jiayi-li23/proxann_data huggingface dataset:
Topic: Health — Manpower
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-10-21 00:00:00

FDA Regulatory Efficiency Act

This bill amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to establish a third-party quality system assessment program to accredit persons to assess whether a medical device manufacturer's quality system can ensure the safety and effectiveness or substantial equivalence of an approved medical device after certain changes, including changes in manufacturing or changes to enhance device safety.

Device manufacturers with quality systems that have been certified by an accredited person are allowed to make changes to a device without submitting to the FDA the premarket notification, 30-day notice, or premarket approval supplement that would otherwise be required.

An accredited person who assesses a device manufacturer's quality system must submit a summary of their assessment and, as appropriate, a certification of the quality system to the FDA within 30 days of the assessment. An assessment summary and certification is deemed accepted by the FDA 30 days after submission unless the FDA determines that additional information is needed to support certification, the assessment or certification is unwarranted, or an action other than acceptance of the certification is otherwise justified.

Device manufacturers who make changes to devices without submitting a premarket notification must describe the changes in an annual summary submitted to the FDA. Changes made without submitting a 30-day notice or a premarket approval supplement must be described in a periodic report.

Certifications accepted by the FDA remain in effect for two years.

The FDA must report on this quality system assessment program no later than January 31, 2022. The program is terminated at the end of FY2022.
Topic: Health — Manpower
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-10-27 00:00:00

Veteran Partners' Efforts to Enhance Reintegration Act or Veteran PEER Act

This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish peer specialists in patient aligned care teams at VA medical centers to promote the use and integration of mental health services in a primary care setting.

At least 5 centers shall be polytrauma centers, and at least 10 shall be non-polytrauma centers.

The VA shall ensure that the needs of female veterans are specifically addressed and that female peer specialists are included in the program.
Topic: Health — Manpower
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-11-05 00:00:00

Co-Prescribing Saves Lives Act of 2016

(Sec. 2) This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to provide information to certain prescribers on best practices for prescribing naloxone for patients receiving chronic opioid therapy or being treated for opioid use disorders. (Naloxone is a prescription drug used to rapidly reverse an overdose of opioids, which are drugs with effects similar to opium, such as heroin and certain pain medications.) The information must be provided to prescribers in federally qualified health centers and the health care facilities of the Indian Health Service.

The Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs must provide such information to prescribers in their medical facilities.
Topic: Health — Manpower
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2015-11-10 00:00:00

Veterans Health Care Staffing Improvement Act

This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out a Docs-to-Doctors Program to recruit individuals separating from the Armed Forces who served in a health care capacity in the Armed Forces.

The VA shall: (1) implement a uniform credentialing process for certain health care employees of the Veterans Health Administration; and (2) provide full practice authority to advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants, and such other licensed VA health care professionals as consistent with their education, training, and certification.
Topic: Health — Manpower
Subject: Health
Date: 2015-12-08 00:00:00

Medicare Home Health Flexibility Act of 2015

This bill establishes circumstances under which an occupational therapist may conduct the initial assessment visit for an individual who is eligible for home health services under Medicare. Specifically, an occupational therapist may conduct the assessment if the physician's referral order does not include skilled nursing care but does include: (1) occupational therapy, and (2) physical therapy or speech language pathology.
Topic: Health — Manpower
Subject: Taxation
Date: 2015-12-08 00:00:00

Physician Shortage Minimization Act of 2015

This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to classify, for employment tax purposes, certain physicians who provide medical services for a temporary period (locum tenens physicians) as independent contractors rather than as employees.
Topic: Health — Manpower
Subject: Health
Date: 2016-04-05 00:00:00

Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act

This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants or contracts for Palliative Care and Hospice Education Centers. These Centers must improve the training of health professionals in palliative care and establish traineeships for individuals preparing for advanced education nursing degrees, social work degrees, or advanced degrees in physician assistant studies in palliative care.

HHS may make grants to, and enter into contracts with, schools of medicine, schools of osteopathic medicine, teaching hospitals, and graduate medical education programs to support the training of physicians who plan to teach palliative medicine.

HHS must: (1) provide Palliative Medicine and Hospice Academic Career Awards to individuals to promote their career development; (2) award grants or contracts to entities that operate a Palliative Care and Hospice Education Center; (3) award incentive grants or contracts to advanced practice nurses, social workers, physician assistants, pharmacists, chaplains, or students of psychology pursuing an advanced degree in palliative care or related fields; and (4) award grants to schools of nursing, health care facilities, or programs leading to certification as a nurse assistant to train individuals in providing palliative care.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality must provide for a national education and awareness campaign to inform patients, families, and health professionals about the benefits of palliative care.

The National Institutes of Health must expand national research programs in palliative care.
Topic: Health — Manpower
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2016-04-11 00:00:00

This bill provides that persons with a degree that is equivalent to a master's degree in mental health counseling shall be eligible for appointment to a Department of Veterans Affairs licensed professional mental health counselor position.
Topic: Health — Manpower
Subject: Health
Date: 2016-04-12 00:00:00

Ensuring Children’s Access to Specialty Care Act of 2016

This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to include pediatric subspecialties in primary health services for purposes of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC). Psychiatrists who are pediatric subspecialists are included in behavioral and mental health professionals. (These amendments make pediatric subspecialists, including psychiatrists, eligible for the NHSC fellowship program for the delivery of primary health services in health professional shortage areas, the NHSC Scholarship Program, and the NHSC Loan Repayment Program.)

“Health professional shortage area” can mean an underserved population of children and adolescents.
Topic: Health — Manpower
Subject: Health
Date: 2016-05-17 00:00:00

Medicare Access to Radiology Care Act of 2016

This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to revise physician supervision requirements under the Medicare program for radiology services performed by advanced level radiographers. Specifically, with respect to a state that has established such requirements for those services, the bill aligns Medicare's requirements with state requirements.

An "advanced level radiographer" is a radiographer who has obtained specified certification from either the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists or the Certification Board for Radiology Practitioner Assistants.
Topic: Health — Manpower
Subject: Health
Date: 2016-06-08 00:00:00

Restoring Rural Residencies Act of 2016

This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to require the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to reimburse medical residency training programs under Medicare for certain graduate medical education costs associated with resident time spent in rural community hospitals known as "critical access hospitals."
Topic: Health — Manpower
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2016-06-08 00:00:00

Maximizing Efficiency and Improving Access to Providers at the Department of Veterans Affairs Act of 2016

This bill directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to carry out an 18-month pilot program to increase the use of medical scribes to maximize the efficiency of physicians at VA medical facilities. A "medical scribe" is defined as a member of the medical team hired and trained to perform documentation in an electronic health record to maximize the productivity of a physician.

The program shall be conducted at not fewer than five medical facilities: (1) that the VA determines have a high volume of patients; or (2) which are located in rural areas, at which there is a shortage of physicians, and each physician of which has a high caseload.

To carry out such program, the VA shall enter into a contract with one or more appropriate nongovernmental entities that train and employ professional medical scribes who specialize in the collection of medical data and data entry into electronic health records.

The VA shall collect data to determine the effectiveness of the program, including information on changes in the average wait times for veterans to receive care, the average number of patients that a physician is able to see, the average amount of time such a physician spends on documentation, physician satisfaction and retention scores, and patient satisfaction scores.
Topic: Health — Manpower
Subject: Health
Date: 2016-06-27 00:00:00

Good Samaritan Health Professionals Act of 2016

This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to shield a health care professional from liability under federal or state law for harm caused by any act or omission if: (1) the professional is serving as a volunteer in response to a disaster; and (2) the act or omission occurs during the period of the disaster, in the professional's capacity as a volunteer, and in a good faith belief that the individual being treated is in need of health care services.

This protection from liability does not apply if: (1) the harm was caused by an act or omission constituting willful or criminal misconduct, gross negligence, reckless misconduct, or a conscious flagrant indifference to the rights or safety of the individual harmed; or (2) the professional rendered the health care services under the influence of alcohol or an intoxicating drug.
Topic: Health — Manpower
Subject: Health
Date: 2016-07-12 00:00:00

Ensuring Access to General Surgery Act of 2016

This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to study access by underserved populations to general surgeons, including whether the health professional shortage area designation under the National Health Service Corps program accurately assesses adequacy of access or whether another measure or designation would be more appropriate.

HHS must consider potential methodologies for designating surgical health professional shortage areas.
Topic: Health — Manpower
Subject: Health
Date: 2016-07-13 00:00:00

Strengthening Our Rural Health Workforce Act of 2016

This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to reauthorize the National Health Care Workforce Commission.The commission must track information on the career paths of medical school and residency program graduates and make such information publicly available.

The Department of Health and Human Services must revise the definition of medical residency training programs (rural track training programs)in rural areas so that more health care facilities are able to participate.

The Government Accountability Office must: (1) study and report on graduate medical education funding structures and their success in bringing physicians to practice in rural communities, and (2) report on improving data collection on emerging health care professions.

The bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to redistribute unused residency positions to rural hospitals.

The bill amends the Public Health Service Act to (1) reauthorize the Primary Care Residency Expansion Program and Area Health Education Centers, and (2) authorize appropriations through FY2021 for the Quentin N. Burdick Program for Rural Interdisciplinary Training to provide access to health care in rural areas.

The bill incorporates emerging health professionals, such as dental therapists and community paramedics, into existing loan forgiveness programs and other training programs for allied health professionals.

The bill amends the Public Health Service Act to establish mental health and substance use disorder training programs for schools of medicine or nursing, physician assistants, pharmacy, social work, and other allied health professions to ensure that health care providers are able to recognize, diagnose, and treat mental health and substance use disorders.

The bill also funds essential mental and behavioral health education and training grants that are used to recruit and train graduate students in mental and behavioral health fields who practice in rural and other high need areas.
Topic: Health — Manpower
Subject: Health
Date: 2016-07-14 00:00:00

Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2016

This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to extend through FY2021 support for nursing workforce programs and grants.

Eligibility for advanced nursing education grants is expanded to include education programs for clinical nurse leaders and all combined registered nurse and graduate degree programs. (Clinical nurse leaders are advanced generalist clinicians who apply research and coordinate care in order to improve outcomes for patients.) To be eligible for these grants, clinical nurse specialist programs must provide registered nurses with full-time clinical nurse specialist education that qualifies the nurses to provide a full range of care.

Programs for loan repayment and scholarships for nurses, loans for nursing faculty, and geriatric care education are extended through FY2021. Grants for increasing nursing workforce diversity are also extended through FY2021.

Nurse education, practice, and quality grants are extended through FY2021 and eligibility is expanded to include nurse-managed health clinics.

Grants for nursing career ladder programs are expanded to: (1) promote career advancement for individuals to become registered nurses or advanced education nurses; and (2) support internships and residency programs to encourage mentoring and the development of specialties.
Topic: Health — Manpower
Subject: Health
Date: 2016-12-08 00:00:00

Graduate Medical Education Equity Act

This bill amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to allow a qualified hospital to have its payment amount for direct graduation medical education costs calculated on the basis of its Medicaid inpatient utilization rate rather than on the basis of its Medicare patient load.
Topic: Health — Manpower
Subject: Armed forces and national security
Date: 2016-12-08 00:00:00

Clean Up the Department of Veterans Affairs Act of 2016

This bill prohibits the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from employing any individual who has been convicted of any of the following state or federal criminal offenses for which the minimum term of imprisonment is more than one year:

 a sex offense, an offense involving the sale or distribution of a controlled substance, fraud, theft, assault, battery, a crime of violence, an offense involving the use of a firearm or other deadly weapon, bank robbery, or kidnapping. The VA may not employ any individual in a health care position who has had a license or credential relating to such position revoked or suspended.

The VA shall: (1) conduct background checks before hiring, and (2) terminate any individual employed by the VA in violation of this bill in a manner consistent with merit system principles.
Topic: Energy — Electricity
Subject: Energy
Date: 2007-01-16 00:00:00

Mohawk River Hydroelectric Projects Licensing Act of 2007 - Prohibits the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) from issuing a new license for a hydroelectric project on the Mohawk River in New York if the project has been operating under annual licenses for 10 or more years, unless FERC: (1) issues a public notice that it will accept other valid license applications to develop or dispose of the project works or water resource (including certain nonpower license applications); and (2) approves a license application, according to the requirements of this Act, if other valid license applications are submitted, or if FERC has issued a new license that is not yet final. Sets forth processing and approval procedures. Requires any new power license issued for such project to include the same license conditions relating to the use of affected waters as provided in the license for a specified Potomac Light & Power Company Project. Declares this Act applicable to specified hydroelectric projects for which: (1) a new license has been issued at the time of this Act but which has not yet become final under law; (2) there are pending judicial appeals; (3) the time has not yet lapsed for filing such appeals; or (4) there is a pending appeal of the Clean Water Act section 401 Water Quality Certificate.
Topic: Energy — Electricity
Subject: Energy
Date: 2007-01-30 00:00:00

Home Energy Generation Act - Amends the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to require each state regulatory authority and nonregulated electric utility to conduct a hearing, and on the basis of such hearing, adopt a net metering standard. Requires retail electric suppliers to offer to arrange to make net metering available to retail customers on a first-come-first-served basis. Prescribes implementation requirements regarding: (1) net energy measurement; (2) billing practices; (3) ownership of credits; (4) safety and performance standards; (5) interconnection and model standards; and (6) consumer friendly contracts.
Topic: Energy — Electricity
Subject: Energy
Date: 2007-02-05 00:00:00

Amends the Federal Power Act, as amended by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, to repeal provisions regarding the siting of interstate electric transmission facilities, including: (1) the designation of national interest electric transmission corridors; (2) issuance of permits for the construction or modification of such facilities; (3) acqusition by a permit holder of rights-of-way for such a facility through the exercise of eminent domain in a federal district court; and (4) the consent of Congress to interstate compacts for establishment of regional transmission siting agencies.
Topic: Energy — Electricity
Subject: Energy
Date: 2007-02-05 00:00:00

Protecting Communities from Power Line Abuse Act - Amends the Federal Power Act to repeal provisions regarding: (1) mandatory fair market value compensation for right-of-way acquisitions; (2) transmission facility modifications in accordance with state law; and (3) requirements for coordination of federal authorizations for interstate electric transmission facilities, including authorization to file an appeal with the President regarding denial of an application for such an authorization. Modifies requirements for acquisition of rights-of-way for electric transmission facilities located on property other than federal or state property. Provides that, if the permit holder cannot acquire by contract, or is unable to agree upon compensation with the owner of the property, the permit holder may acquire the right-of-way in accordance with state law for the state in which the property is located. (Thus repeals current law which allows the permit holder to acquire the-right-of-way through the exercise of eminent domain in a federal district court.) Requires the length of at least one year for the comment period on an application for a transmission facility permit.
Topic: Energy — Electricity
Subject: Energy
Date: 2007-02-05 00:00:00

National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor Clarification Act - Amends the Federal Power Act to revise the factors the Secretary of Energy may consider in determining whether to designate a national interest electric transmission corridor. Authorizes the Secretary to consider whether the designation would have potential impacts on natural values and special places considered to be in the national interest. Repeals authority to consider whether designation would serve U.S. energy independence. Directs the Secretary, before a corridor designation, to analyze all alternatives measures that could address energy transmission constraints or congestion. Prohibits a corridor designation from encompassing, within one mile of their respective boundaries, lands on which development is prohibited or limited to protect scenic, natural, cultural, or historic resources. Revises conditions for issuance of permits by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for construction or modification of electric transmission facilities in such a corridor. Requires that a state commission or other state entity with authority to approve facility siting has: (1) disapproved the siting in a decision that FERC considers an abuse of discretion; or (2) unreasonably withheld or delayed making a decision for at least a year. Requires each permit application to include an engineering study of the feasibility of placing the line underground. Requires treatment as a taking for which just compensation is due of a diminution of 10% or more in any property value resulting from acquisition of a right-of-way and the construction of a facility on it. Requires each agency to issue its own record of decision in order to ensure that its environmental review complies with statutory mandates and regulatory requirements. Repeals any right to appeal to the President an agency denial or failure to act regarding federal authorization for a transmission facility.