H. R. 2617—1278 
Prevention, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for 
Preparedness and Response, other relevant agencies or 
offices within the Department of Health and Human Serv-
ices, and other relevant Federal agencies, in order to pre-
pare for, identify, monitor, and respond to declared or 
potential public health emergencies. 
(B) REQUIREMENTS.—In carrying out activities pursu-
ant to subparagraph (A), the Secretary shall— 
(i) ensure that the agreements and memoranda 
of understanding described in such subparagraph— 
(I) address the methods of granting access to 
data held by one agency or office with another 
to support the respective missions of such agencies 
or offices; 
(II) consider minimum necessary principles of 
data sharing for appropriate use; 
(III) include appropriate privacy and cyberse-
curity protections; and 
(IV) are subject to regular updates, as appro-
priate; 
(ii) collaborate with the Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention, the Office of the Assistant Sec-
retary for Preparedness and Response, the Office of 
the Chief Information Officer, and, as appropriate, the 
Office of the National Coordinator for Health Informa-
tion Technology, and other entities within the Depart-
ment of Health and Human Services; and 
(iii) consider the terms and conditions of any 
existing data use agreements with other public or pri-
vate entities and any need for updates to such existing 
agreements, consistent with paragraph (2). 
(2) DATA USE AGREEMENTS WITH EXTERNAL ENTITIES.—The 
Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention and the Assistant Secretary for 
Preparedness and Response, may update memoranda of under-
standing, data use agreements, or other applicable agreements 
and contracts to improve appropriate access, exchange, and 
use of public health data between the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention and the Office of the Assistant Sec-
retary for Preparedness and Response and external entities, 
including State, Tribal, and territorial health departments, lab-
oratories, hospitals and other health care providers, electronic 
health records vendors, and other entities, as applicable and 
appropriate, in order to prepare for, identify, monitor, and 
respond to declared or potential public health emergencies. 
(3) REPORT.—Not later than 90 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall report to the Com-
mittee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate 
and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House 
of Representatives on the status of the agreements under this 
subsection. 
(d) IMPROVING INFORMATION SHARING
AND AVAILABILITY
OF 
PUBLIC HEALTH DATA.—Part A of title III of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 241 et seq.) is amended by adding at the 
end the following:
H. R. 2617—1279 
‘‘SEC. 310B. IMPROVING STATE, LOCAL, AND TRIBAL INFORMATION 
SHARING. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may, in consultation with 
State, local, and Tribal public health officials, carry out activities 
to improve the availability of appropriate and applicable public 
health data related to communicable diseases, and information 
sharing between, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention, the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and 
Response, and such State, local, and Tribal public health officials, 
which may include such data from— 
‘‘(1) health care providers and facilities; 
‘‘(2) public health and clinical laboratories; 
‘‘(3) health information exchanges and health information 
networks; and 
‘‘(4) State, local, and Tribal health departments. 
‘‘(b) CONTENT, FORM, AND MANNER.—The Secretary shall, con-
sistent with the requirements of this section, work with such offi-
cials and relevant stakeholders to provide information on the con-
tent, form, and manner in which such data, deidentified as 
applicable, may most effectively support the ability of State, local, 
and Tribal health departments to respond to such communicable 
diseases, including related to the collection and reporting of demo-
graphic and other relevant data elements. Such form and manner 
requirements shall align with the standards and implementation 
specifications adopted by the Secretary under section 3004, as 
applicable. 
‘‘(c) DECREASED BURDEN.—In facilitating the coordination of 
efforts under subsection (a), the Secretary shall make reasonable 
efforts to limit reported public health data to the minimum nec-
essary information needed to accomplish the intended public health 
purpose. 
‘‘(d) EXEMPTION
OF CERTAIN PUBLIC HEALTH DATA FROM 
DISCLOSURE.—The Secretary, acting through the Director of the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, may exempt from 
disclosure under section 552(b)(3) of title 5, United States Code, 
public health data that are gathered under this section if— 
‘‘(1) an individual is identified through such data; or 
‘‘(2) there is at least a very small risk, as determined 
by current scientific practices or statistical methods, that some 
combination of the information, the request, and other available 
data sources or the application of technology could be used 
to deduce the identity of an individual.’’. 
(e) IMPROVING STATE, LOCAL, AND TRIBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 
DATA.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and Human 
Services (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Secretary’’) shall 
award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to eligible 
entities for purposes of identifying, developing, or disseminating 
best practices in electronic health information and the use 
of designated data standards and implementation specifications, 
including privacy standards, to improve the quality and 
completeness of data, including demographic data used for 
public health purposes. 
(2) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—To be eligible to receive an award 
under this subsection an entity shall— 
(A) be a health care provider, academic medical center, 
community-based organization, State, local governmental
H. R. 2617—1280 
entity, Indian Tribe or Tribal organization (as such terms 
are defined in section 4 of the Indian Self Determination 
and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)), urban 
Indian organization (as defined in section 4 of the Indian 
Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603)), or other 
appropriate public or private nonprofit entity, or a consortia 
of any such entities; and 
(B) submit an application to the Secretary at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such information 
as the Secretary may require. 
(3) ACTIVITIES.—Entities receiving awards under this sub-
section shall use such award to develop and test best practices 
for training health care providers to use standards and 
implementation specifications that assist in the capture, access, 
exchange, and use of electronic health information, deidentified 
as applicable, such as demographic information, disability 
status, veteran status, and functional status. Such activities 
shall include, at a minimum— 
(A) improving, understanding, and using data stand-
ards and implementation specifications; 
(B) developing or identifying methods to improve 
communication with patients in a culturally- and linguis-
tically-appropriate manner, including to better capture 
information related to demographics of such individuals; 
(C) developing methods for accurately categorizing and 
recording patient responses using available data standards; 
(D) educating providers regarding the utility of such 
information for public health purposes and the importance 
of accurate collection and recording of such data; and 
(E) providing information regarding how data will be 
deidentified if used for such public health purposes, as 
applicable and appropriate. 
(4) REPORTING.— 
(A) REPORTING BY AWARD RECIPIENTS.—Each recipient 
of an award under this subsection shall submit to the 
Secretary a report on the results of best practices identified, 
developed, or disseminated through such award. 
(B) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 1 year after 
the completion of the program under this subsection, the 
Secretary shall submit a report to Congress on the success 
of best practices developed under such program, opportuni-
ties for further dissemination of such best practices, and 
recommendations for improving the capture, access, 
exchange, and use of information to improve public health 
and reduce health disparities. 
(5) NON-DUPLICATION
OF
EFFORTS.—The Secretary shall 
ensure that the activities and programs carried out under this 
subsection are free of unnecessary duplication of effort. 
(f) RULES
OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this section shall 
be construed to— 
(1) supplant, in whole or in part, State, local, or Tribal 
activities or responsibilities related to public health surveil-
lance, as applicable; 
(2) alter the authority of the Secretary with respect to 
the types of data the Secretary may receive through systems 
supported or established in this section or other laws; or
H. R. 2617—1281 
(3) modify applicable Federal or State information privacy 
or security law. 
SEC. 2214. EPIDEMIC FORECASTING AND OUTBREAK ANALYTICS. 
Title XXVIII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300hh 
et seq.), as amended by section 2212, is further amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 2825. EPIDEMIC FORECASTING AND OUTBREAK ANALYTICS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through the Director 
of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall continue 
activities related to the development of infectious disease outbreak 
analysis capabilities to enhance the prediction, modeling, and fore-
casting of potential public health emergencies and other infectious 
disease outbreaks, which may include activities to support prepared-
ness for, and response to, such emergencies and outbreaks. In 
carrying out this subsection, the Secretary shall identify strategies 
to include and leverage, as appropriate, the capabilities to public 
and private entities, which may include conducting such activities 
through collaborative partnerships with public and private entities, 
including academic institutions, and other Federal agencies, con-
sistent with section 319D, as applicable. 
‘‘(b) CONSIDERATIONS.—In carrying out subsection (a), the Sec-
retary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention, may consider public health data and, as appro-
priate, other data sources related to preparedness for, or response 
to, public health emergencies and infectious disease outbreaks. 
‘‘(c) ANNUAL REPORTS.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter for each of 
the subsequent 4 years, the Secretary shall prepare and submit 
a report, to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pen-
sions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
of the House of Representatives, regarding an update on progress 
on activities conducted under this section to develop infectious 
disease outbreak analysis capabilities and any additional informa-
tion relevant to such efforts.’’. 
SEC. 2215. PUBLIC HEALTH DATA TRANSPARENCY. 
(a) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall 
issue a report assessing practices, objectives, and associated 
progress and challenges in achieving such objectives, of the Centers 
of Disease Control and Prevention with respect to the collection 
and dissemination of public health data related to a public health 
emergency declared under section 319 of the Public Health Service 
Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) or a potential public health emergency. 
(b) PLAN.—Not later than 180 days following the issuance of 
the report pursuant to paragraph (1), the Director of the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention shall submit to the Committee 
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representa-
tives a plan that shall include— 
(1) steps to improve the timely reporting and dissemination 
of deidentified public health data related to a public health 
emergency declared under section 319 of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) or a potential public health emer-
gency that is collected by the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention, including any associated barriers;