I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1400 
To establish and support public awareness campaigns to address COVID– 
19-related health disparities and promote vaccination. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 26, 2021 
Mr. CA´RDENAS (for himself and Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To establish and support public awareness campaigns to 
address COVID–19-related health disparities and pro-
mote vaccination. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘COVID–19 Health 
Disparities Action Act of 2021’’. 
SEC. 2. FEDERAL PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS TO AD-
DRESS COVID–19-RELATED HEALTH DISPARI-
TIES AND PROMOTE VACCINATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through the 
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-
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tion and in coordination with the White House COVID– 
19 Health Equity Task Force, the Office of Minority 
Health of the Department of Health and Human Services, 
the Surgeon General, the National Vaccine Program Of-
fice, and, as appropriate, in coordination with the relevant 
Offices of Minority Health in the Department of Health 
and Human Services, the National Institute on Minority 
Health and Health Disparities, the Indian Health Service, 
and other relevant Federal offices and agencies, shall, sub-
ject to the availability of funding, develop and implement 
public awareness campaigns about COVID–19 vaccination 
and other relevant information about COVID–19 directed 
at racial and ethnic minority, rural, and other vulnerable 
populations that have experienced health disparities dur-
ing the COVID–19 public health emergency related to 
rates of vaccination, testing, infection, hospitalization, and 
death. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—The public awareness cam-
paigns under this section shall— 
(1) prioritize communities where the greatest 
health disparities have been identified with respect 
to rates of vaccination, testing, infection, hospitaliza-
tion, and death related to COVID–19, with a focus 
on disparities affecting racial and ethnic minority, 
rural, and other vulnerable populations; 
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(2) be accessible, culturally competent, and, as 
appropriate, multilingual; 
(3) use print, radio, or internet media, includ-
ing partnerships with social media influencers and 
thought leaders, or other forms of public commu-
nication, including local, independent, or community- 
based written news and electronic publications; and 
(4) provide information based on scientific evi-
dence, dispel misinformation, and promote trans-
parency regarding— 
(A) COVID–19 vaccination, which may in-
clude information regarding— 
(i) the effects of COVID–19 vaccina-
tion on disease transmission and severity, 
and the associated health impacts for indi-
viduals, communities, or the Nation; 
(ii) the effects of COVID–19 vaccina-
tion on the economic health of communities 
or the Nation; 
(iii) the current or upcoming avail-
ability of COVID–19 vaccination with no 
cost-sharing for most United States resi-
dents; 
(iv) locations where COVID–19 vac-
cinations are or will be available; 
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(v) any relevant information regarding 
vaccination allocation or populations that 
are prioritized for vaccination in the re-
gion; and 
(vi) any other information regarding 
COVID–19 vaccination, as the Secretary 
determines appropriate; 
(B) COVID–19 testing, which may include 
information regarding— 
(i) the effects of COVID–19 testing 
on disease transmission; 
(ii) the availability of COVID–19 test-
ing with no cost-sharing for most United 
States residents; and 
(iii) locations where COVID–19 test-
ing is available in the region; 
(C) the actions that individuals may take 
to protect themselves from COVID–19, which 
may include masking and social distancing; or 
(D) any other topics related to COVID–19, 
as the Secretary determines appropriate. 
(c) COORDINATION.—The public awareness cam-
paigns under this section shall be complementary to, and 
coordinated with, any other Federal, State, Tribal, and 
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local efforts, including the grant program described in sec-
tion 3, as appropriate. 
(d) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 45 days 
after the date on which amounts are made available to 
the Secretary under this section, the Secretary shall sub-
mit 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. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$50,000,000 for fiscal year 2021. 
SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC AWARENESS CAM-
PAIGNS 
TO 
ADDRESS 
COVID–19-RELATED 
HEALTH DISPARITIES AND PROMOTE VAC-
CINATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through the 
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-
tion and in coordination with the White House COVID– 
19 Health Equity Task Force, the Office of Minority 
Health of the Department of Health and Human Services, 
the Surgeon General, the National Vaccine Program Of-
fice, and, as appropriate, in coordination with the relevant 
Offices of Minority Health in the Department of Health 
and Human Services, the National Institute on Minority 
Health and Health Disparities, the Indian Health Service, 
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and other relevant Federal offices and agencies, shall 
award competitive grants to State, Tribal, and territorial 
health departments to support public awareness cam-
paigns about COVID–19 directed at racial and ethnic mi-
nority, rural, and other vulnerable populations that have 
experienced health disparities during the COVID–19 pub-
lic health emergency related to rates of vaccination, test-
ing, infection, hospitalization, and death. 
(b) ELIGIBLE
LOCAL
ENTITIES.—Recipients of 
grants under this section may disseminate the grant fund-
ing to eligible local entities, which may include local health 
departments, nonprofit community-based organizations, 
Tribal organizations, urban Indian organizations, health 
care providers, institutions of higher education, and non-
profit faith-based organizations, to develop and implement 
the public awareness campaigns described in subsection 
(a). 
(c) PROTOTYPES.—The Secretary shall develop pro-
totype campaign materials and make such materials avail-
able on the internet website of the Department of Health 
and Human Services for grant recipients and eligible local 
entities to adapt as needed to meet the needs of local com-
munities. 
(d) REQUIREMENTS.—The public awareness cam-
paigns under this section shall— 
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(1) prioritize communities where the greatest 
health disparities have been identified with respect 
to rates of vaccination, testing, infection, hospitaliza-
tion, and death related to COVID–19, with a focus 
on disparities affecting racial and ethnic minority, 
rural, and other vulnerable populations; 
(2) be accessible, culturally competent, and, as 
appropriate, multilingual; 
(3) use print, radio, or internet media, includ-
ing partnerships with social media influencers and 
thought leaders, or other forms of public commu-
nication, including local, independent, or community- 
based written news and electronic publications; and 
(4) provide information based on scientific evi-
dence, dispel misinformation, and promote trans-
parency regarding— 
(A) COVID–19 vaccination, which may in-
clude information regarding— 
(i) the effects of COVID–19 vaccina-
tion on disease transmission and severity, 
and the associated health impacts for indi-
viduals, communities, or the Nation; 
(ii) the effects of COVID–19 vaccina-
tion on the economic health of communities 
or the Nation; 
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(iii) the current or upcoming avail-
ability of COVID–19 vaccination with no 
cost-sharing for most United States resi-
dents; 
(iv) locations where COVID–19 vac-
cinations are or will be available; 
(v) any relevant information regarding 
vaccination allocation or populations that 
are prioritized for vaccination in the re-
gion; and 
(vi) any other information regarding 
COVID–19 vaccination, as the Secretary 
determines appropriate; 
(B) COVID–19 testing, which may include 
information regarding— 
(i) the effects of COVID–19 testing 
on disease transmission; 
(ii) the availability of COVID–19 test-
ing with no cost-sharing for most United 
States residents; and 
(iii) locations where COVID–19 test-
ing is available in the region; 
(C) the actions that individuals may take 
to protect themselves from COVID–19, which 
may include masking and social distancing; or 
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(D) any other topics related to COVID–19, 
as the Secretary determines appropriate. 
(e) COORDINATION.—The public health campaigns 
supported by grants awarded under this section shall be 
complementary to, and coordinated with, any other Fed-
eral, State, or local efforts, including the public awareness 
campaigns described in section 2, as appropriate. 
(f) TIMING.—The Secretary shall award the grants 
under this section not later than 60 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act. 
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$50,000,000 for fiscal year 2021 and $25,000,000 for fis-
cal year 2022. 
SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act— 
(1) the term ‘‘COVID–19 public health emer-
gency’’ means the public health emergency first de-
clared by the Secretary of Health and Human Serv-
ices under section 319 of the Public Health Service 
Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) on January 31, 2020, with re-
spect to COVID–19; 
(2) the term ‘‘racial and ethnic minority’’ has 
the meaning given the term ‘‘racial and ethnic mi-
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nority group’’ in section 1707(g) of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u–6(g)); 
(3) the term ‘‘relevant Offices of Minority 
Health in the Department of Health and Human 
Services’’ may include— 
(A) the Office of Extramural Research, 
Education, and Priority Populations of the 
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; 
(B) the Office of Minority Health and 
Health Equity of the Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention; 
(C) the Office of Minority Health of the 
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; 
(D) the Office of Minority Health and 
Health Equity of the Food and Drug Adminis-
tration; 
(E) the Office of Health Equity of the 
Health Resources and Services Administration; 
and 
(F) the Office of Behavioral Health Equity 
of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
Services Administration; 
(4) the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 
of Health and Human Services; 
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(5) the term ‘‘Tribal organization’’ has the 
meanings given the term ‘‘tribal organization’’ in 
section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Edu-
cation Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304); and 
(6) the term ‘‘urban Indian organization’’ has 
the meaning given the term in section 4 of the In-
dian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 
1603). 
Æ 
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