,,ii #aagth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #ccc ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,february #bb1 #bjba ,mr4 ,casey 7for himself1 ,mr4 ,warnock1 ,mr4 ,whitehouse1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,mr4 ,booker1 ,ms4 ,cantwell1 ,mr4 ,menendez1 ,mrs4 ,shaheen1 ,ms4 ,smith1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1 ,ms4 ,duckworth1 ,mr4 ,van ,hollen1 ,mr4 ,brown1 ,ms4 ,cortez ,masto1 ,mr4 ,reed1 ,ms4 ,hirono1 and ,ms4 ,hassan7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,finance ,a ,,bill ,to amend title ,,xi and title ,,xviii of the ,social ,security ,act to provide funding for ,state strike teams1 technical assistance1 and infection control for resident and worker safety in skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,,covid-#ai ,nursing ,home ,protection ,act of #bjba4 #b4 ,state strike teams for resident and worker safety 7a7 ,in general ,part ,a of title ,,xi of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acja et seq47 is amended by adding at the end the following3 #aaej;,c4 ,state strike teams for resident and worker safety 7a7 ,in general ,from amounts appropriated under subsection 7c71 the ,secretary shall allocate funds among the ,states for purposes of establishing and implementing strike teams in accordance with subsection 7b74 7b7 ,use of funds ,a ,state that receives funds under this section shall use such funds to establish and implement a strike team that will be deployed to a skilled nursing facility 7as defined in section #ahai7;a77 or nursing facility 7as defined in section #aiai7;a77 in the ,state with diagnosed or suspected cases of ,,covid-#ai among residents or staff for the purposes of assisting with ,,covid-#ai vaccinations1 clinical care1 infection control1 or staffing4 7c7 ,funding ,there are hereby appropriated to the ,centers for ,medicare ,medicaid ,services ,program ,management ,account1 out of any money in the ,treasury not otherwise appropriated1 #gej1jjj1jjj for the fiscal year ending ,september #cj1 #bjba1 to remain available through ,september #cj1 #bjbb1 for purposes of carrying out this section4 4 7b7 ,emergency designation 7#a7 ,in general ,the amounts provided by this section are designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section #d7;g7 of the ,statutory ,pay-,as-,you-,go ,act of #bjaj 7#b ,u4,s4,c4 #icc7;g774 7#b7 ,designation in senate ,in the ,senate1 this section is designated as an emergency requirement pursuant to section #daab7;a7 of ,h4 ,con4 ,res4 #ga 7#aaeth ,congress71 the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year #bjah4 #c4 ,providing for infection control support to skilled nursing facilities through contracts with quality improvement organizations 7a7 ,in general ,section #ahfb7;g7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciey7g77 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking ,the ,secretary and inserting 7#a7 ,the ,secretary2 and 7#b7 by adding at the end the following new paragraph3 7#b7 7,a7 ,the ,secretary shall ensure that at least #a contract with a quality improvement organization described in paragraph 7#a7 entered into on or after the date of the enactment of this paragraph and before the end of the emergency period described in section #aace7;g77#a77;,b7 7or in effect as of such date7 includes the requirement that such organization provide to skilled nursing facilities with cases of ,,covid-#ai 7or facilities attempting to prevent outbreaks of ,,covid-#ai7 infection control support described in subparagraph 7,b7 during such period4 7,b7 ,for purposes of subparagraph 7,a71 the infection control support described in this subparagraph is1 with respect to skilled nursing facilities described in such subparagraph1 the development and dissemination to such facilities of protocols relating to the prevention or mitigation of ,,covid-#ai at such facilities and the provision of training materials to such facilities relating to such prevention or mitigation4 4 7b7 ,funding ,the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services shall provide for the transfer from the ,federal ,supplementary ,medical ,insurance ,trust ,fund 7as described in section #ahda of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciet77 and the ,federal ,hospital ,insurance ,trust ,fund 7as described in section #ahag of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acie;i771 in such proportions as determined appropriate by the ,secretary1 to the ,centers for ,medicare ,medicaid ,services ,program ,management ,account1 of #baj1jjj1jjj1 to remain available until expended1 for purposes of entering into contracts with quality improvement organizations under part ,b of title ,,xi of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acbj;c et seq474 ,of the amount transferred pursuant to the previous sentence1 not less than #aaj1jjj1jjj shall be used for purposes of entering into such a contract that includes the requirement described in section #ahfb7;g77#b77;,a7 of such ,act 7as added by subsection 7a774 #d4 ,requiring long term care facilities to report certain information relating to ,,covid-#ai cases and deaths 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services 7in this section referred to as the ,secretary7 shall1 as soon as practicable1 require that the information described in paragraph 7#a7 of section #dhc4hj7;g7 of title #db1 ,code of ,federal ,regulations1 or a successor regulation1 be reported by a facility 7as defined for purposes of such section74 7b7 ,demographic information ,the ,secretary shall post the following information with respect to skilled nursing facilities 7as defined in section #ahai7;a7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acie;i-#c7;a777 and nursing facilities 7as defined in section #aiai7;a7 of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acifr7a777 on the ,nursing ,home ,compare website 7as described in section #ahai7;i7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acie;i-#c7;i7771 or a successor website1 aggregated by ,state3 7#a7 ,the age1 race_/ethnicity1 and preferred language of the residents of such skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities with suspected or confirmed ,,covid-#ai infections1 including residents previously treated for ,,covid-#ai4 7#b7 ,the age1 race_/ethnicity1 and preferred language relating to total deaths and ,,covid-#ai deaths among residents of such skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities4 7c7 ,confidentiality ,any information reported under this section that is made available to the public shall be made so available in a manner that protects the identity of residents of skilled nursing facilities and nursing facilities4 7d7 ,implementation ,the ,secretary may implement the provisions of this section by program instruction or otherwise4