Ensuring Understanding of COVID–19 to Protect Public Health Act

Bill: 116-hr-6701
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Eshoo, Anna G. [D-CA-18]
Introduced: 2020-05-05
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Cardiovascular and respiratory health

Child health

Drug therapy

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Government information and archives

Government studies and investigations

Immunology and vaccination

Infectious and parasitic diseases

Medical research

Mental health

Public-private cooperation

Research administration and funding
Latest action: action_date: 2020-05-05
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-05-05
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Ensuring Understanding of COVID-19 to Protect Public Health Act</b></p> <p>This bill requires the National Institutes of Health (NIH), in consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to conduct a longitudinal study on the health impacts of COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). The NIH must provide public summaries of findings on specified timelines. </p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6701 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 5, 2020 Ms. Eshoo (for herself, Mr. Burgess , Ms. DeGette , and Mr. Guthrie ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To require a longitudinal study on the impact of COVID–19.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Ensuring Understanding of COVID–19 to Protect Public Health Act . 2. Study on the impact of COVID–19 Part A of title IV of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 281 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 404O. Study on the impact of COVID–19 (a) In general The Director of NIH, in consultation with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall conduct a longitudinal study, over not less than 10 years, on the full impact of COVID–19 on infected individuals, including both short-term and long-term health impacts. (b) Timing The Director of NIH shall begin enrolling patients in the study under this section not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this section. (c) Requirements The study under this section shall— (1) be nationwide; (2) include diversity of enrollees to account for gender, age, race, ethnicity, geography, co­mor­bid­i­ties, and underrepresented populations, including pregnant and lactating women; (3) study individuals who were infected with COVID–19 who experienced mild symptoms, such individuals who experienced moderate symptoms, and such individuals who experienced severe symptoms; (4) monitor the health outcomes and symptoms of individuals who were infected with COVID–19, or had prenatal exposure to COVID–19, including lung capacity and function, and immune response, taking into account any pharmaceutical interventions such individuals may have received; (5) monitor the mental health outcomes of individuals infected with COVID–19, taking into account any interventions that affected mental health; and (6) monitor individuals enrolled in the study not less frequently that twice per year after the first year of the individual's infection with COVID–19. (d) Public-Private research network For purposes of carrying out the study under this section, the Director of NIH may develop a network of public-private research partners, provided that all research, including the research carried out through any such partner, is available publicly. (e) Summaries of findings The Director of NIH shall make public a summary of findings under this section not less frequently than once every 3 months for the first 2 years of the study, and not less frequently than every 6 months thereafter. Such summaries may include information about how the findings of the study under this section compare with findings from research conducted abroad. (f) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section. .