Title: Strengthening the National Disaster Medical System Act of 2019
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Strengthening the National Disaster Medical System Act of 2019
This bill makes several changes to the National Disaster Medical System, which is administered by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. Among other changes, the bill requires an agency review of the capacity of the system's workforce of intermittent disaster-response personnel to meet the needs of public health emergencies, and temporarily alters the appointment process to address workforce shortages.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 11 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 11

   To amend the Public Health Service Act to strengthen the National 
            Disaster Medical System, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            January 3, 2019

 Mr. Rubio (for himself and Mr. Cornyn) introduced the following bill; 
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, 
                     Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend the Public Health Service Act to strengthen the National 
            Disaster Medical System, 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 ``Strengthening the National Disaster 
Medical System Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL DISASTER MEDICAL SYSTEM.

    (a) Strengthening the National Disaster Medical System.--Clause 
(ii) of section 2812(a)(3)(A) of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 300hh-11(a)(3)(A)) is amended to read as follows:
                            ``(ii) be present at locations, and for 
                        limited periods of time, specified by the 
                        Secretary on the basis that the Secretary has 
                        determined that a location is at risk of a 
                        public health emergency during the time 
                        specified, or there is a significant potential 
                        for a public health emergency.''.
    (b) Review of the National Disaster Medical System.--Section 
2812(b)(2) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300hh-11(b)(2)) 
is amended to read as follows:
            ``(2) Joint review and medical surge capacity strategic 
        plan.--
                    ``(A) Review.--Not later than 180 days after the 
                date of enactment of the Strengthening the National 
                Disaster Medical System Act of 2019, the Secretary, in 
                coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security, 
                the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Veterans 
                Affairs, shall conduct a joint review of the National 
                Disaster Medical System. Such review shall include--
                            ``(i) an evaluation of medical surge 
                        capacity, as described in section 2803(a);
                            ``(ii) an assessment of the available 
                        workforce of the intermittent disaster response 
                        personnel described in subsection (c);
                            ``(iii) the capacity of the workforce 
                        described in clause (ii) to respond to all 
                        hazards, including the capacity to 
                        simultaneously respond to multiple public 
                        health emergencies and the capacity to respond 
                        to a nationwide public health emergency;
                            ``(iv) the effectiveness of efforts to 
                        recruit, retain, and train such workforce; and
                            ``(v) gaps that may exist in such workforce 
                        and recommendations for addressing such gaps.
                    ``(B) Updates.--As part of the National Health 
                Security Strategy under section 2802, the Secretary 
                shall update the findings from the review under 
                subparagraph (A) and provide recommendations to modify 
                the policies of the National Disaster Medical System as 
                necessary.''.
    (c) Notification of Shortage.--Section 2812(c) of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300hh-11(c)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
            ``(3) Notification.--Not later than 30 days after the date 
        on which the Secretary determines the number of intermittent 
        disaster-response personnel of the National Disaster Medical 
        System is insufficient to address a public health emergency or 
        potential public health emergency, the Secretary shall submit 
        to the congressional committees of jurisdiction a notification 
        detailing--
                    ``(A) the impact such shortage could have on 
                meeting public health needs and emergency medical 
                personnel needs during a public health emergency; and
                    ``(B) any identified measures to address such 
                shortage.
            ``(4) Certain appointments.--
                    ``(A) In general.--If the Secretary determines that 
                the number of intermittent disaster response personnel 
                within the National Disaster Medical System under this 
                section is insufficient to address a public health 
                emergency or potential public health emergency, the 
                Secretary may appoint candidates directly to personnel 
                positions for intermittent disaster response within 
                such system without regard to the provisions of 
                sections 3309 through 3318 of title 5, United States 
                Code. The Secretary shall provide updates on the number 
                of vacant or unfilled positions within such system to 
                the congressional committees of jurisdiction each 
                quarter for which this authority is in effect.
                    ``(B) Sunset.--The authority under this paragraph 
                shall expire on September 30, 2022.''.
                                 <all>