House Legislation Introduction Thread

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

(b) Prescription Drug Formulary.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish a prescription drug formulary system, which shall encourage best-practices in prescribing and discourage the use of ineffective, dangerous, or excessively costly medications when better alternatives are available.

(2) PROMOTION OF USE OF GENERICS.—The formulary under this subsection shall promote the use of generic medications to the greatest extent possible.

(3) FORMULARY UPDATES AND PETITION RIGHTS.—The formulary under this subsection shall be updated frequently and clinicians and patients may petition the Secretary to add new pharmaceuticals or to remove ineffective or dangerous medications from the formulary.

(4) USE OF OFF-FORMULARY MEDICATIONS.—The Secretary shall promulgate rules regarding the use of off-formulary medications which allow for patient access but do not compromise the formulary.

TITLE VII—UNIVERSAL MEDICARE TRUST FUND

SEC. 701. UNIVERSAL MEDICARE TRUST FUND.
(a) In General.—There is hereby created on the books of the Treasury of the United States a trust fund to be known as the Universal Medicare Trust Fund (in this section referred to as the “Trust Fund”). The Trust Fund shall consist of such gifts and bequests as may be made and such amounts as may be deposited in, or appropriated to, such Trust Fund as provided in this Act.

(b) Appropriations Into Trust Fund.—

(1) TAXES.—There are hereby appropriated to the Trust Fund for each fiscal year beginning with the fiscal year which includes the date on which benefits first become available as described in section 106, out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, amounts equivalent to 100 percent of the net increase in revenues to the Treasury which is attributable to the amendments made by sections 801 and 902. The amounts appropriated by the preceding sentence shall be transferred from time to time (but not less frequently than monthly) from the general fund in the Treasury to the Trust Fund, such amounts to be determined on the basis of estimates by the Secretary of the Treasury of the taxes paid to or deposited into the Treasury; and proper adjustments shall be made in amounts subsequently transferred to the extent prior estimates were in excess of or were less than the amounts that should have been so transferred.

(2) CURRENT PROGRAM RECEIPTS.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, there are hereby appropriated to the Trust Fund for each fiscal year, beginning with the first fiscal year beginning on or after the effective date of benefits under section 106, the amounts that would otherwise have been appropriated to carry out the following programs:

(A) The Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (other than amounts attributable to any premiums under such title).

(B) The Medicaid program, under State plans approved under title XIX of such Act.

(C) The Federal employees health benefit program, under chapter 89 of title 5, United States Code.

(D) The TRICARE program, under chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code.

(E) The maternal and child health program (under title V of the Social Security Act), vocational rehabilitation programs, programs for drug abuse and mental health services under the Public Health Service Act, programs providing general hospital or medical assistance, and any other Federal program identified by the Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Treasury, to the extent the programs provide for payment for health services the payment of which may be made under this Act.

(3) RESTRICTIONS SHALL NOT APPLY.—Any other provision of law in effect on the date of enactment of this Act restricting the use of Federal funds for any reproductive health service shall not apply to monies in the Trust Fund.

(c) Incorporation Of Provisions.—The provisions of subsections (b) through (i) of section 1817 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395i) shall apply to the Trust Fund under this section in the same manner as such provisions applied to the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund under such section 1817, except that, for purposes of applying such subsections to this section, the “Board of Trustees of the Trust Fund” shall mean the “Secretary”.

(d) Transfer Of Funds.—Any amounts remaining in the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund under section 1817 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395i) or the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund under section 1841 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1395t) after the payment of claims for items and services furnished under title XVIII of such Act have been completed, shall be transferred into the Universal Medicare Trust Fund under this section.

TITLE VIII—CONFORMING AMEND­MENTS TO THE EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT INCOME SECURITY ACT OF 1974

SEC. 801. PROHIBITION OF EMPLOYEE BENEFITS DUPLICATIVE OF BENEFITS UNDER THE UNIVERSAL MEDICARE PROGRAM; COORDINATION IN CASE OF WORKERS’ COMPENSATION.
(a) In General.—Part 5 of subtitle B of title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1131 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

“SEC. 522. PROHIBITION OF EMPLOYEE BENEFITS DUPLICATIVE OF UNIVERSAL MEDICARE PROGRAM BENEFITS; COORDINATION IN CASE OF WORKERS’ COMPENSATION.

“(a) In General.—Subject to subsection (b), no employee benefit plan may provide benefits that duplicate payment for any items or services for which payment may be made under the Medicare for All Act of 2019.

“(b) Reimbursement.—Each workers compensation carrier that is liable for payment for workers compensation services furnished in a State shall reimburse the Universal Medicare Program for the cost of such services.

“(c) Definitions.—In this subsection—

“(1) the term ‘workers compensation carrier’ means an insurance company that underwrite workers compensation medical benefits with respect to one or more employers and includes an employer or fund that is financially at risk for the provision of workers compensation medical benefits;

“(2) the term ‘workers compensation medical benefits’ means, with respect to an enrollee who is an employee subject to the workers compensation laws of a State, the comprehensive medical benefits for work-related injuries and illnesses provided for under such laws with respect to such an employee; and

“(3) the term ‘workers compensation services’ means items and services included in workers compensation medical benefits and includes items and services (including rehabilitation services and long-term-care services) commonly used for treatment of work-related injuries and illnesses.”.

(b) Conforming Amendment.—Section 4(b) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1003(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following: “Paragraph (3) shall apply subject to section 522(b) (relating to reimbursement of the Universal Medicare Program by workers compensation carriers).”.

(c) Clerical Amendment.—The table of contents in section 1 of such Act is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 521 the following new item:


“Sec 522. Prohibition of employee benefits duplicative of Universal Medicare Program benefits; coordination in case of workers’ compensation.”.

SEC. 802. REPEAL OF CONTINUATION COVERAGE REQUIREMENTS UNDER ERISA AND CERTAIN OTHER REQUIREMENTS RELATING TO GROUP HEALTH PLANS.
(a) In General.—Part 6 of subtitle B of title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1161 et seq.) is repealed.

(b) Conforming Amendments.—

(1) Section 502(a) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 1132(a)) is amended—

(A) by striking paragraph (7); and

(B) by redesignating paragraphs (8), (9), and (10) as paragraphs (7), (8), and (9), respectively.

(2) Section 502(c)(1) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 1132(c)(1)) is amended by striking “paragraph (1) or (4) of section 606,”.

(3) Section 514(b) of such Act (29 U.S.C. 1144(b)) is amended—

(A) in paragraph (7), by striking “section 206(d)(3)(B)(i)).”; and

(B) by striking paragraph (8).

(4) The table of contents in section 1 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 is amended by striking the items relating to part 6 of subtitle B of title I of such Act.


SEC. 803. EFFECTIVE DATE OF TITLE.
The amendments made by this title shall take effect on effective date of benefits under section 106(a).

TITLE IX—ADDITIONAL CONFORMING AMENDMENTS

SEC. 901. RELATIONSHIP TO EXISTING FEDERAL HEALTH PROGRAMS.
(a) Medicare, Medicaid, And State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, subject to paragraphs (2) and (3)—

(A) no benefits shall be available under title XVIII of the Social Security Act for any item or service furnished beginning on or after the effective date of benefits under section 106(a);

(B) no individual is entitled to medical assistance under a State plan approved under title XIX of such Act for any item or service furnished on or after such date;

(C) no individual is entitled to medical assistance under a State child health plan under title XXI of such Act for any item or service furnished on or after such date; and

(D) no payment shall be made to a State under section 1903(a) or 2105(a) of such Act with respect to medical assistance or child health assistance for any item or service furnished on or after such date.

(2) TRANSITION.—In the case of inpatient hospital services and extended care services during a continuous period of stay which began before the effective date of benefits under section 106, and which had not ended as of such date, for which benefits are provided under title XVIII of the Social Security Act, under a State plan under title XIX of such Act, or under a State child health plan under title XXI such Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall provide for continuation of benefits under such title or plan until the end of the period of stay.

(3) SERVICES UNDER MEDICAID.—

(A) IN GENERAL.—This subsection shall not apply to entitlement to medical assistance provided under title XIX of the Social Security Act for—

(i) institutional long-term care services (as defined in section 1947(b) of such Act); or

(ii) any other service for which benefits are not available under this Act and which is furnished under a State plan under title XIX of the Social Security Act which provided for medical assistance for such service on January 1, 2019.

(B) COORDINATION BETWEEN SECRETARY AND STATES.—The Secretary shall coordinate with the directors of State agencies responsible for administering State plans under title XIX of the Social Security Act to—

(i) identify services described in subparagraph (A)(ii) with respect to each State plan; and

(ii) ensure that such services continue to be made available under such plan.

(C) MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT REQUIREMENT.—With respect to any service described in subparagraph (A)(ii) that is made available under a State plan under title XIX of the Social Security Act, the maintenance of effort requirements described in section 1947(c) of such Act (related to eligibility standards and required expenditures) shall apply to such service in the same manner that such requirements apply to institutional long-term care services (as defined in section 1947(b) of such Act).

(b) Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.—No benefits shall be made available under chapter 89 of title 5, United States Code, for any part of a coverage period occurring on or after the effective date.

(c) TRICARE.—No benefits shall be made available under sections 1079 and 1086 of title 10, United States Code, for items or services furnished on or after the effective date.

(d) Treatment Of Benefits For Veterans And Native Americans.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this Act shall affect the eligibility of veterans for the medical benefits and services provided under title 38, United States Code, or of Indians for the medical benefits and services provided by or through the Indian Health Service.

(2) REEVALUATION.—No reevaluation of the Indian Health Service shall be undertaken without consultation with tribal leaders and stakeholders.


SEC. 902. SUNSET OF PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE STATE EXCHANGES.
Effective on the date described in section 106, the Federal and State Exchanges established pursuant to title I of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111–148) shall terminate, and any other provision of law that relies upon participation in or enrollment through such an Exchange, including such provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, shall cease to have force or effect.

TITLE X—TRANSITION
Subtitle A—Transitional Medicare Buy-In Option And Transitional Public Option

SEC. 1001. LOWERING THE MEDICARE AGE.
(a) In General.—Title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395c et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

“TRANSITIONAL MEDICARE BUY-IN OPTION FOR CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS

“Sec. 1899C. (a) Option.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—Every individual who meets the requirements described in paragraph (3) shall be eligible to enroll under this section.

“(2) PART A, B, AND D BENEFITS.—An individual enrolled under this section is entitled to the same benefits (and shall receive the same protections) under this title as an individual who is entitled to benefits under part A and enrolled under parts B and D, including the ability to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan that provides qualified prescription drug coverage (an MA–PD plan).

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[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

“(3) REQUIREMENTS FOR ELIGIBILITY.—The requirements described in this paragraph are the following:

“(A) The individual is a resident of the United States.

“(B) The individual is—

“(i) a citizen or national of the United States; or

“(ii) an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence.

“(C) The individual is not otherwise entitled to benefits under part A or eligible to enroll under part A or part B.

“(D) The individual has attained the applicable years of age but has not attained 65 years of age.

“(4) APPLICABLE YEARS OF AGE DEFINED.—For purposes of this section, the term ‘applicable years of age’ means—

“(A) effective January 1 of the first year following the date of enactment of the Medicare for All Act of 2019, the age of 55;

“(B) effective January 1 of the second year following such date of enactment, the age of 45; and

“(C) effective January 1 of the third year following such date of enactment, the age of 35.

“(b) Enrollment; Coverage.—The Secretary shall establish enrollment periods and coverage under this section consistent with the principles for establishment of enrollment periods and coverage for individuals under other provisions of this title. The Secretary shall establish such periods so that coverage under this section shall first begin on January 1 of the year on which an individual first becomes eligible to enroll under this section.

“(c) Premium.—

“(1) AMOUNT OF MONTHLY PREMIUMS.—The Secretary shall, during September of each year (beginning with the first September following the date of enactment of the Medicare for All Act of 2019), determine a monthly premium for all individuals enrolled under this section. Such monthly premium shall be equal to 1⁄12 of the annual premium computed under paragraph (2)(B), which shall apply with respect to coverage provided under this section for any month in the succeeding year.

“(2) ANNUAL PREMIUM.—

“(A) COMBINED PER CAPITA AVERAGE FOR ALL MEDICARE BENEFITS.—The Secretary shall estimate the average, annual per capita amount for benefits and administrative expenses that will be payable under parts A, B, and D (including, as applicable, under part C) in the year for all individuals enrolled under this section.

“(B) ANNUAL PREMIUM.—The annual premium under this subsection for months in a year is equal to the average, annual per capita amount estimated under subparagraph (A) for the year.

“(3) INCREASED PREMIUM FOR CERTAIN PART C AND D PLANS.—Nothing in this section shall preclude an individual from choosing a Medicare Advantage plan or a prescription drug plan which requires the individual to pay an additional amount (because of supplemental benefits or because it is a more expensive plan). In such case the individual would be responsible for the increased monthly premium.

“(d) Payment Of Premiums.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—Premiums for enrollment under this section shall be paid to the Secretary at such times, and in such manner, as the Secretary determines appropriate.

“(2) DEPOSIT.—Amounts collected by the Secretary under this section shall be deposited in the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund (including the Medicare Prescription Drug Account within such Trust Fund) in such proportion as the Secretary determines appropriate.

“(e) Not Eligible For Medicare Cost-Sharing Assistance.—An individual enrolled under this section shall not be treated as enrolled under any part of this title for purposes of obtaining medical assistance for Medicare cost-sharing or otherwise under title XIX.

“(f) Treatment In Relation To The Affordable Care Act.—

“(1) SATISFACTION OF INDIVIDUAL MANDATE.—For purposes of applying section 5000A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, the coverage provided under this section constitutes minimum essential coverage under subsection (f)(1)(A)(i) of such section 5000A.

“(2) ELIGIBILITY FOR PREMIUM ASSISTANCE.—Coverage provided under this section—

“(A) shall be treated as coverage under a qualified health plan in the individual market enrolled in through the Exchange where the individual resides for all purposes of section 36B of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 other than subsection (c)(2)(B) thereof; and

“(B) shall not be treated as eligibility for other minimum essential coverage for purposes of subsection (c)(2)(B) of such section 36B.

The Secretary shall determine the applicable second lowest cost silver plan which shall apply to coverage under this section for purposes of section 36B of such Code.

“(3) ELIGIBILITY FOR COST-SHARING SUBSIDIES.—For purposes of applying section 1402 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18071)—

“(A) coverage provided under this section shall be treated as coverage under a qualified health plan in the silver level of coverage in the individual market offered through an Exchange; and

“(B) the Secretary shall be treated as the issuer of such plan.

“(g) No Effect On Benefits For Individuals Otherwise Eligible Or On Trust Funds.—The Secretary shall implement the provisions of this section in such a manner to ensure that such provisions—

“(1) have no effect on the benefits under this title for individuals who are entitled to, or enrolled for, such benefits other than through this section; and

“(2) have no negative impact on the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund or the Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Fund (including the Medicare Prescription Drug Account within such Trust Fund).

“(h) Consultation.—In promulgating regulations to implement this section, the Secretary shall consult with interested parties, including groups representing beneficiaries, health care providers, employers, and insurance companies.”.


SEC. 1002. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MEDICARE TRANSITION PLAN.
(a) In General.—To carry out the purpose of this section, for plan years beginning with the first plan year that begins after the date of enactment of this Act and ending with the effective date described in section 106, the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid (referred to in this section as the “Administrator”), shall establish, and provide for the offering through the Exchanges, of a public health plan (in this Act referred to as the “Medicare Transition plan”) that provides affordable, high-quality health benefits coverage throughout the United States.

(b) Administrating The Medicare Transition.—

(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The Administrator shall administer the Medicare Transition plan in accordance with this section.

(2) APPLICATION OF ACA REQUIREMENTS.—Consistent with this section, the Medicare Transition plan shall comply with requirements under title I of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (and the amendments made by that title) and title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg et seq.) that are applicable to qualified health plans offered through the Exchanges, subject to the limitation under subsection (e)(2).

(3) OFFERING THROUGH EXCHANGES.—The Medicare Transition plan shall be made available only through the Exchanges, and shall be available to individuals wishing to enroll and to qualified employers (as defined in section 1312(f)(2) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18032)) who wish to make such plan available to their employees.

(4) ELIGIBILITY TO PURCHASE.—Any United States resident may enroll in the Medicare Transition plan.

(c) Benefits; Actuarial Value.—In carrying out this section, the Administrator shall ensure that the Medicare Transition plan provides—

(1) coverage for the benefits required to be covered under title II; and

(2) coverage of benefits that are actuarially equivalent to 90 percent of the full actuarial value of the benefits provided under the plan.

(d) Providers And Reimbursement Rates.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—With respect to the reimbursement provided to health care providers for covered benefits, as described in section 201, provided under the Medicare Transition plan, the Administrator shall reimburse such providers at rates determined for equivalent items and services under the original Medicare fee-for-service program under parts A and B of title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395c et seq.). For items and services covered under the Medicare Transition plan but not covered under such parts A and B, the Administrator shall reimburse providers at rates set by the Administrator in a manner consistent with the manner in which rates for other items and services were set under the original Medicare fee-for-service program.

(2) PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.—Any payment rate under this subsection for a prescription drug shall be at a rate negotiated by the Administrator with the manufacturer of the drug. If the Administrator is unable to reach a negotiated agreement on such a reimbursement rate, the Administrator shall establish the rate at an amount equal to the lesser of—

(A) the price paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to procure the drug under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs;

(B) the price paid to procure the drug under section 8126 of title 38, United States Code; or

(C) the best price determined under section 1927(c)(1)(C) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396r–8(c)(1)(C)) for the drug.

(3) PARTICIPATING PROVIDERS.—

(A) IN GENERAL.—A health care provider that is a participating provider of services or supplier under the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.) or under a State Medicaid plan under title XIX of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) on the date of enactment of this Act shall be a participating provider in the Medicare Transition plan.

(B) ADDITIONAL PROVIDERS.—The Administrator shall establish a process to allow health care providers not described in subparagraph (A) to become participating providers in the Medicare Transition plan. Such process shall be similar to the process applied to new providers under the Medicare program.

(e) Premiums.—

(1) DETERMINATION.—The Administrator shall determine the premium amount for enrolling in the Medicare Transition plan, which—

(A) may vary according to family or individual coverage, age, and tobacco status (consistent with clauses (i), (iii), and (iv) of section 2701(a)(1)(A) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg(a)(1)(A))); and

(B) shall take into account the cost-sharing reductions and premium tax credits which will be available with respect to the plan under section 1402 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18071) and section 36B of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended by subsection (g).

(2) LIMITATION.—Variation in premium rates of the Medicare Transition plan by rating area, as described in clause (ii) of section 2701(a)(1)(A)(iii) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg(a)(1)(A)) is not permitted.

(f) Termination.—This section shall cease to have force or effect on the effective date described in section 106.

(g) Tax Credits And Cost-Sharing Subsidies.—

(1) PREMIUM ASSISTANCE TAX CREDITS.—

(A) CREDITS ALLOWED TO MEDICARE TRANSITION PLAN ENROLLEES AT OR ABOVE 44 PERCENT OF POVERTY IN NON-EXPANSION STATES.—Paragraph (1) of section 36B(c) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by redesignating subparagraphs (C) and (D) as subparagraphs (D) and (E), respectively, and by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following new subparagraph:

continued...

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

“(C) SPECIAL RULES FOR MEDICARE TRANSITION PLAN ENROLLEES.—

“(i) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a taxpayer who is covered, or whose spouse or dependent (as defined in section 152) is covered, by the Medicare Transition plan established under section 1002(a) of the Medicare for All Act of 2019 for all months in the taxable year, subparagraph (A) shall be applied without regard to ‘but does not exceed 400 percent’.

“(ii) ENROLLEES IN MEDICAID NON-EXPANSION STATES.—In the case of a taxpayer residing in a State which (as of the date of the enactment of the Medicare for All Act of 2019) does not provide for eligibility under clause (i)(VIII) or (ii)(XX) of section 1902(a)(10)(A) of the Social Security Act for medical assistance under title XIX of such Act (or a waiver of the State plan approved under section 1115) who is covered, or whose spouse or dependent (as defined in section 152) is covered, by the Medicare Transition plan established under section 1002(a) of the Medicare for All Act of 2019 for all months in the taxable year, subparagraphs (A) and (B) shall be applied by substituting ‘0 percent’ for ‘100 percent’ each place it appears.”.

(B) PREMIUM ASSISTANCE AMOUNTS FOR TAXPAYERS ENROLLED IN MEDICARE TRANSITION PLAN.—

(i) IN GENERAL.—Subparagraph (A) of section 36B(b)(3) of such Code is amended—

(I) by redesignating clause (ii) as clause (iii);

(II) by striking “clause (ii)” in clause (i) and inserting “clauses (ii) and (iii)”; and

(III) by inserting after clause (i) the following new clause:


“(ii) SPECIAL RULES FOR TAXPAYERS ENROLLED IN MEDICARE TRANSITION PLAN.—In the case of a taxpayer who is covered, or whose spouse or dependent (as defined in section 152) is covered, by the Medicare Transition plan established under section 1002(a) of the Medicare for All Act of 2019 for all months in the taxable year, the applicable percentage for any taxable year shall be determined in the same manner as under clause (i), except that the following table shall apply in lieu of the table contained in such clause:



“In the case of household income (expressed as a percent of poverty line) within the following income tier:   The initial premium percentage is—   The final premium percentage is—
 Up to 100 percent   2   2
 100 percent up to 138 percent   2.04   2.04
 138 percent up to 150 percent   3.06   4.08
 150 percent and above   4.08   5”.
(ii) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Subclause (I) of clause (iii) of section 36B(b)(3) of such Code, as redesignated by subparagraph (A)(i), is amended by inserting “, and determined after the application of clause (ii)” after “after application of this clause”.

(2) COST-SHARING SUBSIDIES.—Subsection (b) of section 1402 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18071(b)) is amended—

(A) by inserting “, or in the Medicare Transition plan established under section 1002(a) of the Medicare for All Act of 2019,” after “coverage” in paragraph (1);

(B) by redesignating paragraphs (1) (as so amended) and (2) as subparagraphs (A) and (B), respectively, and by moving such subparagraphs 2 ems to the right;

(C) by striking “Insured.—In this section” and inserting “Insured.—


“(1) IN GENERAL.—In this section”;

(D) by striking the flush language; and

(E) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:


“(2) SPECIAL RULES.—

“(A) INDIVIDUALS LAWFULLY PRESENT.—In the case of an individual described in section 36B(c)(1)(B) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, the individual shall be treated as having household income equal to 100 percent of the poverty line for a family of the size involved for purposes of applying this section.

“(B) MEDICARE TRANSITION PLAN ENROLLEES IN MEDICAID NON-EXPANSION STATES.—In the case of an individual residing in a State which (as of the date of the enactment of the Medicare for All Act of 2019) does not provide for eligibility under clause (i)(VIII) or (ii)(XX) of section 1902(a)(10)(A) of the Social Security Act for medical assistance under title XIX of such Act (or a waiver of the State plan approved under section 1115) who enrolls in such Medicare Transition plan, the preceding sentence, paragraph (1)(B), and paragraphs (1)(A)(i) and (2)(A) of subsection (c) shall each be applied by substituting ‘0 percent’ for ‘100 percent’ each place it appears.

“(C) ADJUSTED COST-SHARING FOR MEDICARE TRANSITION PLAN ENROLLEES.—In the case of any individual who enrolls in such Medicare Transition plan, in lieu of the percentages under subsection (c)(1)(B)(i) and (c)(2), the Secretary shall prescribe a method of determining the cost-sharing reduction for any such individual such that the total of the cost-sharing and the premiums paid by the individual under such Medicare Transition plan does not exceed the percentage of the total allowed costs of benefits provided under the plan equal to the final premium percentage applicable to such individual under section 36B(b)(3)(A)(ii) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.”.

(h) Conforming Amendments.—

(1) TREATMENT AS A QUALIFIED HEALTH PLAN.—Section 1301(a)(2) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18021(a)(2)) is amended—

(A) in the paragraph heading, by inserting “, THE MEDICARE TRANSITION PLAN,” before “AND”; and

(B) by inserting “The Medicare Transition plan,” before “and a multi-State plan”.

(2) LEVEL PLAYING FIELD.—Section 1324(a) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18044(a)) is amended by inserting “the Medicare Transition plan,” before “or a multi-State qualified health plan”.

Subtitle B—Transitional Medicare Reforms

SEC. 1011. MEDICARE PROTECTION AGAINST HIGH OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENDITURES FOR FEE-FOR-SERVICE BENEFITS AND ELIMINATION OF PARTS A AND B DEDUCTIBLES.
(a) Protection Against High Out-Of-Pocket Expenditures.—Title XVIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.), as amended by section 1001, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

“PROTECTION AGAINST HIGH OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENDITURES

“Sec. 1899D. (a) In General.—Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, in the case of an individual entitled to, or enrolled for, benefits under part A or enrolled in part B, if the amount of the out-of-pocket cost-sharing of such individual for a year (effective the year beginning January 1 of the year following the date of enactment of the Medicare for All Act of 2019) equals or exceeds $1,500, the individual shall not be responsible for additional out-of-pocket cost-sharing occurred during that year.

“(b) Out-Of-Pocket Cost-Sharing Defined.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3), in this section, the term ‘out-of-pocket cost-sharing’ means, with respect to an individual, the amount of the expenses incurred by the individual that are attributable to—

“(A) coinsurance and copayments applicable under part A or B; or

“(B) for items and services that would have otherwise been covered under part A or B but for the exhaustion of those benefits.

“(2) CERTAIN COSTS NOT INCLUDED.—

“(A) NON-COVERED ITEMS AND SERVICES.—Expenses incurred for items and services which are not included (or treated as being included) under part A or B shall not be considered incurred expenses for purposes of determining out-of-pocket cost-sharing under paragraph (1).

“(B) ITEMS AND SERVICES NOT FURNISHED ON AN ASSIGNMENT-RELATED BASIS.—If an item or service is furnished to an individual under this title and is not furnished on an assignment-related basis, any additional expenses the individual incurs above the amount the individual would have incurred if the item or service was furnished on an assignment-related basis shall not be considered incurred expenses for purposes of determining out-of-pocket cost-sharing under paragraph (1).

“(3) SOURCE OF PAYMENT.—For purposes of paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consider expenses to be incurred by the individual without regard to whether the individual or another person, including a State program or other third-party coverage, has paid for such expenses.”.

(b) Elimination Of Parts A And B Deductibles.—

(1) PART A.—Section 1813(b) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395e(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:


“(4) For each year (beginning January 1 of the year following the date of enactment of the Medicare for All Act of 2019), the inpatient hospital deductible for the year shall be $0.”.

(2) PART B.—Section 1833(b) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(b)) is amended, in the first sentence—

(A) by striking “and for a subsequent year” and inserting “for each of 2006 through the year that includes the date of enactment of the Medicare for All Act of 2019”; and

(B) by inserting “, and $0 for each year subsequent year” after “$1)”.


SEC. 1012. REDUCTION IN MEDICARE PART D ANNUAL OUT-OF-POCKET THRESHOLD AND ELIMINATION OF COST-SHARING ABOVE THAT THRESHOLD.
(a) Reduction.—Section 1860D–2(b)(4)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–102(b)(4)(B)) is amended—

(1) in clause (i), by striking “For purposes” and inserting “Subject to clause (iii), for purposes”; and

(2) by adding at the end the following new clause:


“(iii) REDUCTION IN THRESHOLD DURING TRANSITION PERIOD.—

“(I) IN GENERAL.—Subject to subclause (II), for plan years beginning on or after January 1 following the date of enactment of the Medicare for All Act of 2019 and before January 1 of the year that is 4 years following such date of enactment, notwithstanding clauses (i) and (ii), the ‘annual out-of-pocket threshold’ specified in this subparagraph is equal to $305.

“(II) AUTHORITY TO EXEMPT BRAND-NAME DRUGS IF GENERIC AVAILABLE.—In applying subclause (I), the Secretary may exempt costs incurred for a covered part D drug that is an applicable drug under section 1860D–14A(g)(2) if the Secretary determines that a generic version of that drug is available.”.

(b) Elimination Of Cost-Sharing.—Section 1860D–2(b)(4)(A) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–102(b)(4)(A)) is amended—

(1) in clause (i)—

(A) by redesignating subclauses (I) and (II) as items (aa) and (bb), respectively;

(B) by striking “subparagraph (B), with cost-sharing” and inserting the following: “subparagraph (B)—


“(I) for plan years 2006 through the plan year ending December 31 following the date of enactment of the Medicare for All Act of 2019, with cost-sharing”;

(C) in item (bb), as redesignated by subparagraph (A), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and

(D) by adding at the end the following new subclause:


“(II) for the plan year beginning January 1 following the date of enactment of the Medicare for All Act of 2019 and the two subsequent plan years, without any cost-sharing.”; and

(2) in clause (ii)—

(A) by striking “clause (i)(I)” and inserting “clause (i)(I)(aa)”; and

(B) by adding at the end the following new sentence: “The Secretary shall continue to calculate the dollar amounts specified in clause (i)(I)(aa), including with the adjustment under this clause, after plan year 2018 for purposes of 1860D–14(a)(1)(D)(iii).”.

(c) Conforming Amendments To Low-Income Subsidy.—Section 1860D–14(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395w–114(a)) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (1)—

(A) in subparagraph (D)(iii), by striking “1860D–2(b)(4)(A)(i)(I)” and inserting “1860D–2(b)(4)(A)(i)(I)(aa)”; and

(B) in subparagraph (E)—

(i) in the heading, by inserting “PRIOR TO THE ELIMINATION OF SUCH COST-SHARING FOR ALL INDIVIDUALS” after “THRESHOLD”; and

(ii) by striking “The elimination” and inserting “For plan years 2006 through the plan year ending December 31 following the date of enactment of the Medicare for All Act of 2019, the elimination”; and

(2) in paragraph (2)(E)—

(A) in the heading, by inserting “PRIOR TO THE ELIMINATION OF SUCH COST-SHARING FOR ALL INDIVIDUALS” after “THRESHOLD”;

(B) by striking “Subject to” and inserting “For plan years 2006 through the plan year ending December 31 following the date of enactment of the Medicare for All Act of 2019, subject to”; and

(C) by striking “1860D–2(b)(4)(A)(i)(I)” and inserting “1860D–2(b)(4)(A)(i)(I)(aa)”.


SEC. 1013. COVERAGE OF DENTAL AND VISION SERVICES AND HEARING AIDS AND EXAMINATIONS UNDER MEDICARE PART B.
(a) Dental Services.—

(1) REMOVAL OF EXCLUSION FROM COVERAGE.—Section 1862(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395y(a)) is amended by striking paragraph (12).

(2) COVERAGE.—

(A) IN GENERAL.—Section 1861(s)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(s)(2)) is amended—

(i) in subparagraph (GG), by striking “and” at the end;

(ii) in subparagraph (HH), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and

(iii) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:


“(II) dental services;”.

(B) PAYMENT.—Section 1833(a)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(a)(1)) is amended—

(i) by striking “and” before “(CC)”; and

(ii) by inserting before the semicolon at the end the following: “, and (DD) with respect to dental services described in section 1861(s)(2)(II), the amount paid shall be an amount equal to 80 percent of the lesser of the actual charge for the services or the amount determined under the fee schedule established under section 1848(b).”.

(C) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by this subsection shall apply to items and services furnished on or after January 1 following the date of the enactment of this Act.

(b) Vision Services.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1861(s)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(s)(2)), as amended by subsection (a), is amended—

(A) in subparagraph (HH), by striking “and” at the end;

(B) in subparagraph (II), by inserting “and” at the end; and

(C) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:


“(JJ) vision services;”.

(2) PAYMENT.—Section 1833(a)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395l(a)(1)), as amended by subsection (a), is amended—

(A) by striking “and” before “(DD)”; and

(B) by inserting before the semicolon at the end the following: “, and (EE) with respect to vision services described in section 1861(s)(2)(JJ), the amount paid shall be an amount equal to 80 percent of the lesser of the actual charge for the services or the amount determined under the fee schedule established under section 1848(b).”.

(3) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by this subsection shall apply to items and services furnished on or after January 1 following the date of the enactment of this Act.

(c) Hearing Aids And Examinations Therefor.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 1862(a)(7) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395y(a)(7)) is amended by striking “hearing aids or examinations therefor,”.

(2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by this subsection shall apply to items and services furnished on or after January 1 following the date of the enactment of this Act.


SEC. 1014. ELIMINATING THE 24-MONTH WAITING PERIOD FOR MEDICARE COVERAGE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.
(a) In General.—Section 226(b) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 426(b)) is amended—

(1) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking “, and has for 24 calendar months been entitled to,”;

(2) in paragraph (2)(B), by striking “, and has been for not less than 24 months,”;

(3) in paragraph (2)(C)(ii), by striking “, including the requirement that he has been entitled to the specified benefits for 24 months,”;

(4) in the first sentence, by striking “for each month beginning with the later of (I) July 1973 or (II) the twenty-fifth month of his entitlement or status as a qualified railroad retirement beneficiary described in paragraph (2), and” and inserting “for each month for which the individual meets the requirements of paragraph (2), beginning with the month following the month in which the individual meets the requirements of such paragraph, and”; and

(5) in the second sentence, by striking “the ‘twenty-fifth month of his entitlement’” and all that follows through “paragraph (2)(C) and”.

(b) Conforming Amendments.—

(1) SECTION 226.—Section 226 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 426) is amended by—

(A) striking subsections (e)(1)(B), (f), and (h); and

(B) redesignating subsections (g) and (i) as subsections (f) and (g), respectively.

(2) MEDICARE DESCRIPTION.—Section 1811(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395c(2)) is amended by striking “have been entitled for not less than 24 months” and inserting “are entitled”.

(3) MEDICARE COVERAGE.—Section 1837(g)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395p(g)(1)) is amended by striking “25th month of” and inserting “month following the first month of”.

(4) RAILROAD RETIREMENT SYSTEM.—Section 7(d)(2)(ii) of the Railroad Retirement Act of 1974 (45 U.S.C. 231f(d)(2)(ii)) is amended—

(A) by striking “has been entitled to an annuity” and inserting “is entitled to an annuity”;

(B) by striking “, for not less than 24 months”; and

(C) by striking “could have been entitled for 24 calendar months, and”.

(c) Effective Date.—The amendments made by this section shall apply to insurance benefits under title XVIII of the Social Security Act with respect to items and services furnished in months beginning after December 1 following the date of enactment of this Act, and before January 1 of the year that is 4 years after such date of enactment.


SEC. 1015. GUARANTEED ISSUE OF MEDIGAP POLICIES.
Section 1882 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395ss) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:


“(aa) Guaranteed Issue For All Medigap-Eligible Medicare Beneficiaries.—Notwithstanding paragraphs (2)(A) and (2)(D) of subsection (s) or any other provision of this section, on or after the date of enactment of this subsection, the issuer of a medicare supplemental policy may not deny or condition the issuance or effectiveness of a medicare supplemental policy, or discriminate in the pricing of the policy, because of health status, claims experience, receipt of health care, or medical condition in the case of any individual entitled to, or enrolled for, benefits under part A and enrolled for benefits under part B.”.

Subtitle C—Private Health Insurance Availability During Transitional Period

SEC. 1021. CONTINUITY OF CARE.
(a) In General.—The Secretary shall ensure that all individuals enrolled in, or who seek to enroll in, a group health plan, health insurance coverage offered by a health insurance issuer, or the plan established under section 1002 during the transition period of this Act are protected from disruptions in their care during the transition period.

(b) Public Consultation During Transition.—The Secretary shall consult with communities and advocacy organizations of individuals living with disabilities and other patient advocacy organizations to ensure the transition described in this section takes into account the continuity of care for individuals with disabilities, complex medical needs, or chronic conditions.

(c) Definitions.—In this section, the terms “health insurance coverage”, “health insurance issuer”, and “group health plans” have the meanings given such terms in section 2791 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg–91).

TITLE XI—MISCELLANEOUS

SEC. 1101. UPDATING RESOURCE LIMITS FOR SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME ELIGIBILITY (SSI).
Section 1611(a)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1382(a)(3)) is amended—

(1) in subparagraph (A)—

(A) by striking “and” after “January 1, 1988,”; and

(B) by inserting “, and to $6,200 on January 1, 2019” before the period;

(2) in subparagraph (B)—

(A) by striking “and” after “January 1, 1988,”; and

(B) by inserting “, and to $4,100 on January 1, 2019” before the period; and

(3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:


“(C) Beginning with December of 2019, whenever the dollar amounts in effect under paragraphs (1)(A) and (2)(A) of this subsection are increased for a month by a percentage under section 1617(a)(2), each of the dollar amounts in effect under this paragraph shall be increased, effective with such month, by the same percentage (and rounded, if not a multiple of $10, to the closest multiple of $10). Each increase under this subparagraph shall be based on the unrounded amount for the prior 12-month period.”.


SEC. 1102. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act—

(1) the term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Health and Human Services;

(2) the term “State” means a State, the District of Columbia, or a territory of the United States; and

(3) the term “United States” shall include the States, the District of Columbia, and the territories of the United States.

[YE]

There are fewer ways more knee jerk than blindly c/p a M4A bill from RL.

Honestly with the outcome of the election in the South and the fact it's only 1 chamber regionally,... figure it out.

[fhtagn]

Also good to know that Wulfric's long standing position of being against medicare for all is meaningless.

[P. Clodius Pulcher did nothing wrong]

HOUSE RESOLUTION
Condemning and censuring PiT, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court

Whereas, Justice PiT has expressed reprehensible views about women, stating that "We men need to control reproductive access to one or more females to pass on our genes."

Whereas, Justice PiT has tainted the impartiality of the Supreme Court on which he serves, claiming "the left" is "a suicide cult" "tearing down society," and that he "pretty much" agrees with another Atlasian citizen that he "hates them, and [is] not being hyperbolic. [He] hate, hate, hate[s.] them and everything they stand for."

Resolved, that –
(1) the House of Representatives condemns and censures Justice PiT for conduct that disrespects the Atlasian people in a way that is not befitting a member of the Supreme Court; and

(2) Justice PiT will be censured with the public posting of this resolution by the Speaker.

^{Sponsor's note: Based off of this: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/604/text}

[fhtagn]

HOUSE RESOLUTION
Condemning and censuring PiT, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court

Whereas, Justice PiT has expressed reprehensible views about women, stating that "We men need to control reproductive access to one or more females to pass on our genes."

Whereas, Justice PiT has tainted the impartiality of the Supreme Court on which he serves, claiming "the left" is "a suicide cult" "tearing down society," and that he "pretty much" agrees with another Atlasian citizen that he "hates them, and [is] not being hyperbolic. [He] hate, hate, hate[s.] them and everything they stand for."

Resolved, that –
(1) the House of Representatives condemns and censures Justice PiT for conduct that disrespects the Atlasian people in a way that is not befitting a member of the Supreme Court; and

(2) Justice PiT will be censured with the public posting of this resolution by the Speaker.

^{Sponsor's note: Based off of this: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/604/text}

what a joke, and you know this.

[windjammer]

HOUSE RESOLUTION
Condemning and censuring PiT, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court

Whereas, Justice PiT has expressed reprehensible views about women, stating that "We men need to control reproductive access to one or more females to pass on our genes."

Whereas, Justice PiT has tainted the impartiality of the Supreme Court on which he serves, claiming "the left" is "a suicide cult" "tearing down society," and that he "pretty much" agrees with another Atlasian citizen that he "hates them, and [is] not being hyperbolic. [He] hate, hate, hate[s.] them and everything they stand for."

Resolved, that –
(1) the House of Representatives condemns and censures Justice PiT for conduct that disrespects the Atlasian people in a way that is not befitting a member of the Supreme Court; and

(2) Justice PiT will be censured with the public posting of this resolution by the Speaker.

^{Sponsor's note: Based off of this: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/604/text}

I haven't followed at all the current controversies, if he has made reprehensible comments, that's really regrettable and I won't defend.

However, I don't understand why  you are mentionning his performance as Supreme Court Justice in this censure resolution? I recommanded him to be the new Southern Supreme Court Justice last year (or maybe 2 years ago) and I stand by my actions. He has always been a very good Supreme Court Justice, impartial and active.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

HOUSE RESOLUTION
Condemning and censuring PiT, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court

Whereas, Justice PiT has expressed reprehensible views about women, stating that "We men need to control reproductive access to one or more females to pass on our genes."

Whereas, Justice PiT has tainted the impartiality of the Supreme Court on which he serves, claiming "the left" is "a suicide cult" "tearing down society," and that he "pretty much" agrees with another Atlasian citizen that he "hates them, and [is] not being hyperbolic. [He] hate, hate, hate[s.] them and everything they stand for."

Resolved, that –
(1) the House of Representatives condemns and censures Justice PiT for conduct that disrespects the Atlasian people in a way that is not befitting a member of the Supreme Court; and

(2) Justice PiT will be censured with the public posting of this resolution by the Speaker.

^{Sponsor's note: Based off of this: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/604/text}

If I'm still in the House when this gets a vote, I'll be voting No. It's time to move on.

[YE]

Poison Center Network Enhancement Act of 2019

NATIONWIDE PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE POISON CONTROL CENTER UTILIZATION AND THEIR PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY RESPONSE CAPABILITIES

“(a) In General.—The Secretary of Internal Affairs shall—

“(1) carry out, and expand upon, a national public awareness campaign to educate the public and health care providers about—

“(A) poisoning, toxic exposure, and drug misuse prevention; and

“(B) the availability of poison control center resources in local communities; and

“(b) Consultation.—In carrying out and expanding upon the national campaign under subsection (a), the Secretary may consult with nationally recognized professional organizations in the field of poison control response for the purpose of determining the best and most effective methods for achieving public awareness.

“(c) Contract With Entity.—The Secretary may carry out subsection (a) by entering into contracts with one or more public or private entities, including nationally recognized professional organizations in the field of poison control and national media firms, for the development and implementation of the awareness campaign under subsection (a), which may include—

“(1) the development and distribution of poisoning and toxic exposure prevention, poison control center, and public health emergency awareness and response materials;

“(2) television, radio, internet, and newspaper public service announcements; and

“(3) other means and activities to provide for public and professional awareness and education.

“(d) Evaluation.—The Secretary shall—

“(1) establish baseline measures and benchmarks to quantitatively evaluate the impact of the nationwide public awareness campaign carried out under this section; and

“(2) on a biennial basis, prepare and submit to the appropriate committees of Congress an evaluation of the nationwide public awareness campaign.

“(e) Authorization Of Appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, $800,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2023.”.


MAINTENANCE OF THE POISON CONTROL CENTER GRANT PROGRAM.

“(a) Authorization Of Program.—The Secretary shall award grants to poison control centers accredited under subsection (c) (or granted a waiver under subsection (d)) and nationally recognized professional organizations in the field of poison control for the purposes of—

“(1) preventing, and providing treatment recommendations for, poisonings and toxic exposures including opioid and drug misuse;

“(2) assisting with public health emergencies, responses, and preparedness; and

“(3) complying with the operational requirements needed to sustain the accreditation of the center under subsection (c).

“(b) Additional Uses Of Funds.—In addition to the purposes described in subsection (a), a poison center or professional organization awarded a grant under such subsection may also use amounts received under such grant—

“(1) to research, establish, implement, and evaluate best practices in the United States for poisoning prevention, poison control center outreach, opioid and drug misuse information and response, and public health emergency, response, and preparedness programs;

“(2) to research, develop, implement, revise, and communicate standard patient management guidelines for commonly encountered toxic exposures;

“(3) to improve national toxic exposure and opioid misuse surveillance by enhancing cooperative activities between poison control centers in the United States and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other governmental agencies;

“(4) to research, improve, and enhance the communications and response capability and capacity of the Nation’s network of poison control centers to facilitate increased access to the centers through the integration and modernization of the current poison control centers communications and data system, including enhancing the network’s telephony, internet, data, and social networking technologies;

“(5) to develop, support, and enhance technology and capabilities of nationally recognized professional organizations in the field of poison control to collect national poisoning, toxic occurrence, and related public health data;

“(6) to develop initiatives to foster the enhanced public health utilization of national poison data collected by such organizations;

“(7) to support and expand the toxicologic expertise within poison control centers; and

“( to improve the capacity of poison control centers to answer high volumes of contacts and internet communications, and to sustain and enhance the poison control center’s network capability to respond during times of national crisis or other public health emergencies.

“(d) Supplement Not Supplant.—Amounts made available to a poison control center under this section shall be used to supplement and not supplant other Federal, Regional, State, or local funds provided for such center.

“(e) Maintenance Of Effort.—A poison control center, in utilizing the proceeds of a grant under this section, shall maintain the annual recurring expenditures of the center for its activities at a level that is not less than 80 percent of the average level of such recurring expenditures maintained by the center for the preceding 3 fiscal years for which a grant is received.

“(f) Authorization Of Appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, $28,600,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2023.”.

Simplified and Cleaned up version of HR 5329 of the 115th Congress, which passed the House by Voice Vote. Similar language became U.S. law as part of HR 6 of the 115th Congress.

Cosponsoring this.

[Elcaspar]

AN AMENDMENT
to the Constitution of the Republic of Atlasia

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives, in Congress assembled:

Section 1 (Title)
i. The title of this Amendment shall be, the “Labor Rights Amendment.” It may be cited by its ordinal number in order of ratification.

Section 2 (Labor Rights Amendment)
i. The following shall be appended to Article I of the Constitution of the Republic of Atlasia as the next section thereof:

A full-enfranchised proletariat being necessary for the prosperity of a free people, the right of the working people to organize and bargain collectively shall not be infringed.

This amendment to the Bill of Rights would protect the right of wage-earners to unionize free from the subversive influence of employers or the state.

AN AMENDMENT
to the Constitution of the Republic of Atlasia

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives, in Congress assembled:

Section 1 (Title)
i. The title of this Amendment shall be, the “Right to Life Amendment.” It may be cited by its ordinal number in order of ratification.

Section 2 (Right to Live Amendment)
i. The following shall be appended to Article I of the Constitution of the Republic of Atlasia as the next section thereof:

The right of citizens of the Republic of Atlasia to health care, including but not limited to care necessary to prevent and treat illness, shall not be denied.

This amendment to the Bill of Rights would establish the right of all Atlasians to health care, including care necessary to prevent and treat illness.

I am introducing this for Truman.

[thumb21]

Poison Center Network Enhancement Act of 2019

NATIONWIDE PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN TO PROMOTE POISON CONTROL CENTER UTILIZATION AND THEIR PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY RESPONSE CAPABILITIES

“(a) In General.—The Secretary of Internal Affairs shall—

“(1) carry out, and expand upon, a national public awareness campaign to educate the public and health care providers about—

“(A) poisoning, toxic exposure, and drug misuse prevention; and

“(B) the availability of poison control center resources in local communities; and

“(b) Consultation.—In carrying out and expanding upon the national campaign under subsection (a), the Secretary may consult with nationally recognized professional organizations in the field of poison control response for the purpose of determining the best and most effective methods for achieving public awareness.

“(c) Contract With Entity.—The Secretary may carry out subsection (a) by entering into contracts with one or more public or private entities, including nationally recognized professional organizations in the field of poison control and national media firms, for the development and implementation of the awareness campaign under subsection (a), which may include—

“(1) the development and distribution of poisoning and toxic exposure prevention, poison control center, and public health emergency awareness and response materials;

“(2) television, radio, internet, and newspaper public service announcements; and

“(3) other means and activities to provide for public and professional awareness and education.

“(d) Evaluation.—The Secretary shall—

“(1) establish baseline measures and benchmarks to quantitatively evaluate the impact of the nationwide public awareness campaign carried out under this section; and

“(2) on a biennial basis, prepare and submit to the appropriate committees of Congress an evaluation of the nationwide public awareness campaign.

“(e) Authorization Of Appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, $800,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2023.”.


MAINTENANCE OF THE POISON CONTROL CENTER GRANT PROGRAM.

“(a) Authorization Of Program.—The Secretary shall award grants to poison control centers accredited under subsection (c) (or granted a waiver under subsection (d)) and nationally recognized professional organizations in the field of poison control for the purposes of—

“(1) preventing, and providing treatment recommendations for, poisonings and toxic exposures including opioid and drug misuse;

“(2) assisting with public health emergencies, responses, and preparedness; and

“(3) complying with the operational requirements needed to sustain the accreditation of the center under subsection (c).

“(b) Additional Uses Of Funds.—In addition to the purposes described in subsection (a), a poison center or professional organization awarded a grant under such subsection may also use amounts received under such grant—

“(1) to research, establish, implement, and evaluate best practices in the United States for poisoning prevention, poison control center outreach, opioid and drug misuse information and response, and public health emergency, response, and preparedness programs;

“(2) to research, develop, implement, revise, and communicate standard patient management guidelines for commonly encountered toxic exposures;

“(3) to improve national toxic exposure and opioid misuse surveillance by enhancing cooperative activities between poison control centers in the United States and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other governmental agencies;

“(4) to research, improve, and enhance the communications and response capability and capacity of the Nation’s network of poison control centers to facilitate increased access to the centers through the integration and modernization of the current poison control centers communications and data system, including enhancing the network’s telephony, internet, data, and social networking technologies;

“(5) to develop, support, and enhance technology and capabilities of nationally recognized professional organizations in the field of poison control to collect national poisoning, toxic occurrence, and related public health data;

“(6) to develop initiatives to foster the enhanced public health utilization of national poison data collected by such organizations;

“(7) to support and expand the toxicologic expertise within poison control centers; and

“( to improve the capacity of poison control centers to answer high volumes of contacts and internet communications, and to sustain and enhance the poison control center’s network capability to respond during times of national crisis or other public health emergencies.

“(d) Supplement Not Supplant.—Amounts made available to a poison control center under this section shall be used to supplement and not supplant other Federal, Regional, State, or local funds provided for such center.

“(e) Maintenance Of Effort.—A poison control center, in utilizing the proceeds of a grant under this section, shall maintain the annual recurring expenditures of the center for its activities at a level that is not less than 80 percent of the average level of such recurring expenditures maintained by the center for the preceding 3 fiscal years for which a grant is received.

“(f) Authorization Of Appropriations.—There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section, $28,600,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2023.”.

[RC (a la Frémont)]

COMPREHENSIVE OPIOID RESPONSE ACT

To provide for a comprehensive response to the Opioid Epidemic

Be it enacted by the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia assembled

SECTION I: TITLE
This law shall be referred to as the Comprehensive Opioid Response Act

SECTION II. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:

(a) Every day, more than 130 people in the United States die after overdosing on opioids. The misuse of and addiction to opioids, including prescription pain relievers, heroin, and synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, is a serious national crisis that affects public health as well as social and economic welfare.
(b) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the total "economic burden" of prescription opioid misuse alone in the United States is $78.5 billion a year, including the costs of healthcare, lost productivity, addiction treatment, and criminal justice involvement.
(c) This issue has become a public health crisis with devastating consequences including increases in opioid misuse and related overdoses, as well as the rising incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome due to opioid use and misuse during pregnancy.
(d) The increase in injection drug use has also contributed to the spread of infectious diseases including HIV and hepatitis C.

SECTION III. OPIOID ABUSE TREATMENT FUND.
(a) There is established an account in the Treasury, known as the Opioid Abuse Treatment Fund.

(b) There is appropriated $300,000,000 for each fiscal years 2019 through 2023.

Of the funds appropriated, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall:
(1) appropriate $200,000,000 each fiscal year until 2023 to make grants to state, local, and tribal governments for the purpose of increasing the availability of treatment for opioids abuse.
(2) appropriate $50,000,000 each fiscal year until 2023 to make grants to state, local, and tribal governments and nonprofit entities to provide vouchers to individuals in underserved populations for authorized services related to the treatment of such individuals for opioids abuse
(3) appropriate $50,000,000 each fiscal year until 2023 to make grants to public, private, nonprofit entities, and Indian tribes to establish programs to provide for and coordinate the provision of wrap-around services to opioids-affected individuals.

SECTION IV. INITIATIVE TO INCREASE OPIOID TREATMENT CAPACITY.
(a) The Secretary of Health and Human Services may make grants to State, local, and tribal governments for the purpose of increasing the availability of treatment for opioids abuse.

(b) The grants made may only be used to:
(1) build treatment centers
(2) expand existing treatment centers
(3) hire treatment professionals
(4) provide training and education to substance abuse professionals, medical professionals, and educators related to the treatment of opioids abuse
(5) engage in activities that the Secretary of Health & Human Services has determined are relevant

SECTION V. OPIOID ABUSE TREATMENT VOUCHERS FOR UNDESERVED POPULATIONS.
(a) The Secretary of Health and Human Services may make grants to State, local, and tribal governments and nonprofit entities to provide vouchers to individuals in underserved populations for authorized services related to the treatment of such individuals for opioids abuse.

(b) Not later than a year after this law is in effect, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit a report to the Congress on the grants used in subsection 4(a)

(c) The report under this section shall contain an evaluation of the effectiveness of the grants made under subsection 4(a) in improving access to opioids treatment for underserved populations.

SECTION VI. COMPREHENSIVE OPIOIDS TREATMENT SERVICES.
(a) The Secretary of Health and Human Services may make grants to public, private, nonprofit entities, and Indian tribes to establish programs to provide for and coordinate the provision of wrap-around services to opioids-affected individuals.

(b) For each year that a public, private, nonprofit entity, or Indian tribe receives a grant under subsection 6(a) for a program, such applicant shall submit to the Secretary of Health & Human Services a report on the results and effectiveness of the program.

(c) Wrap-Around Services is defined as:
(1) Medical services.
(2) Dental services.
(3) Mental health services.
(4) Job training services.
(5) Prevention services for family members opioids abuse or addiction.

SECTION VII. PROHIBITION OF OPIOID ILLEGAL MARKETING PRACTICES.
(a) The term ‘illegal marketing or distribution practice with respect to an opioid’ means:
(1) any marketing material a representation that an opioid has no addiction-forming or addiction-sustaining liability or has less of an addiction-forming or addiction-sustaining liability than one or more other opioids, knowing the representation to be false, as determined by the Secretary based on research, testimonials, and other evidence
(2) supplying States or communities with a quantity of opioids that is not medically reasonable, as determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services
(3) failing to report to the Secretary of Health and Human Services any pattern of orders for the distribution of opioids that would cause a reasonable person to believe the opioids were not being dispensed in a medically reasonable manner.

(b) It shall be unlawful for any person who manufactures or distributes an opioid to engage in an illegal marketing or distribution practice with respect to an opioid.

(c) Any person who violates subsection 7(b):
(i) if a person employed by an opioid manufacturer or distributor, shall be subject to a civil penalty in an amount equal to sum of:
(aa) such person’s full amount of salary for each year during which such person engaged in illegal marketing or distribution practices with respect to an opioid product
(bb) the amount by which the stock or other certificates of ownership interest of the person that is owned by the individual has increased in value during the period during which such person engaged in illegal marketing or distribution practices of an opioid product
(ii) if not a natural person, shall be subject to a civil penalty in the amount equal to the sum of:
(aa) $750,000,000
(bb) 25% of the profit made on lawful sales of opioids during the period in which the person engaged in illegal marketing or distribution practices.

(d) If a person that is not a natural person violates subsection 7(b), the court shall:
(i) impose on the chief executive officer of the person a civil penalty in an amount equal to the sum of:
(aa) the salary of the individual during the period in which the person engaged in illegal marketing or distribution practices and such individual served as chief executive officer
(bb) the amount by which the stock that is owned by the individual has increased in value during the period that the person engaged in illegal marketing or distribution practices and such individual served as chief executive officer
(ii) impose on any executive who led the finance, research, marketing, or sales department of the person a civil penalty in the amount equal to the sum of:
(aa) 25% of the salary during the period that the individual engaged in illegal marketing or distribution practices and served as an executive
(bb) 25% of the amount by which the stock of the individual has increased in value during the period that the person engaged in illegal marketing or distribution practices and such individual served as such an executive

(e) Any individual subject to civil penalties as laid out under subsection 7(c) shall be required to issue a public statement apologizing for their role in creating the opioid epidemic in the United States.

(f) Immediately after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services or Attorney General shall begin investigating all opioid manufacturers and all executives employed by such manufacturers to determine whether any such manufacturer committed illegal marketing or distribution practice with respect to an opioid as defined under this section.

(g) The Secretary of Health and Human Services may transfer to the Opioid Abuse Treatment Fund an amount equal to the civil penalties under this act to combat the abuse of opioids in the United States as laid out under Section 3, 4, 5, and 6.

SECTION VIII. IMPLEMENTATION.
This act shall take effect 30 days after passage.

[thumb21]

JONES EXCEPTIONS ACT

To exempt outlying regions from coastwise laws of the Republic of Atlasia

Be it enacted by the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia assembled

SECTION I: TITLE.
This law shall be referred to as the Jones Exceptions Act.

SECTION II. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:

(a) Outlying regions of the Republic of Atlasia are more reliant on seaborne trade with foreign nations and therefore the restrictions imposed by coastwise laws on the mainland regions of the Republic of Atlasia are inapropriate for the requirements of outlying regions.

SECTION III. EXCEPTIONS TO APPLICATION OF COASTWISE LAWS FOR OUTLYING STATES AND TERRITORIES.

(a) 46 U.S. Code § 55101 is hereby amended as follows:

(a)In General.—
Except as provided in subsection (b), the coastwise laws apply to the Republic of Atlasia, including the island territories and possessions of the Republic of Atlasia.
(b)Exceptions.—The coastwise laws do not apply to—
(1)Alaska;
(2)Atlasian Samoa;
(3)Guam;
(4)Hawaii;
(5)the Northern Mariana Islands;, except as provided in section 502(b) of the Covenant To Establish a Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands in Political Union With the Republic of Atlasia (48 U.S.C. 1801 note); or
(7)Puerto Rico;
(8)the Virgin Islands.until the President declares by proclamation that the coastwise laws apply to the Virgin Islands.

SECTION IV. IMPLEMENTATION.
This act shall take effect on Sunday the 7th of March 2021.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Motion to expel:

Representatives Fhtagn and LouisvilleThunder are hereby expelled from the House and prohibited from being elected to it again.

[Attorney General, LGC Speaker, and Former PPT Dwarven Dragon]

Constitutional Amendment:

At the end of the constitution, add the following

"Nothing within this constitution or amendments thereto shall be construed to prevent the House or Senate from prohibiting an incumbent member of the respective body from being elected to it again, as an optional added component to a motion to expel."

[YE]

AN AMENDMENT
to the Constitution of the Republic of Atlasia

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives, in Congress assembled:

Section 1 (Title)
i. The title of this Amendment shall be, the “Right to Life Amendment.” It may be cited by its ordinal number in order of ratification.

Section 2 (Right to Live Amendment)
i. The following shall be appended to Article I of the Constitution of the Republic of Atlasia as the next section thereof:

The right of citizens of the Republic of Atlasia to health care, including but not limited to care necessary to prevent and treat illness, shall not be denied.

This amendment to the Bill of Rights would establish the right of all Atlasians to health care, including care necessary to prevent and treat illness.

Cosponsoring this.

[Blair]

Global Advocacy and Voice Protection Act

To prohibit the restrictive eligibility requirements to foreign nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) with respect to the provision of assistance under part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961.

Part 1.

I.) No Restriction shall be placed on the aid from the Government of Atlasia to NGOs on the sole basis of health and medical services including counseling and referral services, provided by such organisations, provided that such services do not violate the laws of the country where these NGOs are based.

II.) No restriction shall be placed on the the aid from the Government of Atlasia to NGOs on the sole basis of their for advocacy and lobbying activities surrounding medical, and health care in relation to reproductive care.

Part 2.

I.) This act shall prohibit any President from unilaterally cancelling, suspending or restricting aid on the sole basis of health and medical services provided by any NGO.
 

[Blair]

Unions Forever: The Repeal of Taft-Harley Act (UFA)

It is recognised that Trade Unions play a crucial role in supporting, maintaining and expanding prosperity for all Atlasians, whilst keeping them safe at work & secure at home.

Section 1 (Repeal of Taft-Harley)

1.) The Labor Management Relations Act of 1947 is hereby repealed.

Section 2 (Federal Workers)

1.) The prohibition of federal employees striking is hereby lifted.

2.) Any restriction on the rights of federal employees to engage in strike action shall only be authorised by the Attorney General, and shall only be made on a case by case basis, with any confirmation requiring a majority vote in both the Senate & House of Representatives within 15 days of said authorisation.

Section 3 (Workplace board representation)

1.) No company shall be listed on the Atlasian stock exchange unless at least 1/3rd of the companies directors are chosen by the companies employees in a one-employee-one-vote election process.

Section 4 (Supervisors are employees too)

1.) All employees previously classed as supervisors shall receive the same rights to unionise, bargain and work as regular employees, and their rights shall not be infringed based on their employee status, or seniority.

[Former President tack50]

NATIONAL COLLEGE ACCESS ACT

To nationalize the various enterprises doing tests for college access and put them under the control and supervision of the Republic of Atlasia

Be it enacted by the House of Representatives and Senate of the Republic of Atlasia in Congress assembled

SECTION I. NATIONALIZING BIG TEST MAKER
1. CollegeBoard is hereby nationalized and placed under the control of the Atlasian Department of Education

2. The Educational Testing Service (ETS) is hereby nationalized and placed under the control of the Atlasian Department of Education

3. ACT, Inc. is hereby nationalized and placed under the control of the Atlasian Department of Education

SECTION II. PHASING OUT BAD TESTS AND PROGRAMS
1. The Scholastic Assessment Test (ACT) shall be phased out by the end of the 2021/2022 school year

2. The ACT test shall be phased out by the end of the end of the 2021/2022 school year

3. The Advanced Placement program (AP) shall be phased out by the end of the 2021/2022 school year

4. The Atlasian Department of Education shall work towards reducing the amount of public standardized tests supplied to public high schools

5. No private organization, regardless of their status as a non-profit organization, may supply standardized tests to any public high school in the Republic of Atlasia without authorization from the Regional governments

SECTION III. PAYING FOR THE NATIONALIZATIONS
1. In order to pay for this bill, 5% of the Atlasian Postal Service shall be privatized to the best bidders.

SECTION IV. ENACTMENT
1. This bill, except for the parts that specify otherwise, shall become enacted immediately after passage

[thumb21]

PARKING PROTECTION ACT

To protect Atlasians from extortion by parking sharks

Be it enacted by the Congress of the Republic of Atlasia assembled

SECTION I: TITLE.
This law shall be referred to as the Parking Protection Act.

SECTION II: FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:

(a) Parking sharks operate parking facilities with the intention of extorting as much money as possible from the general public, often through dishonest means.
(b) Parking facilities are a nessessity for many people, especially those who live in urban areas or don't have a private parking area attached to their place of residence.
(c) Parking operators have a responsibility to make the terms of parking clear.

SECTION III: DEFINITIONS.

(a) Parking is the process of leaving a vehicle in a designated space courtesy of the owner of that space.
(b) A parking fee is a fee levied on behalf of the owner of a parking area in return for permission to park in that area for a given period of time.
(c) The operator refers to the organisation appointed by the owner to manage a parking area.
(d) Unorthorised parking refers to when a vehice is parked in violation of the terms set out by the operator responsibly for the parking space.
(e) Clamping is the application of a clamp to prevent a vehicle from being moved in order to extract money from the driver.

SECTION IV: PROTECTIONS.

(a) Parking fees are hereby capped at $0.75 an hour.
(b) Any charges levied for unauthorised parking are hereby capped at $20 per offense.
(c) A grace period shall be implemented in which drivers cannot be charged for unauthorised parking less than 20 minutes before or after the authorised period.
(d) Parking operators must allow a 2 month period after the driver has been notified to pay charges levied for unauthorised parking before any further action can be taken.
(e) Clamping is hereby banned and treated as property damage.
(f) Parking operators are required by law to provide signage clearly explaining the terms of parking.
(g) Should the terms of parking not be clearly visible to drivers, operators do not posess the right to charge drivers for unauthorised parking.

SECTION V: IMPLEMENTATION.

(a) This act shall take effect on Monday the 5th of October 2020.

[Blair]

Keep PREPing

Section 1 Introduction

1.) The widespread availability of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PREP) has been proven to lower rates of HIV/AIDS in historically at risk communities.

2.) The re-emergence of HIV/AIDS in rural communities across Atlasia has demonstrated the need for long term community health funding, targeted programs and early interventions.

Section 2 (PREP Access)

1.) 'Section 2: Components of AtlasCare' of Reforming and Regionalizing Public Healthcare Act of 2017 is hereby amendment to include Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PREP) as a prescription for those who are among high risk, and historically at risk groups.

Section 3 (Community Health and Prevention)

1.) $200 million of the existing $24.25 Billion from the Atlasian Budget for Disease control, public health and bioterrorism is hereby allocated for community health programs, rural intervention programs and public education about HIV/AIDs.

2.) $200 million is hereby allocated from the same budget for the creation of clean needle exchanges, which shall also include emergency naloxone and staff trained in it's use.

3.) No restriction shall be placed on any region that shall wish to establish a program of clean needle exchanges.

[RC (a la Frémont)]

AN ACT
to amend the presidential line of succession

Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives, in Congress assembled:

Section 1 (Title)
i. The title of this Act shall be, the "Presidential Succession Act of 2020."

Section 2 (Succession)
i. If, by reason of death, resignation, or removal from office, there is neither a president nor a vice president to discharge the powers and duties of the office of president, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, upon their resignation as speaker and as representatives, shall become president.
ii. If, by reason of death, resignation, or removal from office, there is neither a president nor a vice president to discharge the powers and duties of the office of president, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives being either ineligible or unelected, the president pro-tempore of the Senate, upon their resignation as president pro-tempore and as senator, shall become president.
iii. If, by reason of death, resignation, or removal from office, there is neither a president nor a vice president to discharge the powers and duties of the office of president, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro-tempore of the Senate being either ineligible or unelected, the officer of the Republic of Atlasia highest on the following list not themselves ineligible shall become president: the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the Secretary of Federal Elections, the Registrar General.
iv. If, by reason of death, resignation, or removal from office, there is neither a president nor a vice president to discharge the powers and duties of the office of president, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro-tempore of the Senate being either ineligible or unelected, and the officers of the Republic of Atlasia being similarly ineligible and unappointed, the most senior senator by period of continuous service not ineligible shall become president.
v. If, by reason of death, resignation, or removal from office, there is neither a president nor a vice president to discharge the powers and duties of the office of president, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro-tempore of the Senate being either ineligible or unelected, the officers of the Republic of Atlasia being similarly ineligible and unappointed, and there being no senator eligible to assume the presidency, the most senior member of the House of Representatives by continuous service not ineligible shall become president.
vi. If, by reason of death, resignation, or removal from office, there is neither a president nor a vice president to discharge the powers and duties of the office of president, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro-tempore of the Senate being either ineligible or unelected, the officers of the Republic of Atlasia being similarly ineligible and unappointed, and there being no member of the Senate or the House of Representatives eligible to assume the presidency, the chief justice of the Supreme Court shall become president.
vii. If, by reason of death, resignation, or removal from office, there is neither a president nor a vice president to discharge the powers and duties of the office of president, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the president pro-tempore of the Senate being either ineligible or unelected, the officers of the Republic of Atlasia and the chief Justice of the Supreme Court being similarly ineligible and unappointed, and there being no member of the Senate or the House of Representatives eligible to assume the presidency, the most senior justice or associate justice of the Supreme Court by continuous service not ineligible shall become president.
viii. If, by reason of death, resignation, or removal from office, there is neither a president nor a vice president to discharge the powers and duties of the office of president, and there is no person eligible to assume the presidency among those hitherto designated, the chief executives of the several regions shall organize emergency elections for president and vice president as soon as they shall judge expedient, and in the meantime shall elect one of their number as interim president.

Section 3 (Interim president)
i. If, at the hour appointed for the inauguration of the president and vice president, there is neither a president-elect nor a vice president-elect yet eligible to assume the presidency, then the powers and duties of that office shall temporarily devolve upon an interim president until such time as there shall be either an eligible president-elect or a vice president-elect.
ii. Succession to the interim presidency shall follow the order established by §2 of this Act.

Section 4 (Right of refusal)
i. Any designated to succeed to the presidency or interim presidency under the provisions of this of this Act shall reserve the right issue a written and public refusal to succession, in which event the duty will pass on to the next in line.

[KoopaDaQuick 🇵🇸]

AN ACT
to preserve the integrity of Atlasian political primaries

Section 1 (Title and Definitions)
i. The title of this Act shall be, the "Integrity in Party Conventions Act."
ii. A "political convention," or simply "convention," refers to the meeting of a political party to decide candidates for political office and/or decide on party by-laws.

Section 2 (Laws)
i. No political convention, whether on a regional or federal level, is allowed to let members who have joined the party within the 24 hour period prior to the posting of the convention thread shall be allowed to participate in voting for political candidates or party by-laws.
ii. Party members who have joined their party within the 24 hour period mentioned in subsection (i) are allowed to participate in the conventions signing with an "observer" status.
   a. While being able to participate in the same way as regular convention members in every other member, members with "observer" status are not allowed to participate in any party votes.
    b. Members who have "observer" status shall not be allowed to participate if the majority of non-observer members agree that they cannot participate.

Section 3 (Enactment Clause)
i. This act shall take effect immediately after passage.
ii. Any political convention taking place during the passage of this bill is exempt from this law.

[Former President tack50]

AN ACT
to preserve the integrity of Atlasian political primaries

Section 1 (Title and Definitions)
i. The title of this Act shall be, the "Integrity in Party Conventions Act."
ii. A "political convention," or simply "convention," refers to the meeting of a political party to decide candidates for political office and/or decide on party by-laws.

Section 2 (Laws)
i. No political convention, whether on a regional or federal level, is allowed to let members who have joined the party within the 24 hour period prior to the posting of the convention thread shall be allowed to participate in voting for political candidates or party by-laws.
ii. Party members who have joined their party within the 24 hour period mentioned in subsection (i) are allowed to participate in the conventions signing with an "observer" status.
   a. While being able to participate in the same way as regular convention members in every other member, members with "observer" status are not allowed to participate in any party votes.
    b. Members who have "observer" status shall not be allowed to participate if the majority of non-observer members agree that they cannot participate.

Section 3 (Enactment Clause)
i. This act shall take effect immediately after passage.
ii. Any political convention taking place during the passage of this bill is exempt from this law.

Guess I will sponsor