WASHINGTON, DC - The Subcommittee on Health, chaired by Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-PA), today held a markup to consider five bipartisan bills to advance the public health. All five bills passed by voice vote and will now advance to the full committee.
The subcommittee passed the following bills:
* AINS to H.R. 4365, Protecting Patient Access to Emergency Medications Act of 2016, introduced by Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC), would amend the Controlled Substances Act to enable paramedics and other emergency medical services (EMS) professionals to continue to administer controlled substances to patients pursuant to standing orders issued by their EMS agency’s medical director.
* AINS to H.R. 1192, National Clinical Care Commission Act, authored by Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX), 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. 1209, Improving Access to Maternity Care Act, introduced by Rep. Michael Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), increases data collection by HHS to help place maternal health professionals in more appropriate geographic regions and health professional shortages through their existing participating in the National Health Service Corps (NHSC). There is no new authorization of appropriations for this bill nor does it open or expand participation in the NHSC.
* AINS to H.R. 1877, Mental Health First Aid, introduced by Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS), requires SAMHSA to award grants to initiate and sustain mental health awareness training grants. Individuals throughout a community would be eligible for inclusion in training such as first responders, law enforcement, or teachers. The goal of these programs is to train individuals to accomplish safe de-escalation of crisis situations, recognition of the signs and symptoms of mental illness, and encourage timely referral to mental health services.
* H.R. 2713, Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2015, introduced by Rep. Lois Capps (D-CA), reauthorizes grants and scholarships for graduate and undergraduate nursing education in specified areas of nursing. The legislation also amends the PHSA to include clinical nurse leaders as advanced education nurses making clinical nurse leader education programs eligible for advanced education nursing grants.
“Throughout my tenure as Chairman of this important Health Subcommittee, one of my top priorities has been to work diligently on behalf of the American people to improve their access to vital health care, as well as the delivery and affordability of those health care services," stated Chairman Pitts. “Today, our subcommittee has made tremendous strides in that effort."
