STOP COVID–19 Act

Bill: 116-s-5073
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Scott, Rick [R-FL]
Introduced: 2020-12-19
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Cardiovascular and respiratory health

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Employee hiring

Government information and archives

Health information and medical records

Health personnel

Health programs administration and funding

Health promotion and preventive care

Health technology, devices, supplies

Infectious and parasitic diseases

Medical tests and diagnostic methods

Performance measurement

State and local government operations
Latest action: action_date: 2020-12-19
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-12-19
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Set Testing and Objectives Plan for COVID-19 Act or the STOP COVID-19 Act</b></p> <p>This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a temporary grant program for local governments that have health departments to carry out testing, contact tracing, and other activities to reduce the spread of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). HHS may use unobligated funds from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund for these grants.</p>

tv_txt: II 116th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 5073 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES December 19, 2020 Mr. Scott of Florida introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To establish a program to support county and municipal government entities in reducing the spread of COVID–19 through standardized testing and evaluation measures, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Set Testing and Objectives Plan for COVID–19 Act or the STOP COVID–19 Act . 2. Program for COVID–19 testing, contact tracing, and other efforts to reduce the spread of COVID–19 (a) In general The Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to in this section as the Secretary ) shall establish a program to award grants to county and municipal government entities, to support COVID–19 testing, contact tracing, and other efforts to reduce the spread of COVID–19 in such counties and municipalities. (b) Eligible entities To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, a county or municipal government entity shall— (1) have a public health department; and (2) submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including the entity's operational plan and proposed uses of the grant funds. (c) Technical support The Secretary shall provide technical assistance to the public health department of government entities awarded a grant under this section. (d) Use of funds Grants awarded under this section may be used in support of programs to increase COVID–19 testing and to reduce the spread of COVID–19, which may include hiring staff for COVID–19 testing centers, funding mobile testing centers, hiring contact tracers, purchasing IT equipment, conducting public awareness campaigns, and paying for COVID–19 testing or testing related equipment. (e) Requirements (1) In general Each government entity receiving a grant under this section shall— (A) develop a data-driven program for COVID–19 testing, contact tracing, and other efforts to stop the spread of COVID–19; (B) operate a searchable, publicly available website that lists every participating COVID–19 PCR testing center in the jurisdiction and, with respect to each such center, state— (i) whether testing is free or the cost of such testing; (ii) whether health insurance covers the testing, and, if so, what information health insurers will require before providing such coverage; and (iii) the average time to obtain a test result; and (C) report weekly on the metrics described in subsection (f)(1), for each neighborhood established under paragraph (2)— (i) identifying any neighborhood for which there is nonattainment on any such metric during the applicable reporting period; and (ii) describing the specific mitigation measures planned for any such neighborhood to reach attainment, including a description of the measures required under subsection (g)(2). (2) Neighborhoods (A) In general For purposes of meeting the requirements under paragraph (1), each government entity receiving a grant under this section shall divide its jurisdiction into neighborhoods, with each neighborhood being an area with approximately 10,000 residents. (B) Provision of information on map Each government entity shall make available a map of the total jurisdiction that illustrates the neighborhoods established pursuant to subparagraph (A), and shall provide the information required under paragraph (1) by neighborhood. (C) Designation of particular neighborhoods With respect to any neighborhood that has not met the evaluation standards described in subsection (f)(2) for a weekly reporting period under subsection (f)(1), the entity shall highlight such nonattainment on the map, in a manner to notify public users of areas not meeting the evaluation standards. (f) Evaluation standards (1) In general The standards for purposes of determining compliance under paragraph (2) are as follows: (A) Positivity rate (i) A positivity rate at or below 5 percent for PCR testing. (ii) A rate of newly infected residents at or below 10 residents per 100,000 population. (iii) PCR testing at or above 750 residents per 100,000 population. (iv) Rate of infection of less than 1.0. (B) Contact tracing (i) Eighty percent of new cases of infection are contacted by a contact tracer within 24 hours. (ii) Eighty percent of new cases of infection identify contacts. (iii) At least a median of 3 contacts identified by a contact tracer per case. (iv) Eighty percent of new cases followed up on, on a daily basis, by a contact tracer until the subject is out of isolation. (v) Seventy percent of contacts respond to the contact tracer. (vi) Eighty-five percent of contacts who are identified are tested. (C) Test results Eighty-five percent of PCR tests have results within 48 hours. (D) Other standards The Secretary may modify or replace standards described in subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C), or add new evaluation standards, provided such modification, replacement, or addition is based on data-driven research that demonstrates the basis of the Secretary's determination. (2) Compliance A government entity shall be considered to be in compliance with the requirements of this section for a weekly reporting period if each neighborhood in the entity has met 85 percent of the standards under paragraph (1) for such reporting period. (g) Effects of noncompliance (1) Grant reduction (A) Initial period For the 2-month period immediately proceeding the date of enactment of this Act, there shall be no reduction to the grant amount received by a government entity as a result of non-compliance as described in subsection (f)(2). (B) Subsequent periods Beginning 2 months after the date of enactment of this Act, in the case of a government entity that is not in compliance for a reporting period as described in subsection (f)(2), the entity shall remit to the Federal Government an amount equal to 25 percent of the total Federal funds expended for the government entity pursuant to the grant under this section for the applicable weekly reporting period. (2) Testing availability mitigation efforts In the case of a government entity that is not in compliance for a weekly reporting period as described in subsection (f)(2), the entity shall ensure that, in the subsequent week, in each neighborhood within the jurisdiction that did not meet 85 percent of the standards under subsection (f)(1), residents have access to PCR testing sites as follows: (A) In urban areas, 90 percent of residents have access to a testing site within 2 miles of their residence. (B) In suburban areas, 90 percent of residents have access to a testing site within 5 miles of their residence. (C) In rural areas, 70 percent of residents have access to a testing site within 15 miles of their residence. (h) Funding The Secretary may use any unobligated funds made available to the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund to carry out this section. (i) Sunset This section shall cease to have force or effect on the earlier of the date on which all funds described in subsection (h) are expended or 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act.