538 
outcomes from treatment of chronic obstructive pul-
monary disease. To the extent known and relevant, 
such public education and awareness activities shall 
reflect differences in chronic obstructive pulmonary 
disease by cause (tobacco, environmental, occupa-
tional, biological, and genetic) and include a focus 
on outreach to undiagnosed and, as appropriate, mi-
nority populations. 
(2) Supplement and expand upon the activities 
of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute by 
making grants to nonprofit organizations, State and 
local jurisdictions, and Indian tribes for the purpose 
of reducing the burden of chronic obstructive pul-
monary disease, especially in disproportionately im-
pacted communities, through public health interven-
tions and related activities. 
(3) Coordinate with the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, the Indian Health Service, 
the Health Resources and Services Administration, 
and the Department of Veterans Affairs to develop 
pilot programs to demonstrate best practices for the 
diagnosis and management of chronic obstructive 
pulmonary disease. 
(4) Develop improved techniques and identify 
best practices, in coordination with the Secretary of 
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Veterans Affairs, for assisting chronic obstructive 
pulmonary disease patients to successfully stop 
smoking, including identification of subpopulations 
with different needs. Initiatives under this para-
graph may include research to determine whether 
successful smoking cessation strategies are different 
for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients 
compared to such strategies for patients with other 
chronic diseases. 
(d) ENVIRONMENTAL AND OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH 
PROGRAMS.—The Director of the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention shall— 
(1) support research into the environmental and 
occupational causes and biological mechanisms that 
contribute to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; 
and 
(2) develop and disseminate public health inter-
ventions that will lessen the impact of environmental 
and occupational causes of chronic obstructive pul-
monary disease. 
(e) DATA COLLECTION.—Not later than 180 days 
after the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Na-
tional Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute and the Director 
of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, acting 
jointly, shall assess the depth and quality of information 
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on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that is collected 
in surveys and population studies conducted by the Cen-
ters for Disease Control and Prevention, including wheth-
er there are additional opportunities for information to be 
collected in the National Health and Nutrition Examina-
tion Survey, the National Health Interview Survey, and 
the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System surveys. 
The Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood In-
stitute shall include the results of such assessment in the 
national action plan under subsection (b). 
(f) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 
2012 through 2016. 
TITLE VIII—HEALTH 
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY 
Subtitle A—Reducing Health 
Disparities Through Health IT 
SEC. 801. HRSA ASSISTANCE TO HEALTH CENTERS FOR 
PROMOTION OF HEALTH IT. 
The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting 
through the Administrator of the Health Resources and 
Services Administration, shall expand and intensify the 
programs and activities of the Administration (directly or 
through grants or contracts) to provide technical assist-
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ance and resources to health centers (as defined in section 
330(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
254b(a)) to adopt and meaningfully use certified EHR 
technology (as defined in section 3000(1) of such Act (42 
U.S.C. 300jj(1)) for the management of chronic diseases 
and health conditions. 
SEC. 802. ASSESSMENT OF IMPACT OF HEALTH IT ON RA-
CIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY COMMUNITIES; 
OUTREACH AND ADOPTION OF HEALTH IT IN 
SUCH COMMUNITIES. 
Section 3001(c)(6)(C) of the Public Health Service 
Act (42 U.S.C. 300jj–11(c)(6)(C)) is amended— 
(1) in the heading by inserting ‘‘, RACIAL AND 
ETHNIC MINORITY COMMUNITIES,’’ after ‘‘HEALTH 
DISPARITIES’’; 
(2) by inserting ‘‘, in communities with a high 
proportion of individuals from racial and ethnic mi-
nority groups (as defined in section 1707(g)),’’ after 
‘‘communities with health disparities’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following new sen-
tence: ‘‘In any publication under the previous sen-
tence, the National Coordinator shall include best 
practices for encouraging partnerships between the 
Federal Government and private entities to expand 
outreach for and the adoption of such technology in 
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communities with a high proportion of individuals 
from racial and ethnic minority groups (as so de-
fined), while also maintaining the accessibility re-
quirements of section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act 
to encourage patient involvement in their own health 
care. The National Coordinator shall— 
‘‘(i) not later than 6 months after the 
submission to the Congress of the reports 
required by sections 832 and 833 of the 
Health Equity and Accountability Act of 
2011, establish criteria for evaluating the 
impact of health information technology on 
communities with a high proportion of in-
dividuals from racial and ethnic minority 
groups (as so defined) taking into account 
the findings in such reports; and 
‘‘(ii) not later than 12 months after 
the submission to the Congress of such re-
ports, conduct and publish the results of 
an evaluation of such impact.’’. 
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