WASHINGTON, DC - The House of Representatives today passed six public health bills, five of which originated in the Energy and Commerce Committee. Collectively, the bills prioritize prevention efforts, improve education for medical professionals, and establish or reauthorize important grant programs.
Passing the House today was:
H.R. 880, the Military Injury Surgical Systems Integrated Operationally Nationwide to achieve ZERO Preventable Deaths (MISSION ZERO) Act, authored by #SubHealth Chairman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), passed the House by voice vote.
* H.R. 880 establishes a grant program for military-civilian partnerships in trauma care that will allow both sectors to benefit from the others’ expertise and experience. H.R. 880 passed #FullCmte, as amended, by voice vote in July 2017.
H.R. 767, the Stop, Observe, Ask and Respond (SOAR) to Health and Wellness Act of 2018, authored by Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), passed the House by voice vote.
* H.R. 767 would provide health care professionals training on how to identify and appropriately treat human trafficking victims. H.R. 767 passed #FullCmte, as amended, by voice vote in July 2017.
H.R. 1222, the Congenital Heart Futures Reauthorization Act of 2017, authored by Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-FL), passed the House by a vote of 394-7.
* H.R. 1222 would enhance research and surveillance at the CDC, award grants to further study Congenital Heart Disease, and direct the NIH to report on their ongoing research efforts. H.R. 1222 passed #FullCmte by voice vote in June 2017.
H.R. 2410, the Sickle Cell Disease Research, Surveillance, Prevention and Treatment Act of 2017, authored by Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL) and #SubHealth Chairman Burgess, passed the House by voice vote.
* H.R. 2410 would reauthorize the sickle cell disease prevention and treatment demonstration program. H.R. 2410 passed #FullCmte by voice vote in June 2017.
H.R. 2422, the Action for Dental Health Act of 2017, authored by Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL), passed the House by a vote of 387-13.
* H.R. 2422 would reauthorize CDC oral health promotion and disease prevention programs along with the Health Resources and Services Administration’s grants to states to support oral health workforce activities. H.R. 2422 passed #FullCmte by voice vote in July 2017.
Res. 443, recognizing the importance and effectiveness of trauma-informed care, authored by Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), passed the House by voice vote.
* H.R. Res. 443 asks Congress to recognize the importance, effectiveness, and need for trauma-informed care among existing programs and agencies at the federal level and encourage the use and practice of trauma-informed care within the federal government and its agencies.
“Since no community is immune from the threat of traumatic injury, the MISSION ZERO Act will connect patients with the expertise of military trauma care providers from the battlefield. The MISSION ZERO grants will keep military trauma preparedness high and is a win for both civilian patients and military doctors," said #SubHealth Chairman Burgess. “Additionally, from better educating our health professionals to identify signs of human trafficking to boosting oral health promotion and disease prevention, these bills will make several meaningful strides to boost our public health efforts. These are important bipartisan policies that can make a difference in our communities. I urge our Senate colleagues to swiftly follow our efforts."
