II 

109TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2825 

To establish grant programs to improve the health of border area residents 

and for bioterrorism preparedness in the border area, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 17, 2006 

Mr. BINGAMAN (for himself, Mrs. HUTCHISON, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, and Mrs. 

BOXER) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred 

to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To establish grant programs to improve the health of border 

area residents and for bioterrorism preparedness in the 

border area, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Border Health Secu5 rity Act of 2006’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) BORDER AREA.—The term ‘‘border area’’ 

9 has the meaning given the term ‘‘United StatesVerDate Aug 31 2005 08:27 May 23, 2006 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S2825.IS S2825

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1 Mexico Border Area’’ in section 8 of the United 

2 States-Mexico Border Health Commission Act (22 

3 U.S.C. 290n–6). 

4 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

5 the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 

6 SEC. 3. BORDER HEALTH GRANTS. 

7 (a) ELIGIBLE ENTITY DEFINED.—In this section, 

8 the term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means a State, public institution 

9 of higher education, local government, tribal government, 

10 nonprofit health organization, or community health center 

11 receiving assistance under section 330 of the Public 

12 Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 254b), that is located in 

13 the border area. 

14 (b) AUTHORIZATION.—From funds appropriated 

15 under subsection (f), the Secretary, acting through the 

16 United States members of the United States-Mexico Bor17 der Health Commission, shall award grants to eligible en18 tities to address priorities and recommendations to im19 prove the health of border area residents that are estab20 lished by— 

21 (1) the United States members of the United 

22 States-Mexico Border Health Commission; 

23 (2) the State border health offices; and 

24 (3) the Secretary. 


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1 (c) APPLICATION.—An eligible entity that desires a 

2 grant under subsection (b) shall submit an application to 

3 the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and con4 taining such information as the Secretary may require. 

5 (d) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity that receives 

6 a grant under subsection (b) shall use the grant funds 

7 for— 

8 (1) programs relating to— 

9 (A) maternal and child health; 

10 (B) primary care and preventative health; 

11 (C) public health and public health infra12 structure; 

13 (D) health promotion; 

14 (E) oral health; 

15 (F) behavioral and mental health; 

16 (G) substance abuse; 

17 (H) health conditions that have a high 

18 prevalence in the border area; 

19 (I) medical and health services research; 

20 (J) workforce training and development; 

21 (K) community health workers or 

22 promotoras; 

23 (L) health care infrastructure problems in 

24 the border area (including planning and con25 struction grants); 


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1 (M) health disparities in the border area; 

2 (N) environmental health; 

3 (O) health education; and 

4 (P) outreach and enrollment services with 

5 respect to Federal programs (including pro6 grams authorized under titles XIX and XXI of 

7 the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 and 

8 1397aa)); and 

9 (2) other programs determined appropriate by 

10 the Secretary. 

11 (e) SUPPLEMENT, NOT SUPPLANT.—Amounts pro12 vided to an eligible entity awarded a grant under sub13 section (b) shall be used to supplement and not supplant 

14 other funds available to the eligible entity to carry out the 

15 activities described in subsection (d). 

16 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

17 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

18 such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2007 and 

19 each succeeding fiscal year. 

20 SEC. 4. BORDER BIOTERRORISM PREPAREDNESS GRANTS. 

21 (a) ELIGIBLE ENTITY DEFINED.—In this section, 

22 the term ‘‘eligible entity’’ means a State, local govern23 ment, tribal government, or public health entity. 

24 (b) AUTHORIZATION.—From funds appropriated 

25 under subsection (e), the Secretary shall award grants to 


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1 eligible entities for bioterrorism preparedness in the bor2 der area. 

3 (c) APPLICATION.—An eligible entity that desires a 

4 grant under this section shall submit an application to the 

5 Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing 

6 such information as the Secretary may require. 

7 (d) USES OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity that receives 

8 a grant under subsection (b) shall use the grant funds to, 

9 in coordination with State and local bioterrorism pro10 grams— 

11 (1) develop and implement bioterror prepared12 ness plans and readiness assessments and purchase 

13 items necessary for such plans; 

14 (2) coordinate bioterrorism and emergency pre15 paredness planning in the region; 

16 (3) improve infrastructure, including syndrome 

17 surveillance and laboratory capacity; 

18 (4) create a health alert network, including risk 

19 communication and information dissemination; 

20 (5) educate and train clinicians, epidemiolo21 gists, laboratories, and emergency personnel; and 

22 (6) carry out such other activities identified by 

23 the Secretary, the United States-Mexico Border 

24 Health Commission, State and local public health of25 fices, and border health offices. 


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1 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

2 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

3 $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2007 and such sums as may 

4 be necessary for each succeeding fiscal year. 

5 SEC. 5. UNITED STATES-MEXICO BORDER HEALTH COMMIS6 SION ACT AMENDMENTS. 

7 The United States-Mexico Border Health Commis8 sion Act (22 U.S.C. 290n et seq.) is amended by adding 

9 at the end the following: 

10 ‘‘SEC. 9. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

11 ‘‘There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out 

12 this Act $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2007 and such sums 

13 as may be necessary for each succeeding fiscal year.’’. 

14 SEC. 6. COORDINATION OF HEALTH SERVICES AND SUR15 VEILLANCE. 

16 The Secretary may coordinate with the Secretary of 

17 Homeland Security in establishing a health alert system 

18 that— 

19 (1) alerts clinicians and public health officials 

20 of emerging disease clusters and syndromes along 

21 the border area; and 

22 (2) is alerted to signs of health threats or bio23 terrorism along the border area. 


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1 SEC. 7. BINATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE 

2 AND HEALTH INSURANCE. 

3 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 

4 Human Services shall enter into a contract with the Insti5 tute of Medicine for the conduct of a study concerning 

6 binational public health infrastructure and health insur7 ance efforts. In conducting such study, the Institute shall 

8 solicit input from border health experts and health insur9 ance issuers. 

10 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

11 on which the Secretary of Health and Human Services en12 ters into the contract under subsection (a), the Institute 

13 of Medicine shall submit to the Secretary and the appro14 priate committees of Congress a report concerning the 

15 study conducted under such contract. Such report shall 

16 include the recommendations of the Institute on ways to 

17 expand or improve binational public health infrastructure 

18 and health insurance efforts. 

19 SEC. 8. PROVISION OF RECOMMENDATIONS AND ADVICE 

20 TO CONGRESS. 

21 Section 5 of the United States-Mexico Border Health 

22 Commission Act (22 U.S.C. 290n–3) is amended by add23 ing at the end the following: 

24 ‘‘(d) PROVIDING ADVICE AND RECOMMENDATIONS

25 TO CONGRESS.—A member of the Commission, or an indi26 vidual who is on the staff of the Commission, may at any 


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1 time provide advice or recommendations to Congress con2 cerning issues that are considered by the Commission. 

3 Such advice or recommendations may be provided whether 

4 or not a request for such is made by a member of Congress 

5 and regardless of whether the member or individual is au6 thorized to provide such advice or recommendations by the 

7 Commission or any other Federal official.’’. 

Æ 


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