COVID–19 Cold Storage Expansion Act of 2021

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 223 To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to reimburse qualified health care providers for the costs of purchasing, leasing, installing, and operating qualified equipment for cold storage of COVID–19 vac- cines. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JANUARY 6, 2021 Mr. ESPAILLAT (for himself and Mr. SIRES) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to reimburse qualified health care providers for the costs of purchasing, leasing, installing, and operating qualified equipment for cold storage of COVID–19 vaccines. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘COVID–19 Cold Stor- 4 age Expansion Act of 2021’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:56 Feb 05, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H223.IH H223 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 223 IH SEC. 2. REIMBURSING HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS FOR 1 EQUIPMENT FOR COLD STORAGE OF COVID– 2 19 VACCINES. 3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 4 Human Services shall reimburse qualified health care pro- 5 viders for the costs of purchasing, leasing, installing, and 6 operating qualified equipment for cold storage of COVID– 7 19 vaccines. 8 (b) DEFINITIONS.—In this Act: 9 (1) The term ‘‘COVID–19 vaccine’’ means a 10 vaccine to prevent or mitigate the virus that causes 11 COVID–19. 12 (2) The term ‘‘qualified equipment’’ means 13 equipment that meets such criteria as the Food and 14 Drug Administration may specify for cold storage of 15 a COVID–19 vaccine. 16 (3) The term ‘‘qualified health care provider’’ 17 means a health care provider that— 18 (A) is licensed or credentialed in the juris- 19 diction where vaccination takes place; and 20 (B) completes and signs the CDC COVID– 21 19 Vaccination Program Provider Agreement. 22 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 23 out this Act, there are authorized to be appropriated such 24 sums as may be necessary, to be derived from amounts 25 made available to the Secretary of Health and Human 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:56 Feb 05, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H223.IH H223 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 223 IH Services by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Se- 1 curity Act (Public Law 116–136) and allocated for Oper- 2 ation Warp Speed. 3 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 00:56 Feb 05, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H223.IH H223 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS