Signed into law, several of these critical bills help to keep our families safer and our elders healthier.
Mental Health SAFE Act
Past law prevented colleges and universities from notifying parents when a student with a mental illness was at risk for suicide or committing a violent act. Schools, which feared violation-of-privacy lawsuits, would withhold information from parents. Congressman Murphy’s Mental Health Security for Families in Education Act amends FERPA (Family Education Rights and Privacy Act) to permit schools when acting in good faith to contact parents or guardians if a student is at risk for suicide, homicide, or assault. Locally, this bill was inspired by the two tragic cases of Stephanie Cady and Chuck Mahoney.
Marc and Chelseas’ Law
Requires excavators to immediately notify emergency responders any time there is a gas leak. Violators face a penalty of up to a million dollars in fines or five years in prison. Congressman Murphy wrote the law after a work crew ruptured a gas line in Moon Township, causing a house to explode and nearly killing two children, Mark and Chelsea. Previously, a patchwork of local laws that differed from community to community led to prolonged delays in notifying residents of danger.
Medicaid Safety Net Act
This bill preserved funding for a host of services to poorer children and the disabled, including clinic and outpatient rehabilitation services; specialized transportation to school for disabled children on Medicaid; and case management services that allow disabled persons to live in their communities. Congressman Murphy drafted a bipartisan bill with Rep. John Dingell (D-MI) to retain those services, paid with savings acquired through electronic asset verification, which ensured only those eligible for Medicaid received benefits.
Medicare Mental Health Parity
Ends the discriminatory practice of charging higher co-pays to seniors on Medicare who seek mental health care. For other types of medical care there is a 20% co-pay; however, mental health care had a 50% co-pay. Seniors and people with chronic illness are at a higher risk for depression than the general population. If depression in people with chronic illness is left untreated, their healthcare costs double.
Chartiers Creek Watershed Authorization
The Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) can only take action on flood mitigation and prevention in previously–authorized areas. Despite serious flooding along Chartiers Creek, ACE never received federal authorization to become involved. Congressman Murphy amended Water Resources legislation to authorize future action. He also obtained $4.2 million for creek sediment removal and the reopening of the original Chartiers Creek channel (5,000 truckloads of sediment removed). This reduced the risk of catastrophic floods in the Chartiers Creek Watershed, in Allegheny County, and the Burgettstown area.
Medicare Prescription Drug integration with PACE
In its original form, the Medicare prescription drug bill would have denied integration with Pennsylvania’s PACE program. Congressman Murphy amended the bill to permit the two programs to work together. This led to an increase in PACE funding by $170 million per year.
Medical Device Modernization Act
Amended the bill to require a study and a report to Congress about infection rates associated with medical devices. Several devices including catheters and ventilators are associated with high levels of infection.
Mental Health Parity
Worked with a bipartisan team to write and pass this legislation. Requires employers who provide medical and mental health insurance coverage to maintain parity of the mental health coverage and not discriminate in levels of care. Employers may define which diagnoses and areas of care they will cover.
