WASHINGTON, DC – The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee today approved legislation to improve the nation’s public health preparedness in response to an emergency. The bill includes influenza and medical volunteer provisions similar to those authored by U.S. Senators Pat Roberts (R-KS) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY).

The Health, Education Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee marked-up the legislation, the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act, which reauthorizes the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002.

Senator Roberts said, “I am pleased to cosponsor the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act. It will ensure that we are better prepared for both deliberate and natural threats to the public health.”

As the Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and a member of the Senate HELP Subcommittee on Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness, Senator Roberts has long been concerned about the threats from biological, chemical, radiological or nuclear attacks and the potential damage a natural threat, such as pandemic flu, could cause.

The following provisions are included in the committee approved bill:

• Designates the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) the leader of the federal response to public health emergencies.
• Improves medical surge capacity in local communities through the use of mobile medical assets and better training, support and organizational framework for health care providers.
• Improves regional infrastructure and establishes performance standards for states to ensure minimum preparedness in an emergency for better accountability.
• Provides grants to states and individuals to improve the public health workforce in underserved areas.
• Promotes public health situation awareness to detect, deter or contain public health threats more rapidly.

In addition, the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act contains two key provisions similar to those authored as part of the Clinton-Roberts Influenza Vaccine Security Act (S. 1828):

• The bill requires the Secretary of HHS to link existing state verification systems for medical volunteers to maintain a single national network for the purpose of advance registration of these health professionals. This national network will verify the credentials, licenses and certifications of medical volunteers to ensure rapid response to public health emergencies.
• The bill also gives the Secretary of HHS the authority to track the distribution of federally-purchased pandemic flu vaccine in order to determine where supplies of these vaccines are located. To address seasonal flu delivery concerns, the bill requires the Secretary to enhance communication between state and local public health officials, vaccine manufacturers, distributors and wholesalers regarding the effective distribution of the seasonal flu vaccine. In addition, this enhanced communication must include estimates of high priority populations in state and local jurisdictions in order to inform federal, state and local decision makers during vaccine shortages and supply disruptions.

“This legislation is a step forward in our national preparedness efforts,” Senator Clinton noted. “Senator Roberts and I worked to secure passage of provisions that will help address the problems we have seen year after year with seasonal flu vaccine distribution. I will continue to work with Senator Roberts and my colleagues on the Committee to establish an influenza vaccine tracking system to allow us to prepare for the predictable occurrence of seasonal flu or respond to a pandemic or other emergency situation.”

The legislation now goes to the full Senate for a debate and vote.