[Congressional Record Volume 160, Number 99 (Tuesday, June 24, 2014)]
[House]
[Pages H5693-H5695]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRAUMA SYSTEMS AND REGIONALIZATION OF EMERGENCY CARE REAUTHORIZATION
ACT
Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 4080) to amend title XII of the Public Health Service Act to
reauthorize certain trauma care programs, and for other purposes, as
amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4080
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 ``Trauma Systems and
Regionalization of Emergency Care Reauthorization Act''.
SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF CERTAIN TRAUMA CARE PROGRAMS.
Section 1232(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
300d-32(a)) is amended by striking ``2014'' and inserting
``2019''.
SEC. 3. IMPROVEMENTS AND CLARIFICATIONS TO CERTAIN TRAUMA
CARE PROGRAMS.
(a) Allocation of Funds for Competitive Grants for
Regionalized Systems for Emergency Care Response.--Section
1232(c) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300d-
32(c)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at the end and
inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(3) for a fiscal year after fiscal year 2014, not more
than 50 percent of such amounts remaining for such fiscal
year after application of paragraphs (1) and (2) shall be
allocated for the purpose of carrying out section 1204.''.
(b) Clarifications Under Trauma Systems Formula Grants
Requirements Relating to the American Burn Association.--
Section 1213 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
300d-13) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(3), by inserting ``and (for a fiscal
year after fiscal year 2014) contains national standards and
requirements of the American Burn Association for the
designation of verified burn centers,'' after ``such
entity,'';
(2) in subsection (b)(3)(A), by striking ``and the American
Academy of Pediatrics,'' and
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inserting ``the American Academy of Pediatrics, and (for a
fiscal year after fiscal year 2014) the American Burn
Association,''; and
(3) in subsection (c)(1)--
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph (A), by inserting
``and not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment
of the Trauma Systems and Regionalization of Emergency Care
Reauthorization Act'' after ``Act of 2007''; and
(B) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``and the American
Academy of Pediatrics'' and inserting ``the American Academy
of Pediatrics, and (with respect to the update pursuant to
the Trauma Systems and Regionalization of Emergency Care
Reauthorization Act) the American Burn Association''.
(c) Conforming Amendments.--Part B of title XII of the
Public Health Service Act is amended--
(1) in section 1218(c)(2) (42 U.S.C. 300d-18(c)(2)), in the
matter preceding subparagraph (A), by striking ``1232(b)(3)''
and inserting ``section 1232(b)''; and
(2) in section 1222 (42 U.S.C. 300d-22), by striking
``October 1, 2008'' and inserting ``October 1, 2016''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gene Green)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Pennsylvania.
General Leave
Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
insert extraneous materials into the Record on the bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Pennsylvania?
There was no objection.
Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support of H.R. 4080, the Trauma Systems
and Regionalization of Emergency Care Reauthorization Act, introduced
by Representative Michael Burgess.
This bill amends the Public Health Service Act by reauthorizing two
important grant programs: the Trauma Care Systems Planning Grants and
the Regionalization of Emergency Care Systems.
The first program supports State and rural development of trauma
systems and the second funds pilot projects to design, implement, and
evaluate innovative models of regionalized emergency care.
We know that immediate access to trauma care within the golden hour
after injury is critical. By improving access to the specialized care
designed to treat trauma injuries, both of these trauma bills will save
lives.
I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4080, the Trauma Systems and
Regionalization of Emergency Care Reauthorization Act. I am proud to be
the lead Democratic sponsor on this important bill with my colleague
from Texas, Dr. Burgess. I want to thank him for his leadership and
commitment to this issue.
This bill reauthorizes the programs that provide grants to States for
planning, implementing, and developing trauma care systems, and
establishes pilot projects that design innovative models of emergency
care systems.
Ideally, trauma and emergency care systems respond quickly and
efficiently to ensure that the seriously injured individuals receive
the care they need within that golden hour--the time period when
medical intervention is most effective at saving lives.
However, unintentional injury remains the leading cause of death for
Americans aged 44 years and younger, and access to trauma centers is
inconsistent throughout the country. In fact, 45 million Americans lack
access to a trauma care center within that golden hour, which is the
first hour after the injury.
Emergency departments and trauma centers are overcrowded, the
emergency care system is splintered, and surgical specialists are often
unavailable to patients who need them. This legislation helps establish
the systems that save lives and improve the functioning of our trauma
care systems.
Again, I want to thank Representative Burgess for championing this
effort with me. I also want to acknowledge the leadership of Chairman
Upton, Chairman Pitts, Ranking Member Waxman, Ranking Member Pallone,
and the work of the committee's staff in advancing this bill through
the Energy and Commerce Committee and bringing it to the floor today.
I support this bipartisan and I urge my colleagues to do the same, I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Texas, Dr. Burgess, the distinguished vice chairman of the Health
Subcommittee, who has been a real champion on this issue and is the
prime sponsor of the bill.
Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, trauma is the leading cause of death for
people under the age of 65. It is expensive, costing nearly $403
billion a year, third only to heart disease and cancer. It affects
individuals of all ages, 35 million times each year, or one person
every 15 minutes.
{time} 1845
H.R. 4080 reauthorizes two existing, bipartisan grant programs that
support the regionalization of emergency care and trauma systems across
the country.
Trauma systems deliver a full range of care to injured patients. Most
Members of the House have trauma systems either in their districts or
nearby that are able to serve their constituents.
This bill is supported by the American Association of Neurological
Surgeons, the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the
American Burn Association, the American College of Emergency
Physicians, the American College of Surgeons, the Emergency Nurses
Association, the American Trauma Society, the Congress of Neurological
Surgeons, and the Trauma Center Association of America.
A study released in April found that patients living near a recently
closed trauma facility were 21 percent more likely to die from their
injuries. Two years after closure, the likelihood of death increased to
29 percent, emphasizing the importance of these grants.
This legislation passed out of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee
on Health by a voice vote and passed the full committee on April 3
unanimously. This legislation is broadly supported by medicine. It is
bipartisan, and it has gone through regular order.
I want to thank Chairman Upton and Chairman Pitts as well as Ranking
Members Waxman and Pallone, and the Energy and Commerce staffs on both
sides of the dais: Clay Alspach, Robert Horne, Brenda DeStro, Katie
Novaria, as well as Anne Morris Reid.
Mr. Green and I have worked on this issue for years, and I appreciate
his continued partnership on the bill. I also want to thank his staff,
Kristen O'Neill.
Finally, from my office, I want to thank Adrianna Simonelli and JP
Paluskiewicz, who shepherded the bill through the process.
I urge all Members to vote in favor of this legislation. It is
important for all of our districts.
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. PITTS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to my colleague from
Pennsylvania (Mr. Dent).
Mr. DENT. Mr. Speaker, I, too, rise today in strong support of H.R.
4080, the Trauma Systems and Regionalization of Emergency Care
Reauthorization Act.
I would especially like to thank Dr. Burgess of Texas and
Representative Gene Green of Texas for introducing this very important,
critical piece of legislation.
As has been mentioned, the leading cause of death for people under
the age of 45 is trauma. It is, unfortunately, something a majority of
States is not adequately prepared to handle. According to the CDC,
trauma kills more Americans than AIDS and strokes combined. The Nation
needs a robust network to respond quickly and efficiently to get
seriously injured individuals to the appropriate trauma center within
that golden hour that has been much discussed, which is the time period
when medical intervention is the most effective in saving lives and in
saving function.
H.R. 4080, if enacted, will allow for the development of innovative
State and regionalized care, which is necessary to prevent these trauma
deaths.
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The bill would also direct States to update their model trauma care
plans with the input of stakeholders. When the difference between life
and death rests on the ability to deliver coordinated trauma care
within the golden hour, we need legislation in place, such as H.R.
4080, in order to improve the delivery of emergency medical care to
severely injured patients.
While we are at it, at some point, we should deal with the issue of
liability reform for trauma centers because we need on-call specialists
to deliver that care when we most need it, but that is a fight for
another day. Today, let's get H.R. 4080 done.
I urge my colleagues to support this important legislation that was
introduced by Dr. Burgess and Mr. Green.
Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Speaker, in closing, as a cosponsor of
this bill and in working with my colleague Dr. Burgess for a number of
years on trauma care, I urge an ``aye'' vote.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. PITTS. Again, Mr. Speaker, H.R. 4080 is another very important
and bipartisan bill, and I urge all of the Members to support it.
I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Jolly). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Pitts) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4080, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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