NEWS: HELP Committee Chairman Sanders, R…

WASHINGTON, March 15 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chair of the Senate Health and fitness, Education and learning, Labor, and Pensions Committee (Enable), now alongside with Rating Member Invoice Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), Sen. Bob Casey (D-Pa.), and Sen. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) asked for input from public health officials, health and fitness treatment providers, and other stakeholders on insurance policies the Committee really should contemplate all through the reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA).

Especially, the senators requested stakeholders to present suggestions on the performance of current applications, how to strengthen the means of states and localities to reply to public health crises, any gaps in functions or authorities in the PAHPA framework, and techniques to bolster partnerships concerning the federal federal government, states and localities, the private sector, and non-federal government stakeholders. The senators hope to use the input through the reauthorization approach to greatly enhance PAHPA and improve the nation’s preparedness for foreseeable future wellness crises.

PAHPA expires on September 30, the close of fiscal yr 2023.

Study the whole request below or beneath.

Get hold of: [email protected]

Expensive Stakeholder:

As you probable know, the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA) is because of to be reauthorized prior to the close of this fiscal calendar year. The Senate Well being, Schooling, Labor, and Pensions (Support) Committee seeks your input on procedures that the Committee must look at through the reauthorization method.

To advise the Committee’s do the job, we invite your enter on the subject areas underneath, or other matters that are suitable but not pointed out. If you would like to do so, you are welcome to incorporate proposed line edits to latest legislation or other legislative text as a dietary supplement to your narrative response.

Make sure you submit comments to the Committee by electronic mail at [email protected] no afterwards than near of enterprise on Wednesday, March 29, 2023.

System Efficiency
What specific improvements could Congress make to increase the effectiveness and success of present-day HHS packages and things to do? Particularly:

General public Wellness Emergency Coordination and Coverage

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1. The tasks and authorities of the Secretary of Wellbeing and Human Expert services (HHS) prior to or in the course of a public overall health emergency (PHE)

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2. The authorities, responsibilities, and functions of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR)

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3. The Countrywide Wellbeing Safety Approach (NHSS)

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4. The National Advisory Committees on Youngsters and Disasters, Seniors and Disasters and Persons with Disabilities and Disasters

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Health care Countermeasures Improvement and Deployment

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1. The Strategic National Stockpile (SNS)

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2. The Biomedical Innovative Research and Development Authority (BARDA)

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3. Challenge BioShield

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4. The Public Well being Crisis Health-related Countermeasures Company (PHEMCE) and connected system, implementation prepare, and finances strategy

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5. Emergency Use Authorizations and similar authorities

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6. The Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act

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7. The Substance Danger Healthcare Countermeasures Precedence Evaluation Voucher Software

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Assistance for Jurisdictional Preparedness and Reaction Capability

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1. The Public Well being Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) Cooperative Agreements

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2. The Medical center Preparedness System (HPP) Cooperative Agreements

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3. Other ASPR things to do financed by way of the general HPP price range, this sort of as the Regional Disaster Well being Response Process (RDHRS) demonstration projects

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4. The Nationwide Disaster Healthcare Program (NDMS)

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5. The Health care Reserve Corps (MRC)

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6. The Unexpected emergency Process for Superior Registration of Volunteer Overall health Experts (ESAR-VHP)

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7. Epidemic Intelligence Provider (EIS) Financial loan Repayment Application

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8. The Epidemiology and Laboratory Capability Cooperative Settlement Application and associated activities, such as mosquito abatement

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9. Biosurveillance and Public Health and fitness Situational Recognition

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10. Vaccine monitoring and distribution

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11. Policies for the inclusion of at-threat persons in general public well being emergency preparedness and reaction actions

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Gaps in Latest Routines & Abilities

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1. What gaps do you see in the PAHPA framework, or how it has been executed to day? (These gaps could be linked to any of the programs mentioned earlier mentioned, or other elements of the public wellness and professional medical preparedness and response ecosystem that are usually at present unaddressed.)

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2. Also, apart from at present authorized systems and actions, what gaps exist in HHS’ abilities, and what kinds of pursuits or authorities are essential for HHS to fulfill the intent of PAHPA and connected laws?

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Partnerships
What distinct actions could Congress acquire to boost partnerships with states and localities, local community-based mostly corporations, and non-public sector and non-governing administration stakeholders, these as hospitals and health treatment providers, on preparedness and reaction functions? For example:

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1. How can these entities be greater supported in appropriately participating with the federal federal government to realize available means, abilities, and expectations prior to, throughout, and following a public well being crisis?

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2. How can foundational systems, this kind of as the public wellness emergency preparedness cooperative agreements and the hospital preparedness software, be improved to be certain state, nearby, and wellbeing technique readiness to mount successful responses?

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Thank you in progress for your comments. We appreciate your input on this vital make a difference and appear ahead to functioning with all of you during the PAHPA reauthorization system.