowing public health data modernization grants to track hospital bed capacity in real-time, implementing pilot programs to improve emergency care for older adults and individuals in acute psychiatric crisis, and studying best practices for public health data systems that track hospital capacity.

The "Information and Communication Technology Strategy Act" directs the Secretary of Commerce to analyze and bolster the competitiveness of the U.S. information and communication technology (ICT) supply chain. This involves identifying critical ICT, assessing the capabilities of trusted U.S. vendors, and reducing reliance on non-trusted sources. The Act mandates the creation of a government-wide strategy to support trusted ICT vendors through specific actions, assigned responsibilities, and potential legislative changes. Ultimately, the goal is to strengthen the U.S. ICT sector and ensure its economic competitiveness.

The "Access to Pediatric Technologies Act of 2025" aims to improve access to medical devices for children by requiring the establishment of national relative value units for qualifying pediatric technologies under Medicare. This ensures that manufacturers can request these units to be established using existing payment methodologies, facilitating appropriate valuation and payment for these specialized devices. The Act does not mandate coverage of any specific technology but streamlines the process for establishing payment rates, thereby encouraging innovation and availability of pediatric medical devices.

The "Choices for Increased Mobility Act of 2025" amends the Social Security Act to change how Medicare pays for ultralightweight manual wheelchairs. It mandates separate billing codes for these wheelchairs based on their construction material and ensures suppliers of titanium or carbon fiber wheelchairs are paid without payment reductions. This bill also lets suppliers charge beneficiaries the price difference between the Medicare payment and the wheelchair's cost, with potential requirements for suppliers to disclose out-of-pocket expenses to beneficiaries beforehand.

The "ORPHAN Cures Act" amends the Social Security Act to refine the orphan drug exclusion within the Drug Price Negotiation Program. It excludes time periods when a drug was designated as an orphan drug from counting towards its eligibility for price negotiation. The bill also modifies the criteria for orphan drug designation, allowing it to apply to drugs treating "one or more rare diseases or conditions" instead of "only one rare disease or condition."

The "Sustainable Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Services in the Home Act" expands access to in-home cardiopulmonary rehabilitation services by allowing them to be delivered via telehealth, including designating a patient's home as a provider-based location. It broadens originating sites for telehealth services and waives geographic requirements for in-home cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs. The Act directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish standards for designating a patient's home as a provider-based organization, aligning with the Hospital Without Walls program.

The "Preserving Choice in Vehicle Purchases Act" amends the Clean Air Act to limit the EPA's ability to grant waivers to state emission standards that would restrict the sale or use of new gas-powered vehicles. It prevents the EPA from including state standards under previously granted waivers if they limit gas-powered vehicle sales and requires the EPA to revoke any non-compliant waivers granted after January 1, 2022. This bill aims to ensure consumers have the option to purchase gas-powered vehicles.