H. R. 3448—15
private health or educational entities, including health professions
schools and programs as defined in section 799B, for the purpose
of providing low-interest loans, partial scholarships, partial fellow-
ships, revolving loan funds, or other cost-sharing forms of assistance
for the education and training of individuals in any category of
health professions for which there is a shortage that the Secretary
determines should be alleviated in order to prepare for or respond
effectively to bioterrorism and other public health emergencies.
‘‘(b) AUTHORITY REGARDING NON-FEDERAL CONTRIBUTIONS.—
The Secretary may require as a condition of an award under sub-
section (a) that a grantee under such subsection provide non-Federal
contributions toward the purpose described in such subsection.
‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the purpose of
carrying out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated
such sums as may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2002
through 2006.’’.
SEC. 107. EMERGENCY SYSTEM FOR ADVANCE REGISTRATION OF
HEALTH PROFESSIONS VOLUNTEERS.
Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act, as amended
by section 106 of this Act, is amended by inserting after section
319H the following section:
‘‘SEC. 319I. EMERGENCY SYSTEM FOR ADVANCE REGISTRATION OF
HEALTH PROFESSIONS VOLUNTEERS.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall, directly or through an
award of a grant, contract, or cooperative agreement, establish
and maintain a system for the advance registration of health profes-
sionals for the purpose of verifying the credentials, licenses, accredi-
tations, and hospital privileges of such professionals when, during
public health emergencies, the professionals volunteer to provide
health services (referred to in this section as the ‘verification
system’). In carrying out the preceding sentence, the Secretary
shall provide for an electronic database for the verification system.
‘‘(b) CERTAIN CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall establish provi-
sions regarding the promptness and efficiency of the system in
collecting, storing, updating, and disseminating information on the
credentials, licenses, accreditations, and hospital privileges of volun-
teers described in subsection (a).
‘‘(c) OTHER ASSISTANCE.—The Secretary may make grants and
provide technical assistance to States and other public or nonprofit
private entities for activities relating to the verification system
developed under subsection (a).
‘‘(d) COORDINATION
AMONG
STATES.—The Secretary may
encourage each State to provide legal authority during a public
health emergency for health professionals authorized in another
State to provide certain health services to provide such health
services in the State.
‘‘(e) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—This section may not be con-
strued as authorizing the Secretary to issue requirements regarding
the provision by the States of credentials, licenses, accreditations,
or hospital privileges.
‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—For the purpose of
carrying out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated
$2,000,000 for fiscal year 2002, and such sums as may be necessary
for each of the fiscal years 2003 through 2006.’’.
H. R. 3448—16
SEC. 108. WORKING GROUP.
Section 319F of the Public Health Service Act, as amended
by section 104(a), is amended by striking subsection (a) and
inserting the following:
‘‘(a) WORKING GROUP ON BIOTERRORISM AND OTHER PUBLIC
HEALTH EMERGENCIES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, in coordination with the
Secretary of Agriculture, the Attorney General, the Director
of Central Intelligence, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary
of Energy, the Administrator of the Environmental Protection
Agency, the Director of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency, the Secretary of Labor, the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs, and with other similar Federal officials as determined
appropriate, shall establish a working group on the prevention,
preparedness, and response to bioterrorism and other public
health emergencies. Such joint working group, or subcommit-
tees thereof, shall meet periodically for the purpose of consulta-
tion on, assisting in, and making recommendations on—
‘‘(A) responding to a bioterrorist attack, including the
provision of appropriate safety and health training and
protective measures for medical, emergency service, and
other personnel responding to such attacks;
‘‘(B) prioritizing countermeasures required to treat,
prevent, or identify exposure to a biological agent or toxin
pursuant to section 351A;
‘‘(C) facilitation of the awarding of grants, contracts,
or cooperative agreements for the development, manufac-
ture, distribution, supply-chain management, and purchase
of priority countermeasures;
‘‘(D) research on pathogens likely to be used in a
biological threat or attack on the civilian population;
‘‘(E) development of shared standards for equipment
to detect and to protect against biological agents and toxins;
‘‘(F) assessment of the priorities for and enhancement
of the preparedness of public health institutions, providers
of medical care, and other emergency service personnel
(including firefighters) to detect, diagnose, and respond
(including mental health response) to a biological threat
or attack;
‘‘(G) in the recognition that medical and public health
professionals are likely to provide much of the first response
to such an attack, development and enhancement of the
quality of joint planning and training programs that
address the public health and medical consequences of
a biological threat or attack on the civilian population
between—
‘‘(i) local firefighters, ambulance personnel, police
and public security officers, or other emergency
response personnel (including private response contrac-
tors); and
‘‘(ii) hospitals, primary care facilities, and public
health agencies;
‘‘(H) development of strategies for Federal, State, and
local agencies to communicate information to the public
regarding biological threats or attacks;
H. R. 3448—17
‘‘(I) ensuring that the activities under this subsection
address the health security needs of children and other
vulnerable populations;
‘‘(J) strategies for decontaminating facilities contami-
nated as a result of a biological attack, including appro-
priate protections for the safety of workers conducting such
activities;
‘‘(K) subject to compliance with other provisions of
Federal law, clarifying the responsibilities among Federal
officials for the investigation of suspicious outbreaks of
disease and other potential public health emergencies, and
for related revisions of the interagency plan known as
the Federal response plan; and
‘‘(L) in consultation with the National Highway Traffic
Safety Administration and the U.S. Fire Administration,
ways to enhance coordination among Federal agencies
involved with State, local, and community based emergency
medical services, including issuing a report that—
‘‘(i) identifies needs of community-based emergency
medical services; and
‘‘(ii) identifies ways to streamline and enhance the
process through which Federal agencies support
community-based emergency medical services.
‘‘(2) CONSULTATION WITH EXPERTS.—In carrying out sub-
paragraphs (B) and (C) of paragraph (1), the working group
under such paragraph shall consult with the pharmaceutical,
biotechnology, and medical device industries, and other appro-
priate experts.
‘‘(3) USE
OF
SUBCOMMITTEES
REGARDING
CONSULTATION
REQUIREMENTS.—With respect to a requirement under law that
the working group under paragraph (1) be consulted on a
matter, the working group may designate an appropriate sub-
committee of the working group to engage in the consultation.
‘‘(4) DISCRETION IN EXERCISE OF DUTIES.—Determinations
made by the working group under paragraph (1) with respect
to carrying out duties under such paragraph are matters com-
mitted to agency discretion for purposes of section 701(a) of
title 5, Unites States Code.
‘‘(5) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—This subsection may not be
construed as establishing new regulatory authority for any
of the officials specified in paragraph (1), or as having any
legal effect on any other provision of law, including the respon-
sibilities and authorities of the Environmental Protection
Agency.’’.
SEC. 109. ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE.
Section 319E of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d–
5) is amended—
(1) in subsection (b)—
(A) by striking ‘‘shall conduct and support’’ and
inserting ‘‘shall directly or through awards of grants or
cooperative agreements to public or private entities provide
for the conduct of’’; and
(B) by amending paragraph (4) to read as follows:
‘‘(4) the sequencing of the genomes, or other DNA analysis,
or other comparative analysis, of priority pathogens (as deter-
mined by the Director of the National Institutes of Health
H. R. 3448—18
in consultation with the task force established under subsection
(a)), in collaboration and coordination with the activities of
the Department of Defense and the Joint Genome Institute
of the Department of Energy; and’’;
(2) in subsection (e)(2), by inserting after ‘‘societies,’’ the
following: ‘‘schools or programs that train medical laboratory
personnel,’’; and
(3) in subsection (g), by striking ‘‘and such sums’’ and
all that follows and inserting the following: ‘‘$25,000,000 for
each of the fiscal years 2002 and 2003, and such sums as
may be necessary for each of the fiscal years 2004 through
2006.’’.
SEC. 110. SUPPLIES AND SERVICES IN LIEU OF AWARD FUNDS.
Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act, as amended
by section 107 of this Act, is amended by inserting after section
319I the following section:
‘‘SEC. 319J. SUPPLIES AND SERVICES IN LIEU OF AWARD FUNDS.
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Upon the request of a recipient of an award
under any of sections 319 through 319I or section 319K, the Sec-
retary may, subject to subsection (b), provide supplies, equipment,
and services for the purpose of aiding the recipient in carrying
out the purposes for which the award is made and, for such pur-
poses, may detail to the recipient any officer or employee of the
Department of Health and Human Services.
‘‘(b) CORRESPONDING REDUCTION IN PAYMENTS.—With respect
to a request described in subsection (a), the Secretary shall reduce
the amount of payments under the award involved by an amount
equal to the costs of detailing personnel and the fair market value
of any supplies, equipment, or services provided by the Secretary.
The Secretary shall, for the payment of expenses incurred in com-
plying with such request, expend the amounts withheld.’’.
SEC. 111. ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS.
Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
243 et seq.) is amended—
(1) in section 319A(a)(1), by striking ‘‘10 years’’ and
inserting ‘‘five years’’;
(2) in section 319B(a), in the first sentence, by striking
‘‘10 years’’ and inserting ‘‘five years’’; and
(3) in section 391F(e)(2), as redesignated by section
104(a)(2) of this Act—
(A) by striking ‘‘or’’ after ‘‘clinic,’’; and
(B) by inserting before the period following: ‘‘, profes-
sional organization or society, school or program that trains
medical laboratory personnel, private accrediting organiza-
tion, or other nonprofit private institution or entity meeting
criteria established by the Secretary’’.
Subtitle B—Strategic National Stockpile;
Development of Priority Countermeasures
SEC. 121. STRATEGIC NATIONAL STOCKPILE.
(a) STRATEGIC NATIONAL STOCKPILE.—