WASHINGTON, DC - The Health Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), today announced a markup for Wednesday, June 27, 2018, at 9 a.m. in room 2123 of the Rayburn House Office Building.
#SubHealth will consider the following public health measures:
* H.R. __, the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act of 2018, authored by Reps. Susan Brooks (R-IN) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA), which will reauthorize key preparedness and response programs for five years. The bill will also provide resources for the development of medical countermeasures for pandemic influenza and emerging infectious diseases within Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). H.R. __ was the subject of a June 2018 legislative hearing.
* H.R. 5385, the Children’s Hospital GME Support Reauthorization Act of 2018, authored by #SubHealth Ranking Member Gene Green (D-TX) and #SubHealth Chairman Burgess, will reauthorize the Children’s Graduate Medical Education (CHGME) program for five years. H.R. 5385 was the subject of a May 2018 legislative hearing.
* H.R. 959, the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act of 2017, authored by Rep. David Joyce (R-OH), will amend Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to reauthorize nursing workforce development programs, which support the recruitment, retention, and advanced education of skilled nursing professionals. H.R. 959 also extends advanced education nursing grants to support clinical nurse specialists and clinical nurse leaders, defines nurse-managed health clinics, adds clinical nurse specialists to the National Advisory Council on Nurse Education, and reauthorizes loan repayments, scholarships, and grants for education, practice, quality and retention. H.R. 959 was the subject of a September 2017 legislative hearing.
* H.R. 1676, the Palliative Care and Hospice Education and Training Act, authored by Reps. Eliot Engel (D-NY), Tom Reed (R-NY), and Buddy Carter (R-GA), will direct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to improve the training of health professionals in palliative care. H.R. 1676 will increase education and awareness about the benefits and services of palliative care, and also enhances research on palliative care through leveraging existing authorities and funds at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The text of H.R. 1676 was the subject of a September 2016 (previous Congress) legislative hearing.
* H.R. 3728, the Educating Medical Professionals and Optimizing Workforce Efficiency Readiness (EMPOWER) Act of 2017, authored by #SubHealth Chairman Burgess, and Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) and Larry Bucshon (R-IN), will amend Title VII of the PHSA to reauthorize the health professions workforce programs that support loan repayment and provider training experiences in primary care, dentistry, rural or underserved areas, and in community-based settings. These programs include the Centers of Excellence, the Health Professions Training for Diversity Program, Primary Care Training and Enhancement grants, Training in General Pediatric and Public Health Dentistry grants, Area Health Education Centers, the National Center for Healthcare Workforce Analysis, and Public Health Workforce grants. H.R. 3728 will also restructure the geriatric health professional grant program to reflect changes that the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has pursued to enhance outcomes for geriatric patients. H.R. 3728 was the subject of a September 2017 legislative hearing.
“From ensuring we have a skilled and trained workforce in our hospitals and health care facilities to equipping our country for possible attacks, these important bills will bolster our public health efforts," said #SubHealth Chairman Burgess. “Many of these programs are in need of reauthorization in the months ahead, and it is critical we continue our work on time to ensure these vital services and resources remain in place."
A background memo, electronic copies of the legislation, and live stream of the markup can be found online here. Amendment text and votes will be available at the same link as they are posted.
