(A) provide to the requestor a written ex-
planation of the reasons for the denial; and 
(B) provide the requestor with an oppor-
tunity to correct any deficiencies in the request. 
(c) COVERED GRANT
OR COOPERATIVE AGREE-
MENT.—For purposes of this section, a covered grant or 
cooperative agreement is any grant or cooperative agree-
ment awarded under any of the following laws (including 
any amendment made thereby): 
(1) This Act. 
(2) The Coronavirus Preparedness and Re-
sponse Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 
(Public Law 116–123). 
(3) The Families First Coronavirus Response 
Act (Public Law 116–127). 
(4) The CARES Act (Public Law 116–136). 
(5) The Paycheck Protection Program and 
Health Care Enhancement Act (Public Law 116– 
139). 
(d) DAILY REPORTING.—The information to be re-
ported daily pursuant to subsection (a)(1) consists of the 
following: 
(1) Demographic characteristics, including, in a 
de-identified, disaggregated, and stratified manner, 
race, ethnicity, age, sex, geographic region, and 
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other relevant factors of individuals tested for or di-
agnosed with COVID–19, to the extent such infor-
mation is available. 
(2) The number of adults with a confirmed case 
of COVID–19 who are hospitalized in an intensive 
care bed. 
(3) The number of adults with a suspected case 
of COVID–19 who are hospitalized in an intensive 
care bed. 
(4) The number of adults with a confirmed case 
of COVID–19 who are hospitalized in an inpatient 
care bed. 
(5) The number of adults with a suspected case 
of COVID–19 who are hospitalized in an inpatient 
care bed. 
(6) The number of children with a confirmed 
case of COVID–19 who are hospitalized in an inten-
sive care bed. 
(7) The number of children with a suspected 
case of COVID–19 who are hospitalized in an inten-
sive care bed. 
(8) The number of children with a confirmed 
case of COVID–19 who are hospitalized in an inpa-
tient care bed. 
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(9) The number of children with a suspected 
case of COVID–19 who are hospitalized in an inpa-
tient care bed. 
(10) Out of the maximum number of beds for 
which hospitals are licensed to operate, the percent-
age occupied by confirmed or suspected COVID–19 
patients. 
(11) Total staffed hospital beds. 
(12) The numbers of diagnostic and serological 
tests administered for COVID–19, disaggregated 
and stratified by— 
(A) the type of test; and 
(B) the testing positivity rate of each type 
of test. 
(13) The median turnaround time for diag-
nostic tests stratified by molecular and antigen tests. 
(14) The percentage of new cases of COVID– 
19 linked to at least one other case, and if such new 
cases are part of a known outbreak, identification of 
such outbreak. 
(15) The rate of transmission of COVID–19. 
(16) The number of confirmed and probable 
deaths as a result of COVID–19, de-identified and 
stratified by race, ethnicity, age, sex, geographic re-
gion, and other relevant factors. 
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(17) Such other information as the Director of 
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
deems to be relevant. 
(e) WEEKLY REPORTING.—The information to be re-
ported weekly pursuant to subsection (a)(2) consists of the 
following: 
(1) New infections of health care workers not 
confirmed to have contracted COVID–19 outside of 
the workplace. 
(2) The median time between collection of 
specimens for diagnostic tests for COVID–19 and 
isolation of cases. 
(3) The percentage of new cases of COVID–19 
among quarantined contacts. 
(4) Such other information as the Director of 
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
deems to be relevant. 
(f) PUBLIC POSTING OF REPORTED DATA.—On a 
daily basis, the Director of the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention shall make the information reported pur-
suant to this section, excluding personally identifiable in-
formation, publicly available on the website of the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention. 
(g) APPLICABILITY.—The condition on funding in 
subsection (a) applies with respect to the obligation and 
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expenditure by the Federal Government of funds through 
a covered grant or cooperative agreement on or after the 
date of enactment of this Act, including with respect to 
covered grants and cooperative agreements awarded before 
such date. 
SEC. 3. PUBLIC HEALTH DATA SYSTEM TRANSFORMATION. 
Subtitle C of title XXVIII of the Public Health Serv-
ice Act (42 U.S.C. 300hh–31 et seq.) is amended by add-
ing at the end the following: 
‘‘SEC. 
2823. 
PUBLIC 
HEALTH 
DATA 
SYSTEM 
TRANS-
FORMATION. 
‘‘(a) EXPANDING CDC AND PUBLIC HEALTH DE-
PARTMENT CAPABILITIES.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting 
through the Director of the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, shall— 
‘‘(A) conduct activities to expand, enhance, 
and improve applicable public health data sys-
tems used by the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention, related to the interoperability 
and improvement of such systems (including as 
it relates to preparedness for, prevention and 
detection of, and response to public health 
emergencies); and 
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‘‘(B) award grants or cooperative agree-
ments to State, local, Tribal, or territorial pub-
lic health departments for the expansion and 
modernization of public health data systems, to 
assist public health departments in— 
‘‘(i) assessing current data infrastruc-
ture capabilities and gaps to improve and 
increase consistency in data collection, 
storage, and analysis and, as appropriate, 
to improve dissemination of public health- 
related information; 
‘‘(ii) improving secure public health 
data collection, transmission, exchange, 
maintenance, and analysis; 
‘‘(iii) improving the secure exchange 
of data between the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, State, local, Trib-
al, and territorial public health depart-
ments, public health organizations, and 
health care providers, including by public 
health officials in multiple jurisdictions 
within such State, as appropriate, and by 
simplifying and supporting reporting by 
health care providers, as applicable, pursu-
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ant to State law, including through the use 
of health information technology; 
‘‘(iv) enhancing the interoperability of 
public health data systems (including sys-
tems created or accessed by public health 
departments) with health information tech-
nology, including with health information 
technology 
certified 
under 
section 
3001(c)(5); 
‘‘(v) supporting and training data sys-
tems, data science, and informatics per-
sonnel; 
‘‘(vi) supporting earlier disease and 
health condition detection, such as through 
near real-time data monitoring, to support 
rapid public health responses; 
‘‘(vii) supporting activities within the 
applicable jurisdiction related to the expan-
sion and modernization of electronic case 
reporting; and 
‘‘(viii) developing and disseminating 
information related to the use and impor-
tance of public health data. 
‘‘(2) DATA STANDARDS.—In carrying out para-
graph (1), the Secretary, acting through the Direc-
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tor of the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-
tion, shall, as appropriate and in consultation with 
the National Coordinator for Health Information 
Technology and the Director of the Indian Health 
Service, designate data and technology standards 
(including standards for interoperability) for public 
health data systems, with deference given to stand-
ards published by consensus-based standards devel-
opment organizations with public input and vol-
untary consensus-based standards bodies. 
‘‘(3) TRIBAL CONSULTATION.—The Director of 
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the 
National Coordinator for Health Information Tech-
nology, and Director of the Indian Health Service, 
shall jointly consult with Indian Tribes and Tribal 
organizations prior to designating the data and tech-
nology standards under paragraph (2). 
‘‘(4) 
PUBLIC-PRIVATE
PARTNERSHIPS.—The 
Secretary may develop and utilize public-private 
partnerships for technical assistance, training, and 
related implementation support for State, local, 
Tribal, and territorial public health departments, 
and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
on the expansion and modernization of electronic 
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case reporting and public health data systems, as 
applicable. 
‘‘(b) REQUIREMENTS.— 
‘‘(1) 
HEALTH
INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY 
STANDARDS.—The Secretary may not award a grant 
or cooperative agreement under subsection (a)(1)(B) 
unless the applicant uses or agrees to use standards 
endorsed by the National Coordinator for Health In-
formation 
Technology 
pursuant 
to 
section 
3001(c)(1) or adopted by the Secretary under sec-
tion 3004. 
‘‘(2) WAIVER.—The Secretary may waive the 
requirement under paragraph (1) with respect to an 
applicant if the Secretary determines that the activi-
ties under subsection (a)(1)(B) cannot otherwise be 
carried out within the applicable jurisdiction. 
‘‘(3) APPLICATION.—A State, local, Tribal, or 
territorial health department applying for a grant or 
cooperative agreement under this section shall sub-
mit an application to the Secretary at such time and 
in such manner as the Secretary may require. Such 
application shall include information describing— 
‘‘(A) the activities that will be supported 
by the grant or cooperative agreement; and 
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‘‘(B) how the modernization of the public 
health data systems involved will support or im-
pact the public health infrastructure of the 
health department, including a description of 
remaining gaps, if any, and the actions needed 
to address such gaps. 
‘‘(c) STRATEGY AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.—Not 
later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this 
section, the Secretary, acting through the Director of the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall submit 
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 a coordinated 
strategy and an accompanying implementation plan that 
identifies and demonstrates the measures the Secretary 
will utilize to— 
‘‘(1) update and improve applicable public 
health data systems used by the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention; and 
‘‘(2) carry out the activities described in this 
section to support the improvement of State, local, 
Tribal, and territorial public health data systems. 
‘‘(d) 
CONSULTATION.—The 
Secretary, 
acting 
through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention, shall consult with State, local, Tribal, and 
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territorial health departments, professional medical and 
public health associations, associations representing hos-
pitals or other health care entities, health information 
technology experts, and other appropriate public or private 
entities regarding the implementation of the grant pro-
gram under subsection (a) and the development of the co-
ordinated strategy and accompanying implementation plan 
under subsection (c). 
‘‘(e) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING.—In 
carrying out this section, the Secretary may provide tech-
nical assistance and training related to— 
‘‘(1) the exchange of information by public 
health data systems used by relevant health care and 
public health entities at the local, State, Federal, 
Tribal, and territorial levels; or 
‘‘(2) the development and utilization of public- 
private partnerships for implementation support ap-
plicable to this section. 
‘‘(f) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary 
shall submit a report to the Committee on Health, Edu-
cation, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Rep-
resentatives that includes— 
‘‘(1) a description of any barriers to— 
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‘‘(A) public health authorities imple-
menting interoperable public health data sys-
tems and electronic case reporting; 
‘‘(B) the exchange of information pursuant 
to electronic case reporting; or 
‘‘(C) reporting by health care providers 
using such public health data systems, as ap-
propriate, and pursuant to State law; 
‘‘(2) an assessment of the potential public 
health impact of implementing electronic case re-
porting and interoperable public health data sys-
tems; and 
‘‘(3) a description of the activities carried out 
pursuant to this section. 
‘‘(g) ELECTRONIC CASE REPORTING.—In this sec-
tion, the term ‘electronic case reporting’ means the auto-
mated identification, generation, and bilateral exchange of 
reports of health events among electronic health record or 
health information technology systems and public health 
authorities. 
‘‘(h) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—To 
carry out this section, there is authorized to be appro-
priated $450,000,000, to remain available until expended. 
‘‘(i) TRIBAL SET-ASIDE.—Of the amounts authorized 
under subsection (h), no less than 3 percent, but up to 
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5 percent of such funds, shall be reserved for noncompeti-
tive grants or cooperative agreements to Indian Tribes and 
Tribal organizations (as those terms are defined under 
section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and Education 
Assistance Act).’’. 
SEC. 4. CORE PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE FOR 
STATE, LOCAL, TRIBAL, AND TERRITORIAL 
HEALTH DEPARTMENTS. 
(a) PROGRAM.—The Secretary of Health and Human 
Services (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Secretary’’), 
acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, shall establish a core public 
health infrastructure program consisting of awarding 
grants under subsection (b). 
(b) GRANTS.— 
(1) AWARD.—For the purpose of addressing 
core public health infrastructure needs, the Sec-
retary— 
(A) shall award a grant to each State 
health department; 
(B) shall award grants to, or enter into co-
operative agreements with, Indian Tribes and 
Tribal organizations on a noncompetitive basis; 
and 
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(C) may award grants on a competitive 
basis to State, local, Tribal, or territorial health 
departments. 
(2) ALLOCATION.—Of the total amount of 
funds awarded as grants under this subsection for a 
fiscal year— 
(A) not less than 50 percent shall be for 
grants to State health departments under para-
graph (1)(A); 
(B) not less than 5 percent shall be for 
grants awarded to, or cooperative agreements 
with, Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations 
under paragraph (1)(B); and 
(C) not less than 30 percent shall be for 
grants to State, local, Tribal, or territorial 
health departments under paragraph (1)(C). 
(c) USE OF FUNDS.—A State, local, Tribal, or terri-
torial health department receiving a grant under sub-
section (b) shall use the grant funds to address core public 
health infrastructure needs, including those identified in 
the accreditation process under subsection (g). 
(d) FORMULA GRANTS TO STATE HEALTH DEPART-
MENTS.—In making grants under subsection (b)(1)(A), 
the Secretary shall award funds to each State health de-
partment in accordance with— 
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(1) a formula based on population size, burden 
of preventable disease and disability, and core public 
health infrastructure gaps, including those identified 
in the accreditation process under subsection (g); 
and 
(2) application requirements established by the 
Secretary, including a requirement that the State 
health department submit a plan that demonstrates 
to the satisfaction of the Secretary that the State’s 
health department will— 
(A) address its highest priority core public 
health infrastructure needs; and 
(B) as appropriate, allocate funds to local 
health departments within the State. 
(e) FORMULA GRANTS TO INDIAN TRIBES AND TRIB-
AL ORGANIZATIONS.—In making grants under subsection 
(b)(1)(B), the Secretary shall coordinate with the Director 
of the Indian Health Service to award funds to Indian 
Tribes and Tribal organizations according to— 
(1) a formula that ensures baseline funding on 
a noncompetitive basis for each Indian Tribe or 
Tribal organization, or a consortia thereof, that sub-
mits an application; and 
(2) awards funds above the baseline according 
to population size, gaps in public health infrastruc-
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ture, or other criteria derived through consultation 
with Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations. 
(f) COMPETITIVE GRANTS TO STATE, LOCAL, TRIB-
AL, AND
TERRITORIAL
HEALTH
DEPARTMENTS.—In 
making grants under subsection (b)(1)(C), the Secretary 
shall give priority to applicants demonstrating core public 
health infrastructure needs identified in the accreditation 
process under subsection (g). 
(g) MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), the Secretary may award a grant to an 
entity under subsection (b) only if the entity dem-
onstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary that— 
(A) funds received through the grant will 
be expended only to supplement, and not sup-
plant, non-Federal and Federal funds otherwise 
available to the entity for the purpose of ad-
dressing core public health infrastructure needs; 
and 
(B) with respect to activities for which the 
grant is awarded, the entity will maintain ex-
penditures of non-Federal amounts for such ac-
tivities at a level not less than the level of such 
expenditures maintained by the entity for the 
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fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which 
the entity receives the grant. 
(2) EXCEPTION.—The requirement under para-
graph (1) shall not apply with respect to a grant 
awarded under subsection (b)(1)(B). 
(h) ESTABLISHMENT OF A PUBLIC HEALTH ACCRED-
ITATION PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall— 
(A) develop, and periodically review and 
update, standards for voluntary accreditation of 
State, local, Tribal, and territorial health de-
partments and public health laboratories for the 
purpose of advancing the quality and perform-
ance of such departments and laboratories; and 
(B) implement a program to accredit such 
health departments and laboratories in accord-
ance with such standards. 
(2) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT.—The Secretary 
may enter into a cooperative agreement with a pri-
vate nonprofit entity to carry out paragraph (1). 
(i) REPORT.—The Secretary shall submit to the Con-
gress an annual report on progress being made to accredit 
entities under subsection (g), including— 
(1) a strategy, including goals and objectives, 
for accrediting entities under subsection (g) and 
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achieving the purpose described in subsection 
(g)(1)(A); 
(2) identification of gaps in research related to 
core public health infrastructure; and 
(3) recommendations of priority areas for such 
research. 
(j) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘core pub-
lic health infrastructure’’ includes— 
(1) workforce capacity and competency; 
(2) laboratory systems; 
(3) testing capacity, including test platforms, 
mobile testing units, and personnel; 
(4) health information, health information sys-
tems, and health information analysis; 
(5) disease surveillance; 
(6) contact tracing; 
(7) communications; 
(8) financing; 
(9) other relevant components of organizational 
capacity; and 
(10) other related activities. 
(k) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 
out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated 
$6,000,000,000, to remain available until expended. 
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SEC. 5. CORE PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE AND AC-
TIVITIES FOR CDC. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’), acting through the Director of the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention, shall expand and improve 
the core public health infrastructure and activities of the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to address 
unmet and emerging public health needs. 
(b) REPORT.—The Secretary shall submit to the Con-
gress an annual report on the activities funded through 
this section. 
(c) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘core 
public health infrastructure’’ has the meaning given to 
such term in section 3. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 
out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated 
$1,000,000,000, to remain available until expended. 
SEC. 6. MODERNIZATION OF STATE AND LOCAL HEALTH IN-
EQUITIES DATA. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’), acting through the Director of the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention, shall award grants to 
State, local, and territorial health departments in order 
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to support the modernization of data collection methods 
and infrastructure for the purposes of increasing data re-
lated to health inequities, such as racial, ethnic, socio-
economic, sex, gender, and disability disparities. The Sec-
retary shall— 
(1) provide guidance, technical assistance, and 
information to grantees under this section on best 
practices regarding culturally competent, accurate, 
and increased data collection and transmission; and 
(2) track performance of grantees under this 
section to help improve their health inequities data 
collection by identifying gaps and taking effective 
steps to support States, localities, and territories in 
addressing the gaps. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
on which the first grant is awarded under this section, 
the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of 
the Senate an initial report detailing— 
(1) nationwide best practices for ensuring 
States and localities collect and transmit health in-
equities data; 
(2) nationwide trends which hinder the collec-
tion and transmission of health inequities data; 
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(3) Federal best practices for working with 
States and localities to ensure culturally competent, 
accurate, and increased data collection and trans-
mission; and 
(4) any recommended changes to legislative or 
regulatory authority to help improve and increase 
health inequities data collection. 
(c) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than December 31, 
2023, the Secretary shall— 
(1) update and finalize the initial report under 
subsection (b); and 
(2) submit such final report to the committees 
specified in such subsection. 
(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$100,000,000, to remain available until expended. 
SEC. 7. TRIBAL FUNDING TO RESEARCH HEALTH INEQUI-
TIES INCLUDING COVID–19. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Indian 
Health Service, in coordination with Tribal epidemiology 
centers and other Federal agencies, as appropriate, shall 
conduct or support research and field studies for the pur-
poses of improved understanding of Tribal health inequi-
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ties among American Indians and Alaska Natives, includ-
ing with respect to— 
(1) disparities related to COVID–19; 
(2) public health surveillance and infrastructure 
regarding unmet needs in Indian country and Urban 
Indian communities; 
(3) population-based health disparities; 
(4) barriers to health care services; 
(5) the impact of socioeconomic status; and 
(6) factors contributing to Tribal health inequi-
ties. 
(b) CONSULTATION, CONFER, AND COORDINATION.— 
In carrying out this section, the Director of the Indian 
Health Service shall— 
(1) consult with Indian Tribes and Tribal orga-
nizations; 
(2) confer with Urban Indian organizations; 
and 
(3) coordinate with the Director of the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention and the Director 
of the National Institutes of Health. 
(c) PROCESS.—Not later than 60 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Director of the Indian Health 
Service shall establish a nationally representative panel to 
establish processes and procedures for the research and 
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field studies conducted or supported under subsection (a). 
The Director shall ensure that, at a minimum, the panel 
consists of the following individuals: 
(1) Elected Tribal leaders or their designees. 
(2) Tribal public health practitioners and ex-
perts from the national and regional levels. 
(d) DUTIES.—The panel established under subsection 
(c) shall, at a minimum— 
(1) advise the Director of the Indian Health 
Service on the processes and procedures regarding 
the design, implementation, and evaluation of, and 
reporting on, research and field studies conducted or 
supported under this section; 
(2) develop and share resources on Tribal pub-
lic health data surveillance and reporting, including 
best practices; and 
(3) carry out such other activities as may be 
appropriate to establish processes and procedures for 
the research and field studies conducted or sup-
ported under subsection (a). 
(e) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after expending 
all funds made available to carry out this section, the Di-
rector of the Indian Health Service, in coordination with 
the panel established under subsection (c), shall submit 
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an initial report on the results of the research and field 
studies under this section to— 
(1) the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
and the Committee on Natural Resources of the 
House of Representatives; and 
(2) the Committee on Indian Affairs and the 
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pen-
sions of the Senate. 
(f) TRIBAL DATA SOVEREIGNTY.—The Director of 
the Indian Health Service shall ensure that all research 
and field studies conducted or supported under this sec-
tion are tribally directed and carried out in a manner 
which ensures Tribal-direction of all data collected under 
this section— 
(1) according to Tribal best practices regarding 
research design and implementation, including by 
ensuring the consent of the Tribes involved to public 
reporting of Tribal data; 
(2) according to all relevant and applicable 
Tribal, professional, institutional, and Federal 
standards for conducting research and governing re-
search ethics; 
(3) with the prior and informed consent of any 
Indian Tribe participating in the research or sharing 
data for use under this section; and 
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(4) in a manner that respects the inherent sov-
ereignty of Indian Tribes, including Tribal govern-
ance of data and research. 
(g) FINAL REPORT.—Not later than December 31, 
2023, the Director of the Indian Health Service shall— 
(1) update and finalize the initial report under 
subsection (e); and 
(2) submit such final report to the committees 
specified in such subsection. 
(h) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The terms ‘‘Indian Tribe’’ and ‘‘Tribal or-
ganization’’ have the meanings given to such terms 
in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination and 
Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 
(2) The term ‘‘Urban Indian organization’’ has 
the meaning given to such term in section 4 of the 
Indian Health Care Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 
1603). 
(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 
$25,000,000, to remain available until expended. 
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SEC. 8. STUDY EXAMINING PUBLIC HEALTH DATA AND IN-
FRASTRUCTURE NECESSARY DURING AND 
AFTER THE COVID–19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMER-
GENCY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’) shall seek to enter into a contract with the Na-
tional Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 
(referred to in this section as the ‘‘National Academies’’) 
not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this 
Act, under which the National Academies agree to conduct 
a study with stakeholders from Federal agencies, State, 
Tribal, territorial, and local governments, research institu-
tions, industry, and nonprofit organizations that would re-
view the current system for public health data infrastruc-
ture and reporting and provide recommendations on need-
ed data and system improvements for future pandemics 
and ongoing public health needs. 
(b) SUBMISSION OF REPORT.—The contract under 
subsection (a) shall require that the study under such sub-
section be completed, and a report on the resulting rec-
ommendations be submitted to the Secretary, the Com-
mittee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the 
Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of 
the House of Representatives, not later than 12 months 
after the date the contract was executed. 
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(c) STUDY TOPICS.—The contract under subsection 
(a) shall require the study under such subsection to— 
(1) review the current public health data sys-
tems and the reporting structure for Federal, State, 
Tribal, territorial, and local public health informa-
tion, including vital records; 
(2) review current standards for reporting, 
quality controls, and transparency of the data; 
(3) examine data gaps and barriers to timely 
and accurate reporting and identify ways to fill 
those gaps; 
(4) examine how systems can be accessed and 
used by a wide range of users, including external re-
searchers; 
(5) examine how different data systems interact 
and how different data sources can be integrated; 
(6) examine nontraditional data sources or al-
ternative data gathering methods that could be used 
to complement traditionally collected data; 
(7) identify needed improvements to the public 
health data systems and structure, especially with 
regard to the needs of Tribal systems; 
(8) identify core elements of a ‘‘minimum data 
set’’ that might be used for State population surveil-
lance, including demographic components that are 
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necessary to ensure health equity in public health 
decision making; 
(9) examine how surveillance systems can be ex-
plicitly designed to ensure vulnerable populations 
(which may include racial and ethnic minorities, im-
migrants, individuals in nursing homes, other insti-
tutionalized populations, and individuals experi-
encing homelessness) are included in reporting; 
(10) consider how traditional and nontradi-
tional data might be used to promote health equity 
across the United States and reduce racial, Tribal, 
and other demographic disparities; 
(11) examine data gaps and barriers to col-
lecting, analyzing, and using demographic data to 
characterize the COVID–19 pandemic for public 
health action and research to improve public health 
actions and identify ways to fill those gaps; and 
(12) report on what is known based on existing 
data about how COVID–19 is impacting subgroups 
of the population with respect to access to testing 
and treatment (hospitalization and access to drugs 
and medical equipment), and health outcomes (mor-
bidity and mortality). 
(d) DISAGGREGATION OF DATA.—To the extent fea-
sible, the contract under subsection (a) shall require data 
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to be disaggregated by race, ethnicity, age, gender, dis-
ability, geography, language, socioeconomic status, and 
other factors. 
Æ 
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