I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 379 
To authorize the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
to carry out a Social Determinants of Health Program, and for other 
purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 21, 2021 
Ms. BARRAGA´N (for herself, Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Mr. CA´RDENAS, Ms. CLARKE 
of New York, Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER, Mr. RUSH, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, 
Mr. WELCH, Mr. KHANNA, Mr. DEUTCH, Ms. UNDERWOOD, Mr. HIG-
GINS of New York, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. COHEN, 
Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. 
CARSON, Ms. NORTON, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. SPANBERGER, Ms. JACKSON 
LEE, Mr. MORELLE, Mr. SABLAN, Ms. SA´NCHEZ, Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois, 
Mr. KILDEE, Mr. LEVIN of California, Ms. PORTER, and Ms. GARCIA of 
Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To authorize the Director of the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention to carry out a Social Determinants of 
Health Program, and for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Improving Social De-
terminants of Health Act of 2021’’. 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:32 Feb 08, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H379.IH
H379
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) Healthy People 2030 defines social deter-
minants of health as conditions in the environments 
where people are born, live, learn, work, play, wor-
ship, and age that affect a wide range of health, 
functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks. 
(2) One of the overarching goals of Healthy 
People 2030 is to ‘‘create social, physical, and eco-
nomic environments that promote attaining the full 
potential for health and well-being for all’’. 
(3) Healthy People 2030 developed a ‘‘place- 
based’’ organizing framework, reflecting five key 
areas of social determinants of health namely— 
(A) economic stability; 
(B) education access and quality; 
(C) social and community context; 
(D) health care access and quality; and 
(E) neighborhood and built environment. 
(4) It is estimated that medical care accounts 
for only 10 to 20 percent of the modifiable contribu-
tors to healthy outcomes for a population. 
(5) The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Serv-
ices has indicated the importance of the social deter-
minants in its work stating that, ‘‘As we seek to fos-
ter innovation, rethink rural health, find solutions to 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:32 Feb 08, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H379.IH
H379
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
the opioid epidemic, and continue to put patients 
first, we need to take into account social deter-
minants of health and recognize their importance.’’. 
(6) The Department of Health and Human 
Services’ Public Health 3.0 initiative recognizes the 
role of public health in working across sectors on so-
cial determinants of health, as well as the role of 
public health as chief health strategist in commu-
nities. 
(7) Through its Health Impact in 5 Years ini-
tiative, the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-
tion has highlighted nonclinical, community-wide ap-
proaches that show positive health impacts, results 
within five years, and cost-effectiveness or cost-sav-
ings over the lifetime of the population or earlier. 
(8) Health departments and the Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention are not funded for 
such cross-cutting work. 
SEC. 3. SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH PROGRAM. 
(a) PROGRAM.—To the extent and in the amounts 
made available in advance in appropriations Acts, the Di-
rector of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
(in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Director’’) shall carry out 
a program, to be known as the Social Determinants of 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
00:32 Feb 08, 2021
Jkt 019200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H379.IH
H379
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS