[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 143 (Wednesday, September 6, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5018-S5019]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
STRENGTHENING MOSQUITO ABATEMENT FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT
Mr. GARDNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 45, S. 849.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 849) to support programs for mosquito-borne and
other vector-borne disease surveillance and control.
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill,
which had been reported from the Committee on Health, Education, Labor,
and Pensions, with an amendment to strike all after the enacting clause
and insert in lieu thereof the following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Strengthening Mosquito
Abatement for Safety and Health Act'' or the ``SMASH Act''.
SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF MOSQUITO ABATEMENT FOR SAFETY AND
HEALTH PROGRAM.
Section 317S of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
247b-21) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(1)(B)--
(A) by inserting ``including programs to address emerging
infectious mosquito-borne diseases,'' after ``control
programs,''; and
(B) by inserting ``or improving existing control programs''
before the period at the end;
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``, including
improvement,'' after ``operation'';
(B) in paragraph (2)--
(i) in subparagraph (A)--
(I) in clause (ii), by striking ``or'' at the end;
(II) in clause (iii), by striking the semicolon at the end
and inserting ``, including an emerging infectious mosquito-
borne disease that presents a serious public health threat;
or''; and
(III) by adding at the end the following:
``(iv) a public health emergency due to the incidence or
prevalence of a mosquito-borne disease that presents a
serious public health threat.''; and
(ii) in subparagraph (D), by inserting ``or that
demonstrates to the Secretary that the control program is
consistent with existing State mosquito control plans or
policies, or other applicable State preparedness plans''
before the period at the end;
(C) in paragraph (4)(C), by striking ``that extraordinary''
and all that follows through the period at the end and
inserting ``that--
``(i) extraordinary economic conditions in the political
subdivision or consortium of political subdivisions involved
justify the waiver; or
``(ii) the geographical area covered by a political
subdivision or consortium for a grant under paragraph (1) has
an extreme mosquito control need due to--
``(I) the size or density of the potentially impacted human
population;
``(II) the size or density of a mosquito population that
requires heightened control; or
``(III) the severity of the mosquito-borne disease, such
that expected serious adverse health outcomes for the human
population justify the waiver.''; and
(D) by amending paragraph (6) to read as follows:
``(6) Number of grants.--A political subdivision or a
consortium of political subdivisions may not receive more
than one grant under paragraph (1).''; and
(3) in subsection (f)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``for fiscal year 2003,
and such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years
2004 through 2007'' and inserting ``for each of fiscal years
2018 through 2022'';
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``the Public Health
Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of
2002'' and inserting ``other medical and public health
preparedness and response laws''; and
(C) in paragraph (3)--
(i) in the heading, by striking ``2004'' and inserting
``2018''; and
(ii) by striking ``2004'' and inserting ``2018''.
SEC. 3. EPIDEMIOLOGY-LABORATORY CAPACITY GRANTS.
Section 2821 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
300hh-31) is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(1), by inserting ``, including
mosquito and other vector-borne diseases,'' after
``infectious diseases''; and
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ``2010 through 2013''
and inserting ``2018 through 2022''.
[[Page S5019]]
SEC. 4. GAO STUDY.
(a) Study.--The Comptroller General of the United States
shall conduct a study on the state of surveillance and
control of mosquito-borne infectious diseases in the United
States and territories, including the state of preparedness
for conducting such surveillance and control. The study shall
include--
(1) a description of the infrastructure and programs for
mosquito control in the United States, including--
(A) how such infrastructure and programs are organized and
implemented at the Federal, State and local levels, including
with respect to departments and agencies of the States, and
local organizations (including special districts) involved in
such control programs;
(B) the role of the private sector in such activities;
(C) how the authority for mosquito control impacts such
activities; and
(D) the resources for such infrastructure and programs,
including Federal, State, and local funding sources;
(2) how mosquito and other vector-borne disease
surveillance and control is integrated into Federal, State,
and local preparedness plans and actions, including how
zoonotic surveillance is integrated into infectious disease
surveillance to support real-time situational surveillance
and awareness;
(3) Federal, State, and local laboratory capacity for
emerging vector-borne diseases, including mosquito-borne and
other zoonotic diseases; and
(4) any regulatory challenges for developing and utilizing
vector-control technologies and platforms as part of mosquito
control strategies.
(b) Consultations.--In conducting the study under
subsection (a), the Comptroller General of the United States
shall consult with--
(1) State and local public health officials involved in
mosquito and other vector-borne disease surveillance and
control efforts;
(2) researchers and manufacturers of mosquito control
products;
(3) stakeholders involved in mosquito abatement activities;
(4) infectious disease experts; and
(5) entomologists involved in mosquito-borne disease
surveillance and control efforts.
(c) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United
States shall submit to 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
containing the results of the study conducted under
subsection (a) and relevant recommendations for Zika virus
and other mosquito-borne diseases preparedness and response
efforts.
Mr. GARDNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the
committee-reported substitute amendment be considered and agreed to,
and that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee-reported amendment in the nature of a substitute was
agreed to.
The bill was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading and was read
the third time.
Mr. GARDNER. Mr. President, I know of no further debate on the bill.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate?
Hearing none, the bill having been read the third time, the question
is, Shall the bill pass?
The bill (S. 849), as amended, was passed.
Mr. GARDNER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the motion
to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
____________________