Sec. 301. STRENGTHENING AND ASSESSING THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE WORKFORCE

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## SEC. 301 STRENGTHENING AND ASSESSING THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE WORKFORCE ###

(a)National Disaster Medical System ####

(1)Strengthening the national disaster medical system Clause

(ii)of section 2812(a)(3)(A) (42 U.S.C. 300hh-11(a)(3)(A)) is amended to read as follows: > > ### “(ii) > > be present at locations, and for limited periods of time, specified by the Secretary on the basis that the Secretary has determined that a location is at risk of a public health emergency during the time specified, or there is a significant potential for a public health emergency.” > . ####

(2)Review of the national disaster medical system Section 2812(b)(2) (42 U.S.C. 300hh-11(b)(2)) is amended to read as follows: > > #### “(2) Joint review and medical surge capacity strategic plan > > > ##### “(A) Review > > Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2019, the Secretary, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, shall conduct a joint review of the National Disaster Medical System. Such review shall include— > > > ###### “(i) > > an evaluation of medical surge capacity, as described in section 2803(a); > > > ###### “(ii) > > an assessment of the available workforce of the intermittent disaster response personnel described in subsection (c); > > > ###### “(iii) > > the capacity of the workforce described in clause

(ii)to respond to all hazards, including capacity to simultaneously respond to multiple public health emergencies and the capacity to respond to a nationwide public health emergency; > > > ###### “(iv) > > the effectiveness of efforts to recruit, retain, and train such workforce; and > > > ###### “(v) > > gaps that may exist in such workforce and recommendations for addressing such gaps. > > > ##### “(B) Updates > > As part of the National Health Security Strategy under section 2802, the Secretary shall update the findings from the review under subparagraph

(A)and provide recommendations to modify the policies of the National Disaster Medical System as necessary.” > . ####

(3)Notification of shortage Section 2812(c) (42 U.S.C. 300hh-11(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following: > > #### “(3) Notification > > Not later than 30 days after the date on which the Secretary determines the number of intermittent disaster-response personnel of the National Disaster Medical System is insufficient to address a public health emergency or potential public health emergency, the Secretary shall submit to the congressional committees of jurisdiction a notification detailing— > > > ##### “(A) > > the impact such shortage could have on meeting public health needs and emergency medical personnel needs during a public health emergency; and > > > ##### “(B) > > any identified measures to address such shortage. > > > #### “(4) Certain appointments > > > ##### “(A) In general > > If the Secretary determines that the number of intermittent disaster response personnel within the National Disaster Medical System under this section is insufficient to address a public health emergency or potential public health emergency, the Secretary may appoint candidates directly to personnel positions for intermittent disaster response within such system. The Secretary shall provide updates on the number of vacant or unfilled positions within such system to the congressional committees of jurisdiction each quarter for which this authority is in effect. > > > ##### “(B) Sunset > > The authority under this paragraph shall expire on September 30, 2021.” > . ####

(4)Authorization of appropriations Section 2812(g) (42 U.S.C. 300hh-11(g)) is amended by striking “$52,700,000 for each of fiscal years 2014 through 2018” and inserting “$57,400,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023”. ###

(b)Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps ####

(1)In general Section 2813(a) (42 U.S.C. 42 U.S.C. 300hh-15(a)) is amended by striking the second sentence and inserting “The Secretary may appoint a Director to head the Corps and oversee the activities of the Corps chapters that exist at the State, local, Tribal, and territorial levels.”. ####

(2)Authorization of appropriations Section 2813(i) (42 U.S.C. 300hh-15(i)) is amended by striking “2014 through 2018” and inserting “2019 through 2023”. ###

(c)Strengthening the Epidemic Intelligence Service Section 317F (42 U.S.C. Sec. 247b-7) is amended— ####

(1)in subsection (a)— #####

(A)in paragraph (1)— ######

(i)by inserting “or preparedness and response activities, including rapid response to public health emergencies and significant public health threats” after “conduct prevention activities”; and ######

(ii)by striking “$35,000” and inserting “$50,000”; and #####

(B)in paragraph (2)(B), by striking “3 years” and inserting “2 years”; and ####

(2)in subsection (c)— #####

(A)by striking “ For the purpose of carrying out this section ” and inserting the following: > > #### “(1) In general > > For the purpose of carrying out this section, except as described in paragraph (2)” > ; and #####

(B)by adding at the end the following: > > #### “(2) Epidemic intelligence service program > > For purposes of carrying out this section with respect to qualified health professionals serving in the Epidemic Intelligence Service, as authorized under section 317G, there is authorized to be appropriated $1,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2023.” > . ###

(d)Service Benefit for National Disaster Medical System Volunteers ####

(1)In general Section 2812(c) (42 U.S.C. 300hh-11(c)), as amended by subsection (a)(3), is further amended by adding at the end the following: > > #### “(5) Service benefit > > Individuals appointed to serve under this subsection shall be considered eligible for benefits under part L of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968. The Secretary shall provide notification to any eligible individual of any effect such designation may have on other benefits for which such individual is eligible, including benefits from private entities.” > . ####

(2)Public safety officer benefits Section 1204(9) of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10284(9)) is amended— #####

(A)in subparagraph (C)(ii), by striking “or” at the end; #####

(B)in subparagraph (D), by striking the period and inserting “; or”; and #####

(C)by inserting after subparagraph

(D)the following: > > ##### “(E) > > an individual appointed to the National Disaster Medical System under section 2812 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300hh-11) who is performing official duties of the Department of Health and Human Services, if those official duties are— > > > ###### “(i) > > related to responding to a public health emergency or potential public health emergency, or other activities for which the Secretary of Health and Human Services has activated such National Disaster Medical System; and > > > ###### “(ii) > > determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to be hazardous.” > . ####

(3)Sunset **[**[34 U.S.C. 10284 note](/us/usc/t34/s10284)**]** The amendments made by paragraphs

(1)and

(2)shall cease to have force or effect on October 1, 2021. ###

(e)Mission Readiness Report to Congress ####

(1)Report Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this section, the Comptroller General of the United States (referred to in this subsection as the “Comptroller General”) 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 report on the medical surge capacity of the United States in the event of a public health emergency, including the capacity and capability of the current health care workforce to prepare for, and respond to, the full range of public health emergencies or potential public health emergencies, and recommendations to address any gaps identified in such workforce. ####

(2)Contents The Comptroller General shall include in the report under paragraph (1)— #####

(A)the number of health care providers who have volunteered to provide health care services during a public health emergency, including members of the National Disaster Medical System, the Disaster Medical Assistant Teams, the Medical Reserve Corps, and other volunteer health care professionals in the verification network pursuant to section 319I of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d-7b); #####

(B)the capacity of the workforce described in subparagraph

(A)to respond to a public health emergency or potential public health emergency, including the capacity to respond to multiple concurrent public health emergencies and the capacity to respond to a nationwide public health emergency; #####

(C)the preparedness and response capabilities and mission readiness of the workforce described in subparagraph

(A)taking into account areas of health care expertise and considerations for at-risk individuals (as defined in section 2802(b)(4)(B) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300hh-1(b)(4)(B))); #####

(D)an assessment of the effectiveness of efforts to recruit, retain, and train such workforce; and #####

(E)identification of gaps that may exist in such workforce and recommendations for addressing such gaps, the extent to which the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response plans to address such gaps, and any recommendations from the Comptroller General to address such gaps.

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