I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 2647 To require the Comptroller General of the United States to submit a report on the public health mitigation messaging and guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 17, 2023 Mr. CRENSHAW (for himself, Mr. BURGESS, Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio, Mr. BILI- RAKIS, Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS, Mr. LAMBORN, Mr. STEUBE, Mr. BABIN, Mr. ZINKE, Mr. BACON, Mrs. LESKO, and Mr. ELLZEY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Com- merce A BILL To require the Comptroller General of the United States to submit a report on the public health mitigation mes- saging and guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 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 ‘‘Restore Public Health 4 Institution Trust Act of 2023’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:25 Apr 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2647.IH H2647 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HR 2647 IH SEC. 2. REPORT ON CDC PUBLIC HEALTH MITIGATION MES- 1 SAGING AND GUIDANCE. 2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 120 days after the 3 date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 4 of the United States shall submit to the appropriate com- 5 mittees of Congress a report on the public health mitiga- 6 tion messaging, decision making, and guidance of the Cen- 7 ters for Disease Control and Prevention (referred to in 8 this section as the ‘‘CDC’’). Such report shall— 9 (1) consider— 10 (A) the data being used by the CDC to 11 make recommendations; 12 (B) the impact that inconsistent messaging 13 has had on— 14 (i) the level of trust Americans have 15 in the CDC; and 16 (ii) the willingness of Americans to 17 follow CDC guidance, including with re- 18 spect to COVID–19 vaccine uptake; 19 (C) the impact that inconsistent messaging 20 with regard to the efficacy of COVID–19 vac- 21 cines and Federal mandates for receiving such 22 vaccines has had on attitudes about immuniza- 23 tion, both in general and specifically for— 24 (i) the school-age population; and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:25 Apr 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2647.IH H2647 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HR 2647 IH (ii) vaccines on the recommended im- 1 munization schedules for children, adoles- 2 cents, and adults of the Advisory Com- 3 mittee on Immunization Practices of the 4 CDC; and 5 (D) the degree to which outside entities 6 (such as teachers unions) were in a position to 7 impact recommendations made by the CDC; 8 and 9 (2) contain recommendations to improve the ap- 10 proach of the CDC relating to messaging, decision 11 making, and the issuance of guidance in the future. 12 (b) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘appro- 13 priate committees of Congress’’ means— 14 (1) the Committee on Health, Education, 15 Labor, and Pensions of the Senate; 16 (2) the Committee on Small Business of the 17 Senate; 18 (3) the Committee on Appropriations of the 19 Senate; 20 (4) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 21 Transportation of the Senate; 22 (5) the Committee on Education and the Work- 23 force of the House of Representatives; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:25 Apr 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2647.IH H2647 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •HR 2647 IH (6) the Committee on Small Business of the 1 House of Representatives; 2 (7) the Committee on Appropriations of the 3 House of Representatives; and 4 (8) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of 5 the House of Representatives. 6 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 05:25 Apr 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H2647.IH H2647 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB