,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #aibf  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,august #d1    
#bjae ,ms4 ,mikulski 7for herself and   
,ms4 ,ayotte7 introduced the following  
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,finance  ,a ,,bill
  ,to ensure access to screening        
mammography services4  #a4 ,short title 
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,protecting ,access to ,lifesaving      
,screenings ,act or the ,,pals ,act4    
#b4 ,ensuring access to screening       
mammography services  7a7 ,in general   
,effective during the period beginning  
on the date of enactment of this ,act   
and ending ,january #a1 #bjah1 any      
provision of law that refers 7including 
through cross-reference to another      
provision of law7 to the current        
recommendations of the ,united ,states  
,preventive ,services ,task ,force with 
respect to breast cancer screening1     
mammography1 and prevention shall be    
administered by the ,secretary involved 

as if--  7#a7 such reference to such    
current recommendations were a reference
 to the recommendations of such ,task   
,force with respect to breast cancer    
screening1 mammography1 and prevention  
last issued before #bjji2 and  7#b7 such
 recommendations last issued before     
#bjji applied to any screening          
mammography modality under section      
#ahfa7;jj7 of the ,social ,security ,act
 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciex7jj774  7b7       
,codification of current ,medicare      
coverage and payment policies  7#a7     
,definition ,section #ahfa7;jj7 of the  
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#aciex7jj77 is amended by inserting 1   
including any digital modality of such a
 procedure1 after radiologic procedure4 
7#b7 ,coinsurance ,section              
#ahcc7;a77#a77,y7 of such ,act 7#db     
,u4,s4,c4 #aciel7a77#a77,y77 is amended 
by inserting or are services described  
in section #ahfa7;jj7 after population4 
7#c7 ,frequency ,section                
#ahcd7;c77#b77;,b77ii7 of such ,act 7#db

 ,u4,s4,c4 #aciem7c77#b77;,b77ii77 is   
amended by inserting before the period  
at the end the following3 for women     
described only in clause 7i7 or 7ii7 of 
subparagraph 7,a74  7c7 ,,gao study and 
report  7#a7 ,study ,the ,comptroller   
,general of the ,united ,states shall   
conduct a study on the methodologies and
 processes by which the ,united ,states 
,preventive ,services ,task ,force      
develops recommendations regarding      
preventive services1 including the      
transparency of such methodologies and  
processes1 the engagement of            
stakeholders in such methodologies and  
processes1 the responses of the ,task   
,force to comments from stakeholders    
regarding draft research plans1 draft   
evidence reviews1 and draft             
recommendations1 and the propriety of   
the data and other information on which 
the ,task ,force relies in developing a 
recommendation regarding a preventive   
service4  7#b7 ,report ,the ,comptroller
 ,general of the ,united ,states shall  

submit to the ,secretary of ,health and 
,human ,services and to the appropriate 
committees of ,congress1 not later than 
#b years after the date of the enactment
 of this ,act1 a report on the results  
of the study conducted under paragraph  
7#a71 including any recommendations for 
administrative or legislative changes   
the ,comptroller ,general determines    
necessary or appropriate to improve the 
methodologies and processes by which the
 ,united ,states ,preventive ,services  
,task ,force develops recommendations   
regarding preventive services4