Bills Introduced that have Become Law

Bills Introduced that have Become Law

H.R. 1378, to designate the United States Federal Judicial Center located at 333 West Broadway in San Diego, California, as the "John Rhoades Federal Judicial Center" and to designate the United States courthouse located at 333 West Broadway in San Diego, California, as the "James M. Carter and Judith N. Keep United States Courthouse":

Rep. Peters introduced H.R. 1378 in March 2013. This bill recognized Judge James M. Carter and Judge Judith N. Keep by naming the Federal Courthouse in Downtown San Diego in their honor. It was signed into law by President Obama in December 2014.

H.R. 1047, Housing Assistance Efficiency Act:

In 2016, Scott introduced and helped pass the Housing Assistance Efficiency Act, which allows non-profits to directly administer homelessness assistance grants to those who need it. This eliminates a bureaucratic step that required non-profits to connect homeless individuals with federal agencies to receive aid rather than administer the aid directly to those who need it. Ultimately, the language was included in the FAST Act in 2015 and is now law.

H.R 5830, Veteran PEER Act:

In 2018, Scott introduced and passed legislation to strengthen peer counseling for mental health at the VA. The VA MISSION Act included this bill to expand the peer counseling program at the VA, which embeds peer counselors into patient-aligned care teams (PACT), to 25 additional VA sites. It became law as part of the VA MISSION Act in June 2018. Veteran peers can guide veterans through the complex system of mental health care and connect them to resources they may otherwise not know.

H.R. 1379, To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the entitlement to educational assistance under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs for members of the Armed Forces awarded the Purple Heart:

In 2017, Scott introduced and helped pass a bill to ensure all Purple Heart veterans can access their full GI Bill education benefits, regardless of how long they served on active-duty. Previously,  Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits were only available if a veteran completed at least 36 months of active duty service or was medically retired; however, some Purple Heart recipients are honorably discharged before either of those qualifications are attained, making them ineligible for full payments. The bill was included as part of a broader reform package called the “Forever GI Bill” in 2017. Purple Heart recipients have made some of the most tremendous sacrifices in service to our nation. They earned full education benefits through their service.

H.R. 2274, HYPE Act:

In 2017, Scott introduced and helped pass the HYdropower Permit Extension (HYPE) Act, to cut red tape in the construction permitting process for hydropower projects and incentivize greater investments in carbon-free hydropower. His bill became law as part of the 2018 Water Resources Development Act (WRDA). Previously, it took an act of Congress to extend construction permits for hydropower projects, even though these projects have already undergone a rigorous approval process. The bill also grants the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) the authority to give hydropower projects a four-year extension if delays prevent them from beginning construction during the initial permit. Hydropower is an emission-free source of baseload energy that helps decrease America’s reliance on fossil fuels.

H.R. 5538, a bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the inclusion of certain additional periods of active duty service for purposes of suspending charges to veterans' entitlement to educational assistance under the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs during periods of suspended participation in vocational rehabilitation programs:

In 2018, Scott introduced and passed legislation to provide education and job training benefits to guardsmen and reservists, correcting an inconsistency in the law by extending vocational rehabilitation services to all servicemembers who deploy for preplanned missions, regardless of the authority under which they are deployed. The bill became law at the end of 2018 when the President signed S.2248, the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018. Guardsmen and reservists who served side-by-side in active duty with other servicemembers should receive the same education benefits.

H.R. 2727, the Sergeant Daniel Somers Network of Support Act:

Howard and Jean Somers tragically lost their son Daniel in 2013 when he died by suicide after leaving the military. The Somers felt they could have prevented this tragedy if they knew how to better support Daniel’s transition from active duty to civilian life. After hearing their story, Scott offered and passed language that expressed support for the Department of Defense doing more proactive outreach to families of servicemembers to keep them informed of what their loved ones are experiencing, so they can be better equipped to support servicemembers when they come home. The language was included in the Committee report on the defense policy bill.

In 2019, Congress, Scott introduced and passed the bipartisan, bicameral Sgt. Daniel Somers Network of Support legislation to establish a Network of Support so servicemembers’ family and friends can prevent isolation and suicide. The bill has been included in the annual FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act and became law at the end of 2019. Surrounding servicemembers with their network of support will equip them with the tools they need and reduce the stigma of accessing mental health services.

H.R. 3584, the Laboratory Access for Beneficiaries Act:

In 2019, Scott introduced and passed bipartisan legislation that directs the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to conduct a joint study that would make recommendations to improve how CMS collects data on lab reimbursements for life-saving lab services. It became law as part of an appropriations package for 2020 in December 2019. Without a broad and representative collection of data, CMS's current reimbursement methodology could underpay for lab services, causing small labs in rural locations to close.

H.R. 6080, the Preventing Drug Shortages Act:

In 2020, Scott introduced the bipartisan Preventing Drug Shortages Act, which would help address the critical issue of drug shortages that affect the quality of care patients receive across the country. The introduction of the bill came days after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced the first U.S. drug shortage related to factory shutdowns and shipping problems in China due to the recent Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. On March 27, 2020, the bill became law as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

H.R. 1043, Employer Participation in Repayment Act:

In 2020, Scott introduced and passed bipartisan legislation to incentivize employers to help pay their employees’ student loans. The bill has garnered over 200 cosponsors. In 2017, Scott highlighted the bill at the South by Southwest (SXSW) EDU conference to garner national attention and rally support for the bill. A temporary version of the bill became law in the CARES Act in March 2020. The Employer Participation in Repayment Act will relieve San Diegans of student debt faster so they can afford to buy a home or save for retirement.