CORE EDUCATION AND TRAINING.

SEC. 304. CORE EDUCATION AND TRAINING. Section 319F of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d–6) is amended—(1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:“(a) All-Hazards Public Health and Medical Response Curricula and Training.—“(1) In general.—The Secretary, in collaboration with the Secretary of Defense, and in consultation with relevant public and private entities, shall develop core health and medical response curricula and trainings by adapting applicable existing curricula and training programs to improve responses to public health emergencies.“(2) Curriculum.—The public health and medical response training program may include course work related to—“(A) medical management of casualties, taking into account the needs of at-risk individuals;“(B) public health aspects of public health emergencies;“(C) mental health aspects of public health emergencies;“(D) national incident management, including coordination among Federal, State, local, tribal, international agencies, and other entities; and“(E) protecting health care workers and health care first responders from workplace exposures during a public health emergency.“(3) Peer review.—On a periodic basis, products prepared as part of the program shall be rigorously tested and peer-reviewed by experts in the relevant fields.“(4) Credit.—The Secretary and the Secretary of Defense shall—“(A) take into account continuing professional education requirements of public health and healthcare professions; and“(B) cooperate with State, local, and tribal accrediting agencies and with professional associations in arranging for students enrolled in the program to obtain continuing professional education credit for program courses.“(5) Dissemination and training.—“(A) In general.—The Secretary may provide for the dissemination and teaching of the materials described in paragraphs (1) and (2) by appropriate means, as determined by the Secretary.“(B) Certain entities.—The education and training activities described in subparagraph (A) may be carried out by Federal public health or medical entities, appropriate educational entities, professional organizations and 120 STAT. 2860 societies, private accrediting organizations, and other nonprofit institutions or entities meeting criteria established by the Secretary.“(C) Grants and contracts.—In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary may carry out activities directly or through the award of grants and contracts, and may enter into interagency agreements with other Federal agencies.”.(2) by striking subsections (c) through (g) and inserting the following:“(c) Expansion of Epidemic Intelligence Service Program.—The Secretary may establish 20 officer positions in the Epidemic Intelligence Service Program, in addition to the number of the officer positions offered under such Program in 2006, for individuals who agree to participate, for a period of not less than 2 years, in the Career Epidemiology Field Officer program in a State, local, or tribal health department that serves a health professional shortage area (as defined under section 332(a)), a medically underserved population (as defined under section 330(b)(3)), or a medically underserved area or area at high risk of a public health emergency as designated by the Secretary.“(d) Centers for Public Health Preparedness; Core Curricula and Training.—“(1) In general.—The Secretary may establish at accredited schools of public health, Centers for Public Health Preparedness (hereafter referred to in this section as the ‘Centers’).“(2) Eligibility.—To be eligible to receive an award under this subsection to establish a Center, an accredited school of public health shall agree to conduct activities consistent with the requirements of this subsection.“(3) Core curricula.—The Secretary, in collaboration with the Centers and other public or private entities shall establish core curricula based on established competencies leading to a 4-year bachelor’s degree, a graduate degree, a combined bachelor and master’s degree, or a certificate program, for use by each Center. The Secretary shall disseminate such curricula to other accredited schools of public health and other health professions schools determined appropriate by the Secretary, for voluntary use by such schools.“(4) Core competency-based training program.—The Secretary, in collaboration with the Centers and other public or private entities shall facilitate the development of a competency-based training program to train public health practitioners. The Centers shall use such training program to train public health practitioners. The Secretary shall disseminate such training program to other accredited schools of public health, health professions schools, and other public or private entities as determined by the Secretary, for voluntary use by such entities.“(5) Content of core curricula and training program.—The Secretary shall ensure that the core curricula and training program established pursuant to this subsection respond to the needs of State, local, and tribal public health authorities and integrate and emphasize essential public health security capabilities consistent with section 2802(b)(2).120 STAT. 2861“(6) Academic-workforce communication.—As a condition of receiving funding from the Secretary under this subsection, a Center shall collaborate with a State, local, or tribal public health department to—“(A) define the public health preparedness and response needs of the community involved;“(B) assess the extent to which such needs are fulfilled by existing preparedness and response activities of such school or health department, and how such activities may be improved;“(C) prior to developing new materials or trainings, evaluate and utilize relevant materials and trainings developed by others Centers; and“(D) evaluate community impact and the effectiveness of any newly developed materials or trainings.“(7) Public health systems research.—In consultation with relevant public and private entities, the Secretary shall define the existing knowledge base for public health preparedness and response systems, and establish a research agenda based on Federal, State, local, and tribal public health preparedness priorities. As a condition of receiving funding from the Secretary under this subsection, a Center shall conduct public health systems research that is consistent with the agenda described under this paragraph.”;(3) by redesignating subsection (h) as subsection (e);(4) by inserting after subsection (e) (as so redesignated), the following:“(f) Authorization of Appropriations.—“(1) Fiscal year 2007.—There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section for fiscal year 2007—“(A) to carry out subsection (a)—“(i) $5,000,000 to carry out paragraphs (1) through (4); and“(ii) $7,000,000 to carry out paragraph (5);“(B) to carry out subsection (c), $3,000,000; and“(C) to carry out subsection (d), $31,000,000, of which $5,000,000 shall be used to carry out paragraphs (3) through (5) of such subsection.“(2) Subsequent fiscal years.—There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section for fiscal year 2008 and each subsequent fiscal year.”; and(5) by striking subsections (i) and (j).