Improving Public Health Preparedness Act

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3837 To amend the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to delegate primary responsibility for maintaining the Strategic National Stockpile to the Assistant Secretary for Prepared- ness and Response, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 6, 2023 Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To amend the Public Health Service Act to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to delegate primary responsibility for maintaining the Strategic Na- tional Stockpile to the Assistant Secretary for Prepared- ness and Response, 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 ‘‘Improving Public 4 Health Preparedness Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:38 Jul 01, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3837.IH H3837 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 3837 IH SEC. 2. TRANSFER OF FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ADMIN- 1 ISTERING THE STRATEGIC NATIONAL STOCK- 2 PILE TO ASPR. 3 (a) TRANSFER.— 4 (1) IN GENERAL.—Section 319F–2(a)(1) of the 5 Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d– 6 6b(a)(1)) is amended by striking ‘‘The Secretary, in 7 collaboration with the Assistant Secretary for Pre- 8 paredness and Response and the Director of the 9 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and in 10 coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Secu- 11 rity’’ and inserting ‘‘The Secretary, acting through 12 the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Re- 13 sponse, in coordination with the Director of the Cen- 14 ters for Disease Control and Prevention and the 15 Secretary of Homeland Security’’. 16 (2) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 17 319F–2(a)(3)(E) of the Public Health Service Act 18 (42 U.S.C. 247d–6b(a)(3)(E)) is amended by strik- 19 ing ‘‘the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and 20 Response,’’. 21 (3) PILOT PROGRAM TO SUPPORT STATE MED- 22 ICAL STOCKPILES.—Section 319F–2(i)(1) of the 23 Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d–6b(i)(1)) 24 is amended by striking ‘‘The Secretary, in consulta- 25 tion with the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:38 Jul 01, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3837.IH H3837 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 3837 IH and Response and the Director of the Centers for 1 Disease Control and Prevention’’ and inserting ‘‘The 2 Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary 3 for Preparedness and Response, in consultation with 4 the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 5 Prevention’’. 6 (4) TRANSITION.—The Secretary of Health and 7 Human Services shall take such actions as may be 8 necessary to ensure that, not later than 180 days 9 after the date of enactment of this Act, the amend- 10 ments made by this subsection are fully imple- 11 mented, including any necessary transfer of per- 12 sonnel and resources. 13 (b) ASPR AUTHORITIES.— 14 (1) ADDITIONAL COORDINATION DUTY.—Sec- 15 tion 2811(b)(4) of the Public Health Service Act (42 16 U.S.C. 247d–6b(b)) is amended by adding at the 17 end the following: 18 ‘‘(K) STRATEGIC NATIONAL STOCKPILE.— 19 Coordinate with the Director of the Centers for 20 Disease Control and Prevention and the Sec- 21 retary of Homeland Security regarding the 22 maintenance and operation of, and procurement 23 and contracting related to, the Strategic Na- 24 tional Stockpile under section 319F–2.’’. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:38 Jul 01, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3837.IH H3837 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 3837 IH (2) ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITY.— 1 (A) IN GENERAL.—Section 2811(c)(2) of 2 the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 3 247d–6b(c)(2)) is amended— 4 (i) by redesignating subparagraphs 5 (E) and (F) as subparagraphs (F) and 6 (G), respectively; and 7 (ii) by inserting after subaragraph 8 (D) the following: 9 ‘‘(E) the Strategic National Stockpile pur- 10 suant to section 319F–2;’’. 11 (B) CONFORMING CHANGE.—Section 12 2811(c)(3) of the Public Health Service Act (42 13 U.S.C. 247d–6b(c)(3)) is amended— 14 (i) in subparagraph (A), by inserting 15 ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon; 16 (ii) by striking subparagraph (B); and 17 (iii) by redesignating subparagraph 18 (C) as subparagraph (B). 19 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:38 Jul 01, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H3837.IH H3837 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS