WASHINGTON, DC - The Subcommittee on Health, chaired by Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-PA), has announced a legislative hearing for Thursday, September 8, 2016, at 10 a.m. in room 2322 of the Rayburn House Office Building. The hearing is entitled, “Examining Legislation to Improve Public Health."
The subcommittee will review five bipartisan bills seeking to advance the public health:
* H.R. 1192, the National Diabetes Clinical Care Commission Act - Authored by committee member Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX), the legislation would establish a National Clinical Care Commission to evaluate and recommend solutions regarding better coordination and use of federal programs relating to supporting care for people with diabetes and related metabolic syndromes and disorders.
* H.R. 1717, the Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Reauthorization Act - Authored by Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA), the bill would revise current reporting for states on underage drinking, directs grant making through SAMSHA, and improves public health surveillance on alcohol use and related conditions in those age 18-20.
* H.R. 1807, the Sickle Cell Disease Research Surveillance, Prevention and Treatment Act of 2015 - Authored by Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL), the bill would requires HHS to make grants to states to collect data on the prevalence and distribution of sickle cell disease, conduct outreach to improve access to care, and identify strategies to prevent and treat sickle cell disease complications.
* H.R. 3119, the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act - Authored by committee member Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY), the legislation would require HHS to award grants to improve the training of health professionals in palliative care and enhance federal research on palliative care and increases education and awareness through a national campaign on palliative care.
* H.R. 3952, the Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act of 2015 - Authored by committee member Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), the measure would direct the CDC to enhance and expand their research and surveillance infrastructure for congenital heart disease. NIH would be required to report on their ongoing research efforts in the field.
“We’ve had great success advancing bipartisan bills to improve public health, and we look to build upon that success next week," said Chairman Pitts. “We are tackling some critical and diverse issues, from palliative care and underage drinking, to boosting research for diabetes, sickle cell disease, and congenital heart failure. Our important work continues."
The Majority Memorandum, witness list, and witness testimony will be available here as they are posted.
