COVID–19 Health Disparities Action Act of 2021
Bill: S.465 | Sponsor: Sen. Menendez, Robert (D-NJ)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
COVID-19 Health Disparities Action Act of 2021
This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to raise awareness about COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) and promote vaccination among racial and ethnic minority groups and other populations that have experienced health disparities related to the disease.
The CDC must conduct, subject to available funding, a public awareness campaign that targets those populations. The CDC must coordinate the campaign with the White House COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force and other federal, state, tribal, and local entities.
The CDC must also award grants to health departments for similar COVID-19 awareness campaigns. Grant-funded campaigns must complement the CDC's campaign, as well as other efforts to inform the public about the disease. In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services must develop prototype materials for grantees to use in their campaigns.

To establish and support public awareness campaigns to address COVID-
         19-related health disparities and promote vaccination.

    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 Health Disparities Action 
Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. FEDERAL PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS TO ADDRESS COVID-19-RELATED 
              HEALTH DISPARITIES AND PROMOTE VACCINATION.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and in coordination with the 
White House COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force, the Office of Minority 
Health of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Surgeon 
General, the National Vaccine Program Office, and, as appropriate, in 
coordination with the relevant Offices of Minority Health in the 
Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institute on 
Minority Health and Health Disparities, the Indian Health Service, and 
other relevant Federal offices and agencies, shall, subject to the 
availability of funding, develop and implement public awareness 
campaigns about COVID-19 vaccination and other relevant information 
about COVID-19 directed at racial and ethnic minority, rural, and other 
vulnerable populations that have experienced health disparities during 
the COVID-19 public health emergency related to rates of vaccination, 
testing, infection, hospitalization, and death.
    (b) Requirements.--The public awareness campaigns under this 
section shall--
            (1) prioritize communities where the greatest health 
        disparities have been identified with respect to rates of 
        vaccination, testing, infection, hospitalization, and death 
        related to COVID-19, with a focus on disparities affecting 
        racial and ethnic minority, rural, and other vulnerable 
        populations;
            (2) be accessible, culturally competent, and, as 
        appropriate, multilingual;
            (3) use print, radio, or internet media, including 
        partnerships with social media influencers and thought leaders, 
        or other forms of public communication, including local, 
        independent, or community-based written news and electronic 
        publications; and
            (4) provide information based on scientific evidence, 
        dispel misinformation, and promote transparency regarding--
                    (A) COVID-19 vaccination, which may include 
                information regarding--
                            (i) the effects of COVID-19 vaccination on 
                        disease transmission and severity, and the 
                        associated health impacts for individuals, 
                        communities, or the Nation;
                            (ii) the effects of COVID-19 vaccination on 
                        the economic health of communities or the 
                        Nation;
                            (iii) the current or upcoming availability 
                        of COVID-19 vaccination with no cost-sharing 
                        for most United States residents;
                            (iv) locations where COVID-19 vaccinations 
                        are or will be available;
                            (v) any relevant information regarding 
                        vaccination allocation or populations that are 
                        prioritized for vaccination in the region; and
                            (vi) any other information regarding COVID-
                        19 vaccination, as the Secretary determines 
                        appropriate;
                    (B) COVID-19 testing, which may include information 
                regarding--
                            (i) the effects of COVID-19 testing on 
                        disease transmission;
                            (ii) the availability of COVID-19 testing 
                        with no cost-sharing for most United States 
                        residents; and
                            (iii) locations where COVID-19 testing is 
                        available in the region;
                    (C) the actions that individuals may take to 
                protect themselves from COVID-19, which may include 
                masking and social distancing; or
                    (D) any other topics related to COVID-19, as the 
                Secretary determines appropriate.
    (c) Coordination.--The public awareness campaigns under this 
section shall be complementary to, and coordinated with, any other 
Federal, State, Tribal, and local efforts, including the grant program 
described in section 3, as appropriate.
    (d) Report to Congress.--Not later than 45 days after the date on 
which amounts are made available to the Secretary under this section, 
the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on how such funds have 
been used during such 45-day period and a plan for using any remaining 
funds within the next 45 days.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for fiscal year 
2021.

SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM FOR PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS TO ADDRESS COVID-
              19-RELATED HEALTH DISPARITIES AND PROMOTE VACCINATION.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of the 
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and in coordination with the 
White House COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force, the Office of Minority 
Health of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Surgeon 
General, the National Vaccine Program Office, and, as appropriate, in 
coordination with the relevant Offices of Minority Health in the 
Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institute on 
Minority Health and Health Disparities, the Indian Health Service, and 
other relevant Federal offices and agencies, shall award competitive 
grants to State, Tribal, and territorial health departments to support 
public awareness campaigns about COVID-19 directed at racial and ethnic 
minority, rural, and other vulnerable populations that have experienced 
health disparities during the COVID-19 public health emergency related 
to rates of vaccination, testing, infection, hospitalization, and 
death.
    (b) Eligible Local Entities.--Recipients of grants under this 
section may disseminate the grant funding to eligible local entities, 
which may include local health departments, nonprofit community-based 
organizations, Tribal organizations, urban Indian organizations, health 
care providers, institutions of higher education, and nonprofit faith-
based organizations, to develop and implement the public awareness 
campaigns described in subsection (a).
    (c) Prototypes.--The Secretary shall develop prototype campaign 
materials and make such materials available on the internet website of 
the Department of Health and Human Services for grant recipients and 
eligible local entities to adapt as needed to meet the needs of local 
communities.
    (d) Requirements.--The public awareness campaigns under this 
section shall--
            (1) prioritize communities where the greatest health 
        disparities have been identified with respect to rates of 
        vaccination, testing, infection, hospitalization, and death 
        related to COVID-19, with a focus on disparities affecting 
        racial and ethnic minority, rural, and other vulnerable 
        populations;
            (2) be accessible, culturally competent, and, as 
        appropriate, multilingual;
            (3) use print, radio, or internet media, including 
        partnerships with social media influencers and thought leaders, 
        or other forms of public communication, including local, 
        independent, or community-based written news and electronic 
        publications; and
            (4) provide information based on scientific evidence, 
        dispel misinformation, and promote transparency regarding--
                    (A) COVID-19 vaccination, which may include 
                information regarding--
                            (i) the effects of COVID-19 vaccination on 
                        disease transmission and severity, and the 
                        associated health impacts for individuals, 
                        communities, or the Nation;
                            (ii) the effects of COVID-19 vaccination on 
                        the economic health of communities or the 
                        Nation;
                            (iii) the current or upcoming availability 
                        of COVID-19 vaccination with no cost-sharing 
                        for most United States residents;
                            (iv) locations where COVID-19 vaccinations 
                        are or will be available;
                            (v) any relevant information regarding 
                        vaccination allocation or populations that are 
                        prioritized for vaccination in the region; and
                            (vi) any other information regarding COVID-
                        19 vaccination, as the Secretary determines 
                        appropriate;
                    (B) COVID-19 testing, which may include information 
                regarding--
                            (i) the effects of COVID-19 testing on 
                        disease transmission;
                            (ii) the availability of COVID-19 testing 
                        with no cost-sharing for most United States 
                        residents; and
                            (iii) locations where COVID-19 testing is 
                        available in the region;
                    (C) the actions that individuals may take to 
                protect themselves from COVID-19, which may include 
                masking and social distancing; or
                    (D) any other topics related to COVID-19, as the 
                Secretary determines appropriate.
    (e) Coordination.--The public health campaigns supported by grants 
awarded under this section shall be complementary to, and coordinated 
with, any other Federal, State, or local efforts, including the public 
awareness campaigns described in section 2, as appropriate.
    (f) Timing.--The Secretary shall award the grants under this 
section not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act.
    (g) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2021 
and $25,000,000 for fiscal year 2022.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act--
            (1) the term ``COVID-19 public health emergency'' means the 
        public health emergency first declared by the Secretary of 
        Health and Human Services under section 319 of the Public 
        Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) on January 31, 2020, with 
        respect to COVID-19;
            (2) the term ``racial and ethnic minority'' has the meaning 
        given the term ``racial and ethnic minority group'' in section 
        1707(g) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u-6(g));
            (3) the term ``relevant Offices of Minority Health in the 
        Department of Health and Human Services'' may include--
                    (A) the Office of Extramural Research, Education, 
                and Priority Populations of the Agency for Healthcare 
                Research and Quality;
                    (B) the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity 
                of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;
                    (C) the Office of Minority Health of the Centers 
                for Medicare & Medicaid Services;
                    (D) the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity 
                of the Food and Drug Administration;
                    (E) the Office of Health Equity of the Health 
                Resources and Services Administration; and
                    (F) the Office of Behavioral Health Equity of the 
                Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
                Administration;
            (4) the term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Health 
        and Human Services;
            (5) the term ``Tribal organization'' has the meanings given 
        the term ``tribal organization'' in section 4 of the Indian 
        Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 
        5304); and
            (6) the term ``urban Indian organization'' has the meaning 
        given the term in section 4 of the Indian Health Care 
        Improvement Act (25 U.S.C. 1603).
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