Pandemic Community Reserve and Public Health Response Act

Bill: 116-hr-7801
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Fudge, Marcia L. [D-OH-11]
Introduced: 2020-07-27
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Allied health services

Cardiovascular and respiratory health

Community life and organization

Congressional oversight

Department of Homeland Security

Education programs funding

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Employment and training programs

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Government employee pay, benefits, personnel management

Health personnel

Health programs administration and funding

Health promotion and preventive care

Higher education

Hospital care

Indian social and development programs

Infectious and parasitic diseases

Medical education

Medical tests and diagnostic methods

Military personnel and dependents

Minority employment

Minority health

National Guard and reserves

Nursing

Social work, volunteer service, charitable organizations

Unemployment

Veterans' education, employment, rehabilitation

Youth employment and child labor
Latest action: action_date: 2020-07-28
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-07-27
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Pandemic Community Reserve and Public Health Response Act</b></p> <p>This bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants and otherwise expand the federal public health reserve corps, including by reactivating retired personnel, to assist with COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) response efforts. This corps includes, among others, the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service, the Medical Reserve Corps, and certain personnel of the Federal Emergency Management Agency appointed to respond to disasters and emergencies.</p> <p>Specifically, HHS must award grants to governmental health departments to recruit and train personnel to serve in the federal public health reserve corps and assist with COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, and treatment. To carry out these grants, health departments may establish partnerships with institutions that offer medical training and public health programs, giving priority to partnerships with historically Black colleges and universities and other minority-serving institutions. HHS must also develop a training program, in consultation with the Department of Defense, that addresses activation and surge capacity of the reserve corps to respond to COVID-19.</p> <p>In addition, HHS must award grants, in consultation with the Department of Labor, to local workforce development boards to develop career plans and other activities to facilitate the transition of reserve corps personnel to other health-related occupations.</p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7801 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES July 27, 2020 Ms. Fudge introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce , and in addition to the Committees on Education and Labor , Armed Services , and Transportation and Infrastructure , 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 direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to State, local, and Tribal public health departments to train and equip Federal public health reserve corps personnel to assist with testing, contact tracing, and treatment of COVID–19, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Pandemic Community Reserve and Public Health Response Act . 2. Grants to increase Federal public health reserve corps personnel (a) In general Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall— (1) award grants to State, local, and Tribal public health departments to train and equip public health and medical personnel to serve as Federal public health reserve corps personnel to assist with testing, contact tracing, and treatment of COVID–19; (2) reactivate retired personnel of any such corps to assist with such testing, contact tracing, and treatment of COVID–19; and (3) in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, award grants to local workforce development boards established under section 107 of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act ( 29 U.S.C. 3122 ) to develop transition plans (including career exposure, career planning, and career pathways) and transferable credits and certifications for Federal public health reserve corps personnel to pursue further service in a health-related career. (b) Funds A State, local, or Tribal health department that receives a grant under this section may use funds received through the grant awarded under subsection (a)(1) to establish partnerships with medical training and public health programs, such as medical schools, nursing schools, respiratory therapy programs, and community-based organizations, to recruit individuals to serve as Federal public health reserve corps personnel. (c) Priority In establishing partnerships under subsection (b), a State, local, or Tribal health department that receives a grant under this section shall give priority to institutions eligible to receive funding under section 371 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1067q ). (d) Training The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall establish, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, a national training program (in digital and in-person formats) for individuals serving as Federal public health reserve corps personnel with respect to responding to COVID–19, including necessary surge capacity and activation on short notice in local communities, including hot spot areas with 100 or more COVID–19 hospital admissions. Any certification received for completion of any such training shall not supersede any training required under State law for public health personnel. (e) Reports Not later than 1 year after the date on which the emergency period (as defined in section 1135(g)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1320b–5(g)(1)(B) )) ends, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a report on the state of the Federal public health reserve corps, including— (1) the rate of participation by members of racial and ethnic minority groups in such corps; (2) specific occupations of corps personnel; (3) careers attained after service in the corps; and (4) specific recommendations on the amount of funding necessary for successful deployment of Federal heath reserve corps personnel during public health emergencies. (f) Federal public health reserve corp In this section, the term Federal public health reserve corps includes— (1) Federal public health and medical personnel under the authority of the Secretary, including the Ready Reserve Corps, the Regular Corps, the National Disaster Medical System, the Medical Reserve Corps, and the Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals; (2) personnel of the Federal Emergency Management Agency appointed under section 306(c) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act ( 42 U.S.C. 5149 ); (3) personnel of the Pandemic Community Reserve Corps; and (4) members of the National Guard. (g) State defined In this section, the term State has the meaning given that term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code. (h) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $25,000,000,000 to remain available until expended. 3. Grants to establish Pandemic Community Reserve Corps (a) In general Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Office of Minority Health and Health Equity of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall award grants to State, local, and Tribal public health departments to establish and operate a Pandemic Community Reserve Corps within the jurisdiction of such State, local, or Tribal public health department for the purposes of— (1) increasing diversity in recruitment of reserve corps personnel; (2) ensuring a locally-sourced public health workforce to supplement the existing State and Federal public health infrastructure; and (3) assisting with testing, contact tracing, and treatment of COVID–19. (b) Conditions The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall, as a condition on the receipt of a grant under this section, require that a State, local, or Tribal public health department that receives a grant under this section— (1) requires that personnel of the Pandemic Community Reserve Corps complete training under the national program established under section 1(d); and (2) in establishing and operating a Pandemic Community Reserve Corps, gives priority to dislocated workers, the underemployed, youth, veterans, and individuals with barriers to employment. (c) Reports (1) Reports to Secretary Not later than 1 year after the date on which the first grant is awarded under this section, and annually thereafter, each State, local, and Tribal public health department receiving such a grant shall submit to the Secretary of Health and Human Services a report on the state of the Pandemic Community Reserve Corps within the jurisdiction of such State, local, or Tribal public health department, including— (A) the rate of participation by members of racial and ethnic minority groups in such corps; (B) specific occupations of corps personnel; (C) careers attained after service in the corps; and (D) specific recommendations on the amount of funding necessary for successful deployment of Pandemic Community Reserve Corps personnel during public health emergencies. (2) Report to Congress Not later than 1 year after the date on which the emergency period (as defined in section 1135(g)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1320b–5(g)(1)(B) )) ends, and annually thereafter, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate a report on the state of the Pandemic Community Reserve Corps receiving funding pursuant to this section, including the information specified in each of subparagraphs (A) through (D) of paragraph (1). (d) Definitions In this section: (1) Locally-sourced The term locally-sourced means, with respect to personnel of a Pandemic Community Reserve Corps established pursuant to subsection (a), individuals residing within the community or communities served by that Pandemic Community Reserve Corps that reflect the diversity of such community or communities. (2) State The term State has the meaning given that term in section 101 of title 38, United States Code. (e) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000,000 to remain available until expended.