WASHINGTON, DC - The Health Subcommittee, chaired by Rep. Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), today held a markup considering five public health measures.
“Some of these bills will equip our health care system with the tools to maintain a robust, well-educated workforce, while the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act reauthorization bill will provide a framework for our emergency preparedness infrastructure to plan for threats such as disease outbreaks," said #SubHealth Chairman Burgess. “As a physician, I have always supported programs that improve access to care and enhance the patient experience, and the bills before us today seek to accomplish that goal."
#SubHealth voted to advance the following bills:
* H.R. __, the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act of 2018, authored by Reps. Susan Brooks (R-IN) and Anna Eshoo (D-CA), 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. __ passed #SubHealth, as amended, by voice vote. An additional amendment, offered by #SubCommTech Chairman Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), passed with the bill by a unanimous vote of 29-0, regarding children currently in the care of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) after being detained at the border. The amendment requires weekly reports to the committee and a formal strategy regarding HHS’ efforts to reunite these children with their families and address challenges previously identified by the committee, starting in 2014.
* 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. 5385 passed #SubHealth, as amended, by voice vote.
* 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. 959 passed #SubHealth, as amended, by voice vote.
* 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 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. 1676 passed #SubHealth, as amended, by voice vote.
* 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. H.R. 3728 passed #SubHealth, as amended, by voice vote.
Electronic copies of the legislation, amendment text, and vote tallies can be found on the committee’s website here.
