S-1379 : Became Public Law

Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2019

This bill reauthorizes, revises, and establishes several programs and entities relating to public-health emergency preparedness and response.

Among other programs, the bill reauthorizes through FY2023 and revises

• the Public Health Emergency Preparedness cooperative-agreement program administered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC),
• the Hospital Preparedness Program administered by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response,
• the CDC situational-awareness and biosurveillance program,
• the Emergency System for Advance Registration of Volunteer Health Professionals,
• the National Disaster Medical System,
• the Volunteer Medical Reserve Corps,
• the National Advisory Committee on Children and Disasters,
• the Strategic National Stockpile, and
• the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority.

In addition, the bill provides statutory authority for several existing programs, including the Children's Preparedness Unit within the CDC and the Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise. The bill also establishes new programs and entities, including a trauma-center grant program to support military trauma teams.

Finally, the bill institutes a series of reporting requirements for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including a report regarding efforts to reunify children in HHS facilities with their parents after separation at the U.S.-Mexico border under a specified immigration enforcement policy.