[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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