To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to States and political subdivisions of States to support the improvement, renovation, or modernization of infrastructure at clinical laboratories that will help to improve SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 testing and response activities, including the expansion and enhancement of testing capacity at such laboratories.

I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1818 To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to States and political subdivisions of States to support the improvement, renovation, or modernization of infrastructure at clinical laboratories that will help to improve SARS–CoV–2 and COVID–19 testing and response activities, including the expansion and enhancement of testing capacity at such laboratories. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 11, 2021 Mrs. FLETCHER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to States and political subdivisions of States to support the improvement, renovation, or mod- ernization of infrastructure at clinical laboratories that will help to improve SARS–CoV–2 and COVID–19 test- ing and response activities, including the expansion and enhancement of testing capacity at such laboratories. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:22 May 03, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1818.IH H1818 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 1818 IH SECTION 1. PILOT PROGRAM TO IMPROVE LABORATORY 1 INFRASTRUCTURE. 2 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 3 Human Services shall award grants to States and political 4 subdivisions of States to support the improvement, renova- 5 tion, or modernization of infrastructure at clinical labora- 6 tories (as defined in section 353 of the Public Health Serv- 7 ice Act (42 U.S.C. 263a)) that will help to improve SARS– 8 CoV–2 and COVID–19 testing and response activities, in- 9 cluding the expansion and enhancement of testing capacity 10 at such laboratories. 11 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 12 out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated 13 $4,500,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2022 14 through 2026. 15 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 20:22 May 03, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H1818.IH H1818 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS