I 
117TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 976 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to expand, enhance, and improve 
applicable public health data systems used by the Centers for Disease 
Control and Prevention, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 11, 2021 
Ms. CASTOR of Florida (for herself and Ms. UNDERWOOD) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Re-
form, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for 
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Public Health Service Act to expand, enhance, 
and improve applicable public health data systems used 
by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 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 ‘‘Ensuring Transparent 
Honest Information on COVID–19 Act’’ or the ‘‘ETHIC 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. REQUIRED REPORTING BY STATE, LOCAL, TRIBAL, 
OR TERRITORIAL GOVERNMENTS REGARD-
ING COVID–19. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—As a condition on receipt of funds 
through a covered grant or cooperative agreement, a 
State, local, Tribal, or Territorial government shall agree 
to direct the appropriate State, local, Tribal, or Territorial 
governmental entity (including any public health depart-
ment thereof) to report to the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention, with respect to the jurisdiction involved 
and COVID–19— 
(1) on a daily basis, the information listed in 
subsection (d); and 
(2) on a weekly basis, the information listed in 
subsection (e). 
(b) TRIBAL WAIVER.— 
(1) REVIEW AND DISPOSITION.—Upon the re-
ceipt of a written request from a Tribal government, 
or consortia thereof, for a waiver of the conditions 
specified in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection 
(a), the Director of the Centers for Disease Control 
and Prevention shall, not later than 30 days after 
receipt of such request, approve or deny it. 
(2) DENIALS.—In the case of a denial of a re-
quest under paragraph (1), the Director of the Cen-
ters for Disease Control and Prevention shall— 
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(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) The Coronavirus Preparedness and Re-
sponse Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 
(Public Law 116–123). 
(2) The Families First Coronavirus Response 
Act (Public Law 116–127). 
(3) The CARES Act (Public Law 116–136). 
(4) The Paycheck Protection Program and 
Health Care Enhancement Act (Public Law 116– 
139). 
(5) The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 
(Public Law 116–260). 
(d) DAILY REPORTING.—The information to be re-
ported daily pursuant to subsection (a)(1) consists of the 
following, disaggregated to the county level if applicable: 
(1) Demographic characteristics, including, in a 
de-identified, disaggregated, and stratified manner, 
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race, ethnicity, age, sex, geographic region, and 
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 (molecular and anti-
gen); 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 
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stratified by race, ethnicity, age, sex, geographic re-
gion, and other relevant factors. 
(17) The number of residents in nursing homes 
and assisted living facilities with a suspected or con-
firmed case of COVID–19. 
(18) The number of residents in nursing homes 
and assisted living facilities who have died from 
COVID–19. 
(19) The number of staff in nursing homes and 
assisted living facilities with a suspected or con-
firmed case of COVID–19. 
(20) 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, disaggregated to the county level if applicable: 
(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. 
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(4) The following information, in a manner that 
is de-identified, and is disaggregated and stratified 
by race, ethnicity, age, sex, geographic region, and 
other relevant factors, to the extent such informa-
tion is available: 
(A) New suspected and confirmed cases of 
COVID–19 per 100,000 individuals. 
(B) The percent change in new suspected 
and confirmed cases of COVID–19 per 100,000 
individuals. 
(C) The number of COVID–19 vaccine 
doses administered. 
(D) The number of individuals receiving a 
first dose of COVID–19 vaccine. 
(E) The number of individuals completing 
a vaccination course for COVID–19. 
(5) The number of COVID–19 vaccine doses re-
ceived by the reporting State, local, Tribal, or Terri-
torial government, disaggregated by supplier. 
(6) The number of nursing home and assisted 
living residents who have received a first dose of 
COVID–19 vaccine. 
(7) The number of nursing home and assisted 
living residents who have completed a vaccination 
course for COVID–19. 
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