Coronavirus Testing Capacity Expansion Act

Coronavirus Testing Capacity Expansion Act

This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to directly reimburse laboratories for certain tests and related services during the COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) emergency and expands the categories of laboratories eligible for certain COVID-19 relief funding.

Specifically, veterinary and biotechnology company laboratories may receive federal COVID-19 funds for activities related to testing. Currently, this funding is limited to academic, commercial, public health, or hospital laboratories.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8167 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8167

 To amend the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement 
  Act to expand the appropriations under the Public Health and Social 
     Services Emergency Fund to include the scale up of testing by 
   veterinary and biotechnology company laboratories, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 4, 2020

  Mr. Crist introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement 
  Act to expand the appropriations under the Public Health and Social 
     Services Emergency Fund to include the scale up of testing by 
   veterinary and biotechnology company laboratories, 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 ``Coronavirus Testing Capacity 
Expansion Act''.

SEC. 2. EXPANSION OF APPROPRIATIONS AND ESTABLISHMENT OF DIRECT 
              REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM.

    (a) Expansion of Appropriations Under the Public Health and Social 
Services Emergency Fund.--The second paragraph of ``Department of 
Health and Human Services--Office of the Secretary--Public Health and 
Social Services Emergency Fund'' of title I of division B of the 
Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (Public Law 
116-139) is amended by striking ``and hospital laboratories'' each 
place it appears and inserting ``hospital, veterinary, and 
biotechnology company laboratories''.
    (b) Direct Reimbursement Program for Certain COVID-19 Items and 
Services.--
            (1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
        law, during the specified period, the Secretary of Health and 
        Human Services (in this subsection, referred to as the 
        ``Secretary'') shall carry out a program that reimburses an 
        eligible entity that furnishes an eligible item or service.
            (2) Use of funds.--In addition to the purposes specified in 
        the second paragraph of ``Department of Health and Human 
        Services--Office of the Secretary--Public Health and Social 
        Services Emergency Fund'' of title I of division B of the 
        Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act 
        (Public Law 116-139), an eligible entity may use funds to hire 
        and train staff (including administrative staff or individuals 
        who conduct testing for COVID-19).
            (3) Claims for reimbursement.--
                    (A) Claims.--An eligible entity may only submit to 
                the Secretary a claim for reimbursement of an eligible 
                item or service furnished by such entity.
                    (B) Reimbursement.--Upon receipt of a valid claim 
                for reimbursement described in subparagraph (A), the 
                Secretary shall reimburse an eligible entity an amount 
                for an eligible item or service (as determined by the 
                Secretary).
            (4) Prohibition of cost-sharing.--An eligible entity may 
        not impose any cost-sharing for an eligible item or service.
    (c) Definitions.--In this Act:
            (1) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means--
                    (A) any laboratory that has not submitted a claim 
                for reimbursement for an eligible item or service 
                before the date of the enactment of this Act; and
                    (B) any laboratory that is not a subsidiary of a 
                laboratory that has submitted a claim for reimbursement 
                for an eligible item or service before the date of the 
                enactment of this Act.
            (2) Eligible item or service.--The term ``eligible item or 
        service'' is an item or service that is specified under title I 
        of the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement 
        Act (Public Law 116-139).
            (3) Specified period.--The term ``specified period'' means 
        the period--
                    (A) beginning on the first day of the emergency 
                period described in section 1135(g)(1)(B) of the Social 
                Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b-5(g)(1)(B)); and
                    (B) ending on the date that is the later of the--
                            (i) the last day of the emergency period; 
                        or
                            (ii) the day on which funds appropriated 
                        under the second paragraph of ``Department of 
                        Health and Human Services--Office of the 
                        Secretary--Public Health and Social Services 
                        Emergency Fund'' of title I of division B of 
                        the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care 
                        Enhancement Act (Public Law 116-139) are 
                        available.
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