[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 98 (Wednesday, June 12, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Page S3365]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. KAINE (for himself, Mr. Isakson, and Mr. King):
  S. 1793. A bill to establish a grant program for the purpose of 
public health data system modernization; to the Committee on Health, 
Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  Mr. KAINE. Mr. President, Our Nation's public health system needs 
high quality, timely, and accurate data to protect the public from 
health threats like opioid overdoses, influenza, measles, and more. 
Effective prevention and response to health threats requires 
coordinated efforts between health care providers and public health 
officials across all levels of government.
  Unfortunately, the public health data systems we rely on for our 
health and safety are antiquated and fragmented. Systems lack the 
interoperability needed to facilitate timely, secure information 
exchange. Too often, public health departments are forced to rely on 
systems with manual processes that are time consuming and error prone, 
such as paper records, faxes, and phone calls. Only two jurisdictions 
have begun the process to receive electronic case reports directly from 
health records, and only for a small number of diseases. Our public 
health data infrastructure lacks the automation, security, 
interoperability, and skilled workforce we need to confront the public 
health threats of today and tomorrow.
  Today, I am pleased to introduce with my colleagues, Senator Isakson 
and Senator King, the Saving Lives Through Better Data Act to assist in 
building the 21st Century public health data infrastructure our Nation 
needs. The Saving Lives Through Better Data Act awards grants to State, 
local, Tribal, and territorial public health departments to improve 
data collection and analysis, simplify provider reporting, enhance 
interoperability, promote electronic case reporting, and support 
earlier disease detection and response. Grant recipients must support 
interoperability standards endorsed by the National Coordinator for 
Health Information Technology or those adopted by the HHS Secretary.
  The Saving Lives Through Better Data Act also requires the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct activities to improve its 
public health data systems. The CDC must also develop and utilize 
public-private partnerships to support State, local, Tribal, and 
territorial public health departments in modernizing and expanding 
electronic case reporting and public health data systems. The 
legislation calls for reporting on barriers public health authorities 
may face in implementing electronic case reporting or interoperable 
public health data systems as well as an assessment of the potential 
public health impact of making such improvements. We make the necessary 
investment to improve our public health infrastructure by authorizing 
$100 million per year for each of fiscal years 2020-2024.
  The Saving Lives Through Better Data Act will strengthen our public 
health data systems so we can be well-equipped to identify and respond 
to public health threats, which will save lives.
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