Smallpox Vaccine Compensation and Safety Act of 2003

Bill: 108-hr-865
Sponsor: Rep. Waxman, Henry A. [D-CA-30]
Introduced: 2003-02-13 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Access to health care
Administrative remedies
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Civil actions and liability
Claims
Collection of accounts
Communication in medicine
Compensation (Law)
Congress
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Damages
Department of Health and Human Services
Disciplining of employees
Discrimination in employment
Economics and Public Finance
Emergency medicine
Employee health benefits
Entitlements
Epidemiology
Estates (Law)
Evidence (Law)
Excise tax
Families
Federal employees
Government Operations and Politics
Government employees' health insurance
Government liability
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Governmental investigations
Grants-in-aid
Health counseling
Health education
Health insurance
Health insurance continuation
Human immunodeficiency viruses
Informed consent (Medical law)
Judicial review
Labor and Employment
Law
Legal fees
Local employees
Medicaid
Medical fees
Medical personnel
Medical screening
Medical supplies
Medical tests
Paramedical personnel
Patients' rights
Pregnancy
Right of privacy
Science, Technology, Communications
Sick leave
Skin diseases
Smallpox
Social Welfare
State employees
Survivors' benefits
Tax penalties
Taxation
Terrorism
Vaccination
Vaccines
Wage restitution
Welfare waivers
Women

Summary:
action_date: 2003-02-13
text: Smallpox Vaccine Compensation and Safety Act of 2003 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to issue grants to State and local governments for various uses related to covered countermeasures against smallpox (countermeasures), including to provide for their administration. Requires States receiving grants to: (1) establish education programs regarding countermeasures; and (2) offer screening and testing for conditions that increase health risks from countermeasures.
Declares that it is illegal for an employer to discriminate against an individual because of a refusal to receive a countermeasure or because of an adverse reaction to a countermeasure.
Directs the Secretary to supply vaccinia immune globulin to anyone receiving vaccinia vaccine if such vaccine is declared a countermeasure.
Requires the Secretary to pay States the costs incurred for medical assistance to health care workers and first responders who suffer adverse reactions from a countermeasure, provided such individuals have not received other specified compensation.
States that this section constitutes budget authority in advance of appropriations Acts.
Amends the Act and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act to require continued coverage of benefits for countermeasure side effects by group health plans maintained by States and subunits of States at the level of such coverage as of September 10, 2001.
Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish a National Smallpox Vaccine Injury Compensation Program, under which compensation may be paid for injury or death related to countermeasures on or after November 25, 2002.

Legislative actions:
action_date: 2003-03-10
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.
action_date: 2003-03-10
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations.
action_date: 2003-02-26
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2003-02-13
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2003-02-13
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2003-02-13
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2003-02-13
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E268)
action_date: 2003-02-13
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2003-02-13
text: Introduced in House