representative gus bilirakis

Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) has reintroduced bipartisan legislation with Representative Angie Craig (D-MN) to prevent Medicaid capitation payments from going to deceased enrollees. Named the "Leveraging Integrity and Verification of Eligibility for (LIVE) Beneficiaries" Act, Rep. Bilirakis's bill requires states to refer to Social Security's Death Master File database quarterly to ensure that Medicaid capitation […]

Over the weekend, Senators Rick Scott (R-FL), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Ed Markey (D-MA), and 48 other senators introduced the bipartisan AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, a piece of legislation requiring automakers to include AM radios in every new car produced. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) would require automakers to install AM radios "at […]

Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) is cosponsoring legislation that would improve healthcare access for veterans by easing various restrictions and improving the availability of mental health resources. The bill, named the "Veterans' Assuring Critical Care Expansions to Support Servicemembers" (ACCESS) Act, has several provisions, including establishing a baseline for community care standards. Additionally, the list of […]

Representative Gus Bilirakis's (R-FL) bipartisan Major Richard Star Act has garnered strong bipartisan support in the House and Senate but has gotten nowhere since it was introduced in August 2022. This led him and Representative Raul Ruiz (D-CA) to demand action in a recent letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to bring the bill […]

A bipartisan bill introduced by Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) to reauthorize research into congenital heart disease (CHD) has been signed into law, reinforcing the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the fight against the condition. The Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act of 2024 reauthorizes funding for researching CHD's causes, prevention, and treatment through Fiscal […]

As Florida continues to recover from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, small businesses seeking federal aid face mounting deadlines that cannot adequately be met. Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Laurel Lee (R-FL) have written to the Small Business Administration (SBA) urging deadline extensions so that these businesses can still receive aid. The letter noted that disaster […]

The fight against rare diseases has been slow due to several factors relating to regulations, something Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Doris Matsui (D-CA) seek to amend in recent bipartisan legislation easing the regulatory process between the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and rare disease specialists so that treatments can be developed more efficiently. As […]

Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Morgan McGarvey (D-KY) have introduced a bill improving the recruitment and retention of staff for the Board of Veterans' Appeals. This would, in turn, increase the Board's timeliness and ability to process claims. The Board, as described by their website, is charged with assisting veterans in making appeals claims and […]

As adviser to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) on veterans issues, Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) told The Floridian in a recent interview that there is a clear difference in the priority by which veterans are treated between the Trump Administration and the Biden-Harris Administration, slamming the latter for "doing everything they possibly can to eliminate community care." […]

WASHINGTON—As the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) works its way through the U.S. Congress, it must address a vital question: How do we balance government authority and parental rights? Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) discussed the bill with The Floridian, saying, "I think that the legislation was necessary to save lives, and the parents have been […]

Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Jennifer Wexton (D-VA) recently introduced the Harmonizing Environmental Analyses and Launching Therapeutic Hubs to Yield Bolstered Research and Innovation in Neurological Science (HEALTHY BRAINS) Act to the House. This bill looks into environmental risk factors such as toxicant exposure and neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s […]

Two more Florida Republicans in the U.S. House, Representatives Laurel Lee (R-FL) and Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) have publicly declared their support for the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act. This bill includes provisions to ensure that only United States citizens – not illegal immigrants – can vote in U.S. elections by requiring proof of citizenship in order to […]

Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) – a senior member of the Health Subcommittee in the U.S. House of Representatives – and Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) held a conversation with healthcare and biotech industry leaders in the Tampa Bay area to discuss the processes of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in hopes of facilitating “development of […]

Representative Gus Bilirakis’ (R-FL) bill, the Dr. Emmanuel Bilirakis National Plan to End Parkinson’s Act has passed in the Senate by a voice vote. It will now head to President Joe Biden’s (D) to be signed into law. The bill passed in the House of Representatives in December. In the House, the bill was known […]

US Representative Brian Mast (R-FL) recently filed legislation to shield Veterans from unexpected medical bills during their time receiving emergency care. The Emergency Community Care Notification Time Adjustment Act would extend the current deadline for notifying the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (VA) of emergency treatment. Veterans and their families are currently required to notify the […]

Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NY) have introduced the AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act, a bill requiring automakers to include AM radios in every new car produced. The Florida congressman believes AM radio is “an essential communication tool during emergencies” and has provided other news and entertainment for countless drivers since […]

Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and Marc Veasey (D-TX) have introduced the Early Detection of Vision Impairments in Children (EDVI) Act, a bill designed to provide vision and eye health care to young people through early intervention, screenings, and “coordinated systems of care.” The legislation would establish grants for states and communities to achieve results. According […]

Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and four of his colleagues in the House have introduced the Medicare Enrollment Protection Act of 2024. The bill will attempt to “protect seniors from coverage gaps in Medicare” by closing loopholes in the system. Current law penalizes anyone 65 or older who waits more than eight months after retiring or […]