Sec. 550. Core public health infrastructure for State, local, Tribal, and territorial health departments
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/bill/116/hr/925/eah/section-550A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall establish a core public health infrastructure program consisting of awarding grants under subsection (b). For the purpose of addressing core public health infrastructure needs, the Secretary— shall award a grant to each State health department; and may award grants on a competitive basis to State, local, Tribal, or territorial health departments. Of the total amount of funds awarded as grants under this subsection for a fiscal year— not less than 50 percent shall be for grants to State health departments under paragraph (1)(A); and not less than 30 percent shall be for grants to State, local, Tribal, or territorial health departments under paragraph (1)(B).
A State, local, Tribal, or territorial health department receiving a grant under subsection
(b)shall use the grant funds to address core public health infrastructure needs, including those identified in the accreditation process under subsection (g). In making grants under subsection (b)(1)(A), the Secretary shall award funds to each State health department in accordance with— a formula based on population size; burden of preventable disease and disability; and core public health infrastructure gaps, including those identified in the accreditation process under subsection (g); and application requirements established by the Secretary, including a requirement that the State health department submit a plan that demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary that the State’s health department will— address its highest priority core public health infrastructure needs; and as appropriate, allocate funds to local health departments within the State. In making grants under subsection (b)(1)(B), the Secretary shall give priority to applicants demonstrating core public health infrastructure needs identified in the accreditation process under subsection (g). The Secretary may award a grant to an entity under subsection
(b)only if the entity demonstrates to the satisfaction of the Secretary that— funds received through the grant will be expended only to supplement, and not supplant, non-Federal and Federal funds otherwise available to the entity for the purpose of addressing core public health infrastructure needs; and with respect to activities for which the grant is awarded, the entity will maintain expenditures of non-Federal amounts for such activities at a level not less than the level of such expenditures maintained by the entity for the fiscal year preceding the fiscal year for which the entity receives the grant. The Secretary shall— develop, and periodically review and update, standards for voluntary accreditation of State, local, Tribal, and territorial health departments and public health laboratories for the purpose of advancing the quality and performance of such departments and laboratories; and implement a program to accredit such health departments and laboratories in accordance with such standards. The Secretary may enter into a cooperative agreement with a private nonprofit entity to carry out paragraph (1). The Secretary shall submit to the Congress an annual report on progress being made to accredit entities under subsection (g), including— a strategy, including goals and objectives, for accrediting entities under subsection
(g)and achieving the purpose described in subsection (g)(1)(A); identification of gaps in research related to core public health infrastructure; and recommendations of priority areas for such research. In this section, the term core public health infrastructure includes— workforce capacity and competency; laboratory systems; testing capacity, including test platforms, mobile testing units, and personnel; health information, health information systems, and health information analysis; disease surveillance; contact tracing; communications; financing; other relevant components of organizational capacity; and other related activities. To carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated $6,000,000,000, to remain available until expended.