Viral Hepatitis Testing Act of 2014 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to carry out surveillance, education, and testing programs with respect to hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) virus infections.
Requires the Secretary to establish a national system with respect to HBV and HCV to: (1) determine the prevalence of such infections; (2) carry out testing programs to increase the number of individuals who are aware of their infection; (3) disseminate public information and education programs for the detection and control of such infections; (4) improve the training of health professionals in the detection, control, and treatment of such infections; and (5) provide referrals for counseling and medical treatment and ensure the provision of follow-up services. Directs the Secretary to determine the populations that are considered at high risk.
Directs the Secretary to establish and support public-private partnerships that facilitate such HBV and HCV surveillance, education, screening, testing, and linkage to care programs.
Requires the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to convene the Preventive Services Task Force every three years to review its recommendation for HBV and HCV screening.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2538 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 2538
To amend the Public Health Service Act to revise and extend the program
for viral hepatitis surveillance, education, and testing in order to
prevent deaths from chronic liver disease and liver cancer, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
June 26, 2014
Mr. Kirk (for himself and Ms. Hirono) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act to revise and extend the program
for viral hepatitis surveillance, education, and testing in order to
prevent deaths from chronic liver disease and liver cancer, and for
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Viral Hepatitis Testing Act of
2014''.
SEC. 2. REVISION AND EXTENSION OF HEPATITIS SURVEILLANCE, EDUCATION,
AND TESTING PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Section 317N of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 247b-15) is amended--
(1) by amending the section heading to read as follows:
``surveillance, education, testing, and linkage to care
regarding hepatitis virus'';
(2) by redesignating subsections (b) and (c) as subsections
(d) and (e), respectively; and
(3) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall, in accordance with this
section, carry out surveillance, education, and testing programs with
respect to hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus infections (referred to in
this section as `HBV' and `HCV', respectively). The Secretary may carry
out such programs directly and through grants to public and nonprofit
private entities, including States, political subdivisions of States,
territories, Indian tribes, and public-private partnerships.
``(b) National System.--In carrying out subsection (a), the
Secretary shall, in consultation with States and other public or
nonprofit private entities and public-private partnerships described in
subsection (d), establish a national system with respect to HBV and HCV
with the following goals:
``(1) To determine the incidence and prevalence of such
infections, including providing for the reporting of acute and
chronic cases.
``(2) With respect to the population of individuals who
have such an infection, to carry out testing programs to
increase the number of individuals who are aware of their
infection to 50 percent by December 31, 2014, and to 75 percent
by December 31, 2016.
``(3) To develop and disseminate public information and
education programs for the detection and control of such
infections.
``(4) To improve the education, training, and skills of
health professionals in the detection, control, and care and
treatment, of such infections.
``(5) To provide appropriate referrals for counseling and
medical care and treatment of infected individuals and to
ensure, to the extent practicable, the provision of appropriate
follow-up services.
``(c) High-Risk Populations; Chronic Cases.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall determine the
populations that, for purposes of this section, are considered
at high-risk for HBV or HCV. The Secretary shall include the
following among those considered at high-risk:
``(A) For HBV, individuals born in countries in
which 2 percent or more of the population has HBV or
who are a part of a high-risk category as identified by
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
``(B) For HCV, individuals born between 1945 and
1965 or who are a part of a high-risk category as
identified by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
``(C) Those who have been exposed to the blood of
infected individuals or of high-risk individuals or who
are family members of such individuals.
``(2) Priority in programs.--In providing for programs
under this section, the Secretary shall give priority--
``(A) to early diagnosis of chronic cases of HBV or
HCV in high-risk populations under paragraph (1); and
``(B) to education, and referrals for counseling
and medical care and treatment, for individuals
diagnosed under subparagraph (A) in order to--
``(i) reduce their risk of dying from end-
stage liver disease and liver cancer, and of
transmitting the infection to others;
``(ii) determine the appropriateness for
treatment to reduce the risk of progression to
cirrhosis and liver cancer;
``(iii) receive ongoing medical management,
including regular monitoring of liver function
and screenings for liver cancer;
``(iv) receive, as appropriate, drug,
alcohol abuse, and mental health treatment;
``(v) in the case of women of childbearing
age, receive education on how to prevent HBV
perinatal infection, and to alleviate fears
associated with pregnancy or raising a family;
and
``(vi) receive such other services as the
Secretary determines to be appropriate.
``(3) Cultural context.--In providing for services pursuant
to paragraph (2) for individuals who are diagnosed under
subparagraph (A) of such paragraph, the Secretary shall seek to
ensure that the services are provided in a culturally and
linguistically appropriate manner.
``(d) Public-Private Partnerships.--
``(1) In general.--In carrying out this section, and not
later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of the Viral
Hepatitis Testing Act of 2014, the Secretary shall, in
consultation with the Assistant Secretary for Health, the
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the
Health Resources and Services Administration, the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Office of
Minority Health, the Indian Health Service, other relevant
agencies, and non-government stakeholder entities, establish
and support public-private partnerships that facilitate the
surveillance, education, screening, testing, and linkage to
care programs authorized by this section.
``(2) Duties.--Public-private partnerships established or
supported under paragraph (1) shall--
``(A) focus primarily on the surveillance,
education, screening, testing, and linkage to care
programs authorized by this section;
``(B) generate resources, in addition to the funds
made available pursuant to subsection (f), to carry out
the surveillance, education, screening, testing, and
linkage to care programs authorized in this section by
leveraging Federal funding with non-Federal funding and
support;
``(C) allow for investments in such programs of
financial or in-kind resources by each of the partners
involved in the partnership;
``(D) include corporate and industry entities,
academic institutions, public and non-profit
organizations, community and faith-based organizations,
foundations, and other governmental and non-
governmental organizations; and
``(E) advance the core goals of each of the
partners of the partnership as determined by the
Secretary in development of the partnership.
``(3) Annual reports.--The Secretary shall provide to the
Congress an annual report on the public-private partnerships
established under this subsection. Each such report shall
include--
``(A) the number of public-private partnerships
established;
``(B) specific and quantifiable information on the
surveillance, education, screening, testing, and
linkage to care activities conducted as well as the
outcomes achieved through each of the public-private
partnerships;
``(C) the amount of Federal funding or resources
dedicated to the public-private partnerships;
``(D) the amount of non-Federal funding or
resources leveraged through the public-private
partnerships; and
``(E) a plan for the following year that outlines
future activities.
``(4) Limitation.--No more than 25 percent of the funds
made available to carry out this section may be used for
public-private partnerships established or supported under this
subsection.
``(5) Linkage to care.--For purposes of this section, the
term `linkage to care' means, with respect to an individual
with a diagnosis of HBV or HCV, the referral of such individual
to clinical care for a thorough evaluation of their clinical
status to determine the need for treatment, vaccination for
HBV, or other therapy.
``(e) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality HBV and HCV
Guidelines.--Due to the rapidly evolving standard of care associated
with diagnosing and treating viral hepatitis infection, the Director of
the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality shall convene the
Preventive Services Task Force under section 915(a) to review its
recommendation for screening for HBV and HCV infection every 3 years.
``(f) Funding.--
``(1) In general.--In addition to any amounts otherwise
authorized by this Act, there are authorized to be appropriated
to carry out this section--
``(A) $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2014;
``(B) $35,000,000 for fiscal year 2015; and
``(C) $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2016.
``(2) Grants.--Of the amounts appropriated pursuant to
paragraph (1) for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall reserve
not less than 80 percent for making grants under subsection
(a).
``(3) Source of funds.--The funds made available to carry
out this section shall be derived exclusively from the funds
appropriated or otherwise made available for planning and
evaluation under this Act.''.
(b) Savings Provision.--The amendments made by this section shall
not be construed to require termination of any program or activity
carried out by the Secretary of Health and Human Services under section
317N of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247b-15) as in effect
on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
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