Improving Trauma Systems and Emergency Care Act
Bill: S.3566 | Sponsor: Sen. Reed, Jack (D-RI)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Improving Trauma Systems and Emergency Care Act
This bill reauthorizes through FY2027 and modifies activities of the Department of Health and Human Services related to trauma care.
Specific changes include requiring the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response to develop guidance for and otherwise support states (and consortia of states) to coordinate and improve emergency medical services and trauma care during declared emergencies.
The bill also expands eligibility for and revises (1) grants for improving emergency medical services and trauma care in rural areas, and (2) competitive grants for improving regional emergency medical and trauma systems.

To amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to trauma care.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Trauma Systems and 
Emergency Care Act''.

SEC. 2. TRAUMA CARE REAUTHORIZATION.

    (a) In General.--Section 1201 of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 300d) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in paragraph (3)--
                            (i) by inserting ``analyze,'' after 
                        ``compile,''; and
                            (ii) by inserting ``and medically 
                        underserved areas'' before the semicolon;
                    (B) in paragraph (4), by adding ``and'' after the 
                semicolon;
                    (C) by striking paragraph (5); and
                    (D) by redesignating paragraph (6) as paragraph 
                (5);
            (2) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); and
            (3) by inserting after subsection (a) the following:
    ``(b) Trauma Care Readiness and Coordination.--The Secretary, 
acting through the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, 
shall support the efforts of States and consortia of States to 
coordinate and improve emergency medical services and trauma care 
during a public health emergency declared by the Secretary pursuant to 
section 319 or a major disaster or emergency declared by the President 
under section 401 or 501, respectively, of the Robert T. Stafford 
Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. Such support may 
include--
            ``(1) developing, issuing, and updating guidance, as 
        appropriate, to support the coordinated medical triage and 
        evacuation to appropriate medical institutions based on patient 
        medical need, taking into account regionalized systems of care;
            ``(2) disseminating, as appropriate, information on 
        evidence-based or evidence-informed trauma care practices, 
        taking into consideration emergency medical services and trauma 
        care systems, including such practices identified through 
        activities conducted under subsection (a) and which may include 
        the identification and dissemination of performance metrics, as 
        applicable and appropriate; and
            ``(3) other activities, as appropriate, to optimize a 
        coordinated and flexible approach to the emergency response and 
        medical surge capacity of hospitals, other health care 
        facilities, critical care, and emergency medical systems.''.
    (b) Grants To Improve Trauma Care in Rural Areas.--Section 1202 of 
the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300d-3) is amended--
            (1) by amending the section heading to read as follows: 
        ``grants to improve trauma care in rural areas'';
            (2) by amending subsections (a) and (b) to read as follows:
    ``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall award grants to eligible 
entities for the purpose of carrying out research and demonstration 
projects to support the improvement of emergency medical services and 
trauma care in rural areas through the development of innovative uses 
of technology, training and education, transportation of seriously 
injured patients for the purposes of receiving such emergency medical 
services, access to prehospital care, evaluation of protocols for the 
purposes of improvement of outcomes and dissemination of any related 
best practices, activities to facilitate clinical research, as 
applicable and appropriate, and increasing communication and 
coordination with applicable State or Tribal trauma systems.
    ``(b) Eligible Entities.--
            ``(1) In general.--To be eligible to receive a grant under 
        this section, an entity shall be a public or private entity 
        that provides trauma care in a rural area.
            ``(2) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
        Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that will 
        provide services under the grant in any rural area identified 
        by a State under section 1214(d)(1).''; and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(d) Reports.--An entity that receives a grant under this section 
shall submit to the Secretary such reports as the Secretary may require 
to inform administration of the program under this section.''.
    (c) Pilot Grants for Trauma Centers.--Section 1204 of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300d-6) is amended--
            (1) by amending the section heading to read as follows: 
        ``pilot grants for trauma centers'';
            (2) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) by striking ``not fewer than 4'' and inserting 
                ``10'';
                    (B) by striking ``that design, implement, and 
                evaluate'' and inserting ``to design, implement, and 
                evaluate new or existing'';
                    (C) by striking ``emergency care'' and inserting 
                ``emergency medical''; and
                    (D) by inserting ``, and improve access to trauma 
                care within such systems'' before the period;
            (3) in subsection (b)(1), by striking subparagraphs (A) and 
        (B) and inserting the following:
                    ``(A) a State or consortia of States;
                    ``(B) an Indian Tribe or Tribal organization (as 
                defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-Determination 
                and Education Assistance Act);
                    ``(C) a consortium of level I, II, or III trauma 
                centers designated by applicable State or local 
                agencies within an applicable State or region, and, as 
                applicable, other emergency services providers; or
                    ``(D) a consortium or partnership of nonprofit 
                Indian Health Service, Indian Tribal, and urban Indian 
                trauma centers.'';
            (4) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1)--
                            (i) by striking ``that proposes a pilot 
                        project''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``an emergency medical and 
                        trauma system that--'' and inserting ``a new or 
                        existing emergency medical and trauma system. 
                        Such eligible entity shall use amounts awarded 
                        under this subsection to carry out 2 or more of 
                        the following activities:'';
                    (B) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) by striking ``coordinates'' and 
                        inserting ``Strengthening coordination and 
                        communication''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``an approach to emergency 
                        medical and trauma system access throughout the 
                        region, including 9-1-1 Public Safety Answering 
                        Points and emergency medical dispatch;'' and 
                        inserting ``approaches to improve situational 
                        awareness and emergency medical and trauma 
                        system access, including distribution of 
                        patients during a mass casualty incident, 
                        throughout the region.'';
                    (C) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) by striking ``includes'' and inserting 
                        ``Providing'';
                            (ii) by inserting ``support patient 
                        movement to'' after ``region to''; and
                            (iii) by striking the semicolon and 
                        inserting a period;
                    (D) in paragraph (3)--
                            (i) by striking ``allows for'' and 
                        inserting ``Improving''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``; and'' and inserting a 
                        period;
                    (E) in paragraph (4), by striking ``includes a 
                consistent'' and inserting ``Supporting a consistent''; 
                and
                    (F) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(5) Establishing, implementing, and disseminating, or 
        utilizing existing, as applicable, evidence-based or evidence-
        informed practices across facilities within such emergency 
        medical and trauma system to improve health outcomes, including 
        such practices related to management of injuries, and the 
        ability of such facilities to surge.
            ``(6) Conducting activities to facilitate clinical 
        research, as applicable and appropriate.'';
            (5) in subsection (d)(2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A)--
                            (i) in the matter preceding clause (i), by 
                        striking ``the proposed'' and inserting ``the 
                        applicable emergency medical and trauma 
                        system'';
                            (ii) in clause (i), by inserting ``or 
                        Tribal entity'' after ``equivalent State 
                        office''; and
                            (iii) in clause (vi), by striking ``; and'' 
                        and inserting a semicolon;
                    (B) by redesignating subparagraph (B) as 
                subparagraph (C); and
                    (C) by inserting after subparagraph (A) the 
                following:
                    ``(B) for eligible entities described in 
                subparagraph (C) or (D) of subsection (b)(1), a 
                description of, and evidence of, coordination with the 
                applicable State Office of Emergency Medical Services 
                (or equivalent State Office) or applicable such office 
                for a Tribe or Tribal organization; and'';
            (6) in subsection (e)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``$1 for each 
                $3'' and inserting ``$1 for each $5''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive all or part of the 
        matching requirement described in paragraph (1) for any fiscal 
        year for a State, consortia of States, Indian Tribe or Tribal 
        organization, or trauma center, if the Secretary determines 
        that applying such matching requirement would result in serious 
        hardship or an inability to carry out the purposes of the pilot 
        program.'';
            (7) in subsection (f), by striking ``population in a 
        medically underserved area'' and inserting ``medically 
        underserved population'';
            (8) in subsection (g)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
                striking ``described in'';
                    (B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``the system 
                characteristics that contribute to'' and inserting 
                ``opportunities for improvement, including 
                recommendations for how to improve'';
                    (C) by striking paragraph (4);
                    (D) by redesignating paragraphs (5) and (6) as 
                paragraphs (4) and (5), respectively;
                    (E) in paragraph (4), as so redesignated, by 
                striking ``; and'' and inserting a semicolon;
                    (F) in paragraph (5), as so redesignated, by 
                striking the period and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (G) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(6) any evidence-based or evidence-informed strategies 
        developed or utilized pursuant to subsection (c)(5).''; and
            (9) by amending subsection (h) to read as follows:
    ``(h) Dissemination of Findings.--Not later than 1 year after the 
completion of the final project under subsection (a), the Secretary 
shall submit 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 report describing the information contained in each 
report submitted pursuant to subsection (g) and any additional actions 
planned by the Secretary related to regionalized emergency care and 
trauma systems.''.
    (d) Program Funding.--Section 1232(a) of the Public Health Service 
Act (42 U.S.C. 300d-32(a)) is amended by striking ``2010 through 2014'' 
and inserting ``2023 through 2027''.
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