WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 — Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-New Jersey, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the next assertion on Nov. 18, 2021, praising the House passage of the Build Back Better Act (H.R. 5376):
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“The House handed once-in-a-generation laws that invests within the American folks, responds to the nice challenges of our time, and builds a greater future for generations to come back.
“At a time when American households are struggling to make ends meet, the Build Back Better Act builds on our efforts to make well being care extra inexpensive and accessible for all Americans, together with tens of millions unfairly caught within the Medicaid protection hole.
“It also makes prescription drugs more affordable by finally giving Medicare the ability to negotiate lower drug prices with the pharmaceutical companies. Seniors will also pay no more than $2,000 a year in out-of-pocket costs for their drugs, and the legislation penalizes Big Pharma companies that unfairly raise prices.
“We increase well being care entry for youngsters, moms, and seniors by completely reauthorizing the Children’s Health Insurance Program, bettering maternal well being care, and offering, for the primary time, complete listening to advantages below Medicare Part B. The laws additionally makes a historic dedication to home- and community-based care so seniors and folks with disabilities can get the care they want of their houses.
“The Build Back Better Act additionally aggressively tackles the worsening local weather disaster. It makes historic investments to maneuver us towards a clear power economic system whereas additionally producing tens of millions of good paying American jobs.
“The new Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund will speed up innovation in low- and zero-emission applied sciences, whereas additionally prioritizing the wants of environmental justice communities. Rebates for householders to impress and make their homes extra environment friendly will save them cash and cut back emissions. Investments in a twenty first century electrical grid will get extra renewable power on-line.
“The laws will even drive down air pollution from the oil and fuel business by means of a brand new Methane Emissions Reduction Program. Substantial investments in electrical car charging stations and clear heavy-duty automobiles, like faculty buses, will serve the twin function of slashing our carbon emissions whereas serving to American manufacturing keep globally aggressive. We merely can’t wait any longer to fight the local weather disaster – daring motion is required now.
“The Build Back Better Act will provide significant financial relief to American families well into the future while also creating millions of good paying American jobs as we transition to a clean energy economy. I’m thrilled we are one step closer to seeing this legislation signed into law.”
As Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Pallone led efforts on key provisions of the laws that superior out of the Committee in September and are included within the invoice that handed the House at this time.
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Read the actual fact sheet of key Committee provisions under:
Prepared by the Committee on Energy and Commerce
November 2021
Fact Sheet on Key Provisions of the Committee’s Portion of the Build Back Better Act
The Build Back Better Act makes historic investments in households, in staff, and within the center class. The Energy and Commerce Committee’s provisions within the Build Back Better Act will decrease prices for American households, revitalize our economic system, and fight the local weather disaster.
Following, are some of the important thing provisions which might be included within the laws.
KEY HEALTH PROVISIONS:
The Build Back Better Act follows by means of on Democrats’ dedication to increase entry to well being take care of all Americans and make well being care extra inexpensive.
Medicaid Coverage Gap:
The Build Back Better Act expands protection to tens of millions of Americans who beforehand fell inside the Affordable Care Act (ACA) protection hole. Beginning in 2022 by means of 2025, the laws expands the ACA’s premium tax credit to under 100% of the federal poverty degree (FPL) and supplies enhanced cost-sharing help. Closing this protection hole will permit 1.7 million uninsured Americans to achieve entry to protection.
Medicare Hearing Coverage:
The Build Back Better Act makes historic investments in listening to protection for seniors below Medicare. Currently, Medicare excludes protection for listening to aids and examinations. The Build Back Better Act provides new complete listening to advantages to Medicare Part B together with protection of listening to aids for people with reasonably extreme, extreme, or profound listening to loss. It additionally expands the providers audiologists might present below Medicare to incorporate remedy providers and permits for listening to support professionals to offer listening to evaluation providers.
Affordable Care Act Reinsurance Program:
The Build Back Better Act will decrease well being care prices by investing in packages that cut back well being care premiums and deductibles for all Americans together with by means of a reinsurance program. The laws additionally permits states to make use of the funds to instantly decrease premiums, out-of-pocket prices, and deductibles for his or her state residents. According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), particular person market premiums could be 7 p.c decrease than below present regulation.
Home- and Community-Based Services:
The Build Back Better Act makes historic investments to permit extra seniors and people with disabilities to obtain the providers they want of their houses, alongside their family and friends. The laws invests $150 billion to increase entry to high quality home-based providers and take care of tens of millions of older adults and folks with disabilities. It will even strengthen the direct care workforce by bettering supplier fee charges and giving states the assets to enhance their care infrastructure. The laws additionally makes everlasting the Money Follows the Person and the spousal impoverishment program, each profitable Medicaid packages that assist low-income older adults and people with disabilities obtain home-based providers.
Children’s Health Insurance Program and Medicaid:
The Build Back Better Act consists of funding to completely lengthen the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which can be certain that low-income kids will all the time have entry to high quality, inexpensive medical health insurance. Currently, 9.6 million kids obtain protection by means of CHIP. It additionally helps kids in each Medicaid and CHIP keep a constant supply of well being protection by requiring state Medicaid and CHIP packages to maintain kids repeatedly enrolled in these packages for a 12-month interval.
Maternal Health:
The Build Back Better Act will enhance maternal well being outcomes for weak populations by making certain that every one pregnant ladies on Medicaid will preserve their medical health insurance for the vital first 12 months postpartum, whereas additionally making vital public well being investments to scale back inequities in maternal well being outcomes and strengthen the maternal well being workforce. Currently, the United States ranks because the worst place within the developed world on maternal mortality, and Black ladies are 2.5 instances extra doubtless than White ladies to die because of issues ensuing from childbirth.
Justice-Connected Populations:
The Build Back Better Act will tackle continuity of care and enhance well being outcomes for justice-connected people by making certain that Medicaid protection begins mechanically 30 days previous to an people’ launch from incarceration. Studies have proven that earlier eligibility and entry to medical health insurance protection helps to attenuate disruptions in entry to care, together with entry to remedy for substance use problems, when people transition again into the neighborhood.
9/11 Health:
The Build Back Better Act supplies $2.86 billion in funding for the World Trade Center Health Program to make sure that this system can proceed to satisfy the dedication to offer medical remedy and monitoring to greater than 110,000 9/11 responders and survivors. While this system has been prolonged by Congress till 2090, knowledge from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initiatives that this important program will face a funding shortfall beginning in 2025. The laws will tackle this shortfall and supply stability for the hundreds of people collaborating in this system. It additionally supplies funding to cowl the ten p.c match that New York City at the moment pays for this program.
Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce:
The Build Back Better Act invests in public well being infrastructure and workforce by funding greater than $9.5 billion in investments to assist the development and modernization of neighborhood well being facilities and the acquisition or renovation of cellular clinics; to determine or increase colleges of drugs and nursing in underserved areas; to increase capability for coaching the following era of main well being care suppliers, together with in palliative care; and to offer extra assist for psychological and behavioral well being wants.
Public Health Preparedness:
The Build Back Better Act builds on the American Rescue Plan and supplies $10 billion in focused investments for pandemic preparedness so our nation will have the ability to tackle any future public well being emergencies, together with offering vital assets to enhance capability at public well being departments, shoring up the Strategic National Stockpile, strengthening our provide chains, supporting home and international manufacturing of vaccines, bolstering biosecurity, and investing in therapeutics.
KEY ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL PROVISIONS:
The Build Back Better Act follows by means of on Democrats’ dedication to fight the local weather disaster by making a clear power future that produces tens of millions of good-paying American jobs.
Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund:
The Build Back Better Act invests $29 billion in nonprofit, state, and native local weather finance establishments that assist the fast deployment of low- and zero-emission applied sciences, together with zero-emission car provide tools. These financing entities will construct on the profitable monitor file of comparable packages throughout the United States, leveraging private and non-private funding to assist communities cut back or keep away from greenhouse fuel emissions and different types of air air pollution. At least 40 p.c of investments shall be made in low-income and deprived communities.
Investing in Clean Energy Innovation and Communities:
The Build Back Better Act invests greater than $15 billion in a number of mortgage and grant packages at Department of Energy (DOE) to assist growth of modern applied sciences and American manufacturing of zero emission transportation applied sciences. The laws additionally supplies the Secretary of Energy with assets to allow reinvestments in American power communities whereas lowering electrical energy ratepayer prices.
Climate Pollution Reduction Grants:
The Build Back Better Act invests $5 billion by means of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for states, municipalities, and Indian Tribes to develop and implement plans to scale back local weather air pollution. The laws supplies $250 million to develop plans and directs EPA to make planning grants to not less than one recipient in every state. EPA will then competitively award $4.75 billion to implement the plans to scale back local weather air pollution.
Electric Transmission:
The Build Back Better Act invests $2.9 billion into making a twenty first Century power grid succesful of making certain the dependable supply of clear power all through the United States. The laws funds grants to help states with siting transmission initiatives, funds DOE’s transmission planning and modeling capabilities, and supplies grants and loans for developing excessive precedence transmission traces and modernizing vital grid infrastructure. These measures will cut back shopper prices, keep the dependable supply of electrical energy throughout excessive climate occasions, and are mandatory to deal with the local weather disaster.
Electric Vehicles:
The Build Back Better Act invests $1 billion in zero-emissions car infrastructure to assist growth of an electrical car charging community and hydrogen fueling infrastructure to help the transition to zero emissions automobiles. This funding will go towards development of charging infrastructure in publicly accessible, underserved places.
Clean Heavy-Duty Vehicles:
The Build Back Better Act invests $5 billion in changing sure heavy-duty automobiles, comparable to refuse vans and faculty buses, with zero emission automobiles by means of a brand new grant program on the EPA. In addition to funding new clear automobiles, this program will present funds for related infrastructure and workforce growth and coaching.
Appliance and Building Efficiency Rebates:
The Build Back Better Act invests $12.5 billion in dwelling power effectivity and equipment electrification rebates. Buildings account for some 30 p.c of greenhouse fuel air pollution in the United States. Reducing power utilization and electrifying home equipment is essential to tackling the local weather disaster.
Industrial Emissions Reductions:
The Build Back Better Act invests $4 billion for putting in and implementing superior industrial expertise at power intensive industrial and manufacturing amenities. These vital investments within the onerous to decarbonize industrial sector will drive massive emissions reductions, whereas defending jobs, competitiveness, and demonstrating the worldwide management of U.S. industries.
Environmental and Climate Justice Block Grants:
The Build Back Better Act invests $3 billion to community-led initiatives that tackle environmental and public well being harms associated to air pollution and local weather change. This grant program supplies direct funding to the communities most impacted by local weather change and environmental injustice, funding native initiatives and options to lower air pollution and improve local weather readiness.
Lead Pipe Replacement:
The Build Back Better Act invests $9 billion in EPA packages for alternative of lead service traces and discount of lead in ingesting water methods all through the nation, defending public well being, placing folks to work in well-paying jobs, and making good on President Biden’s dedication.
Healthy Ports:
The Build Back Better Act invests $3.5 billion to scale back air air pollution at ports and within the communities that encompass them. Ports are important financial lifelines in the United States, but additionally vital sources of air pollution that contribute to local weather change and threaten public well being. These grants will assist the acquisition and set up of zero-emission tools and expertise, in addition to the event of local weather motion plans, at ports. At least 25 p.c of investments shall be made at ports in nonattainment areas.
Methane Emissions Reduction Program:
The Build Back Better Act establishes a Methane Emissions Reduction Program to regulate extra methane air pollution from the oil and fuel business above particular waste emissions thresholds. The program builds on EPA’s present Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, acknowledges the cleanest performers, holds particular person firms chargeable for their very own leaks and extra methane air pollution, drives innovation within the sector, creates good-paying jobs, and helps initiatives to guard American communities from the consequences of the local weather disaster.
KEY PUBLIC SAFETY, BROADBAND, MANUFACTURING, & PRIVACY PROVISIONS:
The Build Back Better Act follows by means of on Democrats’ commitments to proceed to offer reduction to struggling households and to guard customers.
Next Generation 9-1-1 Grant Funding:
The Build Back Better Act supplies $470 million for the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to supply grants that assist Next Generation 9-1-1 providers that can make 9-1-1 service extra accessible, efficient, and resilient. This service would shield first responders and save lives by permitting callers to ship textual content messages, photographs, or movies to 9-1-1 to assist responders higher assess the character of an emergency and attain folks in want.
Broadband Affordability:
The Build Back Better Act appropriates $280 million to NTIA to determine a pilot program that can present grants to public-private partnerships for initiatives that improve entry to inexpensive broadband service in city communities, together with communities of colour and to low- and middle-income customers, by means of long-term options. It additionally appropriates $5 million to the NTIA for an “Affordable Urban and Suburban Broadband Advisory Committee” to advise the NTIA, Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and Congress on methods to make broadband extra inexpensive for city and suburban subscribers by means of long-term options.
Access to Devices:
The Build Back Better Act helps economically weak Americans purchase instruments for achievement by offering $475 million to the NTIA to offer grants for inexpensive linked gadget packages. The funding will present eligible households with new or refurbished computer systems, laptops, or tablets without spending a dime, or at lowered charges.
Student Connectivity:
The Build Back Better Act continues President Biden’s and Congressional Democrats’ efforts to bridge the homework hole by offering an extra $300 million to the Emergency Connectivity Fund to make sure college students, faculty employees, and library patrons have web connectivity and units at places apart from a faculty or library.
Broadband Affordability Outreach:
The Build Back Better Act supplies $100 million to the FCC to offer data and outreach to the general public in regards to the broadband and communications affordability packages administered by the FCC, such because the Emergency Broadband Benefit and Lifeline, to assist join Americans pay for telephone and web service.
Consumer Privacy and Data Protection:
The Build Back Better Act protects customers and companies by offering the Federal Trade Commission with $500 million to create and function a brand new bureau, together with by hiring technologists and different consultants, devoted to stopping unfair and misleading acts and practices associated to privateness violations, knowledge safety incidents, id theft, and different knowledge abuses.
Manufacturing Supply Chains:
The Build Back Better Act supplies the Department of Commerce $5 billion to watch and determine vital manufacturing provide chain vulnerabilities that imperil our nationwide safety and financial vitality and assist home firms and different home entities in closing these vulnerabilities.