I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7026 

To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize grants for acquiring 

equipment and supplies capable of performing same-day clinical laboratory diagnostic testing in a point-of-care setting, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 27, 2020 

Ms. DEGETTE (for herself and Mr. BUCSHON) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize grants 

for acquiring equipment and supplies capable of performing same-day clinical laboratory diagnostic testing 

in a point-of-care setting, 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 ‘‘Rapid Testing for 

5 Communities Act of 2020’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR SAME-DAY POINT-OF-CARE CLINICAL 

2 LABORATORY DIAGNOSTIC TESTING IN COM3 MUNITIES. 

4 Section 2821 of the Public Health Service Act (42 

5 U.S.C. 300hh–31) is amended— 

6 (1) by redesignating subsection (b) as sub7 section (c); 

8 (2) in subsection (c), as so redesignated— 

9 (A) by redesignating paragraphs (1), (2), 

10 and (3) as subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C), re11 spectively, and moving the margin of each such 

12 redesignated subparagraph 2 ems to the right; 

13 and 

14 (B) by striking ‘‘There are authorized to 

15 be appropriated to carry out this section’’ and 

16 inserting the following: 

17 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 

18 appropriated to carry out subsection (a)’’; 

19 (3) by inserting after subsection (a) the fol20 lowing new subsection: 

21 ‘‘(b) GRANTS FOR SAME-DAY POINT-OF-CARE CLIN22 ICAL LABORATORY DIAGNOSTIC TESTING IN COMMU23 NITIES.— 

24 ‘‘(1) GRANTS.—The Secretary, acting through 

25 the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 

26 Prevention, shall award grants to eligible entities to 


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1 assist such entities in acquiring legally-marketed 

2 equipment and supplies capable of performing same3 day clinical laboratory diagnostic testing in a point4 of-care setting. 

5 ‘‘(2) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible for a grant 

6 under paragraph (1), an entity shall— 

7 ‘‘(A) be— 

8 ‘‘(i) a hospital; 

9 ‘‘(ii) a primary care facility; 

10 ‘‘(iii) a clinic; 

11 ‘‘(iv) a physician; or 

12 ‘‘(v) another type of health care pro13 vider as the Secretary may define; and 

14 ‘‘(B) submit to the Secretary an applica15 tion at such time, in such manner, and con16 taining such information as the Secretary may 

17 reasonably require. 

18 ‘‘(3) USE OF FUNDS.—Amounts received 

19 through a grant under this subsection shall be used 

20 to purchase legally-marketed rapid diagnostic equip21 ment and such materials as are necessary to admin22 ister, store, and process same-day clinical laboratory 

23 diagnostic testing in a point-of-care setting, includ24 ing diagnostic and serological tests. 


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1 ‘‘(4) AMOUNT OF GRANT.—The amount of a 

2 grant under paragraph (1) may not exceed $20,000. 

3 ‘‘(5) PRIORITY IN MAKING AWARDS.—In award4 ing grants under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall 

5 give priority to eligible entities providing services 

6 to— 

7 ‘‘(A) medically underserved populations (as 

8 defined in section 330(b)(3)) in rural areas; and 

9 ‘‘(B) all other areas.’’; and 

10 (4) by adding at the end of subsection (c), as 

11 redesignated, the following new paragraph: 

12 ‘‘(2) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

13 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—For the purpose of 

14 carrying out subsection (b), there is authorized 

15 to be appropriated $500,000,000 for fiscal year 

16 2020, to remain available until expended. 

17 ‘‘(B) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—Of the 

18 amount made available to carry out subsection 

19 (b) for any fiscal year, the Secretary may not 

20 use more than 5 percent of such amount for the 

21 expenses of administering this section.’’. 

Æ 


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