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Capitol to Capitol | Jan. 13, 2025

January 13, 2025

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Congressional Updates

Final 118th Congress Health and Human Services Legislative Wrap-Up: What Biden Signed

Here’s a quick recap of the health and human services bills, regulations and rulemaking passed at the end of the 118th Congress and signed by the president.

Continuing Resolution Provisions

The Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act

  • Provides $25 million for the Commodity Assistance Program for emergency food assistance.
  • Provides $250 million to the Administration for Children and Families for payments to states for the Child Care and Development Block Grant—to remain available until Sept. 30, 2026—for expenses related to major disasters and emergencies occurring in 2023 and 2024.

Other Health and Human Services Provisions in the CR

End-of-Year Health and Human Services Bills

  • Autism CARES Act of 2024 (HR 7213): Provides over $2 billion to reauthorize and expand programs related to autism education, research and training.
  • Native American Child Protection Act (HR 663): Boosts tools for Native American tribes to combat child abuse and family violence.
  • Supporting America’s Children and Families Act (HR 9076): Reauthorizes several child welfare programs that provide funding to all states, the District of Columbia and five territories. The bill reauthorizes the Child and Adult Development Block Grant, expands regional partnership grants to address parental substance use disorder as cause for child removal, and streamlines research, training and technical assistance for child-welfare caseworkers. The legislation also expands access to federal tax information for child support enforcement programs in states and tribal communities and likewise extends access to their contractors. This part of the legislation has also been included in the health section of the continuing resolution (as detailed above).
  • The Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act (S 1351): Addresses child abuse in institutional facilities for at-risk youth by establishing a federal work group to create reporting standards to help states determine the best treatment and placement of youth in rehabilitation and other facilities. This legislation was actively supported by Oregon Sen. Sarah Gelser Blouin (D) who also sponsored an NCSL resolution.

Administration Updates

Proposed Rule to Increase Protected Electronic Health Information

The Department of Health and Human Services has proposed a rule to safeguard electronic health information from breaches and cyberattacks. The HIPAA Security Rule to Strengthen the Cybersecurity of Electronic Protected Health Information would apply to health plans, health care clearinghouses, most health care providers and the business associates of these entities. Read the HHS Fact Sheet for more information. Comments are due March 7.

Final Rule: New Transparency Requirements for Health Information Technology

Effective Jan. 1, the new rule—titled Health Data, Technology, and Interoperability: Certification Program Updates, Algorithm Transparency, and Information Sharing—requires significant updates to improve the accessibility, transparency and effectiveness of health care data exchanges and the use of health information technology.

Key takeaways include:

  • Increased transparency in artificial intelligence/algorithm usage for clinical decisions.
  • Greater patient control and access to health data.
  • Improved interoperability among health care systems for better care coordination.
  • Emphasis on data security, privacy and fairness in health IT systems.
  • Accountability for entities failing to comply with data-sharing regulations.

More information here.

CFPB to Remove $49B in Medical Debt From Credit Reports, Boosting Financial Opportunities for Millions

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has announced a new rule aimed at easing the burden of medical debt on Americans. The rule will remove an estimated $49 billion in medical bills from the credit reports of 15 million individuals, making certain the debts no longer factor into credit decisions. As medical debts are usually a poor prediction of an individual’s ability to repay loans, the CFPB’s rule will help improve financial outcomes, including an expected increase of 22,000 affordable mortgages approved each year. The rule also prevents lenders from considering medical information in their lending decisions. The CFPB’s action aligns with a broader push to protect consumer privacy and not allow medical debts to influence credit decisions. The rule is expected to improve credit scores for many Americans, with an average increase of 20 points. Read more

Treasury and IRS Issue Regulations on Clean Hydrogen Tax Credit

With the final rules, the agencies intend to provide clarity and flexibility on clean hydrogen production, while maintaining compliance with emissions requirements, according to a news release. Also, the rules outline eligibility requirements for hydrogen producers using energy resources such as electricity, natural gas and coal. The tax credit was established under the Inflation Reduction Act. Read more

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