Public Health Emergency Fund Act

Bill: 116-hr-5723
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. DeLauro, Rosa L. [D-CT-3]
Introduced: 2020-01-30
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Appropriations

Budget deficits and national debt

Budget process

Department of Health and Human Services

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Health programs administration and funding

Health technology, devices, supplies

Infectious and parasitic diseases

Strategic materials and reserves
Latest action: action_date: 2020-01-30
text: Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committee on the Budget, 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.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-01-30
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Public Health Emergency Fund Act </b></p> <p>This bill provides $5 billion in supplemental appropriations to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for the Public Health Emergency Fund. </p> <p>The bill designates the funds as an emergency requirement and provides that the funds are only available if the President subsequently designates the funds. (Emergency spending is exempt from discretionary spending limits and other budget enforcement rules.) </p> <p>HHS may use the funds provided by this bill to acquire products such as drugs, vaccines and other biological products, and medical devices for deposit into the Strategic National Stockpile. </p> <p>The bill also exempts the Public Health Emergency Fund from sequestration, which is a process of automatic, usually across-the-board spending reductions under which budgetary resources are permanently cancelled to enforce specific budget policy goals. </p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 5723 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 30, 2020 Ms. DeLauro introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Appropriations , and in addition to the Committee on the Budget , 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 A BILL To make a supplemental appropriation for the Public Health Emergency Fund, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Public Health Emergency Fund Act . 2. Supplemental appropriation for the Public Health Emergency Fund (a) Appropriation There is appropriated, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for an additional amount for carrying out section 319(a) of the Public Health Service Act, $5,000,000,000, to be available until expended. Such amount shall be deposited into the Fund established under section 319(b) of such Act. (b) Emergency designation The amount made available by subsection (a)— (1) is designated by Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985; and (2) shall be available only if the President subsequently so designates such amount. (c) Deposit in Strategic National Stockpile The activities under section 319(a) of the Public Health Service Act that are funded under this section may include the acquisition of products for deposit into the strategic national stockpile maintained under section 319F–2 of such Act. 3. Exemption of the Public Health Emergency Fund from sequestration (a) In general Section 255(g)(1)(A) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 is amended by inserting Public Health Emergency Fund (009–91–9913). after the item relating to Postal Service Fund (18–4020–0–3–372). . (b) Application The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply to any sequestration order issued under such Act on or after the date of enactment of this section.