Title: Worst-Case Scenario Hospital Preparedness Act
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Worst-Case Scenario Hospital Preparedness Act
This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services to enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Medicine, or another appropriate entity, to evaluate the preparedness of hospitals, long-term care facilities, dialysis centers, and other medical facilities nationwide for public health emergencies, including natural disasters. The evaluations must review facilities' current policies, assess grant programs affecting these facilities, and recommend best practices.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4572 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4572

 To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to enter into an 
   arrangement with the National Academy of Medicine to evaluate the 
preparedness of hospitals, long-term care facilities, dialysis centers, 
      and other medical facilities for public health emergencies.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 6, 2017

 Mrs. Dingell (for herself and Mr. Webster of Florida) introduced the 
   following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and 
                                Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to enter into an 
   arrangement with the National Academy of Medicine to evaluate the 
preparedness of hospitals, long-term care facilities, dialysis centers, 
      and other medical facilities for public health emergencies.

    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 ``Worst-Case Scenario Hospital 
Preparedness Act''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL ACADEMY OF MEDICINE EVALUATION AND REPORT ON THE 
              PREPAREDNESS OF HOSPITALS, LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES, 
              DIALYSIS CENTERS, AND OTHER MEDICAL FACILITIES FOR PUBLIC 
              HEALTH EMERGENCIES.

    (a) Evaluation.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services shall enter into an arrangement with the National 
        Academy of Medicine or, if the National Academy declines to 
        enter into such an arrangement, another appropriate entity 
        under which the National Academy (or other appropriate entity) 
        agrees to evaluate the preparedness of hospitals, long-term 
        care facilities, dialysis centers, and other medical facilities 
        nationwide for public health emergencies, including natural 
        disasters.
            (2) Specific matters evaluated.--The arrangement under 
        paragraph (1) shall require the National Academy of Medicine 
        (or other appropriate entity)--
                    (A) to catalogue, review, and evaluate the efficacy 
                of current rules and regulations for hospitals, long-
                term care facilities, dialysis centers, and medical 
                facilities regarding emergency preparedness planning;
                    (B) to identify and prioritize options to implement 
                policies for hospitals, long-term care facilities, 
                dialysis centers, and other medical facilities 
                nationwide that address future threats;
                    (C) to review all Federal grant programs that 
                affect the preparedness of hospitals, long-term care 
                facilities, dialysis centers, or other medical 
                facilities for public health emergencies and provide 
                recommendations for improving such preparedness by--
                            (i) improving such existing Federal grant 
                        programs; or
                            (ii) creating new Federal grant programs;
                    (D) to review, identify, and recommend best 
                practices for improving emergency preparedness at 
                hospitals, long-term care facilities, dialysis centers, 
                and other medical facilities;
                    (E) to identify and recommend best sources and 
                guidelines for alterative or emergency power systems, 
                including renewable sources, battery storage, and 
                generators; and
                    (F) to identify and recommend best practices and 
                guidelines for emergency preparedness planning at 
                hospitals, long-term care facilities, dialysis centers, 
                and other medical facilities related to access clean 
                water.
    (b) Report.--
            (1) In general.--The arrangement under subsection (a)(1) 
        shall require the National Academy of Medicine (or other 
        appropriate entity) to submit to the Secretary of Health and 
        Human Services and the Congress, not later than 18 months after 
        the date of enactment of this Act, a report on the results of 
        the evaluation conducted pursuant to this section.
            (2) Contents.--The report under paragraph (1) shall--
                    (A) describe the findings and conclusions of the 
                evaluation conducted pursuant to this section; and
                    (B) include a strategy for improving the 
                preparedness of hospitals, long-term care facilities, 
                dialysis centers, and other medical facilities 
                nationwide for public health emergencies, including 
                natural disasters.
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