,,ii #aagth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #cfaa ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,february #i1 #bjbb,mrs4 ,shaheen 7for herself and ,ms4 ,collins7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to provide for improvements in the reimbursement of eligible health care providers through the ,provider ,relief ,fund1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,provider ,relief ,fund ,improvement ,act4 #b4 ,,covid-#ai provider relief fund improvements 7a7 ,extension of deadline for eligible health care providers ,to use certain funds received from the ,,covid-#ai provider relief fund 7#a7 ,payment received periods #a and #b ,effective ,june #bi1 #bjba1 the deadline by which an eligible health care provider is required to use reimbursements from the ,provider ,relief ,fund received by such eligible health care provider during a covered payment received period is extended until the end of the ,,covid-#ai emergency period4 7#b7 ,adjustment of reporting time period ,the ,secretary shall make appropriate adjustments to the reporting time period 7as specified in the ,provider ,relief ,fund guidance7 that corresponds to a covered payment received period to reflect the extension of the applicable deadline under paragraph 7#a74 7#c7 ,modification of deadline for period #c ,the deadline by which an eligible health care provider is required to use reimbursements from the ,provider ,relief ,fund received by such eligible health care provider during the ,payment ,received ,period referred to in the ,provider ,relief ,fund ,guidance as the ,period #c specified in table #a of such guidance 7beginning on ,january #a1 #bjba1 and ending on ,june #cj1 #bjba7 shall be the later of-- 7,a7 the end of the ,,covid-#ai emergency period2 or 7,b7 ,june #cj1 #bjbb4 7b7 ,requirement ,to distribute remaining ,,covid-#ai provider relief funds by ,march #ca1 #bjbb 7#a7 ,requirement for distributions 7,a7 ,in general ,not later than ,march #ca1 #bjbb1 the ,secretary shall distribute to eligible health care providers for health care related expenses or lost revenues that are attributable to coronavirus1 any remaining funds appropriated to the ,provider ,relief ,fund as of the date of the enactment of this section for reimbursements4 7,b7 ,deadline to use funds ,the deadline by which an eligible health care provider is required to use reimbursements received pursuant to subparagraph 7,a7 is ,june #cj1 #bjbc4 7#b7 ,accounting for health care related expenses or lost revenues in the second1 third1 and fourth quarters of #bjba ,notwithstanding any other provision of law1 distributions made under paragraph 7#a7 to eligible health care providers shall account for financial losses and changes in operating expenses occurring in the second1 third1 or fourth quarter of calendar year #bjba1 that are attributable to coronavirus4 7#c7 ,allocation of payments returned due to previous deadlines 7,a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall establish a process for eligible health care providers to apply to receive funds from the ,secretary in amounts up to the amount each such provider returned to the ,provider ,relief ,fund due to previous reporting and use of funds deadlines4 7,b7 ,clarifications ,funding under this paragraph shall be-- 7i7 available with respect to amounts returned by eligible health care providers between ,june #cj1 #bjba1 and ,december #cj1 #bjba2 and 7ii7 in addition to amounts made available to such providers under paragraph 7#a74 7c7 ,clarification of use of funds for workplace safety and security 7#a7 ,in general ,funds appropriated to the ,provider ,relief ,fund for eligible health care providers and funds appropriated under section #aaej;,c of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acbj;b-#bf7 for eligible health care providers 7as defined in subsection 7e77#a7 of such section7 before1 on1 or after the date of the enactment of this section may be used to reimburse an eligible health care provider for expenses incurred by the eligible health care provider for measures taken to establish or improve the security of the workplace of such eligible health care provider and improve the safety of personnel of such eligible health care provider present at such workplace4 7#b7 ,additional clarification of permissible expenses ,expenses for workplace security and safety of personnel of an eligible health care provider described in paragraph 7#a7 shall include the following3 7,a7 ,mitigation of risk of violence at the workplace of such eligible health care provider1 including the employment of additional security personnel1 conduct of risk assessment activities1 implementation of response plans1 implementation of small-scale changes to physical plant 7such as the addition of more secure locks1 the use of key card access1 altering ingress and egress points1 and the installation of additional security cameras71 and staff education and training4 7,b7 ,measures to prevent violence at the workplace and against personnel of such eligible health care provider1 including education and training of personnel on de-escalation protocols and installation of panic buttons and other similar1 required equipment4 7,c7 ,trauma support for personnel with respect to violence in the workplace1 such as counseling and other supports in the event of significant workplace safety episodes1 which may include events that do not result in violence but may have significant impacts on personnel and the operations of the eligible health care provider 7commonly referred to as near-misses74 7d7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 ,coronavirus ,the term coronavirus means severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus #b 7,,sars-,co,v-#b7 or another coronavirus with pandemic potential4 7#b7 ,covered payment received period ,the term covered payment received period means1 with respect to ,payment ,received ,periods referred to in the ,provider ,relief ,fund ,guidance-- 7,a7 the ,period #a specified in table #a of such guidance 7beginning on ,april #aj1 #bjbj1 and ending on ,june #cj1 #bjbj72 and 7,b7 the ,period #b specified in such table 7beginning on ,july #a1 #bjbj1 and ending on ,december #ca1 #bjbj74 7#c7 ,,covid-#ai emergency period ,the term ,,covid-#ai emergency period means the emergency period described in section #aace7;g77#a77;,b7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acbj;b-#e7;g77#a77;,b774 7#d7 ,eligible health care provider ,the term eligible health care provider has the meaning given such term in the third proviso of the third paragraph under the heading ,department of ,health and ,human ,services--,office of the ,secretary--,public ,health and ,social ,services ,emergency ,fund in division ,b of the ,,cares ,act 7,public ,law #aaf-acf74 7#e7 ,provider relief fund ,the term ,provider ,relief ,fund means the funding appropriated to prevent1 prepare for1 and respond to coronavirus1 domestically or internationally1 for necessary expenses to reimburse1 through grants or other mechanisms1 eligible health care providers for health care related expenses or lost revenues that are attributable to coronavirus for which appropriations are made under-- 7,a7 the third paragraph under the heading ,department of ,health and ,human ,services--,office of the ,secretary--,public ,health and ,social ,services ,emergency ,fund in division ,b of the ,,cares ,act 7,public ,law #aaf-acf72 7,b7 the first paragraph under the heading ,department of ,health and ,human ,services--,office of the ,secretary--,public ,health and ,social ,services ,emergency ,fund in division ,b of the ,paycheck ,protection ,program and ,health ,care ,enhancement ,act 7,public ,law #aaf-aci72 and 7,c7 the third paragraph under the heading ,department of ,health and ,human ,services--,office of the ,secretary--,public ,health and ,social ,services ,emergency ,fund of the ,coronavirus ,response and ,relief ,supplemental ,appropriations ,act1 #bjba 7division ,m of the ,consolidated ,appropriations ,act1 #bjba 7,public ,law #aaf-bfj774 7#f7 ,provider relief fund guidance ,the term ,provider ,relief ,fund ,guidance refers to the guidance entitled ,provider ,relief ,fund ,general and ,targeted ,distribution ,post-,payment ,notice of ,reporting ,requirements issued by the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services on ,june #aa1 #bjba4 7#g7 ,secretary ,the term ,secretary means the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services1 acting through the ,administrator of the ,health ,resources and ,services ,administration4