Harkin Applauds Passage of Bipartisan HELP Bills to Strengthen Health Care, Improve Pensions
WASHINGTON, D.C.—Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today applauded approval of three bipartisan HELP Committee bills. The Traumatic Brain Injury Reauthorization Act of 2014 and S.2511, a bill to amend the Employment Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, were both approved by the Senate and the Emergency Medical Services for Children Reauthorization Act of 2014 was approved by the House.
Led by Harkin as Chairman, all three bipartisan bills were approved by the HELP Committee in July. The Traumatic Brain Injury Reauthorization Act of 2014 and S.2511, a bill to amend the Employment Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, now head to the House for consideration. The Emergency Medical Services for Children Reauthorization Act of 2014 was approved by the full Senate earlier this month and now goes to the President for his signature.
“Every American deserves to know that they can access critical health and support services and count on the retirement savings they have worked so hard to accrue,” Harkin said. “These bills will protect that promise by strengthening prevention, education, and access to support and health care for individuals with traumatic brain injuries, supporting emergency medical care for children, and protecting the pensions of workers whose companies are downsized. I am pleased that these bills have been approved and are one step closer to being signed into law.”
The Traumatic Brain Injury Reauthorization Act of 2014 reauthorizes critical Traumatic Brain Injury programs currently at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Additionally, S. 2539:
- Gives the HHS Secretary discretion over where what HHS agency should lead the programs currently at HRSA;
- Calls for an interagency coordination plan;
- Requires a new report on the Protection and Advocacy grant program; and
- Requires a review of scientific evidence relating to brain injury management in children.
S.2511, a bill to amend the Employment Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, will bring clarity to the pension downsizing liability rules and will ensure that there is a mechanism to protect pension benefits when employers show symptoms of financial distress.
The Emergency Medical Services for Children Reauthorization Act of 2014 reflects the important physical, developmental, and mental differences pediatric patients have compared to adults. From smaller-sized medical equipment to different dosage requirements for medicine, the EMSC program helps medical professionals meet the unique needs of pediatric patients and provides state-of-the-art emergency medical care for ill and injured children and adolescents.
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