{ "id": "R40159", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "number": "R40159", "active": false, "source": "EveryCRSReport.com, University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "versions": [ { "source": "EveryCRSReport.com", "id": 346972, "date": "2009-03-30", "retrieved": "2016-04-07T02:37:18.843601", "title": "Public Health and Medical Preparedness and Response: Issues in the 111th Congress", "summary": "Key recent events\u2014the 2001 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina, and concerns about an influenza (\u201cflu\u201d) pandemic, among others\u2014sharpened congressional interest in the nation\u2019s systems to track and respond to public health threats. The 109th Congress passed several laws that established, reorganized, or reauthorized key public health and medical preparedness and response programs in the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Homeland Security (DHS). The 110th Congress was engaged in oversight of the implementation of these laws, focused in particular on such matters as (1) the fitness of HHS and DHS\u2014in terms of authority, funding, policies, and workforce\u2014to respond to health emergencies; (2) the effectiveness of coordination among them and other federal agencies; and (3) the status of major initiatives such as pandemic flu preparedness and disaster planning for at-risk populations. The 111th Congress is likely to remain engaged in oversight of the nation\u2019s readiness for health threats.\nThe Obama Administration may reconsider homeland security objectives and priorities established by the George W. Bush Administration. Shifts in doctrine or priority, if any, may manifest as key positions are filled, or in the budget proposal for FY2010.\nThe 111th Congress may review HHS\u2019s disaster response capabilities, including its authority to declare a public health emergency and the means to fund its response efforts. Among other things, it is not clear that a flu pandemic would qualify for major disaster assistance under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (the Stafford Act). Also, although the HHS Secretary has authority for a no-year Public Health Emergency Fund, Congress has not appropriated monies to the fund for many years. Finally, since Hurricane Katrina, Congress has urged and HHS has adopted a more aggressive federal role in the response to health emergencies.\nHistorically, federal assistance to states in dealing with disasters has come mainly as guidance and funding for preparedness and response activities. Since Hurricane Katrina, the federal role has been more direct, involving, for example, more procurement and deployment of medical response assets. Congress may wish to consider whether this trend is appropriate and sustainable.\nAt this time, there is no federal assistance program designed purposefully to cover the uncompensated or uninsured health care costs for disaster victims. The 111th Congress may reconsider earlier proposals to provide such assistance under certain circumstances.\nHealth emergencies often involve scarcities of resources (including personnel), movement restrictions, business and school closures, and other constraints. While state and local governments have the primary authority over such measures as quarantine and isolation, a comprehensive response to a public health emergency may involve overlapping governmental authorities and attendant legal and economic issues.\nThe 108th Congress launched Project BioShield to encourage the development of medical countermeasures. Some concerns remain about the program\u2019s ability to attract private-sector developers. Also, the 109th Congress provided a means for liability protection for product developers and others, if countermeasures are used during a health emergency. A program to compensate persons who may be injured by such covered countermeasures has not been funded.\nThis report summarizes key issues in domestic public health and medical preparedness and response, citing other CRS Reports and sources of additional information.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORTS", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "HTML", "encoding": "utf-8", "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/R40159", "sha1": "152e1aa0303353147c4cb58f48b745b47dc8b701", "filename": "files/20090330_R40159_152e1aa0303353147c4cb58f48b745b47dc8b701.html", "images": null }, { "format": "PDF", "encoding": null, "url": "http://www.crs.gov/Reports/pdf/R40159", "sha1": "a72bcac199917d6e4932d3365f435c0889347d4e", "filename": "files/20090330_R40159_a72bcac199917d6e4932d3365f435c0889347d4e.pdf", "images": null } ], "topics": [] }, { "source": "University of North Texas Libraries Government Documents Department", "sourceLink": "https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc743554/", "id": "R40159_2009Feb10", "date": "2009-02-10", "retrieved": "2015-10-20T21:35:54", "title": "Public Health and Medical Preparedness and Response: Issues in the 111th Congress", "summary": "This report summarizes key issues in domestic public health and medical preparedness and response, citing other CRS Reports and sources of additional information. Key recent events--the 2001 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina, and concerns about an influenza (\"flu\") pandemic, among others--sharpened congressional interest in the nation's systems to track and respond to public health threats.", "type": "CRS Report", "typeId": "REPORT", "active": false, "formats": [ { "format": "PDF", "filename": "files/20090210_R40159_2f9dbeb2de0eb4b875a5b6f4872e6509e9b1d17e.pdf" }, { "format": "HTML", "filename": "files/20090210_R40159_2f9dbeb2de0eb4b875a5b6f4872e6509e9b1d17e.html" } ], "topics": [ { "source": "LIV", "id": "Health policy", "name": "Health policy" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Public health", "name": "Public health" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Emergency management", "name": "Emergency management" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Medicine", "name": "Medicine" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Emergency medicine", "name": "Emergency medicine" }, { "source": "LIV", "id": "Civil defense", "name": "Civil defense" } ] } ], "topics": [ "Health Policy", "Intelligence and National Security" ] }