# Lower Costs for Everyday Americans Act - Plain Language Summary

## What This Bill Does

The "Lower Costs for Everyday Americans Act" is a comprehensive bill that addresses multiple areas of American life, despite its title focusing on costs. The bill is divided into three main sections: environmental/recycling policies, commerce and technology regulations, and healthcare modifications. Rather than being a single focused piece of legislation, it's an omnibus bill that bundles together numerous separate policy initiatives.

## Key Areas Covered

**Commerce & Consumer Protection:** The bill includes provisions to protect consumers through several mechanisms: requiring transparency in hotel and ticket pricing (including banning hidden fees), mandating disclosure of cameras in smart devices, protecting against nonconsensual intimate images online, and establishing safety standards for certain batteries. It also addresses supply chain resilience, semiconductor manufacturing, broadband access in rural areas, and national security concerns related to foreign ownership of communications companies.

**Healthcare (Medicaid):** The health section focuses primarily on Medicaid administration and access, including streamlining enrollment for out-of-state providers, adjusting coverage for home and community-based services, removing age restrictions for working adults with disabilities, and improving how states handle military family residency and enrollment.

**Environment & Infrastructure:** The bill reauthorizes programs for recycling infrastructure, drinking water safety, and diesel emissions reduction.

## Who Is Affected

Consumers benefit from increased price transparency and product safety standards. Rural communities gain attention to broadband access. People with disabilities and military families may see improved Medicaid access. Healthcare providers face new enrollment requirements. Technology and telecommunications companies face increased regulatory oversight and national security vetting.

Lower Costs for Everyday Americans Act

Pallone, Frank

Lower Costs for Everyday Americans ActThis bill reauthorizes and establishes programs and requirements regarding health, commerce, and the environment.The bill reauthorizes and expands programs for health care, including by<ul><li>allowing individuals age 65 and over with a medically improved disability&nbsp;to qualify&nbsp;for Medicaid;</li><li>extending payment increases for certain providers under Medicare, including physicians and rural hospitals;&nbsp;</li><li>extending Medicare coverage of certain telehealth services;</li><li>requiring pharmacy benefit managers to remit 100% of rebates for prescription drugs to group health plans;&nbsp;</li><li>reauthorizing programs supporting health care in underserved communities, including the National Health Service Corps;</li><li>expanding and reauthorizing programs for public health emergency preparedness and response, including pandemic preparedness;&nbsp;</li><li>expanding and reauthorizing programs for prevention and treatment of certain conditions, including substance use disorders, traumatic brain injuries, and sickle cell disease; and</li><li>expanding the Food and Drug Administration’s authority regarding research on rare pediatric diseases.</li></ul>The bill also establishes requirements relating to commerce, including by&nbsp;<ul><li>prohibiting nonconsensual online publication of intimate visual depictions of individuals,&nbsp;</li><li>requiring manufacturers of internet-connected devices to disclose whether the device has a camera or microphone prior to purchase,</li><li>banning products containing 10% or more of sodium nitrite by weight, and</li><li>requiring additional disclosures relating to the prices of concert tickets and hotel rooms.</li></ul>Additionally, the bill establishes and reauthorizes programs relating to the environment, including grants for community recycling systems, drinking water infrastructure, and reducing diesel emissions.&nbsp;It also allows gasoline that is blended with 10% to 15% ethanol to be sold year-round.&nbsp;&nbsp;