Ensuring Understanding of COVID–19 to Protect Public Health Act

II 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 176 To require a longitudinal study on the impact of COVID–19. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES FEBRUARY 2, 2021 Ms. ROSEN (for herself and Mr. RUBIO) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To require a longitudinal study on the impact of COVID– 19. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ensuring Under- 4 standing of COVID–19 to Protect Public Health Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF COVID–19. 6 Part A of title IV of the Public Health Service Act 7 (42 U.S.C. 281 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 8 the following: 9 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:03 Feb 14, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S176.IS S176 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •S 176 IS ‘‘SEC. 404O. STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF COVID–19. 1 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Director of NIH, in con- 2 sultation with the Director of the Centers for Disease Con- 3 trol and Prevention, shall conduct a longitudinal study, 4 over not less than 10 years, on the full impact of COVID– 5 19 on infected individuals, including both short-term and 6 long-term health impacts. 7 ‘‘(b) TIMING.—The Director of NIH shall begin en- 8 rolling patients in the study under this section not later 9 than 6 months after the date of enactment of this section. 10 ‘‘(c) REQUIREMENTS.—The study under this section 11 shall— 12 ‘‘(1) be nationwide; 13 ‘‘(2) include diversity of enrollees to account for 14 gender, age, race, ethnicity, geography, 15 comorbidities, and underrepresented populations, in- 16 cluding pregnant and lactating women; 17 ‘‘(3) study individuals who were infected with 18 COVID–19 who experienced mild symptoms, such 19 individuals who experienced moderate symptoms, 20 and such individuals who experienced severe symp- 21 toms; 22 ‘‘(4) monitor the health outcomes and symp- 23 toms of individuals who were infected with COVID– 24 19, or had prenatal exposure to COVID–19, includ- 25 ing lung capacity and function, and immune re- 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:03 Feb 14, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S176.IS S176 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 •S 176 IS sponse, taking into account any pharmaceutical 1 interventions such individuals may have received; 2 ‘‘(5) monitor the mental health outcomes of in- 3 dividuals infected with COVID–19, taking into ac- 4 count any interventions that affected mental health; 5 and 6 ‘‘(6) monitor individuals enrolled in the study 7 not less frequently than twice per year after the first 8 year of the individual’s infection with COVID–19. 9 ‘‘(d) PUBLIC-PRIVATE RESEARCH NETWORK.—For 10 purposes of carrying out the study under this section, the 11 Director of NIH may develop a network of public-private 12 research partners, provided that all research, including the 13 research carried out through any such partner, is available 14 publicly. 15 ‘‘(e) SUMMARIES OF FINDINGS.—The Director of 16 NIH shall make public a summary of findings under this 17 section not less frequently than once every 3 months for 18 the first 2 years of the study, and not less frequently than 19 every 6 months thereafter. Such summaries may include 20 information about how the findings of the study under this 21 section compare with findings from research conducted 22 abroad. 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:03 Feb 14, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S176.IS S176 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 •S 176 IS ‘‘(f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 1 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 2 necessary to carry out this section.’’. 3 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:03 Feb 14, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S176.IS S176 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS