Protecting Americans from Seasonal Influenza Act of 2020

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 5729 To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize grants for increasing seasonal influenza vaccination rates, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JANUARY 30, 2020 Mr. LARSEN of Washington (for himself, Mr. LANGEVIN, and Mr. CARSON of Indiana) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com- mittee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To amend the Public Health Service Act to authorize grants for increasing seasonal influenza vaccination rates, and for other purposes. 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 ‘‘Protecting Americans 4 from Seasonal Influenza Act of 2020’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:51 Jan 31, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5729.IH H5729 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 5729 IH SEC. 2. GRANTS FOR INCREASING SEASONAL INFLUENZA 1 VACCINATION RATES. 2 The Public Health Service Act is amended by insert- 3 ing after section 317T of such Act (42 U.S.C. 247b–22) 4 the following new section: 5 ‘‘SEC. 317U. GRANTS FOR INCREASING SEASONAL INFLU- 6 ENZA VACCINATION RATES. 7 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through 8 the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Pre- 9 vention, shall award grants to State health agencies to im- 10 plement programs to increase seasonal influenza vaccina- 11 tion rates. 12 ‘‘(b) NUMBER OF GRANTS.—Subject to the avail- 13 ability of appropriations, the Secretary shall award no 14 fewer than five and not more than 20 grants under this 15 section. 16 ‘‘(c) ELIGIBILITY.—A State health agency is eligible 17 to receive a grant under this section only if the average 18 seasonal influenza vaccination rates in the State involved 19 for the last three influenza seasons— 20 ‘‘(1) are below the rates recommended by the 21 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as part 22 of the Healthy People 2020 initiative; or 23 ‘‘(2) otherwise fail to meet any subsequent goal 24 for influenza vaccination established by the Director 25 of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:51 Jan 31, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5729.IH H5729 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 5729 IH ‘‘(d) ELEMENTS.—As a condition on receipt of a 1 grant under this section to implement programs intended 2 to increase seasonal influenza vaccination rates, a State 3 health agency shall agree to include in the program at 4 least one of the following elements: 5 ‘‘(1) Increasing outreach to vulnerable popu- 6 lations, including pregnant and nursing mothers, the 7 elderly, immunocompromised individuals, and young 8 children. 9 ‘‘(2) Increasing outreach to populations most 10 likely to be exposed to influenza, including health 11 professionals and college students. 12 ‘‘(3) Encouraging employer-based vaccination 13 programs. 14 ‘‘(4) Coordinating between health care providers 15 and insurers to reduce the out-of-pocket costs of 16 vaccinations. 17 ‘‘(5) Conducting a public awareness campaign 18 on the burden of seasonal influenza. 19 ‘‘(6) Any other element determined by the Di- 20 rector of the Centers for Disease Control and Pre- 21 vention to reduce infections, hospitalizations, or fa- 22 talities associated with, or the economic burden of, 23 seasonal influenza. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:51 Jan 31, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H5729.IH H5729 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 5729 IH ‘‘(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To 1 carry out this section, there is authorized to be appro- 2 priated $10,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2021 3 through 2023.’’. 4 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 02:51 Jan 31, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H5729.IH H5729 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS