zli12321/Bills huggingface dataset:
Vaccine Shortage Preparedness Act of 2008 - Amends the Social Security Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to sell to public health departments or back to the manufacturers such quantities of the six-month supply of pediatric vaccines acquired for unanticipated needs as the Secretary determines appropriate. Makes proceeds of such sales available only for purposes of procuring pediatric vaccine stockpiles. Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to require: (1) a manufacturer of an approved vaccine to notify the Secretary 12 months prior to discontinuing manufacture of the vaccine, with exceptions; and (2) the Secretary, promptly after receiving such notice and after determining that a reduction applies, to inform the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary to declare a public health emergency if there is: (1) a shortage of an approved vaccine for an infectious disease; and (2) a significant risk of a significant outbreak of such disease. Requires: (1) each manufacturer or distributor of such vaccine to then provide the Secretary with the location of vaccine supplies; and (2) the Secretary, upon request, to provide such information to a state, provided the state agrees to restrict use of the information to facilitating access to vaccines and to otherwise keep such information confidential. Requires the Secretary to study successful models and alternatives for tracking and facilitating reallocation of vaccine at the local level in times of shortage or emergency.

Date: 2008-01-16
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health
Medicare Improvement Act of 2007 - Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) to include federally recommended vaccines under Medicare part B.

Date: 2008-01-16
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health
Global Pediatric HIV/AIDS Prevention and Treatment Act - States that the U.S. government's response to the global HIV/AIDS pandemic should place high priority on: (1) prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS; and (2) care and treatment of all children affected by HIV/AIDS, including children orphaned by AIDS. Requires that the global strategy under the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003: (1) establish a target for prevention of mother-to-child transmission efforts; (2) integrate prevention, care, and treatment with prevention of mother-to-child transmission programs; and (3) expand programs for children orphaned by AIDS. Directs the Coordinator of United States Government Activities to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally to establish the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission Panel which shall: (1) review activities to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV that receive financial assistance under this Act; and (2) provide recommendations to the Coordinator and to the appropriate congressional committees for of mother-to-child transmission prevention services under this Act. Terminates the Panel 60 days after submission of a report required by this Act.

Date: 2008-02-06
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: International affairs
Amends provisions of title XXVI of the Public Health Service Act (popularly known as the Ryan White Care Act [RWCA]) to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to administer certain RWCA grants in lieu of the chief elected official of an eligible area or state if the Secretary determines that the eligible area or state has substantially failed to make appropriate use of such grants during either of the two previous fiscal years.Provides that the Secretary is not authorized to administer any such grant to an eligible area or state in consecutive fiscal years.Requires the Secretary in making a determination under this Act to consider whether: (1) more than 5% of the grant funds awarded remained unobligated one year after the date on which the grant was made; (2) the eligible area or state has had additional requirements imposed on the grant under applicable federal regulations; or (3) the eligible area or state has had special conditions or restrictions imposed on the grant.Allows the Secretary to delegate to a federal instrumentality or private entity the authority to administer such grant.

Date: 2008-02-07
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health
PEPFAR Accountability and Transparency Act - Amends the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 to direct the Coordinator of United States Government Activities to Combat HIV/AIDS Globally to: (1) establish a mechanism to evaluate global HIV/AIDS programs financed by the U.S. government in order to improve accountability, increase transparency, and ensure the delivery of evidence-based services; and (2) develop a five-year strategic plan for program monitoring, operations research, and impact evaluation research.

Date: 2008-02-25
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: International affairs
Assuring and Improving Cancer Treatment Education and Cancer Symptom Management Act of 2008 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act, as amended by the Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Extension Act of 2007, to provide for Medicare coverage of comprehensive cancer patient treatment education services. Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand, intensify, and coordinate programs for the conduct and support of research with respect to: (1) improving the treatment and management of symptoms and side effects associated with cancer and cancer treatment; and (2) evaluating the role of nursing interventions in the amelioration of such symptoms and side effects. Requires the NIH Director to make nursing intervention research grants for studying cancer symptom management care and services delivered by registered nurses. Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to enter into an arrangement under which the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences shall evaluate and report to the Secretary and Congress on the current state of symptom management, patient treatment education, and supportive care given to people with cancer.

Date: 2008-03-11
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health
Health Promotion Funding Integrated Research, Synthesis, and Training Act or the Health Promotion FIRST Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a plan for health promotion that includes coordinating the health promotion activities of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and addressing how best to: (1) develop the basic and applied science of health promotion; (2) synthesize and disseminate health promotion research; (3) support the health promotion community; and (4) modify or develop resources, policies, structure, and legislation to integrate health promotion into all health professions and sectors of society.Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), acting through the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, to: (1) develop a plan on how best to develop the science of health promotion through NIH agencies; and (2) conduct or support early research programs and research training regarding health promotion.Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to develop a plan to establish a research agenda regarding health promotion for CDC.Requires the Director of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion to award grants to develop Health Promotion Research Centers.Requires the Director of CDC to: (1) make an effort to attract grant applications from groups experienced in providing programs; (2) fund research to develop the applied science of health promotion for specified settings; and (3) develop a research agenda for workplace health promotion.Requires the Secretary to modify the application process for grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts awarded under this Act to attract the most qualified individuals and organizations, rather than those most experienced with the application process.

Date: 2008-04-17
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health
National MS Disease Registry Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, to: (1) develop a system to collect data on multiple sclerosis (MS); and (2) establish a national surveillance system for the collection and storage of such data, including a population-based registry of U.S. cases of MS.Requires the Secretary to establish the Advisory Committee on the MS National Surveillance System.Allows the Secretary to award grants to, and enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with, public or private nonprofit entities for the collection, analysis, and reporting of data on MS.Requires the Secretary to: (1) identify, build upon, expand, and coordinate existing data and surveillance systems, surveys, registries, and other federal public health and environmental infrastructure wherever possible; and (2) provide for research access to MS data.Requires the Secretary to ensure that epidemiological and other types of information collected are made available to agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the Department of Defense (DOD).

Date: 2008-04-22
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health
Shingles Prevention Act - Amends part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) of title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for coverage of the shingles vaccine and its administration.

Date: 2008-04-23
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health
Silver Alert Grant Program Act of 2008 - Authorizes the Attorney General to award grants to states to implement or improve a Silver Alert system. Defines "Silver Alert system" to mean a state-administered notification system to help locate missing individuals with Alzheimer's disease and other dementia-related illnesses.Requires the Attorney General to report to Congress on Silver Alert systems, including: (1) a list of states that have established such systems; (2) information on each state's system; (3) actions states have taken to protect the privacy and dignity of the individuals for whom Silver Alerts are issued; and (4) ways that states have facilitated and improved communication about missing individuals between families, caregivers, law enforcement officials, and other authorities.

Date: 2008-04-24
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Crime and law enforcement
Simplifying and Updating National Standards to Encourage Testing of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus of 2008 or SUNSET Act of 2008 - Amends the Veterans' Benefits and Services Act of 1988 to repeal provisions prohibiting the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from performing widespread human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing, but allowing voluntary testing of certain individuals.

Date: 2008-05-21
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Armed forces and national security
The White House Conference on Food and Nutrition - Directs: (1) the President to call the White House Conference on Food and Nutrition to be convened in order to make fundamental policy recommendations on ways to end hunger and to improve nutrition in the United States; and (2) the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Agriculture, and the Secretary of the Treasury to plan and conduct the Conference. Sets forth Conference provisions.

Date: 2008-05-22
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Agriculture and food
Community AIDS and Hepatitis Prevention Act - Provides that nothing shall prohibit the use of federal funds to establish or carry out a program of distributing sterile syringes to reduce the transmission of bloodborne pathogens, including the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and viral hepatitis.

Date: 2008-07-30
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health
National Integrated Public Health Surveillance Systems and Reportable Conditions Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) establish the Epidemiology and Laboratory Capacity Grant Program to assist public health agencies in improving surveillance for, and response to, infectious diseases and other conditions of public health importance; and (2) issue guidelines for public health entities relating to information systems to receive, monitor, and report infectious diseases and other such conditions.Authorizes the Secretary, acting through the Director, to: (1) address documented workforce shortages in state and local health departments in applied public health epidemiology and public health laboratory science and informatics; and (2) provide for the expansion of applied epidemiology training programs.Requires the Director, upon request, to assist the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists in developing or improving a process for states to conduct surveillance and submit reports to the Director on nationally notifiable diseases and conditions.Requires the Secretary to adopt and use guidelines to develop improved standards and protocols for binational epidemiology, surveillance, laboratory analyses, and control of infectious diseases between the United States and Mexico.Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to establish a committee to: (1) evaluate best practices in public health surveillance; and (2) assess systems needed for improving coordination among public health surveillance and monitoring systems.

Date: 2008-09-15
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health
H.I.V. Education and Prevention Act of 2008 - Amends title V (Maternal and Child Health Services) of the Social Security Act to expand provisions for abstinence education to allow states to provide other sex education. Defines the term "sex education" to mean education about the functional, structural, or behavioral aspects of human reproduction and education about abstinence or contraception.Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a pilot program to make grants to public and nonprofit entities to provide: (1) substance abuse treatment services in the form of long-term counseling; (2) substance abuse prevention services to individuals who are less than 21 years of age; and (3) services that facilitate interaction between individuals receiving treatment for substance abuse and individuals receiving prevention services in a manner that enhances both such services.

Date: 2008-09-15
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health
National Obesity Prevention Act of 2008 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the Office of the National Coordinator of Obesity Initiatives. Requires the National Coordinator to implement and coordinate a national strategy to eliminate the occurrence of obesity in the United States.Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to convene a take force on obesity to: (1) establish and implement a government-wide strategy for preventing and reducing obesity; and (2) coordinate effective interagency actions and priority for action among federal agencies.Allows the Secretary to establish the Advisory Committee on Obesity to provide recommendations to the task force for purposes of establishing such a strategy.Directs the head of each federal agency to: (1) conduct a review to determine how agency programs and budgets impact physical activity, nutrition, and obesity in the United States; and (2) determine ways in which the agency should adopt aspects of the strategy established under this Act. Requires the Comptroller General to review the programs and budgets of each federal agency to determine how programs and budgets impact physical activity, nutrition, and obesity in the United States.

Date: 2008-09-27
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
E-Centives Act of 2008 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make enhanced matching payments to states that provide incentive payments to physicians, hospitals, and community health centers that exhibit meaningful use of certified health information technology. Limits such payments to each state that establishes a program to: (1) design, develop, install, maintain, and operate electronic information and eligibility systems and patient registries for the purpose of disease screening; and (2) train providers in the use of such systems and registries. Directs the Secretary to report to Congress on Medicaid transformation payments.

Date: 2008-09-27
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Medical Information and Treatment Access Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Commissioner of Food and Drugs, to utilize an Internet site to: (1) consolidate and translate health care information that is available to the public from federal agencies, linking the various health-related Internet sites of such agencies; and (2) assist in the translation and reporting of disease or condition protocols for physicians and lay persons.Requires the Secretary, acting through the Commissioner, to establish programs to gather information from health care practitioners and make such information publicly available regarding off-label uses of new drugs and surgical procedures.Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine to establish a program to gather information on alternative medicine from health care practitioners and make such information publicly available. Requires the Director of the Center to include information that relates to the effects of dietary supplements and food on diseases and disorders.

Date: 2008-09-28
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
21st Century Wellness Trust Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish the Wellness Trust within the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to be headed by the Trust Fund Board. Requires the Trustees to submit to Congress and make publicly available reports on: (1) a system for certification and recertification of prevention health workers to complement the health system; (2) payment methodologies and options for paying certified prevention health workers for clinical preventive care; and (3) the amount of money spent on prevention by public health, public and private health insurers, and applicable self-insured health plans during the most recent year for which such data is available.Requires the Trustees to: (1) establish a plan for delivering and financing prevention priorities and implement pilot programs; and (2) issue a ranked list of designated prevention priorities based on the potential of an activity to improve health and the activity's cost effectiveness.Directs the Trustees to establish, support, and sustain the infrastructure for an effective wellness system that includes: (1) an information clearinghouse on prevention priorities; (2) an electronic prevention record or registry; and (3) training for prevention health workers.Establishes in the Treasury a Wellness Trust Fund. Sets forth funding sources.Requires the Trust to enter into contracts to reimburse certified prevention health workers for the prevention services designated by the Trustees as prevention priorities. Directs the Trustees to: (1) develop targets for and determine payment methodologies for prevention priorities.

Date: 2008-11-19
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Prevention First Act - Title X Family Planning Services Act of 2007 - Authorizes appropriations for family planning services grants and contracts under the Public Health Service Act (PHSA). Equity in Prescription Insurance and Contraceptive Coverage Act of 2007 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and PHSA to prohibit a group health plan and a health insurance issuer providing group coverage from excluding or restricting benefits in any way for prescription contraceptive drugs, devices, and outpatient services if the plan or coverage provides benefits for other outpatient prescription drugs, devices, or outpatient services. Applies such prohibitions to coverage offered in the individual market. Emergency Contraception Education Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and disseminate information on emergency contraception to the public and to health care providers. Compassionate Assistance for Rape Emergencies Act of 2007 - Requires hospitals, as a condition of receiving federal funds, to offer and to provide, upon request, emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault. At-Risk Communities Teen Pregnancy Prevention Act of 2007 - Authorizes the Secretary to award grants for teenage pregnancy prevention programs. Requires the Secretary to award grants for teenage pregnancy prevention research. Truth in Contraception Act of 2007 - Requires that any information concerning the use of a contraceptive provided through specified federally funded education programs be medically accurate and include health benefits and failure rates. Unintended Pregnancy Reduction Act of 2007 - Amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the Social Security Act to expand Medicaid's coverage of family planning services. Responsible Education About Life Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary to make grants to states for family life education, including education on abstinence and contraception, to prevent teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

Date: 2007-01-04
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health
Healthy Americans Act - Requires each adult individual to have the opportunity to purchase a Healthy Americans Private Insurance Plan (HAPI). Makes individuals who are not enrolled in another specified health plan and who are not opposed to coverage for religious reasons responsible for enrolling themselves and their dependent children in a HAPI plan offered through their state of residence. Sets forth penalties for failure to enroll. Establishes standardized coverage and state options for HAPI plans. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to promulgate guidelines concerning the benefits, items, and services to be covered. Sets forth requirements for setting premiums. Requires the Secretary to establish the Healthy America Advisory Committee to provide annual recommendations concerning modifications to the benefits, items, and services required. Provides for school-based health centers. Authorizes states to establish and operate a State Choices for Long-Term Care Program. Requires the Secretary to establish Chronic Care Education Centers. Requires states to establish or designate a state Health Help Agency to carry out the administration of HAPI plans and to promote prevention and wellness for residents. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require employers and individuals to each make shared responsibility payments for HAPI plan premiums. Sets forth requirements for health insurance issuers offering a HAPI plan. Establishes the Healthy Americans Public Health Trust Fund for the payment of: (1) premium subsidies; and (2) bonuses to states for implementing medical malpractice reform. Terminates federal health benefits coverage, including coverage provided under the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program and the State Children's Health Insurance program (SCHIP).

Date: 2007-01-18
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health
Kidney Disease Educational Benefits Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of kidney disease education services.

Date: 2007-01-30
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health
Breast Cancer Patient Protect Action of 2007 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group health plan or a health issuer offering group health insurance coverage that provides medical and surgical benefits to ensure that inpatient (and in the case of a lumpectomy, outpatient) coverage and radiation therapy are provided for breast cancer treatment. Prohibits such a plan or issuer from: (1) restricting benefits for any hospital length of stay to less than 48 hours in connection with a mastectomy or breast conserving surgery or 24 hours in connection with a lymph node dissection; or (2) requiring that a provider obtain authorization from the plan or issuer for prescribing any such length of stay. Requires such a plan or issuer to: (1) provide notice to each participant and beneficiary regarding the coverage required under this Act; and (2) ensure that full coverage is provided for secondary consultations by specialists in the appropriate medical fields to confirm or refute a diagnosis of cancer. Applies such requirements to health insurance issuers offering coverage in the individual market.

Date: 2007-01-31
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health
Medicare End-of-Life Care Planning Act of 2007 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of an end-of-life planning consultation, including discussion of advance directives, as part of an initial preventive physical examination.

Date: 2007-01-31
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health
Heart Disease Education, Analysis Research, and Treatment for Women Act or the HEART for Women Act - Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and the Public Health Service Act to require an application for approval or for investigation of a drug, device, or biological product to include information stratified by sex, race, and ethnicity, including any differences in safety and effectiveness. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to: (1) withhold approval of such an application or place a clinical hold on an investigation if such information is not included; and (2) report to the scientific community and make information available to the public on such stratified data upon approval of an application.Requires the Comptroller General to study the drug approval process to ensure compliance with this Act.Requires the Secretary to require that all nonidentifiable patient safety work product reported to a patient safety database be stratified by sex. Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), to report to Congress concerning the quality of and access to care for women with heart disease, stroke, and other cardiovascular diseases.Provides for an educational campaign relating to heart disease, stroke, and cardiovascular diseases in women.Authorizes appropriations to enable the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to implement Well-Integrated Screening and Evaluation for Women Across the Nation (WISEWOMAN) program projects in all states and territories.

Date: 2007-02-13
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health
Promoting Lifelong Active Communities Every Day Act or the PLAY Every Day Act - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to develop the Community Play Index to measure the policy, program, or environmental barriers in communities to participating in physical activity. Requires the Index to include: (1) measurements that examine barriers to physical activities across multiple settings; and (2) measurements to assist economically and culturally diverse communities in examining the social determinants of health.Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director, to award grants to state health departments for work in partnership with community-based coalitions to plan and implement model communities of play that: (1) increase the physical spaces and places available for physical activity; (2) increase the opportunities for children and families to participate in quality play and the number of children and families participating in quality play; and (3) increase knowledge and awareness about the importance of individuals achieving 60 minutes of recommended physical activity every day.

Date: 2007-02-15
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health
Microbicide Development Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the Office of AIDS Research to: (1) expedite the implementation of the federal strategic plan for the conduct and support of microbicide research and development; and (2) expand, intensify, and coordinate all activities with respect to research and development of microbicides to prevent the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases. Requires the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to: (1) establish within the Division of AIDS an organizational branch to carry out microbicide research and development; and (2) assign priority to ensuring adequate funding and support for the Microbicide Trials Network and other programs for supporting microbicides clinical trials. Requires the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to fully implement the CDC's microbicide agenda to support microbicide research and development. Directs the head of the Office of HIV/AIDS of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to develop and implement a program to support the development of microbicides products for the prevention of the transmission of HIV/AIDS and other diseases, and facilitate wide-scale availability of such products. Requires the Secretary of State to report to Congress on advance market commitments of microbicides to prevent HIV infection as a means of creating private sector investment incentives.

Date: 2007-03-08
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health
Health Promotion Funding Integrated Research, Synthesis, and Training Act or the Health Promotion FIRST Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop a plan for health promotion that includes coordinating the health promotion activities of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and addressing how best to: (1) develop the basic and applied science of health promotion; (2) synthesize and disseminate health promotion research; (3) support the health promotion community; and (4) modify or develop resources, policies, structure, and legislation to integrate health promotion into all health professions and sectors of society.Requires the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), acting through the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, to: (1) develop a plan on how best to develop the science of health promotion through NIH agencies; and (2) conduct or support early research programs and research training regarding health promotion.Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to develop a plan to establish a research agenda regarding health promotion for CDC.Requires the Director of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion to award grants to develop Health Promotion Research Centers.Requires the Director of CDC to: (1) make an effort to attract grant applications from groups experienced in providing programs; (2) fund research to develop the applied science of health promotion for specified settings; and (3) develop a research agenda for workplace health promotion.Requires the Secretary to modify the application process for grants, cooperative agreements, and contracts awarded under this Act to attract the most qualified individuals and organizations, rather than those most experienced with the application process.

Date: 2007-03-13
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health
Promoting Wellness for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 2007 - Amends the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to require the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board to issue and periodically review standards setting forth the minimum technical criteria for medical diagnostic equipment used in medical settings, to ensure that such equipment: (1) is accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities; and (2) allows independent entry to, use of, and exit from the equipment by such individuals to the maximum extent possible. Applies such standards to examination tables and chairs, weight scales, mammography equipment, x-ray machines, and other radiological equipment commonly used for diagnostic purposes by health professionals. Sets forth interim standards for such equipment.Amends the Public Health Service Act to allow the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants for programs to promote good health, disease prevention, and wellness for individuals with disabilities and prevent secondary conditions in such individuals. Requires the Secretary to establish a National Advisory Committee on Wellness for Individuals With Disabilities to set priorities to carry out such programs, review grant proposals, make recommendations for funding, and annually evaluate the progress of such programs in implementing the priorities.Provides for training programs to improve competency and clinical skills for providing health care and communicating with patients with disabilities through training integrated into the core curriculum and patient interaction in community-based settings.

Date: 2007-03-29
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health
National Cancer Act of 2007 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Director of the National Cancer Institute to establish a loan repayment program for health professionals agreeing to engage in cancer prevention research. Provides for research on cancer treatments that target cancer cells, the cancer care workforce, cancer survivorship, environmental risk factors for cancer, and treatment disparities.Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to carry out demonstration programs on: (1) lung cancer early detection using Computer Tomography (CT) scanning; and (2) colorectal screening.Amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to set forth provisions for chemoprevention drugs that: (1) allow the Secretary to designate such drugs; and (2) provide market exclusivity for seven years for approved drugs or licensed biological products. Defines "chemoprevention drug" as a drug designed to treat a high-risk medical condition that: (1) has been diagnosed in individuals who have not been diagnosed with cancer or who do not currently have progressive, life-threatening cancer; and (2) unless treated, could develop into progressive and life-threatening cancer. Establishes the ChemoPrevention Products Board to develop chemoprevention drugs and devices.Requires the Secretary to establish a program to expand access to investigational treatments for individuals diagnosed with cancer.Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to provide coverage for cancer care coordinators who provide overall coordination and management of the medical, nursing, and other health services provided to individuals diagnosed with cancer.Allows a biorepository to adopt specified guidelines for the collection of biospecimens. Requires the Medicare Payment Assessment Commission (MedPAC) to report to Congress on developing a payment system for collecting and storing cancer tissue for research.

Date: 2007-03-29
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health
Colon Cancer Screen for Life Act of 2007 - Expresses the sense of the Congress with respect to the use of and reimbursement for colorectal cancer screening tests covered under the Medicare program under title XVIII of the Social Security Act (SSA).Amends SSA title XVIII to: (1) increase Medicare part B (Supplementary Medical Insurance) reimbursement for colorectal cancer screening and diagnostic tests; (2) cover an outpatient office visit or consultation for the purpose of beneficiary education before a colorectal cancer screening test consisting of a colonoscopy, or in conjunction with the beneficiary's decision to obtain such a screening, regardless of whether the screening is medically indicated with respect to the beneficiary; and (3) waive the deductible for such tests.

Date: 2007-04-19
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health
Wildlife Global Animal Information Network for Surveillance Act or Wildlife GAINS Act - Authorizes the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), acting through one or more eligible organizations, to establish and maintain a program to implement a Wildlife Global Animal Information Network for Surveillance. Requires the Administrator to manage an international surveillance program under which federal and non-federal partners: (1) monitor and test for the presence or arrival of avian pathogens and other significant pathogens in free-ranging wildlife; (2) use trained professionals to collect samples and data; (3) conduct disease surveillance, field investigations, training and capacity-building activities, and research; (4) send samples for pathogen identification and testing to certified laboratories; and (5) transmit information related to global distribution and characteristics of significant pathogens to the Administrator.Requires the Administrator to: (1) use surveillance reports and other sources to identify and investigate local outbreaks of infectious diseases involving wildlife; (2) develop a long-term baseline of regional data related to pathogens in migratory birds and other wildlife for analysis between and across sites to create a system to identify when and where outbreaks might occur and paths of dispersal; (3) provide technical assistance for disease prevention and control programs; (4) provide analytical disease findings to USAID and other federal partners; and ( 5) manage, map, and make available on an Internet database all results and information gathered under this Act. Directs the Administrator to request accredited colleges of veterinary medicine and other partners to train members of the Network to: (1) monitor important wildlife areas around the world; and (2) test for the presence or arrival of avian influenza and other significant pathogens of zoonotic concern or of concern to domestic or wild animals.

Date: 2007-04-26
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: International affairs
Hepatitis C Epidemic Control and Prevention Act - Amends the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and implement a plan for the prevention, control, and management of hepatitis C virus (HCV). Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to: (1) implement programs to increase awareness of HCV; and (2) support activities to promote the early detection of HCV infection, identify risk factors for infection, and conduct surveillance of HCV infection trends. Directs the Secretary, acting through the Director of CDC and the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to: (1) conduct epidemiologic research to identify best practices for HCV prevention; (2) establish a Hepatitis C Clinic Research Network to conduct research related to the treatment and medical management of HCV; and (3) conduct basic research to identify new approaches to prevent and treat HCV. Requires the Secretary to: (1) promote state, local, and tribal programs to provide referrals for medical evaluation and management to HCV-positive individuals; and (2) develop benchmarks for evaluating the programs and activities conducted under this Act. Authorizes the Secretary to award grants to states, political subdivisions of states, Indian tribes, or nonprofit entities to carry out activities under this Act.

Date: 2007-05-22
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health
HIV Prevention Act of 2007 - Amends the United States Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Act of 2003 to eliminate the HIV/AIDS abstinence-until marriage funding set-aside.

Date: 2007-06-06
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: International affairs
Amends the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 to extend transitional medical assistance (TMA) and the abstinence education program through FY2007.Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act with respect to limited continuous open enrollment of original fee-for-service enrollees in Medicare Advantage non-prescription drug plans. Accelerates from the end of 2008 to July 31, 2007, the sunset of the period during which a Medicare Advantage-eligible but unenrolled fee-for-service individual may elect to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan that is not an MA-Prescription Drug plan.Revises the initial funding available to the Medicare Advantage Regional Plan Stabilization for expenditures during 2012 and 2013. Reduces the total for both years currently set at $3.5 billion to: (1) $1.6 billion during 2012; and (2) $1.79 billion during 2013.

Date: 2007-06-27
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health
Lyme and Tick-borne Disease Prevention, Education, and Research Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish the Tick-Borne Diseases Advisory Committee. Requires the Committee to advise the Secretary and the Assistant Secretary for Health regarding how officials can: (1) ensure interagency coordination and communication and minimize overlap regarding efforts to address tick-borne diseases; (2) identify opportunities to coordinate efforts with other federal agencies and private organizations addressing such diseases; (3) ensure interagency coordination and communication with constituency groups; (4) ensure that a broad spectrum of scientific viewpoints is represented in public heath policy decisions and that information disseminated to the public and physicians is balanced; and (5) advise relevant federal agencies on priorities related to Lyme and tick-borne diseases. Requires the Secretary, acting through the appropriate federal officials, to provide for the coordination of all federal programs and activities related to Lyme and other tick-borne diseases, including: (1) developing sensitive and accurate diagnostic tools and tests, (2) improving the efficient utilization of diagnostic testing currently available; (3) accurately determining the prevalence of such diseases; (4) evaluating the feasibility of creating a national uniform reporting system; (5) providing and promoting access to a clearinghouse of information on such diseases; (6) increasing public education related to such diseases; (7) creating a physician education program; (8) establishing epidemiological research objectives to determine the long term course of illness for Lyme disease; and (9) determining the effectiveness of different treatment modalities by establishing treatment outcome objectives

Date: 2007-06-27
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health
Communities of Color Teen Pregnancy Prevention Act of 2007 - Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to make grants for projects to prevent teen pregnancies in racial, ethnic minority, or immigrant communities with a substantial incidence or prevalence of cases of teen pregnancy compared to the average number in communities in the state.Allows the Secretary to make grants to: (1) carry out activities to prevent unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections among teens; (2) provide necessary social and cultural support services regarding teen pregnancy; (3) provide health and educational services related to the prevention of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections among teens; (4) promote better health and educational outcomes among pregnant teens; and (5) provide relevant training for individuals who plan to work in school-based support programs.Requires the Secretary to make grants to: (1) provide public education and increase awareness with respect to the issue of reducing the rates of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections among teens and related social and emotional issues; and (2) establish and operate a National Clearinghouse for Teen Pregnancy Prevention.Requires the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to make grants for research on the prevention of unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections among teens in such communities.Allows a grant to be made under this Act only if the applicant agrees that: (1) all information provided pursuant to the Act will be age-appropriate, factually and medically accurate and complete, and scientifically based; and (2) information, activities, and services under the grant will be provided in the language and cultural context that is most appropriate for individual groups.

Date: 2007-07-16
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health
Emergency Contraception Education Act of 2007 - Directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to develop and disseminate to the public information on emergency contraception, including, at a minimum, a description of emergency contraception and an explanation of the use, safety, efficacy, and availability of such contraception.Requires that the Secretary, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to develop and disseminate to health care providers, including pharmacists, information on emergency contraception that includes, at a minimum: (1) information describing the use, safety, efficacy, and availability of emergency contraception; (2) a recommendation regarding its use in appropriate cases; and (3) information explaining how to obtain copies of information from the CDC.

Date: 2007-09-27
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health
Community and Healthcare-Associated Infections Reduction Act of 2007 - Directs the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to develop best-practices guidelines for internal infection control plans to prevent, detect, control, and treat community and healthcare-associated infections at hospitals.Requires AHRQ to: (1) establish best practices with supporting justification, including the establishment of an infection control oversight committee; (2) collaborate with other agencies and organizations whose area of expertise is the identification, treatment, and prevention of infectious disease; (3) publish proposed guidelines; (4) provide for a comment period of not less than 90 days; and (5) establish final guidelines. Directs the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to: (1) consult best practices guidelines in evaluating hospitals' infection control plans as a condition of participation in the Medicare program; and (2) report to Congress on the feasibility of reducing healthcare-associated infection rates through a Quality Improvement Payment Program. Requires: (1) hospitals to report information about community and healthcare-associated infections to the CDC National Healthcare Safety Network, which shall be used by the CDC to develop a national database of infection rates in hospitals; (2) the Director of the CDC to award grants to states to carry out public awareness campaigns; (3) the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand and intensify NIH programs regarding research and related activities concerning such infections; (4) the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish an interagency working group on community and healthcare-associated infections; and (5) the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to report to Congress on this Act's impact.

Date: 2007-10-31
Topic: Health (Disease Prevention)
Subject: Health