NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE.

SEC. 101. NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE. (a) In General.—The Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 201 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following title: “TITLE XXVIII—NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS FOR BIOTERRORISM AND OTHER PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES “Subtitle A—National Preparedness and Response Planning, Coordinating, and Reporting “SEC. 2801. NATIONAL PREPAREDNESS PLAN. “(a) In General.— “(1) Preparedness and response regarding public health emergencies.—The Secretary shall further develop and implement a coordinated strategy, building upon the core public health capabilities established pursuant to section 319A, 116 STAT. 597for carrying out health-related activities to prepare for and respond effectively to bioterrorism and other public health emergencies, including the preparation of a plan under this section. The Secretary shall periodically thereafter review and, as appropriate, revise the plan. “(2) National approach.—In carrying out paragraph (1), the Secretary shall collaborate with the States toward the goal of ensuring that the activities of the Secretary regarding bioterrorism and other public health emergencies are coordinated with activities of the States, including local governments. “(3) Evaluation of progress.—The plan under paragraph (1) shall provide for specific benchmarks and outcome measures for evaluating the progress of the Secretary and the States, including local governments, with respect to the plan under paragraph (1), including progress toward achieving the goals specified in subsection (b). “(b) Preparedness Goals.—The plan under subsection (a) should include provisions in furtherance of the following: “(1) Providing effective assistance to State and local governments in the event of bioterrorism or other public health emergency. “(2) Ensuring that State and local governments have appropriate capacity to detect and respond effectively to such emergencies, including capacities for the following: “(A) Effective public health surveillance and reporting mechanisms at the State and local levels. “(B) Appropriate laboratory readiness. “(C) Properly trained and equipped emergency response, public health, and medical personnel. “(D) Health and safety protection of workers responding to such an emergency. “(E) Public health agencies that are prepared to coordinate health services (including mental health services) during and after such emergencies. “(F) Participation in communications networks that can effectively disseminate relevant information in a timely and secure manner to appropriate public and private entities and to the public. “(3) Developing and maintaining medical countermeasures (such as drugs, vaccines and other biological products, medical devices, and other supplies) against biological agents and toxins that may be involved in such emergencies. “(4) Ensuring coordination and minimizing duplication of Federal, State, and local planning, preparedness, and response activities, including during the investigation of a suspicious disease outbreak or other potential public health emergency. “(5) Enhancing the readiness of hospitals and other health care facilities to respond effectively to such emergencies. “(c) Reports to Congress.— “(1) In general.—Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, and biennially there-after, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, a report concerning progress with respect to the plan under 116 STAT. 598subsection (a), including progress toward achieving the goals specified in subsection (b). “(2) Additional authority.—Reports submitted under paragraph (1) by the Secretary (other than the first report) shall make recommendations concerning— “(A) any additional legislative authority that the Secretary determines is necessary for fully implementing the plan under subsection (a), including meeting the goals under subsection (b); and “(B) any additional legislative authority that the Secretary determines is necessary under section 319 to protect the public health in the event of an emergency described in section 319(a). “(d) Rule of Construction.—This section may not be construed as expanding or limiting any of the authorities of the Secretary that, on the day before the date of the enactment of the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, were in effect with respect to preparing for and responding effectively to bioterrorism and other public health emergencies.”. (b) Other Reports.— (1) In general.—Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to in this subsection as the “Secretary”) shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, a report concerning— (A) the recommendations and findings of the National Advisory Committee on Children and Terrorism under section 319F(c)(2) of the Public Health Service Act; (B) the recommendations and findings of the EPIC Advisory Committee under section 319F(c)(3) of such Act; (C) the characteristics that may render a rural community uniquely vulnerable to a biological attack, including distance, lack of emergency transport, hospital or laboratory capacity, lack of integration of Federal or State public health networks, workforce deficits, or other relevant characteristics; (D) the characteristics that may render areas or populations designated as medically underserved populations (as defined in section 330 of such Act) uniquely vulnerable to a biological attack, including significant numbers of low-income or uninsured individuals, lack of affordable and accessible health care services, insufficient public and primary health care resources, lack of integration of Federal or State public health networks, workforce deficits, or other relevant characteristics; (E) the recommendations of the Secretary with respect to additional legislative authority that the Secretary determines is necessary to effectively strengthen rural communities, or medically underserved populations (as defined in section 330 of such Act); and (F) the need for and benefits of a National Disaster Response Medical Volunteer Service that would be a private-sector, community-based rapid response corps of medical volunteers. 116 STAT. 599 (2) Study regarding local emergency response methods.—The Secretary shall conduct a study of effective methods for the provision of emergency response services through local governments (including through private response contractors and volunteers of such governments) in a consistent manner in response to acts of bioterrorism or other public health emergencies. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, a report describing the findings of the study.