I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1268 

To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award targeted 

grants to State, Tribal, Territorial, and local health departments or 

nonprofit organizations in geographic locations with racial and ethnic 

minorities and other vulnerable populations disproportionately impacted 

by COVID–19 to disseminate information regarding the safety and efficacy of COVID–19 vaccines, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 23, 2021 

Ms. VELA ́ZQUEZ (for herself, Ms. MENG, Mr. COHEN, Mr. SAN NICOLAS, Mr. 

SIRES, Mr. EVANS, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. HASTINGS, Mrs. HAYES, Mr. 

JONES, Mr. NADLER, Mr. TORRES of New York, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Ms. WILSON of Florida, Ms. STRICKLAND, Ms. SCANLON, Ms. 

CLARKE of New York, Ms. BOURDEAUX, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of 

New York, and Mr. CARBAJAL) introduced the following bill; which was 

referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

to award targeted grants to State, Tribal, Territorial, 

and local health departments or nonprofit organizations 

in geographic locations with racial and ethnic minorities 

and other vulnerable populations disproportionately impacted by COVID–19 to disseminate information regarding the safety and efficacy of COVID–19 vaccines, and 

for other purposes. 


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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 ‘‘Building COVID–19 

5 Vaccine Confidence Act of 2021’’. 

6 SEC. 2. HEALTH DISPARITY-INFORMED COVID–19 VACCINE 

7 SAFETY AND EFFICACY PUBLIC AWARENESS 

8 CAMPAIGN GRANTS. 

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

10 Human Services (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Sec11 retary’’), acting through the Director of the Centers for 

12 Disease Control and Prevention and in coordination with 

13 the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health and, 

14 as appropriate, with the directors of the relevant Offices 

15 of Minority health of the Department of Health and 

16 Human Services, the Director of the National Institute on 

17 Minority Health and Health Disparities, and the Director 

18 of the Indian Health Service, shall award grants to eligible 

19 entities to carry out evidence-based campaigns to dissemi20 nate COVID–19 vaccination information. 

21 (b) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—To be eligible to receive a 

22 grant under this section, an entity shall— 

23 (1) be a State, Tribal, Territorial, or local 

24 health department, an Urban Indian organization 

25 (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Health Care 


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1 Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603)), a nonprofit 

2 community-based organization, or a nonprofit faith3 based organization; and 

4 (2) submit an application to the Secretary at 

5 such time, in such manner, and containing such in6 formation as the Secretary may require, including 

7 demographic data on the entity’s COVID–19 vaccine 

8 campaign target. 

9 (c) USE OF FUNDS.—Entities receiving a grant 

10 under this section shall use such grant funds to— 

11 (1) create multilingual and culturally appro12 priate messaging to disseminate scientific and evi13 dence-based information related to COVID–19 vac14 cines; 

15 (2) provide information on where the COVID– 

16 19 vaccine can be obtained; 

17 (3) target racial and ethnic minority commu18 nities; 

19 (4) target communities with a COVID–19 Com20 munity Vulnerability Index higher than the national 

21 average; 

22 (5) increase awareness and knowledge of the 

23 safety and effectiveness of vaccines approved or au24 thorized by the Food and Drug Administration for 


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1 the prevention and control of COVID–19 and the 

2 benefit of receiving a COVID–19 vaccine; 

3 (6) increase awareness and knowledge of 

4 COVID–19, including countering stigma associated 

5 with COVID–19; 

6 (7) address vaccine skepticism in communities 

7 of color; 

8 (8) address COVID–19 vaccine misinformation; 

9 (9) address side effects after COVID–19 vac10 cination; 

11 (10) share information on the processes and 

12 policies that lead to vaccine development, licensure, 

13 manufacturing, and recommendations for use; and 

14 (11) other matters the Secretary determines 

15 necessary. 

16 (d) PROHIBITION ON DISCRIMINATION.—Programs 

17 funded under this section shall not discriminate on the 

18 basis of actual or perceived sex, race, color, ethnicity, na19 tional origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, 

20 or religion. Nothing in this section shall be construed to 

21 invalidate or limit rights, remedies, procedures, or legal 

22 standards available under any other Federal law or any 

23 law of a State or a political subdivision of a State, includ24 ing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (42 U.S.C. 2000a et 

25 seq.), title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 


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1 U.S.C. 1681 et seq.), section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act 

2 of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794), the Americans with Disabilities 

3 Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.), and section 1557 

4 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 

5 U.S.C. 18116). 

6 (e) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 45 days 

7 after the date on which appropriated funds are made avail8 able to the Secretary under this section, the Secretary 

9 shall submit to Congress a report on how such funds have 

10 been used during such 45-day period and a plan for using 

11 any remaining funds within the next 45 days. 

12 (f) EVALUATION.—The Secretary shall— 

13 (1) conduct qualitative assessments regarding 

14 the campaign under this section; and 

15 (2) not later than one year after the date of en16 actment of this Act, prepare and submit to the Com17 mittee on Appropriations and the Committee on 

18 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Sen19 ate and the Committee on Appropriations and the 

20 Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House 

21 of Representatives an evaluation of the campaign 

22 under this section. 

23 (g) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this Act 

24 shall be construed to limit an eligible entity from receiving 


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1 a grant under this section for a population otherwise 

2 served by such organization with other Federal funds. 

3 (h) PRIORITIZATION.—In awarding grants under 

4 subsection (a), the Secretary shall give special consider5 ation to eligible entities that have demonstrated a commit6 ment to a targeted campaign to reach communities where 

7 the greatest health disparities have been identified with 

8 respect to testing access and rates of infections, hos9 pitalizations, and deaths related to COVID–19. 

10 (i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 

11 authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

12 $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2022. 

Æ 


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