,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ehji  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,december #h1 #bjad  
,mr4 ,tiberi 7for himself and ,mr4      
,larson of ,connecticut7 introduced the 
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1
 and in addition to the ,committee on   
,ways and ,means1 for a period to be    
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to amend title ,,xviii of   
the ,social ,security ,act to require   
,state licensure and bid surety bonds   
for entities submitting bids under the  
,medicare durable medical equipment1    
prosthetics1 orthotics1 and supplies    
7,,dmepos7 competitive acquisition      
program1 and for other purposes4  #a4   
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the #8#8,medicare ,,dmepos ,competitive 
,bidding ,improvement ,act of #bjad''4  
#b4 ,requiring state licensure and bid  

surety bonds for entities submitting    
bids under the ,medicare ,,dmepos       
competitive acquisition program ,section
 #ahdg7;a77#a7 of the ,social ,security 
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciew-#c7;a77#a77  
is amended by adding at the end the     
following new subparagraphs3  7,g7      
,requiring state licensure and bid bonds
 for bidding entities ,with respect to  
rounds of competitions beginning under  
this subsection on or after the date of 
enactment of this subparagraph1 the     
,secretary may not accept a bid from an 
entity for an area unless1 as of the    
deadline for bid submission--  7i7 the  
entity meets applicable ,state licensure
 requirements for such area for all     
items in such bid for a product         
category2 and  7ii7 the entity has      
obtained 7and provided the ,secretary   
with proof of having obtained7 a bid    
surety bond 7in this paragraph referred 
to as a bid bond7 in a form specified by
 the ,secretary consistent with         
subparagraph 7,h7 and in an amount that 

is not less than #ej1jjj and not more   
than #ajj1jjj for each such area4  7,h7 
,treatment of bid bonds submitted  7i7  
,for successful bidders that do not     
accept the contract ,in the case of a   
bidding entity that is offered a        
contract for an area for a product      
category1 if the entity's composite     
bid--  7,i7 is at or below the product  
category's median composite bid rate for
 the area and the entity does not accept
 the contract offered for the product   
and area1 the bid bond submitted shall  
be forfeited by the bidding entity and  
the ,secretary shall collect on it2 or  
7,,ii7 is above such median composite   
bid rate and the entity chooses not to  
accept a contract for the product       
category1 the bid bond submitted shall  
be returned within #ij days of the date 
of notice of nonacceptance4  7ii7 ,for  
losing bidders ,if a bidding entity     
submits a bid that is not accepted for  
an area1 the bid bond submitted for the 
entity for such area shall be returned  

within #ij days of the date of notice of
 nonacceptance4  4