Public Health Funding Restoration Act

II 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 1944 To fully fund the Prevention and Public Health Fund and reaffirm the importance of prevention in the United States healthcare system. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES JUNE 24, 2019 Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself, Mr. BROWN, Mrs. MURRAY, Mr. MARKEY, Mr. CASEY, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, Ms. SMITH, and Mr. BOOKER) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To fully fund the Prevention and Public Health Fund and reaffirm the importance of prevention in the United States healthcare system. 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 ‘‘Public Health Funding 4 Restoration Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress finds the following: 7 (1) The Prevention and Public Health Fund 8 (section 4002 of the Patient Protection and Afford- 9 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:14 Jun 27, 2019 Jkt 034408 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1944.IS S1944 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 2 •S 1944 IS able Care Act (42 U.S.C. 300u–11) was designed 1 ‘‘to provide for expanded and sustained national in- 2 vestment in prevention and public health programs 3 to improve health and help restrain the rate of 4 growth in private and public health care costs’’. 5 (2) Funding under such section is essential to 6 core efforts at the Department of Health and 7 Human Services and in local and State health de- 8 partments to prevent and control the spread of in- 9 fectious disease, and prevent injuries and the devel- 10 opment of chronic conditions. 11 (3) Prevention and Public Health Fund dollars 12 support evidenced-based investments in tobacco use 13 prevention and cessation, nutrition, mental health, 14 childhood lead poisoning prevention, elder care ini- 15 tiatives, and immunizations, among other prevention 16 initiatives. Funding gives States and communities 17 the flexibility to respond to public health threats 18 that may be unique to their communities. 19 (4) Such prevention efforts have shown to be 20 effective. Funding increases for community-based 21 public health programs reduce infant deaths and 22 preventable deaths caused by cancer, diabetes, and 23 cardiovascular disease. Every dollar spent on preven- 24 tion saves nearly $6 in health spending and every 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:14 Jun 27, 2019 Jkt 034408 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1944.IS S1944 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 3 •S 1944 IS dollar spent on childhood vaccines saves $16.50 in 1 future health care costs. 2 (5) Investments in prevention reduce the cost of 3 health care in the United States. $2,900,000,000 in 4 investments in community-based disease prevention 5 is estimated to save $16,500,000,000 annually with- 6 in 5 years. 7 (6) Cuts to the Prevention and Public Health 8 Fund and other public health prevention efforts un- 9 dermine efforts to create an affordable and acces- 10 sible health care system, and a better quality life for 11 Americans. 12 (7) Restoring Prevention and Public Health 13 Fund funding to $2,000,000,000 annually will allow 14 the Fund to invest in more innovative, evidence- 15 based public health programs and maintain and ex- 16 pand investments in programs with demonstrated 17 success. 18 SEC. 3. PREVENTION AND PUBLIC HEALTH FUND. 19 Section 4002(b) of the Patient Protection and Af- 20 fordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 300u–11(b)) is amended— 21 (1) in paragraph (4), by adding at the end 22 ‘‘and’’; and 23 (2) by striking paragraphs (5) through (9) and 24 inserting the following: 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:14 Jun 27, 2019 Jkt 034408 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1944.IS S1944 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS 4 •S 1944 IS ‘‘(5) for fiscal year 2020 and each fiscal year 1 thereafter, $2,000,000,000.’’. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:14 Jun 27, 2019 Jkt 034408 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S1944.IS S1944 pbinns on DSK79D2C42PROD with BILLS