[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5230 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 5230
To amend the Public Health Service Act with regard to research on
asthma, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
November 21, 2019
Mr. Engel (for himself, Mr. Upton, Mr. Cox of California, and Mr. King
of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Public Health Service Act with regard to research on
asthma, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Elijah E. Cummings Family Asthma
Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, in 2017 more than 25,100,000 people in the United
States had been diagnosed with asthma, including an estimated
6,200,000 children.
(2) According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, asthma usually affects racial and ethnic
minorities, including African Americans, American Indians,
Alaska Natives, Puerto Ricans, and people of multiple races
more than non-Hispanic Whites. In 2017, Puerto Ricans and
African Americans had the highest lifetime prevalence of asthma
at 20.6 and 15.2 percent, respectively.
(3) According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, among children, males have higher rates of asthma
than females, and in adults women have higher rates of asthma
than men. Individuals living below the poverty threshold also
had significantly higher rates of asthma in 2017 than
individuals living above the poverty threshold.
(4) According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, in 2017 more than 3,500 people in the United States
died from asthma. The rate of mortality from asthma is higher
among African Americans and women.
(5) The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report
that asthma accounted for approximately 180,000
hospitalizations and 1,800,000 visits to hospital emergency
departments in 2016.
(6) According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, the annual cost of asthma to the United States is
approximately $81,900,000,000, including $3,000,000,000 in
indirect costs from missed days of school and work.
(7) According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, 5,200,000 school days and 8,500,000 work days are
missed annually as a result of asthma.
(8) Asthma episodes can be triggered by both outdoor air
pollution and indoor air pollution, including pollutants such
as cigarette smoke and combustion by-products. Asthma episodes
can also be triggered by indoor allergens such as animal dander
and outdoor allergens such as pollen and molds.
(9) Public health interventions and medical care in
accordance with existing guidelines have been proven effective
in the treatment and management of asthma. Better asthma
management could reduce the numbers of emergency department
visits and hospitalizations due to asthma. Studies published in
medical journals, including the Journal of Asthma and The
Journal of Pediatrics, have shown that better asthma management
results in improved asthma outcomes at a lower cost.
(10) In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention reported that less than half of people with asthma
reported receiving self-management training for their asthma.
More education about triggers, proper treatment, and asthma
management methods is needed.
(11) The alarming rise in the prevalence of asthma, its
adverse effect on school attendance and productivity, and its
cost for hospitalizations and emergency room visits, highlight
the importance of public health interventions, including
increasing awareness of asthma as a chronic illness, its
symptoms, the role of both indoor and outdoor environmental
factors that exacerbate the disease, and other factors that
affect its exacerbations and severity. The goals of the Federal
Government and its partners in the nonprofit and private
sectors should include reducing the number and severity of
asthma attacks, asthma's financial burden, and the health
disparities associated with asthma.
(12) The high health and financial burden caused by asthma
underscores the importance of adherence to the National Asthma
Education and Prevention Guidelines of the National Heart,
Lung, and Blood Institute. Increasing adherence to guidelines-
based care and resulting patient management practices will
enhance the quality of life for patients with asthma and
decrease asthma-related morbidity and mortality.
SEC. 3. ASTHMA-RELATED ACTIVITIES OF THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL
AND PREVENTION.
Section 317I of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247b-10)
is amended to read as follows:
``SEC. 317I. ASTHMA-RELATED ACTIVITIES OF THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE
CONTROL AND PREVENTION.
``(a) Program for Providing Information and Education to the
Public.--The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention and the National Center for
Environmental Health, shall collaborate with State and local health
departments to conduct activities, including the provision of
information and education to the public regarding asthma including--
``(1) deterring the harmful consequences of uncontrolled
asthma; and
``(2) disseminating health education and information
regarding prevention of asthma episodes and strategies for
managing asthma.
``(b) Development of State Strategic Plans for Asthma Control.--The
Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, shall collaborate with State and local health
departments to develop State strategic plans for asthma control
incorporating public health responses to reduce the burden of asthma,
particularly regarding disproportionately affected populations.
``(c) Compilation of Data.--The Secretary, acting through the
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall, in
cooperation with State and local public health officials--
``(1) conduct asthma surveillance activities to collect
data on the prevalence and severity of asthma, the
effectiveness of public health asthma interventions, and the
quality of asthma management, including--
``(A) collection of data on or among people with
asthma to monitor the impact on health and quality of
life;
``(B) surveillance of health care facilities; and
``(C) collection of data not containing
individually identifiable information from electronic
health records or other electronic communications;
``(2) compile and annually publish data regarding the
prevalence of childhood asthma, the child mortality rate, and
the number of hospital admissions and emergency department
visits by children associated with asthma nationally and in
each State by age, sex, race, and ethnicity, as well as
lifetime and current prevalence; and
``(3) compile and annually publish data regarding the
prevalence of adult asthma, the adult mortality rate, and the
number of hospital admissions and emergency department visits
by adults associated with asthma nationally and in each State
by age, sex, race, and ethnicity, as well as lifetime and
current prevalence.
``(d) Coordination of Data Collection.--The Director of the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, in conjunction with State and local
health departments, shall coordinate data collection activities under
subsection (c)(2) so as to maximize the comparability of results.
``(e) Collaboration.--
``(1) In general.--The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention are encouraged to collaborate with national, State,
and local nonprofit organizations to provide information and
education about asthma, and to strengthen such collaborations
when possible.
``(2) Specific activities.--The Division of Population
Health is encouraged to expand its activities with non-Federal
partners, especially State-level entities.
``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section,
there are authorized to be appropriated $65,000,000 for the period of
fiscal years 2021 through 2025.
``(g) Reports to Congress.--
``(1) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the date of
enactment of this Act, and once 2 years thereafter, the
Secretary shall, in consultation with patient groups, nonprofit
organizations, medical societies, and other relevant
governmental and nongovernmental entities, submit to Congress a
report that--
``(A) catalogs, with respect to asthma prevention,
management, and surveillance--
``(i) the activities of the Federal
Government, including an assessment of the
progress of the Federal Government and States,
with respect to achieving the goals of the
Healthy People 2030 initiative; and
``(ii) the activities of other entities
that participate in the program under this
section, including nonprofit organizations,
patient advocacy groups, and medical societies;
and
``(B) makes recommendations for the future
direction of asthma activities, in consultation with
researchers from the National Institutes of Health and
other member bodies of the Asthma Disparities
Subcommittee, including--
``(i) a description of how the Federal
Government may improve its response to asthma,
including identifying any barriers that may
exist;
``(ii) a description of how the Federal
Government may continue, expand, and improve
its private-public partnerships with respect to
asthma, including identifying any barriers that
may exist;
``(iii) the identification of steps that
may be taken to reduce the--
``(I) morbidity, mortality, and
overall prevalence of asthma;
``(II) financial burden of asthma
on society;
``(III) burden of asthma on
disproportionately affected areas,
particularly those in medically
underserved populations (as defined in
section 330(b)(3)); and
``(IV) burden of asthma as a
chronic disease that can be worsened by
environmental exposures;
``(iv) the identification of programs and
policies that have achieved the steps described
under clause (iii), and steps that may be taken
to expand such programs and policies to benefit
larger populations; and
``(v) recommendations for future research
and interventions.
``(2) Subsequent reports.--
``(A) Congressional request.--During the 5-year
period following the submission of the second report
under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall submit updates
and revisions of the report upon the request of the
Congress.
``(B) Five-year reevaluation.--At the end of the 5-
year period referred to in subparagraph (A), the
Secretary shall--
``(i) evaluate the analyses and
recommendations made in previous reports; and
``(ii) determine whether an additional
updated report is needed and if so submit such
an additional updated report to the Congress,
including appropriate recommendations.''.
<all>