HEALTH Act of 2021

Bill: 117-hr-5488
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Hudson, Richard [R-NC-8]
Introduced: 2021-10-05
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Department of Health and Human Services

Department of Homeland Security

Disaster relief and insurance

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Health technology, devices, supplies

Strategic materials and reserves
Latest action: action_date: 2021-10-06
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-10-05
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Health Emergencies Are Literally Tenets of HHS Act of 2021 or the HEALTH Act of 2021</b></p> <p>This bill expands the authorities and responsibilities of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) with respect to federal responses to public health and other emergencies and the Strategic National Stockpile.</p> <p>Specifically, the bill expands the responsibility of HHS to lead federal public health and medical responses to expressly include national disasters or emergencies declared under presidential authorities.</p> <p>Additionally, the bill provides authority for HHS to deploy the Strategic National Stockpile in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), rather than as required by DHS.</p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 5488 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES October 5, 2021 Mr. Hudson (for himself, Ms. Eshoo , Mr. Tonko , and Mr. Crenshaw ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce , and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure , and Homeland Security , 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 amend the Public Health Service Act to clarify that the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall lead all Federal public health and medical response to emergencies and disasters declared by the President pursuant to the National Emergencies Act or the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Health Emergencies Are Literally Tenets of HHS Act of 2021 or the HEALTH Act of 2021 . 2. Lead agency for Federal public health and medical response to public health emergencies Section 2801 of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300hh ) is amended— (1) in subsection (a), by inserting after shall lead all Federal public health and medical response to public health emergencies and incidents the following: (including emergencies and disasters declared by the President pursuant to the National Emergencies Act or the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act) ; and (2) in subsection (b), by inserting after shall assume operational control of emergency public health and medical response assets, as necessary, in the event of a public health emergency the following: or in the event of an emergency or disaster declared by the President under the National Emergencies Act or the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act . 3. Deployment by the Secretary of Health and Human Services of National Strategic Stockpile Section 319F–2(a)(3)(F) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d–6b(a)(3)(F)) is amended by striking as required by and inserting in consultation with . 4. Authority and responsibilities of the Federal Emergency Management Agency regarding the Strategic National Stockpile The Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended— (1) in subparagraph (A) of section 503(b)(2) ( 6 U.S.C. 313(b)(2) ), by inserting , in coordination with relevant Federal agencies, after lead ; and (2) in subparagraph (D) of section 504(a)(3) ( 6 U.S.C. 314(a)(3) ), by striking requiring and inserting , at the direction of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, assisting in .