[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3570 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3570
To establish a National Public Health Coordinating Council to assess
the impact of Federal health-related socio-economic and environmental
policies across Federal agencies to improve the public's health.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
September 24 (legislative day, September 17), 2008
Mr. Menendez introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish a National Public Health Coordinating Council to assess
the impact of Federal health-related socio-economic and environmental
policies across Federal agencies to improve the public's health.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Public Health Coordinating Council
Act''.
SEC. 2. NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH COORDINATING COUNCIL.
(a) Establishment.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services
(referred to in this section as the ``Secretary''), acting in
collaboration with the Surgeon General, shall establish a National
Public Health Coordinating Council (referred to in this section as the
``Council'') to facilitate and strengthen sustained communication and
coordination across Federal agencies and offices regarding public
health and to review and make recommendations concerning adequate and
needed socio-economic and environmental policies to reduce health
disparities and improve the public's health.
(b) Composition.--The Council shall be composed of--
(1) the heads of each Federal department or agency (or
their designees) that administers a program related to, or
affected by, public health policies and projects (including
medical and population-based public health programs), including
the Secretary, the Surgeon General, the heads of the institutes
and agencies within the Department of Health and Human
Services, the heads of those Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention centers determined appropriate by the Secretary, and
the heads of other Federal departments and agencies, including
the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Commerce, the
Department of Defense, the Department of Education, the
Department of Energy, the Environmental Protection Agency, the
Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of
Homeland Security, the Department of the Interior, the
Department of Justice, the Department of Labor, and the
Department of Transportation;
(2) representatives from each of the 10 regional health
offices of the Department of Health and Human Services, who
shall provide a State, local, and tribal perspective;
(3) health advisors or other members of the President's
domestic policy and domestic security councils;
(4) public health experts who are not employed by the
Federal Government, of whom--
(A) two individuals shall be appointed by the
President pro tempore of the Senate upon the
recommendation of the Majority Leader of the Senate,
after consultation with the Chairman of the Committee
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the
Senate;
(B) two individuals shall be appointed by the
President pro tempore of the Senate upon the
recommendation of the Minority Leader of the Senate,
after consultation with the ranking minority member of
the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions;
(C) three individuals shall be appointed by the
Speaker of the House of Representatives, after
consultation with the Chairman of the Committee on
Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives;
and
(D) three individuals shall be appointed by the
Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, after
consultation with the ranking minority member of the
Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives; and
(5) other individuals determined appropriate by the
Secretary or the co-chairpersons of the Council.
(c) Administrative Provisions.--
(1) Chairperson.--The Surgeon General and the Assistant
Secretary for Health shall serve as the co-chairpersons of the
Council.
(2) Terms.--Members of the Council appointed under
subsection (b)(4) shall serve for a term of 2 years and members
appointed under subsection (b)(5) shall serve for a term of 3
years, except that the initial terms of the members appointed
under subsection (b)(4) shall be staggered. Such members may be
reappointed for one or more additional term. Any member
appointed to fill a vacancy for an unexpired term shall be
appointed for the remainder of such term. A member may serve
after the expiration of the member's term until a successor has
taken office.
(3) Meetings.--The Council shall meet at the call of the
chairperson, but not fewer than 2 times each year. All meetings
of the Council shall be public and shall include appropriate
time periods for questions and presentations by the public.
(4) Subcommittees; establishment and membership.--In
carrying out its functions, the Council may establish
subcommittees and convene workshops and conferences. Such
subcommittees shall be composed of Council members and may hold
such meetings as are necessary to enable the subcommittees to
carry out their duties.
(5) Support.--The Council shall receive necessary and
appropriate administrative and other support from the
Secretary, including the detailing of Department of Health and
Human Services staff. The heads of the Federal entities
represented on the Council shall share information, data,
resources, and staff as appropriate.
(d) Duties.--The Secretary shall determine the duties of the
Council, which shall at a minimum include--
(1) reviewing existing Federal health programs and
policies, the Federal administration of such programs, and
whether such program provide for the availability of equitable
public health services across communities;
(2) making recommendations for the modification of such
Federal programs and policies to improve public health;
(3) making recommendations for the funding of such Federal
programs at levels that would improve public health;
(4) seeking to strengthen the impact of Federal public
health efforts by improving interagency collaboration and
promoting a dialogue on broad public health issues;
(5) making recommendations to improve the efficiency of
Federal health programs;
(6) providing for the demonstration of Federal health
leadership through the activities of the council;
(7) improving Federal communication regarding health
programs and policies through--
(A) the sharing of health-related information,
knowledge, and data and the identification of gaps in
comparable data and knowledge needed to improve the
public's health; and
(B) the facilitation of new health-related
partnerships, and enhancing existing networks across
Federal agencies;
(8) identifying needed technical assistance to State and
local public health agencies; and
(9) carrying out other activities determined appropriate by
the Council to improve public health.
(e) Reports.--Not later than 1 year after the date on which the
Council is established, and biennially thereafter, the Council shall
submit to the President, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and
Pensions of the Senate, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the
House of Representatives, a report that contains--
(1) a description of the demonstrated strategic
collaboration among Federal entities with respect to health
programs and policies;
(2) a summary of any evidence of improvements in
communication and collaboration between such Federal entities
with respect to Federal health programs and policies;
(3) a description of any improvements in efficiencies of
activities by such Federal entities with respect to such health
programs and policies;
(4) a description of the impact on public health of any
modifications to such Federal programs and policies made as a
result of the activities of the Council;
(5) a description of progress made in meeting national
health objectives and the public health infrastructure required
to meet such objectives; and
(6) recommendations for policies and programs to reduce
health disparities.
(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section, such sums as may be necessary.
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