WASHINGTON, DC - The Subcommittee on Health, chaired by Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-PA), today held a legislative hearing examining legislation to improve public health.
The subcommittee reviewed five bipartisan bills seeking to advance 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.
“Total national costs associated with diabetes in 2012 according to the CDC exceeded $245 billion. One in three Medicare dollars is currently spent on people with diabetes" said Chairman Pitts. “There are 35 Federal departments, agencies, and offices involved with implementation of Federal diabetes activities. This legislation will establish a commission to evaluate and recommend solutions for better coordination of patient care and ways to control costs across all of these offices."
* 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.
