Sec. 13. Reducing racial and ethnic disparities in long-term care facilities
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/bill/116/hr/8114/ih/section-13·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The Secretary shall establish a task force, to be known as the Ethnic and Racial Disparities in Long-Term Care Facilities Task Force (referred to in this section as the task force ), to gather data on racial and ethnic disparities in long-term care facilities and provide recommendations to Federal, State, local, and Tribal policymakers on ways to reduce such disparities. The task force shall be composed of the Secretary, the Surgeon General, other Federal, State, and local government officials, and individuals appointed by the Secretary with firsthand knowledge of, or expertise relating to, disparities in access to quality care for residents of long-term care facilities who are members of racial or ethnic minority groups.
In appointing such individuals, the Secretary shall ensure the individuals appointed provide ample representation with respect to the demographics of residents and caregivers of such facilities, particularly with respect to residents and caregivers of such facilities who are members of racial or ethnic minority groups. The Secretary shall serve as the chairperson of the task force. The Surgeon General shall serve as the vice chairperson. The task force shall have 2 full-time staff members.
The task force shall convene at least monthly, with the first meeting to occur within 60 days after the enactment of this Act. Not later than 45 days after the 1st meeting of the task force, and monthly thereafter, the task force shall submit to Congress and the Federal Emergency Management Agency a report that includes— recommended methodologies for improving Federal data collection on resident outcomes in long term care facilities with disproportionately high rates of admission of individuals who are members of racial or ethnic minority groups; the identification of long-term care facilities evidencing racial or ethnic disparities in psychotropic drug usage, infection prevention and control deficiencies, hospitalization rates, infectious disease rates, injury rates, abuse rates, neglect rates, fatality rates, and any additional areas, as determined by the task force based on available public health data (or, if no such data are available, on the basis of such other publicly available data or information as the task force may determine); the identification of factors, including Federal and State policies, that have contributed to racial or ethnic health disparities in resident outcomes in long term care facilities, and actions Congress (and if appropriate, other entities) can take to address these factors; and recommendations for best practices to promote improvements in long-term care facilities evidencing racial or ethnic disparities in psychotropic drug usage, infection prevention and control deficiencies, hospitalization rates, infectious disease rates, injury rates, abuse and neglect rates, fatality rates, or any additional areas determined by the task force.
In submitting reports and recommendations under this subsection, the task force shall consult with Indian Tribes and Tribal organizations. The task force shall terminate on December 31, 2021.