In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.

[Q]: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor 
Act of 2001''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION OF MEDAL.

    After September 1, 2001, the President may award, and present in 
the name of Congress, a Medal of Valor of appropriate design, with 
ribbons and appurtenances, to a public safety officer who is cited by 
the Attorney General, upon the recommendation of the Medal of Valor 
Review Board, for extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of 
duty. The Public Safety Medal of Valor shall be the highest national 
award for valor by a public safety officer.

SEC. 3. MEDAL OF VALOR BOARD.

    (a) Establishment of Board.--There is established a Medal of Valor 
Review Board (hereinafter in this Act referred to as the ``Board''), 
which shall be composed of 11 members appointed in accordance with 
subsection (b) and shall conduct its business in accordance with this 
Act.
    (b) Membership.--
            (1) Members.--The members of the Board shall be individuals 
        with knowledge or expertise, whether by experience or training, 
        in the field of public safety, of which--
                    (A) two shall be appointed by the majority leader 
                of the Senate;
                    (B) two shall be appointed by the minority leader 
                of the Senate;
                    (C) two shall be appointed by the Speaker of the 
                House of Representatives;
                    (D) two shall be appointed by the minority leader 
                of the House of Representatives; and
                    (E) three shall be appointed by the President, 
                including one with experience in firefighting, one with 
                experience in law enforcement, and one with experience 
                in emergency services.
            (2) Term.--The term of a Board member shall be 4 years.
            (3) Vacancies.--Any vacancy in the membership of the Board 
        shall not affect the powers of the Board and shall be filled in 
        the same manner as the original appointment.
            (4) Operation of the board.--
                    (A) Chairman.--The Chairman of the Board shall be 
                elected by the members of the Board from among the 
                members of the Board.
                    (B) Meetings.--The Board shall conduct its first 
                meeting not later than 90 days after the appointment of 
                the last member appointed of the initial group of 
                members appointed to the Board. Thereafter, the Board 
                shall meet at the call of the Chairman of the Board. 
                The Board shall meet not less often than twice each 
                year.
                    (C) Voting and rules.--A majority of the members 
                shall constitute a quorum to conduct business, but the 
                Board may establish a lesser quorum for conducting 
                hearings scheduled by the Board. The Board may 
                establish by majority vote any other rules for the 
                conduct of the Board's business, if such rules are not 
                inconsistent with this Act or other applicable law.
    (c) Duties.--The Board shall select candidates as recipients of the 
Medal of Valor from among those applications received by the National 
Medal of Valor Office. Not more often than once each year, the Board 
shall present to the Attorney General the name or names of those it 
recommends as Medal of Valor recipients. In a given year, the Board 
shall not be required to select any recipients but may not select more 
than 5 recipients. The Attorney General may in extraordinary cases 
increase the number of recipients in a given year. The Board shall set 
an annual timetable for fulfilling its duties under this Act.
    (d) Hearings.--
            (1) In general.--The Board may hold such hearings, sit and 
        act at such times and places, administer such oaths, take such 
        testimony, and receive such evidence as the Board considers 
        advisable to carry out its duties.
            (2) Witness expenses.--Witnesses requested to appear before 
        the Board may be paid the same fees as are paid to witnesses 
        under section 1821 of title 28, United States Code. The per 
        diem and mileage allowances for witnesses shall be paid from 
        funds appropriated to the Board.
    (e) Information From Federal Agencies.--The Board may secure 
directly from any Federal department or agency such information as the 
Board considers necessary to carry out its duties. Upon the request of 
the Board, the head of such department or agency may furnish such 
information to the Board.
    (f) Information To Be Kept Confidential.--The Board shall not 
disclose any information which may compromise an ongoing law 
enforcement investigation or is otherwise required by law to be kept 
confidential.

SEC. 4. BOARD PERSONNEL MATTERS.

    (a) Compensation of Members.--(1) Except as provided in paragraph 
(2), each member of the Board shall be compensated at a rate equal to 
the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for 
level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of title 5, 
United States Code, for each day (including travel time) during which 
such member is engaged in the performance of the duties of the Board.
    (2) All members of the Board who serve as officers or employees of 
the United States, a State, or a local government, shall serve without 
compensation in addition to that received for those services.
    (b) Travel Expenses.--The members of the Board shall be allowed 
travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, at rates 
authorized for employees of agencies under subchapter I of chapter 57 
of title 5, United States Code, while away from their homes or regular 
places of business in the performance of service for the Board.

SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Public safety officer.--The term ``public safety 
        officer'' means a person serving a public agency, with or 
        without compensation, as a firefighter, law enforcement 
        officer, or emergency services officer, as determined by the 
        Attorney General. For the purposes of this paragraph, the term 
        ``law enforcement officer'' includes a person who is a 
        corrections or court officer or a civil defense officer.
            (2) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several 
        States of the United States, the District of Columbia, the 
        Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American 
        Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Attorney General 
such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act.

SEC. 7. NATIONAL MEDAL OF VALOR OFFICE.

    There is established within the Department of Justice a National 
Medal of Valor Office. The Office shall provide staff support to the 
Board to establish criteria and procedures for the submission of 
recommendations of nominees for the Medal of Valor and for the final 
design of the Medal of Valor.

SEC. 8. CONFORMING REPEAL.

    Section 15 of the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 
(15 U.S.C. 2214) is amended--
            (1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following 
        new subsection (a):
    ``(a) Establishment.--There is hereby established an honorary award 
for the recognition of outstanding and distinguished service by public 
safety officers to be known as the Director's Award For Distinguished 
Public Safety Service (`Director's Award').'';
            (2) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) by striking paragraph (1); and
                    (B) by striking ``(2)'';
            (3) by striking subsections (c) and (d) and redesignating 
        subsections (e), (f), and (g) as subsections (c), (d), and (e), 
        respectively; and
            (4) in subsection (c), as so redesignated--
                    (A) by striking paragraph (1); and
                    (B) by striking ``(2)''.

SEC. 9. CONSULTATION REQUIREMENT.

    The Board shall consult with the Institute of Heraldry within the 
Department of Defense regarding the design and artistry of the Medal of 
Valor. The Board may also consider suggestions received by the 
Department of Justice regarding the design of the medal, including 
those made by persons not employed by the Department.

            Passed the Senate May 14, 2001.

            Attest:

                                                             Secretary.
107th CONGRESS

  1st Session

                                 S. 39

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT

  To provide a national medal for public safety officers who act with 
 extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of duty, and for other 
                               purposes.
[A]: Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor Act of 2001 - Allows the President to award, and present in the name of the Congress, a Medal of Valor to a public safety officer cited by the Attorney General, upon the recommendation of the Medal of Valor Review Board, for extraordinary valor above and beyond the call of duty. Provides that the Public Safety Medal of Valor shall be the highest national award for valor by a public safety officer.Establishes a Medal of Valor Review Board to select candidates to receive the Medal from among applications received by the National Medal of Valor Office. Requires the Board to consult with the Institute of Heraldry in the Department of Defense regarding the design of the Medal.Authorizes appropriations.Establishes within the Department of Justice a National Medal of Valor Office to provide staff support to the Board to establish criteria and procedures for the submission of nominee recommendations for the Medal and for the final design of the Medal.Amends the Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974 to establish an honorary Director's (Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency) Award for Distinguished Public Safety Service for the recognition of outstanding and distinguished service by public safety officers (repeals provisions regarding the President's Award for Outstanding Public Safety Service and the Secretary of Commerce's Award for Distinguished Public Safety Service).


[Q]: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``More Border Patrol Agents Now Act of 
2006''.

SEC. 2. BORDER PATROL AGENT ENHANCEMENT.

    (a) Plan.--In order to address the recruitment and retention 
challenges faced by the United States Border Patrol, the Secretary of 
Homeland Security shall, not later than six months after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, submit to the Committee on Homeland Security 
and the Committee on Government Reform of the House of Representatives 
and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the 
Senate a plan to determine how the Border Patrol can better recruit and 
retain Border Patrol agents with the appropriate skills and training to 
effectively carry out its mission and responsibilities.
    (b) Contents.--The plan shall include, at a minimum, the following 
components:
            (1) A strategy for the utilization of the recruitment 
        authority provided in subsection (a) of section 9702 of title 
        5, United States Code (as added by section 3), as well as any 
        other strategies the Secretary determines to be important in 
        recruiting well-qualified Border Patrol agents.
            (2) A strategy for the utilization of the retention 
        authority provided in subsection (b) of section 9702 of title 
        5, United States Code (as added by section 3), as well as any 
        other strategies the Secretary determines to be important in 
        retaining well-qualified Border Patrol agents.
            (3) An assessment of the impact that current pay levels for 
        Border Patrol agents has on the Department's ability to recruit 
        and retain Border Patrol agents, especially in high cost-of-
        living areas.
            (4) An assessment of whether increased opportunities for 
        Border Patrol agents to transfer between duty stations would 
        improve employee morale and enhance the Department's ability to 
        recruit and retain well-qualified Border Patrol agents.

SEC. 3. RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION BONUSES FOR BORDER PATROL AGENT 
              ENHANCEMENT.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 97 of title 5, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 9702. Border Patrol agent enhancement
    ``(a) Recruitment Bonuses for Border Patrol Agents.--
            ``(1) In general.--In order to carry out the plan described 
        in section 2(a) of the More Border Patrol Agents Now Act of 
        2006, the Secretary of Homeland Security may pay a bonus to an 
        individual to recruit a sufficient number of Border Patrol 
        agents.
            ``(2) Bonus amount.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The amount of a bonus under this 
                subsection shall be determined by the Secretary, but 
                may not exceed 25 percent of the annual rate of basic 
                pay of the position involved as of the beginning of the 
                period of service referred to in paragraph (3)(A).
                    ``(B) Lump-sum.--A bonus under this subsection 
                shall be paid in the form of a lump-sum payment and 
                shall not be considered to be part of basic pay.
            ``(3) Service agreements.--Payment of a bonus under this 
        section shall be contingent upon the individual entering into a 
        written service agreement with the United States Border Patrol. 
        The agreement shall include--
                    ``(A) the period of service the individual shall be 
                required to complete in return for the bonus; and
                    ``(B) the conditions under which the agreement may 
                be terminated before the agreed-upon service period has 
                been completed, and the effect of such termination.
            ``(4) Limitation on eligibility.--A bonus under this 
        section may not be paid to recruit an individual for--
                    ``(A) a position to which an individual is 
                appointed by the President, by and with the advice and 
                consent of the Senate;
                    ``(B) a position in the Senior Executive Service as 
                a noncareer appointee (as defined in section 3132(a)); 
                or
                    ``(C) a position which has been excepted from the 
                competitive service by reason of its confidential, 
                policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating 
                character.
            ``(5) Termination.--The authority to pay bonuses under this 
        subsection shall terminate five years after the date of the 
        enactment of this section.
    ``(b) Retention Bonuses for Border Patrol Agents.--
            ``(1) In general.--In order to carry out the plan described 
        in section 2(a) of the More Border Patrol Agents Now Act of 
        2006, the Secretary of Homeland Security may pay a retention 
        bonus to a Border Patrol agent.
            ``(2) Service agreement.--Payment of a bonus under this 
        subsection is contingent upon the employee entering into a 
        written service agreement with the United States Border Patrol 
        to complete a period of service with the Border Patrol. Such 
        agreement shall include--
                    ``(A) the period of service the employee shall be 
                required to complete in return for the bonus; and
                    ``(B) the conditions under which the agreement may 
                be terminated before the agreed-upon service period has 
                been completed, and the effect of such termination.
            ``(3) Bonus amount.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The amount of a bonus under this 
                subsection shall be determined by the Secretary, but 
                may not exceed 25 percent of the annual rate of basic 
                pay of the position involved as of the beginning of the 
                period of service referred to in paragraph (2)(A).
                    ``(B) Lump-sum.--A bonus under this subsection 
                shall be paid in the form of a lump-sum payment and 
                shall not be considered to be part of basic pay.
            ``(4) Limitation.--A bonus under this subsection may not be 
        based on any period of service which is the basis for a 
        recruitment bonus under subsection (a).
            ``(5) Termination of authority.--The authority to grant 
        bonuses under this subsection shall expire five years after the 
        date of the enactment of this section.
    ``(c) Waiver Authority Relating to Reemployed Annuitants.--
            ``(1) In general.--In order to help address the challenges 
        faced by the United States Border Patrol, the Secretary of 
        Homeland Security may appoint annuitants to positions within 
        the United States Border Patrol in accordance with succeeding 
        provisions of this subsection.
            ``(2) Exclusion from offset.--An annuitant serving in a 
        position within the United States Border Patrol pursuant to an 
        appointment made under paragraph (1)--
                    ``(A) shall not be subject to the provisions of 
                section 8344 or 8468, as the case may be; and
                    ``(B) shall not, for purposes of subchapter III of 
                chapter 83 or chapter 84, be considered an employee.
            ``(3) Limitations.--
                    ``(A) Appointments.--The authority to make any 
                appointments under paragraph (1) shall terminate five 
                years after the date of the enactment of this 
                subsection.
                    ``(B) Exclusion.--The provisions of paragraph (2) 
                shall not, in the case of any annuitant appointed under 
                paragraph (1), remain in effect--
                            ``(i) with respect to more than five years 
                        of service (in the aggregate); nor
                            ``(ii) with respect to any service 
                        performed after the end of the ten-year period 
                        beginning on the date of the enactment of this 
                        subsection.
            ``(4) No displacement.--No appointment under this 
        subsection may be made if such appointment would result in the 
        displacement of any Border Patrol employee.
            ``(5) Definition.--For purposes of this subsection, the 
        term `annuitant' has the meaning given such term by section 
        8331 or 8401, as the case may be.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of contents for chapter 97 of 
title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``9702. Border Patrol agent enhancement.''.

            Passed the House of Representatives September 26, 2006.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.
[A]: More Border Patrol Agents Now Act of 2006 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit to the House Committees on Homeland Security and Government Reform and the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs a plan to determine how the Border Patrol can better recruit and retain agents with the appropriate skills and training.

Requires such plan to include: (1) recruitment and retention strategies; and (2) assessments of the impact of pay levels and duty station transfer opportunities upon recruitment and retention.

Amends federal law to authorize the Secretary (for five years) to pay a: (1) bonus to an individual to recruit Border Patrol agents; and (2) retention bonus to Border Patrol agents.

States that such bonuses shall: (1) not exceed 25% of the annual rate of basic pay of the position involved; (2) be paid in a lump-sum and not be considered part of basic pay; and (3) be contingent upon the individual entering into a written service agreement with the Border Patrol.

Authorizes the Secretary (for five years) to appoint annuitants to Border Patrol positions. Excludes such positions from specified offsets. Prohibits appointments that would displace any Border Patrol employee.


[Q]: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Securing Care for Seniors Act of 
2015''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO MA RISK ADJUSTMENT SYSTEM.

    Section 1853(a)(1)(C) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w-
23(a)(1)(C)) is amended by adding at the end the following new clauses:
                            ``(iv) Evaluation and subsequent revision 
                        of the risk adjustment system to account for 
                        chronic conditions and other factors for the 
                        purpose of making the risk adjustment system 
                        more accurate, transparent, and regularly 
                        updated.--
                                    ``(I) Revision based on number of 
                                chronic conditions.--The Secretary 
                                shall revise for 2017 and periodically 
                                thereafter, the risk adjustment system 
                                under this subparagraph so that a risk 
                                score under such system, with respect 
                                to an individual, takes into account 
                                the number of chronic conditions with 
                                which the individual has been 
                                diagnosed.
                                    ``(II) Evaluation of different risk 
                                adjustment models.--The Secretary shall 
                                evaluate the impact of including two 
                                years of data to compare the models 
                                used to determine risk scores for 2013 
                                and 2014 under such system.
                                    ``(III) Evaluation and analysis on 
                                chronic kidney disease (ckd) codes.--
                                The Secretary shall evaluate the impact 
                                of removing the diagnosis codes related 
                                to chronic kidney disease in the 2014 
                                risk adjustment model and conduct an 
                                analysis of best practices of MA plans 
                                to slow disease progression related to 
                                chronic kidney disease.
                                    ``(IV) Evaluation and 
                                recommendations on use of encounter 
                                data.--The Secretary shall evaluate the 
                                impact of including 10 percent of 
                                encounter data in computing payment for 
                                2016 and the readiness of the Centers 
                                for Medicare & Medicaid Services to 
                                incorporate encounter data in risk 
                                scores. In conducting such evaluation, 
                                the Secretary shall use data collected 
                                as encounter data on or after January 
                                1, 2012, shall conduct statistical 
                                analyses on such data for accuracy and 
                                completeness and issue recommendations 
                                for improving such accuracy and 
                                completeness, and shall not increase 
                                the percentage of such encounter data 
                                used unless the Secretary releases the 
                                results of the analyses publicly, 
                                indicates how such data will be 
                                weighted in computing the risk scores, 
                                and ensures that the data reflects the 
                                degree and cost of care coordination 
                                under MA plans.
                                    ``(V) Conduct of evaluations.--
                                Evaluations and analyses under 
                                subclauses (II) through (IV) shall 
                                include an actuarial opinion from the 
                                Chief Actuary of the Centers for 
                                Medicare & Medicaid Services about the 
                                reasonableness of the methods, 
                                assumptions, and conclusions of such 
                                evaluations and analyses. The Secretary 
                                shall consult with the Medicare Payment 
                                Advisory Commission and accept and 
                                consider comments of stakeholders, such 
                                as managed care organizations and 
                                beneficiary groups, on such evaluation 
                                and analyses. The Secretary shall 
                                complete such evaluations and analyses 
                                in a manner that permits the results to 
                                be applied for plan years beginning 
                                with the second plan year that begins 
                                after the date of the enactment of this 
                                clause.
                                    ``(VI) Implementation of revisions 
                                based on evaluations.--If the Secretary 
                                determines, based on such an evaluation 
                                or analysis, that revisions to the risk 
                                adjustment system to address the 
                                matters described in any of subclauses 
                                (II) through (IV) would make the risk 
                                adjustment system under this 
                                subparagraph better reflect and 
                                appropriately weight for the population 
                                that is served by the plan, the 
                                Secretary shall, beginning with 2017, 
                                and periodically thereafter, make such 
                                revisions.
                                    ``(VII) Periodic reporting to 
                                congress.--With respect to plan years 
                                beginning with 2017 and every third 
                                year thereafter, the Secretary shall 
                                submit to Congress a report on the most 
                                recent revisions (if any) made under 
                                this clause, including the evaluations 
                                conducted under subclauses (II) through 
                                (IV).
                            ``(v) No changes to adjustment factors that 
                        prevent activities consistent with national 
                        health policy goals.--In making any changes to 
                        the adjustment factors, including adjustment 
                        for health status under paragraph (3), the 
                        Secretary shall ensure that the changes do not 
                        prevent Medicare Advantage organizations from 
                        performing or undertaking activities that are 
                        consistent with national health policy goals, 
                        including activities to promote early detection 
                        and better care coordination, the use of health 
                        risk assessments, care plans, and programs to 
                        slow the progression of chronic diseases.
                            ``(vi) Opportunity for review and public 
                        comment regarding changes to adjustment 
                        factors.--For changes to adjustment factors 
                        effective for 2017 and subsequent years, in 
                        addition to providing notice of such changes in 
                        the announcement under subsection (b)(2), the 
                        Secretary shall provide an opportunity for 
                        review of proposed changes of not less than 60 
                        days and a public comment period of not less 
                        than 30 days before implementing such 
                        changes.''.

SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS RELATING TO MEDICARE ADVANTAGE RISK 
              ADJUSTMENT.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) the Secretary of Health and Human Services should 
        periodically monitor and improve the Medicare Advantage risk 
        adjustment model to ensure that it accurately accounts for 
        beneficiary risk, including for those individuals with complex 
        chronic comorbid conditions;
            (2) the Secretary should closely examine the current 
        Medicare Advantage risk adjustment methodology to ensure that 
        plans enrolling beneficiaries with the greatest health care 
        needs receive adequate reimbursement to deliver high-quality 
        care and other services to help beneficiaries avoid costly 
        complications and further progression of chronic conditions and 
        to the extent data indicate this to be the case, the Secretary 
        should make necessary adjustment to the risk adjustment 
        methodology; and
            (3) the Secretary should reconsider the implementation of 
        changes in the Medicare Advantage risk adjustment methodology 
        finalized for 2016 and to use to the extent appropriate the 
        methodology finalized in 2015 for one additional year.
[A]:
Securing Care for Seniors&nbsp;Act of 2015 This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require the Centers for Medicare &amp; Medicaid Services (CMS)&nbsp;to&nbsp;periodically revise the Medicare Advantage (MA) risk adjustment system, such that an individual's risk score takes into account the number of chronic conditions with which the individual has been diagnosed. In addition, CMS must evaluate the impacts to the system of:&nbsp;(1) using two years of data, (2) removing diagnostic codes related to chronic kidney disease, and (3) modifying the use of encounter data (information on services furnished to MA enrollees). If CMS subsequently determines that any of these revisions&nbsp;would better reflect the population served, CMS shall make such revisions. Before doing so, however, CMS must: (1) ensure that the changes do not prevent an MA organization from performing activities that are consistent with national health policy goals, and (2) provide an opportunity for review and public comment.