(2) There is a need for increased Federal in-
vestment in research related to sepsis to build on re-
search supported by the National Institutes of 
Health, including research with a pediatric focus 
supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National 
Institute of Child Health and Human Development. 
(3) The infectious disease workforce, which 
plays a key role in reducing the burden of sepsis, 
needs additional support to recruit and retain health 
care professionals engaged in infection prevention 
and related patient care. 
(4) Sepsis is one of the most expensive condi-
tions to treat in hospitals in the United States, with 
high spending compounded by frequent hospital re- 
admissions, including 1 in 5 patient re-admissions 
within 30 days of discharge and 1 in 3 patient re- 
admissions within 180 days of discharge. 
(5) According to the Centers for Disease Con-
trol and Prevention, 80 percent of sepsis cases begin 
outside of the hospital. 
(6) Most sepsis fatalities are preventable with 
early recognition, diagnosis, and treatment. 
(7) The sepsis protocols for hospitals in New 
York State, called ‘‘Rory’s Regulations’’ for Rory 
Staunton who died from preventable, treatable sepsis 
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at 12 years of age, have been proven to save lives 
through rapid identification and treatment of sepsis. 
(8) Providers and public health experts should 
study and learn from Rory’s Regulations to find 
ways to end preventable deaths from sepsis on a na-
tional scale. 
SEC. 3. SEPSIS PROGRAMS. 
Title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
241 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 317V 
the following: 
‘‘SEC. 317W. SEPSIS PROGRAMS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through 
the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Pre-
vention (referred to in this section as the ‘Director’), shall 
maintain a sepsis team for purposes of— 
‘‘(1) leading an education campaign on best 
practices for addressing sepsis in hospitals, such as 
the practices outlined in the Hospital Sepsis Pro-
gram Core Elements set forth by the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention; 
‘‘(2) improving data collection on pediatric sep-
sis; 
‘‘(3) sharing information with the Adminis-
trator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Serv-
ices to inform the development and implementation 
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of sepsis quality measures to improve outcomes for 
patients; 
‘‘(4) updating data elements with respect to 
sepsis used by the United States Core Data for 
Interoperability, in coordination with the heads of 
other relevant agencies and offices of the Depart-
ment of Health and Human Services, including the 
National Coordinator for Health Information Tech-
nology and the Director of the Office of Public 
Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology; 
‘‘(5) facilitating efforts across the Department 
of Health and Human Services to develop outcome 
measures with respect to sepsis; and 
‘‘(6) carrying out other activities related to sep-
sis, as the Director determines appropriate. 
‘‘(b) REPORT
ON
DEVELOPMENT
OF
OUTCOME 
MEASURES.—Not later than 1 year after the date of en-
actment of the Securing Enhanced Programs, Systems, 
and Initiatives for Sepsis Act, the Director 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 report on 
the development and implementation of outcome measures 
for sepsis, for both adult and pediatric populations, that 
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take into consideration the social and clinical factors that 
affect the likelihood a patient will develop sepsis. 
‘‘(c) ANNUAL BRIEFING ON SEPSIS ACTIVITIES.— 
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the 
Securing Enhanced Programs, Systems, and Initiatives 
for Sepsis Act, and annually thereafter, the Director shall 
present to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce of the House of Representatives a briefing 
on— 
‘‘(1) aggregate data on the adoption by hos-
pitals of sepsis best practices, including the Hospital 
Sepsis Program Core Elements, as reported by hos-
pitals to the Director, using the hospital sepsis pro-
gram assessment tool of the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention and State sepsis reporting 
requirements; 
‘‘(2) rates of pediatric sepsis and efforts to re-
duce cases of pediatric sepsis, including how the 
Hospital Sepsis Program Core Elements can be ef-
fective at supporting efforts to reduce cases of pedi-
atric sepsis; 
‘‘(3) the coordination of sepsis reduction efforts 
across the Department of Health and Human Serv-
ices; 
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‘‘(4) in partnership with the Director of the 
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, an 
evaluation of the impact of the Hospital Sepsis Pro-
gram Core Elements on quality of care for patients; 
‘‘(5) data sharing from the National Healthcare 
Safety Network with other agencies and offices of 
the Department of Health and Human Services with 
respect to sepsis; and 
‘‘(6) a report on the latest datasets on sepsis, 
as provided to the Director by the Director of the 
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. 
‘‘(d) HONOR ROLL PROGRAM.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may estab-
lish a voluntary program for recognizing hospitals 
that maintain effective sepsis programs or improve 
their sepsis programs over time, including in the 
areas of early detection, effective treatment, and 
overall progress in the reduction of the burden of 
sepsis. 
‘‘(2) APPLICATIONS; SELECTION.—In carrying 
out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall— 
‘‘(A) solicit applications from hospitals; 
and 
‘‘(B) establish public benchmarks by which 
the Secretary will select hospitals for recogni-
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tion under such paragraph, including with re-
spect to each area described in such paragraph. 
‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATIONS.—To 
carry out this section, there are authorized to be appro-
priated $20,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 
2030.’’. 
Æ 
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