[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1961 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1961
To amend the Public Health Service Act to direct the Secretary of
Health and Human Services to establish and implement a department-wide
after-action program and a risk communication strategy, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 6, 2025
Mr. Torres 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 to direct the Secretary of
Health and Human Services to establish and implement a department-wide
after-action program and a risk communication strategy, 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 ``Coordinated Agency Response
Enhancement Act'' or the ``CARE Act''.
SEC. 2. HHS AFTER-ACTION PROGRAM.
Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
280g et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:
``SEC. 399V-8. DEPARTMENT-WIDE AFTER-ACTION PROGRAM.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish, maintain, and
implement an after-action program to--
``(1) identify and implement solutions for issues found
following any response by the Department of Health and Human
Services to a determination of a public health emergency under
section 319(a); and
``(2) encourage collaboration among the agencies of the
Department, including by integrating any public health
emergency after-action programs of such agencies.
``(b) Deadline.--The Secretary shall establish and begin
implementation of the after-action program under subsection (a) not
later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this section.
``(c) Coordination With Stakeholders.--The after-action program
under subsection (a) shall include input from, and coordinate with,
relevant external stakeholders involved in each public health emergency
response of the Department of Health and Human Services, such as--
``(1) other Federal agencies;
``(2) other jurisdictions, including the health departments
of States, Indian Tribes, and territories of the United States
and municipalities thereof; and
``(3) nongovernmental partners.
``(d) Oversight by Inspector General.--The Inspector General of the
Department of Health and Human Services shall, whenever the Inspector
General determines appropriate, based on assessed risks and emerging
needs--
``(1) evaluate the efficacy of the after-action program
under subsection (a), including by evaluating the ability of
the program to identify challenges and propose solutions; and
``(2) submit to Congress a report summarizing the
evaluation under paragraph (1).
``(e) Comprehensive Guidelines for After-Action Program Reports.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall, as the Secretary
determines appropriate, incorporate in any report of the after-
action program under subsection (a) the elements described in
subparagraphs (A) through (M) of paragraph (2).
``(2) Elements described.--
``(A) Emergency operations plan, continuity of
operations plan, and business continuity plan
reviews.--A description of the process and outcomes of
reviewing and updating emergency operations plans,
continuity of operations plans, and business continuity
plans both annually and after significant public health
emergencies. Such description may include insights into
the relevancy and efficiency of such plans in practice.
``(B) Information sharing, situational awareness.--
A description of the establishment and effectiveness of
protocols for efficient information sharing (consistent
with applicable disclosure laws) and situational
awareness among health care facilities and partners,
including the development and deployment of an
integrated joint information system.
``(C) Coordination with national, state, and local
coalitions and community partners.--Descriptions of--
``(i) strategies for coordination with
national, State, and local health care patient
and public health coalitions and community
partners, focusing on active engagement and
information sharing (consistent with applicable
disclosure laws);
``(ii) information technology solutions
used for coordination during public health
emergencies; and
``(iii) how medical operations coordination
cells were implemented for effective patient
load balancing during surges to assure regional
health care coordination.
``(D) Incident management.--A description of
incident management structures, including the
maintenance of the incident command system and the
establishment of an incident action planning process.
``(E) Communications, information sharing.--A
description of strategies for the development and
maintenance of a dynamic communications framework for
real-time information sharing (consistent with
applicable disclosure laws) and situational awareness.
``(F) Staff, space, and resident management.--A
description of strategies for comprehensive staff
management plans, scalable space management strategies,
and policies adopted to maintain patient and resident
well-being.
``(G) Logistics and supply chain management.--A
description of strategies for developing comprehensive
logistics and supply chain management strategies to
ensure a steady and sufficient supply of personal
protective equipment, medical equipment,
pharmaceuticals, and other items.
``(H) Resource management.--A description of
strategies for implementing crisis standards of care
protocols to optimize the allocation and use of medical
and non-medical assets during emergencies, including
guidelines for the conservation, reuse, or repurposing
of supplies.
``(I) Infection prevention.--A description of
strategies for enhancing infection prevention measures,
including staff training, environmental cleaning, and
patient screening, to mitigate the spread of infectious
diseases within health care facilities.
``(J) Treatment, transport, and discharge
protocols.--A description of how treatment, transport,
and discharge protocols were standardized to ensure
consistency and efficiency in patient care and
movement, including the incorporation of telehealth and
remote monitoring solutions where feasible, explaining
the technologies used and the outcomes of the
interventions.
``(K) Case management protocols.--Descriptions of--
``(i) how case management protocols were
refined to address both clinical and non-
clinical needs of patients and residents; and
``(ii) the measures taken to ensure
coordinated care and support throughout the
treatment and recovery phases, detailing the
challenges faced and the strategies employed to
overcome such challenges.
``(L) Medical countermeasures.--Descriptions of--
``(i) the strategy employed to accelerate
the development, distribution, and
administration of medical countermeasures, such
as vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostic tests,
and treatments; and
``(ii) the challenges encountered in making
such medical countermeasures available for use
during the public health emergency and how such
challenges were addressed.
``(M) Recovery.--A description of any implemented
recovery strategies focusing on administrative,
financial, policy, and equity considerations.
``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated, to remain available until expended--
``(1) $3,500,000 to carry out subsections (a), (b), (c),
and (e), including the first 4 reports of the after-action
program; and
``(2) such sums as may be necessary to carry out subsection
(d).''.
SEC. 3. RISK COMMUNICATION STRATEGY.
Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
280g et seq.), as amended by section 2, is further amended by adding at
the end the following:
``SEC. 399V-9. RISK COMMUNICATION STRATEGY.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish, maintain, and
implement a comprehensive strategy to ensure that communications about
infectious diseases and other public health risks by agencies and
offices of the Department of Health and Human Services, including the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are clear, accurate, and
prioritize the populations most at risk.
``(b) Components.--The strategy under subsection (a) shall be
designed to--
``(1) clearly identify at-risk populations during public
health emergencies; and
``(2) ensure that communications are targeted,
understandable, and accessible.
``(c) Initial Strategy.--The Secretary shall establish and begin
implementation of the initial strategy under subsection (a) not later
than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section.''.
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