Sec. 4. Federal public awareness campaigns to address health disparities

311 words·~1 min read·/bill/116/s/4262/is/section-4

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The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and in coordination with the Office of Minority Health and, as appropriate, in coordination with the relevant Offices of Minority Health in the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities, and the Indian Health Service, shall develop and implement accessible, multilingual and culturally competent public awareness campaigns about COVID–19 directed at racial and ethnic minority, rural, and other vulnerable populations that have experienced health disparities during the COVID–19 public health emergency related to testing, infections, hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and deaths.

The public awareness campaigns under this section shall— prioritize communities where the greatest health disparities have been identified with respect to testing access and rates of infections, hospitalizations, and deaths related to COVID–19; provide information, based on scientific evidence, about the benefits of being tested for COVID–19, the availability of COVID–19 testing with no cost-sharing for most United States residents, and the actions that individuals can take to protect themselves from COVID–19, including masking and social distancing; and dispel misinformation about COVID–19 symptoms, testing, or treatment; and use print, radio, or internet media, or other forms of public communication, including local, independent, or community-based written news and electronic publications.

The public awareness campaigns under this section shall be complementary to, and coordinated with, any other Federal, State, and local efforts, including the action plan described in section 3, as appropriate. Not later than 45 days after the date on which appropriated funds are made available to the Secretary under this section, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on how such funds have been used during such 45-day period and a plan for using any remaining funds within the next 45 days.

There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for fiscal year 2020.