This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to carry out activities to strengthen core public health infrastructure. Core public health infrastructure includes the elements and workforce capabilities that enable health departments to perform critical functions such as disease surveillance and emergency response.
Specifically, the CDC must award grants to state health departments for their core infrastructure needs. The CDC may also award grants to address core infrastructure needs on a competitive basis to state, tribal, territorial, or local health departments. In addition, the CDC must develop accreditation standards for health departments and public health laboratories.
The CDC must also take steps to expand and improve its own public health infrastructure.
[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1849 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1849
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through
the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to
establish a core public health infrastructure program, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 11, 2021
Miss Rice of New York introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through
the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to
establish a core public health infrastructure program, 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. CORE PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE FOR STATE, LOCAL, TRIBAL,
AND TERRITORIAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS.
(a) Program.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this
Act referred to as the ``Secretary''), acting through the Director of
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall establish a core
public health infrastructure program consisting of awarding grants
under subsection (b).
(b) Grants.--
(1) Award.--For the purpose of addressing core public
health infrastructure needs, the Secretary--
(A) shall award a grant to each State health
department; and
(B) may award grants on a competitive basis to
State, local, Tribal, or territorial health
departments.
(2) Allocation.--Of the total amount of funds awarded as
grants under this subsection for a fiscal year--
(A) not less than 50 percent shall be for grants to
State health departments under paragraph (1)(A); and
(B) not less than 30 percent shall be for grants to
State, local, Tribal, or territorial health departments
under paragraph (1)(B).
(c) Use of Funds.--A State, local, Tribal, or territorial health
department receiving a grant under subsection (b) shall use the grant
funds to address core public health infrastructure needs, including
those identified in the accreditation process under subsection (g).
(d) Formula Grants to State Health Departments.--In making grants
under subsection (b)(1)(A), the Secretary shall award funds to each
State health department in accordance with--
(1) a formula based on population size, burden of
preventable disease and disability, and core public health
infrastructure gaps, including those identified in the
accreditation process under subsection (g); and
(2) application requirements established by the Secretary,
including a requirement that the State health department submit
a plan that demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary
that the State's health department will--
(A) address its highest priority core public health
infrastructure needs; and
(B) as appropriate, allocate funds to local health
departments within the State.
(e) Competitive Grants to State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial
Health Departments.--In making grants under subsection (b)(1)(B), the
Secretary shall give priority to applicants demonstrating core public
health infrastructure needs identified in the accreditation process
under subsection (g).
(f) Maintenance of Effort.--The Secretary may award a grant to an
entity under subsection (b) only if the entity demonstrates to the
satisfaction of the Secretary that--
(1) funds received through the grant will be expended only
to supplement, and not supplant, non-Federal and Federal funds
otherwise available to the entity for the purpose of addressing
core public health infrastructure needs; and
(2) with respect to activities for which the grant is
awarded, the entity will maintain expenditures of non-Federal
amounts for such activities at a level not less than the level
of such expenditures maintained by the entity for the fiscal
year preceding the fiscal year for which the entity receives
the grant.
(g) Establishment of a Public Health Accreditation Program.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall--
(A) develop, and periodically review and update,
standards for voluntary accreditation of State, local,
Tribal, and territorial health departments and public
health laboratories for the purpose of advancing the
quality and performance of such departments and
laboratories; and
(B) implement a program to accredit such health
departments and laboratories in accordance with such
standards.
(2) Cooperative agreement.--The Secretary may enter into a
cooperative agreement with a private nonprofit entity to carry
out paragraph (1).
(h) Report.--The Secretary shall submit to the Congress an annual
report on progress being made to accredit entities under subsection
(g), including--
(1) a strategy, including goals and objectives, for
accrediting entities under subsection (g) and achieving the
purpose described in subsection (g)(1)(A);
(2) identification of gaps in research related to core
public health infrastructure; and
(3) recommendations of priority areas for such research.
(i) Definition.--In this section, the term ``core public health
infrastructure'' includes--
(1) workforce capacity and competency;
(2) laboratory systems;
(3) testing capacity, including test platforms, mobile
testing units, and personnel;
(4) health information, health information systems, and
health information analysis;
(5) disease surveillance;
(6) contact tracing;
(7) communications;
(8) financing;
(9) other relevant components of organizational capacity;
and
(10) other related activities.
(j) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section,
there are authorized to be appropriated $6,000,000,000 for the period
of fiscal years 2022 through 2026.
SEC. 2. CORE PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE AND ACTIVITIES FOR CDC.
(a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall expand and improve
the core public health infrastructure and activities of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention to address unmet and emerging public
health needs.
(b) Report.--The Secretary shall submit to the Congress an annual
report on the activities funded through this section.
(c) Definition.--In this section, the term ``core public health
infrastructure'' has the meaning given to such term in section 1.
(d) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section,
there is authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000,000 for the period of
fiscal years 2022 through 2026.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
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