Michael Rulli

Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act

This bill requires state Medicaid programs to regularly assess their programs for fraud and take corrective actions.

Specifically, states must complete a fraud risk assessment on at least an annual basis, implement a corrective action plan to address any identified vulnerabilities, and report on the results to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The CMS must analyze this information and annually report the information to Congress.

The fraud risk assessments must include a comprehensive assessment of the risks of fraud across the entirety of a state's Medicaid program, including with respect to managed care entities and eligibility and enrollment systems. The assessments must, to the extent practicable, utilize data from specified existing program integrity systems (e.g., Medicaid fraud control units). The CMS must issue guidelines on how states may identify areas that are at the highest risk of fraud.

This resolution censures Representative Al Green.

This resolution supports the designation of a Veterans Appreciation Month.

Medicaid Empowerment Act of 2025

This bill allows state Medicaid programs to renew home- and community-based services waivers (also known as Section 1915(c) waivers) in 10-year periods. Currently, these waivers may be extended in five-year periods; waivers allow state Medicaid programs to cover long-term care services that are provided in home or community settings rather than in institutional settings.

Wireless Broadband Competition and Efficient Deployment Act

This bill exempts projects that involve the installation or modification of certain wireless communications facilities from specified federal environmental and historic preservation review requirements.

Specifically, the bill exempts from review projects that involve (1) the mounting or installation of an eligible personal wireless service facility with an eligible personal wireless service facility that exists when an authorization request for the mounting or installation is filed with a state or local government or an Indian tribe; or (2) the modification of an eligible personal wireless service facility. To be exempt, the projects must also require a permit or other authorization from, or are otherwise subject to the jurisdiction of, the Federal Communications Commission.

Under the bill, an eligible personal wireless service facility means an antenna, apparatus, or transmitting device and associated equipment for the provision of personal wireless communications service.

The bill specifies that these projects are not considered major federal actions under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 or undertakings under the National Historic Preservation Act, thus exempting such projects from the review procedures required under those acts.

Beat Bad Bureaucrats Act

This bill prohibits the Small Business Administration (SBA) from garnishing Social Security payments to victims of identity theft on account of certain delinquent SBA loans obtained fraudulently during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Specifically, the SBA may not garnish an individual’s Social Security payments related to a covered loan if (1) the individual’s name was used to fraudulently obtain the loan, and (2) the individual has reported the identity theft to the SBA. Under the bill, covered loans are Disaster Loans granted in response to COVID-19 between January 31, 2020, and December 31, 2021 (e.g., Economic Injury Disaster Loans) and loans granted under the Paycheck Protection Program. The prohibition on garnishment does not apply if the SBA determines that an individual is not a victim of identity theft.

Further, the SBA must post instructions on how to report identity theft on its public website and include them in the written notice provided to delinquent borrowers before garnishing their pay.