ADVISORY COMMITTEES AND COMMUNICATIONS; STUDY REGARDING COMMUNICATIONS ABILITIES OF PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCIES.

SEC. 104. ADVISORY COMMITTEES AND COMMUNICATIONS; STUDY REGARDING COMMUNICATIONS ABILITIES OF PUBLIC HEALTH AGENCIES. (a) In General.—Section 319F of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d-6) is amended— (1) by striking subsections (b) and (i); (2) by redesignating subsections (c) through (h) as subsections (e) through (j), respectively; and (3) by inserting after subsection (a) the following subsections: “(b) Advice to the Federal Government.— “(1) Required advisory committees.—In coordination with the working group under subsection (a), the Secretary shall establish advisory committees in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3) to provide expert recommendations to assist such working groups in carrying out their respective responsibilities under subsections (a) and (b). “(2) National advisory committee on children and terrorism.— “(A) In general.—For purposes of paragraph (1), the Secretary shall establish an advisory committee to be known as the National Advisory Committee on Children and Terrorism (referred to in this paragraph as the ‘Advisory Committee’). “(B) Duties.—The Advisory Committee shall provide recommendations regarding— “(i) the preparedness of the health care (including mental health care) system to respond to bioterrorism as it relates to children; “(ii) needed changes to the health care and emergency medical service systems and emergency medical services protocols to meet the special needs of children; and “(iii) changes, if necessary, to the national stockpile under section 121 of the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002 to meet the emergency health security of children. “(C) Composition.—The Advisory Committee shall be composed of such Federal officials as may be appropriate to address the special needs of the diverse population groups of children, and child health experts on infectious disease, environmental health, toxicology, and other relevant professional disciplines. “(D) Termination.—The Advisory Committee terminates one year after the date of the enactment of the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002. “(3) Emergency public information and communications advisory committee.— “(A) In general.—For purposes of paragraph (1), the Secretary shall establish an advisory committee to be known as the Emergency Public Information and Communications Advisory Committee (referred to in this paragraph as the ‘EPIC Advisory Committee’). “(B) Duties.—The EPIC Advisory Committee shall make recommendations to the Secretary and the working group under subsection (a) and report on appropriate ways 116 STAT. 606 to communicate public health information regarding bioterrorism and other public health emergencies to the public. “(C) Composition.—The EPIC Advisory Committee shall be composed of individuals representing a diverse group of experts in public health, medicine, communications, behavioral psychology, and other areas determined appropriate by the Secretary. “(D) Dissemination.—The Secretary shall review the recommendations of the EPIC Advisory Committee and ensure that appropriate information is disseminated to the public. “(E) Termination.—The EPIC Advisory Committee terminates one year after the date of the enactment of Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002. “(c) Strategy for Communication of Information Regarding Bioterrorism and Other Public Health Emergencies.—In coordination with working group under subsection (a), the Secretary shall develop a strategy for effectively communicating information regarding bioterrorism and other public health emergencies, and shall develop means by which to communicate such information. The Secretary may carry out the preceding sentence directly or through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements. “(d) Recommendation of Congress Regarding Official Federal Internet Site on Bioterrorism.—It is the recommendation of Congress that there should be established an official Federal Internet site on bioterrorism, either directly or through provision of a grant to an entity that has expertise in bioterrorism and the development of websites, that should include information relevant to diverse populations (including messages directed at the general public and such relevant groups as medical personnel, public safety workers, and agricultural workers) and links to appropriate State and local government sites.” (b) Study Regarding Communications Abilities of Public Health Agencies.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the Federal Communications Commission, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and other appropriate Federal agencies, shall conduct a study to determine whether local public health entities have the ability to maintain communications in the event of a bioterrorist attack or other public health emergency. The study shall examine whether redundancies are required in the telecommunications system, particularly with respect to mobile communications, for public health entities to maintain systems operability and connectivity during such emergencies. The study shall also include recommendations to industry and public health entities about how to implement such redundancies if necessary.