House Legislation Introduction Thread

[Senator-elect Spark]

AN ACT
 

H.R. ____

To mitigate the costs of childcare due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Be it ordained by the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEPTEMBER 6, 2020

Section I. Title

i. The title of this legislation shall be the Reduction of Childcare Costs Act
ii. The purpose of this legislation is to reduce childcare costs

Section II. Provisions
i. In response to the declared public health emergency, to hereby establish a national child care stabilization fund
ii. The national child care fund shall be financed through taxation
iii. To establish categorical grants to each state in the Republic of Atlasia, child care stabilization grants shall be authorized to the appropriate agency of each state
iv. The fund shall not exceed an amount of $50,000,000
v. The fund may also be used to grant child care tax subsidies to states through revenue sharing, which in turn, can direct them to municipalities

Section III. Use of Grants
i. The state agency may only use the grants established by law to carry out activities to improve the supply and quality of child care such as conducting community assessment of child care centers OR to aid individuals in reducing their childcare costs by applying to the appropriate state agency
ii. The grant amount shall be based on the operating expenses of centers

[Senator-elect Spark]

AN ACT
 

H.R. ____

To reduce financial burdens upon minority communities and to promote small businesses

Be it ordained by the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

Section 1. Title
a. The title of this legislation shall be the Reinvestment in our Communities Act

Section 2. Purpose
The purpose of this Act is to—

a. Hereby establish programs to revitalize and provide long-term financial products and service availability for, and provide investments in, low- and moderate-income and minority communities;
b. respond to the unprecedented loss of Black-owned businesses and unemployment; and
c. otherwise enhance the stability, safety and soundness of community financial institutions that support low- and moderate-income and minority communities.

Section 3. Considerations

a.. Increasing the availability of affordable credit for consumers, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations, including for projects supporting affordable housing, community-serving real estate, and other projects, that provide direct benefits to low- and moderate-income communities, low-income and underserved individuals, and minorities;
b. Providing funding to minority-owned or minority-led eligible institutions and other eligible institutions that have a strong track record of serving minority small businesses;
c. Increasing the opportunity for small business, affordable housing and community development in geographic areas and demographic segments with poverty and high unemployment rates that exceed the average in Atlasia.
e. Ensuring that all low- and moderate-income community financial institutions may apply to participate in the programs established under this Act and the amendments made by this Act, without discrimination based on geography
f. Providing transparency with respect to use of funds provided under this Act and the amendments made by this Act.

Section 4. Guidelines
a. It is the sense of Congress that the investments made under this Act and the amendments made by this Act should be designed to maximize the benefit to low- and moderate-income and minority communities and contemplate losses to capital of the Treasury.

Section 5. Neighborhood Investment Programs

A. A community neighborhood investment program shall be established.

B. Establishment
a. A Neighborhood Capital Investment Program shall be established to support low- and moderate-income community financial institutions to provide loans and forbearance to borrowers in low- and moderate-income communities, especially for borrowers who are historically disadvantaged, including minorities, and borrowers in rural and urban low-income and underserved communities.

C. Investments
Under the Program, a fund will be created to facilitate direct capital investments, including purchases and modifications of those purchases.

[Senator-elect Spark]

AN ACT
 

H.R. ____

To establish after-school youth development programs across the nation by strengthening employment preparation skills, career exploration, career development, and workforce opportunities

Be it ordained by the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

Section 1. Title
a. The title of this legislation shall be the Youth Preparedness Act of 2020

Section 2. Purpose
The purpose of this Act is to establish or expand activities to—

a. Increase access and opportunities for youth to obtain the education and training that youth need to succeed in the labor market;
b. Support engagement in and the integration of programs and activities offered during out-of-school-time hours through the workforce investment, education, and economic development systems;
c. Improve the quality of the workforce and meet the skill requirements of employers;
d. Engage employers in addressing the training, skill, and employment needs of youth and youth jobseekers, and fostering opportunities for connection and economic mobility; and
e. Include younger youth in the education and workforce investment activities in an age and developmentally appropriate manner.

Section 3. Definitions
As defined in this Act:

a. Community-based organization
i. The term community-based organization means a youth-serving private nonprofit organization (which may include a faith-based organization) that—
ii. is representative of a community or a significant segment of a community;
iii. has demonstrated expertise and effectiveness in workforce development; and
iv. has demonstrated expertise—
v. in the planning and delivery of education, training, and related activities that are included in a career pathway;
vi. in forging coordination and cooperation between educators and other members of the community; and
vii. in development and implementation of data systems that measure the progress of students and outcomes of career pathways.

Section 4. Establishment
a. This act shall hereby establish a Workforce readiness program

The term workforce readiness program means an out-of-school-time program that—

i. Meets the requirements of section 7;
ii. is offered by a community-based organization of an eligible entity or a related covered partnership; and
iii. is intended to help prepare eligible youth for the workforce.

Section 5. Grant program establishment

a. Grants
Using the amounts made available under section 9, the Secretary shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible entities.

b. General use of funds
Grants shall be awarded on a competitive basis, to assist eligible entities in planning, developing, and implementing nationwide, comprehensive workforce readiness programs, that are—

i. in out-of-school-time programs;
ii. carried out by community-based organizations of the eligible entity or related covered partnerships; and
iii. for eligible youth.
iv. Periods of grants
Grants will be awarded for periods of not less than 3 years and not more than 5 years.

[Senator-elect Spark]

AN ACT

BE IT ENACTED

To lower prescription drug prices for our citizens especially our elderly population.

Be it ordained by the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 2, 2020


SECTION 1. Title and Definitions

a) The title of this act shall be the Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Act

b) An enrollee's defined cost sharing for each prescription drug shall be calculated at the point of sale based on a price that is reduced by an amount equal to at least 90 percent of all rebates received, or to be received, in connection with the dispensing or administration of the drug.

(b) To comply with this section, a health care service plan or its agents shall not publish or otherwise reveal information regarding the actual amount of rebates the health care service plan receives on a product-specific, manufacturer-specific, or pharmacy-specific basis. That information is protected as a trade secret and shall not be disclosed directly or indirectly. A health care service plan shall impose the confidentiality protections of this section on a vendor or downstream third party that performs health care or administrative services on behalf of the health care service plan and that may receive or have access to rebate information.

Section 2. Provisions

For purposes of this section:

a) "Defined cost sharing" means a deductible payment or coinsurance amount imposed on an enrollee for a covered prescription drug under the enrollee's health care service plan contract.

b) "Health care service plan" shall be defined as a service provided by a health care provider.

c) "Price protection rebate" means a negotiated price concession that accrues directly or indirectly to a health care service plan, or other party on behalf of the health care service plan, in the event of an increase in the wholesale acquisition cost of a drug above a specified threshold.

d) "Rebate" means both of the following:

i. Negotiated price concessions, including base price concessions, whether or not described as a "rebate," and reasonable estimates of price protection rebates and performance-based price concessions from a manufacturer, dispensing pharmacy, or other party in connection with the dispensing or administration of a prescription drug that may accrue directly or indirectly to the health care service plan during the coverage year.

ii. Reasonable estimates of negotiated price concessions, fees, and other administrative costs that are passed through, or are reasonably anticipated to be passed through, to the health care service plan and serve to reduce the health care service plan's liabilities for a prescription drug.

[Senator-elect Spark]

AN ACT

BE IT ENACTED

To provide an additional safeguard in protecting our workers from injury during this unprecedented time.

Be it ordained by the HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

OCTOBER 2, 2020

SECTION 1. Title and Background

a) The title of this act shall be the Safeguarding our Essential Workers Act

Section 2. Eligibility

a) In the case of an employee, who is in an occupation deemed essential, as an essential critical infrastructure worker and the term "injury," as used in this section, includes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that develops or manifests itself during a period of the person's employment in the essential occupation or industry.

b. This section does not apply to any of the following persons:

i. Active firefighting members, whether volunteers, partly paid, or fully paid, of all of the following fire departments:

ii. A county forestry or firefighting department or unit.

iii. Peace officers, as defined in Section 830 of the Penal Code.

iv. Health care employees who provide direct patient care in an acute care hospital, as defined in subdivision (a) or (b) of Section 1250 of the Health and Safety Code.

v. The compensation awarded for an injury described in subdivision (a) shall include full hospital, surgical, medical treatment, disability indemnity, and death benefits, as provided by this division.

vi. The injury described in subdivision a) should be so developing or manifesting itself shall be conclusively presumed to arise out of and in the course of employment.