H.R. 5536: SMART Act

117th Congress · introduced 2021-10-08 · Health · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2021-10-08 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Rush, Bobby L. [D-IL-1] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

SMART Act

Plain summary

Stabilizing Medicare Access to Rehabilitation and Therapy Act or the SMART Act This bill modifies the application of a certain Medicare payment methodology for outpatient physical therapy services and outpatient occupational therapy services that are furnished by a therapy assistant. Under current law, effective January 1, 2022, payment for such services is 85% of the otherwise applicable rate. The bill delays this effective date by one year and excludes services that are furnished in rural or medically underserved areas from this payment methodology. The bill also specifies that supervision requirements for outpatient physical therapy services that are furnished through private practice may not be more stringent for purposes of Medicare coverage than under state law.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

SMART Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Rush, Bobby L. [D-IL-1] · 45 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Jason Smith (R-MO), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Mike Quigley (D-IL), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Don Bacon (R-NE), Janice D. Schakowsky (D-IL), Frank J. Mrvan (D-IN), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Robin L. Kelly (D-IL), Seth Moulton (D-MA), Mark E. Amodei (R-NV), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Marc A. Veasey (D-TX), Pete Aguilar (D-CA), David G. Valadao (R-CA), Trent Kelly (R-MS), John Joyce (R-PA), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), W. Gregory Steube (R-FL), Michael Guest (R-MS), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), Chris Pappas (D-NH), Elise M. Stefanik (R-NY), Madeleine Dean (D-PA), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-117hr5536.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/117/hr>

Record fed-us-cong117-hr5536 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117