Sec. 405. Public health data system modernization

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Subtitle C of title XXVIII of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300hh–31 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall— award grants to State, local, Tribal, and territorial public health departments for the expansion and modernization of public health data systems, to assist public health departments in— assessing current data infrastructure capabilities and gaps to improve and increase consistency in data collection, storage, analysis, and, as appropriate, to improve dissemination of public health-related information; improving secure public health data collection, transmission, exchange, maintenance, and analysis; simplifying and supporting reporting by health care providers, as applicable, pursuant to State law, including through the use of health information technology, to State, local, Tribal, and territorial public health departments, including public health officials in multiple jurisdictions within such State, as appropriate; enhancing interoperability of public health data systems (including systems created or accessed by public health departments) with health information technology, including certified health information technology; supporting earlier disease and health condition detection, such as through near real-time data monitoring, to support rapid public health responses; and supporting activities within the applicable jurisdiction related to the expansion and modernization of electronic case reporting; as appropriate, conduct activities related to the interoperability and improvement of applicable public health data systems used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and, in coordination with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, the designation of data and technology standards for health information systems of the public health infrastructure with deference given to standards published by standards development organizations and voluntary consensus-based standards bodies; and develop and utilize public-private partnerships for technical assistance and related implementation support for State, local, Tribal, and territorial public health departments, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, on the expansion and modernization of electronic case reporting and public health data systems, as applicable.

The Secretary may not award a grant under subsection (a)(1) unless the applicant supports standards endorsed by the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology pursuant to section 3001(c)(1) or adopted by the Secretary under section 3004. The Secretary may waive the requirement under paragraph

(1)with respect to an applicant if the Secretary determines that the activities under subsection

(a)cannot otherwise be carried out within the applicable jurisdiction. A State, local, Tribal, or territorial health department applying for a grant under this section shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time and in such manner as the Secretary may require. Such application shall include information describing— the activities that will be supported by the grant; and how the modernization of such public health data systems will support or impact the public health infrastructure of the health department, including a description of remaining gaps, if any, and the actions needed to address such gaps. An entity receiving a grant under this section may use amounts received under such grant for one or both of the following: Carrying out activities described in subsection (a)(1) to support public health data systems (including electronic case reporting), which may include support for, and training of, professionals with expertise in contributing to and using such systems (including public health data scientists). Developing and disseminating information related to the use and importance of public health data. Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Lower Health Care Costs Act , the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, a coordinated strategy and an accompanying implementation plan that identifies and demonstrates the steps the Secretary will carry out to— update and improve applicable public health data systems used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and carry out the activities described in this section to support the improvement of State, local, Tribal, and territorial public health data systems. The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall consult with State, local, Tribal, and territorial health departments, professional medical and public health associations, associations representing hospitals or other health care entities, health information technology experts, and other appropriate entities regarding the plan and grant program to modernize public health data systems pursuant to this section. Such activities may include the provision of technical assistance related to the exchange of information by such public health data systems used by relevant health care and public health entities at the local, State, Federal, Tribal, and territorial levels. Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit a report to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives that includes— a description of any barriers to— public health authorities implementing electronic case reporting and interoperable public health data systems; or the exchange of information pursuant to electronic case reporting; an assessment of the potential public health impact of implementing electronic case reporting and interoperable public health data systems; and a description of the activities carried out pursuant to this section. In this section, the term electronic case reporting means the automated identification, generation, and bilateral exchange of reports of health events among electronic health record or health information technology systems and public health authorities. For the purpose of carrying out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for fiscal years 2020 through 2024. .

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42 USC 300hh–31

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Sec. 405

Public health data system modernization

Cite42 USC 300hh–31

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