COVID–19 Testing, Reaching, And Contacting Everyone (TRACE) Act
Bill: H.R.726 | Sponsor: Rep. Rush, Bobby L. (D-IL)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
COVID-19 Testing, Reaching, And Contacting Everyone (TRACE) Act
This bill authorizes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to award grants for testing, contact tracing, monitoring, and other activities to address COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Entities eligible for these grants include certain clinics and hospitals, nonprofits, and schools.

To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants 
 to eligible entities to conduct diagnostic testing for COVID-19, and 
related activities such as contact tracing, through mobile health units 
 and, as necessary, at individuals' residences, and for other purposes.

    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 ``COVID-19 Testing, Reaching, And 
Contacting Everyone (TRACE) Act''.

SEC. 2. COVID-19 TESTING AND CONTACT TRACING USING MOBILE HEALTH UNITS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting 
through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 
may award grants to eligible entities to conduct diagnostic testing for 
COVID-19, to trace and monitor the contacts of infected individuals, 
and to support the quarantine of such contacts, through--
            (1) mobile health units; and
            (2) as necessary, testing individuals and providing 
        individuals with services related to testing and quarantine at 
        their residences.
    (b) Permissible Uses of Funds.--A grant recipient under this 
section may use the grant funds, in support of the activities described 
in subsection (a)--
            (1) to hire, train, compensate, and pay the expenses of 
        individuals; and
            (2) to purchase personal protective equipment and other 
        supplies.
    (c) Priority.--In selecting grant recipients under this section, 
the Secretary shall give priority to--
            (1) applicants proposing to conduct activities funded under 
        this section in hot spots and medically underserved 
        communities; and
            (2) applicants that agree, in hiring individuals to carry 
        out activities funded under this section, to hire residents of 
        the area or community where the activities will primarily 
        occur, with higher priority among applicants described in this 
        paragraph given based on the percentage of individuals to be 
        hired from such area or community.
    (d) Distribution.--In selecting grant recipients under this 
section, the Secretary shall ensure that grants are distributed across 
urban and rural areas.
    (e) Federal Privacy Requirements.--Nothing in this section shall be 
construed to supersede any Federal privacy or confidentiality 
requirement, including the regulations promulgated under section 264(c) 
of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 
(Public Law 104-191; 110 Stat. 2033) and section 543 of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290dd-2).
    (f) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``eligible entity'' means--
                    (A) a federally qualified health center (as defined 
                in section 1861(aa) of the Social Security Act (42 
                U.S.C. 1395x(aa)));
                    (B) a school-based health clinic;
                    (C) a disproportionate share hospital (as defined 
                under the applicable State plan under title XIX of the 
                Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) pursuant 
                to section 1923(a)(1)(A) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1396r-
                4));
                    (D) an academic medical center;
                    (E) a nonprofit organization (including any such 
                faith-based organization);
                    (F) an institution of higher education (as defined 
                in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 1001));
                    (G) a high school (as defined in section 8101 of 
                the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 
                U.S.C. 7801)); or
                    (H) any other type of entity that is determined by 
                the Secretary to be an eligible entity for purposes of 
                this section.
            (2) The term ``emergency period'' has the meaning given to 
        that term in section 1135(g)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act 
        (42 U.S.C. 1320b-5(g)(1)(B)).
            (3) The term ``hot spot'' means a geographic area where the 
        rate of infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 exceeds 
        the national average.
            (4) The term ``medically underserved community'' has the 
        meaning given to that term in section 799B of the Public Health 
        Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295p).
            (5) The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Health 
        and Human Services.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section, 
there are authorized to be appropriated--
            (1) $100,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2021; and
            (2) such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal year 
        2022 and any subsequent fiscal year during which the emergency 
        period continues.
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