Building COVID–19 Vaccine Confidence Act of 2021

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. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Building COVID–19 Vaccine Confidence Act of 2021 2. Health disparity-informed COVID–19 vaccine safety and efficacy public awareness campaign grants (a) In general The Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to in this section as the Secretary (b) Eligible entities To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an entity shall— (1) be a State, Tribal, Territorial, or local health department, an Urban Indian organization (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act ( 25 U.S.C. 1603 (2) submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including demographic data on the entity’s COVID–19 vaccine campaign target. (c) Use of funds Entities receiving a grant under this section shall use such grant funds to— (1) create multilingual and culturally appropriate messaging to disseminate scientific and evidence-based information related to COVID–19 vaccines; (2) provide information on where the COVID–19 vaccine can be obtained; (3) target racial and ethnic minority communities; (4) target communities with a COVID–19 Community Vulnerability Index higher than the national average; (5) increase awareness and knowledge of the safety and effectiveness of vaccines approved or authorized by the Food and Drug Administration for the prevention and control of COVID–19 and the benefit of receiving a COVID–19 vaccine; (6) increase awareness and knowledge of COVID–19, including countering stigma associated with COVID–19; (7) address vaccine skepticism in communities of color; (8) address COVID–19 vaccine misinformation; (9) address side effects after COVID–19 vaccination; (10) share information on the processes and policies that lead to vaccine development, licensure, manufacturing, and recommendations for use; and (11) other matters the Secretary determines necessary. (d) Prohibition on discrimination Programs funded under this section shall not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or religion. Nothing in this section shall be construed to invalidate or limit rights, remedies, procedures, or legal standards available under any other Federal law or any law of a State or a political subdivision of a State, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ( 42 U.S.C. 2000a 20 U.S.C. 1681 29 U.S.C. 794 42 U.S.C. 12101 42 U.S.C. 18116 (e) Report to Congress Not later than 45 days after the date on which appropriated funds are made available to the Secretary under this section, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on how such funds have been used during such 45-day period and a plan for using any remaining funds within the next 45 days. (f) Evaluation The Secretary shall— (1) conduct qualitative assessments regarding the campaign under this section; and (2) not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, prepare and submit to the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives an evaluation of the campaign under this section. (g) Rule of construction Nothing in this Act shall be construed to limit an eligible entity from receiving a grant under this section for a population otherwise served by such organization with other Federal funds. (h) Prioritization In awarding grants under subsection (a), the Secretary shall give special consideration to eligible entities that have demonstrated a commitment to a targeted campaign to reach communities where the greatest health disparities have been identified with respect to testing access and rates of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths related to COVID–19. (i) Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2022.

Summary: Building COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence Act of 2021 This bill establishes a program to disseminate information about COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) vaccinations. To carry out this program, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must award grants to health departments and certain nonprofits. In awarding the grants, the CDC must coordinate with the Office of Minority Health and, as appropriate, other federal partners.