[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3013 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3013
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants
for removing transportation barriers to accessing vaccines for SARS-
CoV-2, including booster vaccines, for individuals from low-income
communities, minority communities, or other communities in which
transportation poses a barrier to health care access, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 7, 2021
Ms. Barragan (for herself, Mr. Cardenas, Ms. Clarke of New York, Mr.
Ruiz, Ms. Norton, Mr. Blumenauer, and Mr. Soto) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and
Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants
for removing transportation barriers to accessing vaccines for SARS-
CoV-2, including booster vaccines, for individuals from low-income
communities, minority communities, or other communities in which
transportation poses a barrier to health care access, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``COVID Vaccine Transportation Access
Act''.
SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM FOR CORONAVIRUS VACCINE ACCESS AND MOBILITY.
(a) General Authority.--
(1) Awards.--The Secretary shall award grants to qualified
community organizations to assist in financing projects to
remove transportation barriers to accessing vaccines for SARS-
CoV-2, including booster vaccines, for individuals from low-
income communities, minority communities, or other communities
in which transportation poses a barrier to health care access.
(2) Transfer of duties.--The Secretary shall--
(A) enter into agreements with State health
agencies for purposes of carrying out the duties
assigned to the Secretary under this section; and
(B) transfer to such agencies for such purposes
funds appropriated to carry out this section.
(b) Application.--A qualified community organization seeking a
grant under this section shall submit to the Secretary an application
that contains--
(1) a description of the project to be funded through the
grant;
(2) an identification of all project partners and their
specific role in the proposed project, including private for-
profit and nonprofit entities engaged in the coordination of
transportation services for the project; and
(3) specific performance measures the qualified community
organization will use to reduce cancellations or missed
appointments.
(c) Period of Performance.--Each grant awarded under subsection (a)
shall be for a period of performance of no less than 6 months.
(d) Use of Funds.--Each grant awarded under subsection (a)--
(1) shall be used to develop, expand, and enhance access to
transportation to and from sites for receipt of a vaccine for
SARS-CoV-2, including a booster vaccine, by individuals from
low-income communities, minority communities, or other
communities in which transportation poses a barrier to health
care access; and
(2) may be used to--
(A) provide prescheduled or on-demand
transportation to and from a site for administration of
a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, including a booster vaccine; or
(B) provide first and last mile transportation
services for appointments for administration of such a
vaccine.
(e) Report.--As a condition on receipt of a grant under this
section, a grantee shall agree to submit a report, not later than 6
months after the completion of the period of performance of the grant--
(1) to the Secretary, the Committee on Energy and Commerce
of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate; and
(2) containing such information the Secretary determines
necessary to evaluate performance under the grant.
(f) Definitions.--For purposes of this section:
(1) First and last mile.--The term ``first and last mile''
means, with respect to transportation services and an
individual's trip to and from a vaccine appointment--
(A) transportation--
(i) between the individual's point of trip
origin and a source of public transit; and
(ii) between a source of public transit and
the individual's destination; or
(B) where no source of public transit is available,
transportation between the individual's point of trip
origin and the individual's destination.
(2) Qualified community organization.--The term ``qualified
community organization'' means an organization that--
(A) is a nonprofit organization; and
(B) has experience in--
(i) managing Federal grants; and
(ii) providing services to low-income or
minority communities or communities that
disproportionately experience disparities in
health status and health care access.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Health and Human Services.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.
SEC. 3. FEDERAL MEDICAL ASSISTANCE PERCENTAGE.
Section 1905(b) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396d(b)) is
amended by adding at the end the following new sentence:
``Notwithstanding the first sentence of this subsection, the Federal
medical assistance percentage shall be 100 per centum with respect to
amounts expended for nonemergency transportation benefits provided to
individuals eligible for medical assistance under this subchapter that
are attributable to transportation costs incurred on or after the date
of the enactment of this sentence related to providing coronavirus
vaccines to such individuals under the State plan.''.
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