WASHINGTON, DC - The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, chaired by Rep. Joe Pitts (R-PA), today approved four bipartisan bills that will address issues facing newborn babies, trauma patients, and veterinarians. The legislation advanced today builds on the bipartisan successes of this committee to advance and improve public health. Last year, the work of the Health Subcommittee led to multiple public laws, including H.R. 307, “The Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act," H.R. 2094, “The School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act," S. 330, “The HIV Organ Policy Equity Act," H.R. 3204, “The Drug Quality and Security Act," S. 252, which includes the “The PREEMIE Reauthorization Act" and “The National Pediatric Research Network Act," and S. 622, “The Animal Drug and Animal Generic Drug User Fee Reauthorization Act."
The Subcommittee on Health today advanced:
H.R. 1281, “The Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act," introduced by Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), would reauthorize the Newborn Screening Saves Lives Act of 2008 to continue federal activities that assist states in improving their newborn screening programs, supporting parent and provider newborn screening education, and ensuring laboratory quality and surveillance. In addition, the bill would continue research at the National Institutes of Health on newborn screening.
H.R. 3548, “The Improving Trauma Care Act," introduced by Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH), would amend the Public Health Service Act to improve the definition of trauma by including injuries caused by thermal, electrical, chemical, or radioactive force. These injuries are commonly treated by burn centers.
H.R. 4080, “The Trauma Systems and Regionalization of Emergency Care Reauthorization Act," introduced by Rep. Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX) and Rep. Gene Greene (D-TX), would reauthorize Trauma Care Systems Planning Grants, which support state and rural development of trauma systems. It would also reauthorize pilot projects to implement and assess regionalized emergency care models.
H.R. 1528, “The Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act," introduced by Rep. Kurt Schrader (D-OR), would amend the Controlled Substances Act to clarify that a veterinarian who has registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration may transport, administer, and dispense controlled substances, in the regular course of veterinary practice, without having to obtain separate registrations for each activity. The bill would allow veterinarians to dispense substances in the usual course of veterinary practice at a site other than their registered principle place of business, as long as the veterinarian is licensed in each state in which they practice.
