Border Health Security Act of 2011

Bill: 112-hr-2298
Sponsor: Rep. Reyes, Silvestre [D-TX-16]
Introduced: 2011-06-22 in the House
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Advisory bodies
Arizona
Building construction
California
Canada
Cancer
Child health
Dental care
Domestic violence and child abuse
Drug, alcohol, tobacco use
Emergency communications systems
Emergency medical services and trauma care
Emergency planning and evacuation
Employment and training programs
Environmental health
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health facilities and institutions
Health information and medical records
Health programs administration and funding
Health promotion and preventive care
Infectious and parasitic diseases
International organizations and cooperation
Latin America
Medical research
Medical tests and diagnostic methods
Mental health
Mexico
New Mexico
Nutrition and diet
Sex and reproductive health
Terrorism
Texas
Women's health
World health

Summary:
action_date: 2011-06-22
text: 
Border Health Security Act of 2011 - Amends the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission Act to revise the duties of the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission to include serving as an independent and objective body to both recommend and implement initiatives that solve border health issues.
 
Authorizes a member of the Commission to provide advice or recommendations to Congress concerning issues that are considered by the Commission.
 
Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the members of the Commission, to award grants to eligible entities to improve the health of individuals residing in the United States-Mexico Border Area.
 
Requires the Secretary to award grants under the Early Warning Infectious Disease Surveillance project to eligible entities for infection disease surveillance activities in the United States-Mexico Border Area.
 
Requires the Commission to: (1) prepare a binational strategic plan to guide the operations of the Commission, and (2) develop and approve an operational work plan and budget based on the strategic plan. 
 
Requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct an evaluation of Commission activities.
 
Requires the Secretary to enter into a contract with the Institute of Medicine for a study concerning binational health infrastructure, with respect to the United States and Mexico and the United States and Canada (including trauma and emergency care), and health insurance efforts. 
 
Authorizes the Secretary to coordinate with the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) in establishing a health alert system that: (1) alerts clinicians and public health officials of emerging disease clusters and syndromes along the United States-Mexico Border Area; and (2) is alerted to signs of health threats, disasters of mass scale, or bioterrorism along the United States-Mexico Border Area.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2011-10-25
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere.
action_date: 2011-10-25
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights.
action_date: 2011-06-22
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
action_date: 2011-06-22
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 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: 2011-06-22
text: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 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: 2011-06-22
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2011-06-22
text: Introduced in House