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People & committees
Rep. Torres, Ritchie [D-NY-15] · D–NY
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: May 6, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2025-03-06 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The bill would require the Department of Health and Human Services to review its responses to declared public health emergencies, address problems found, and improve coordination among its agencies. It would also require a communication strategy aimed at making public health messages clear, accurate, and accessible, with priority for people most at risk. These are proposed requirements; the supplied evidence does not establish enactment.
The Secretary shall establish, maintain, and implement an after-action program to— (1) identify and implement solutions for issues found following any response by the Department of Health and Human Services to a determination of a public health emergency under section 319(a); and (2) encourage collaboration among the agencies of the Department, including by integrating any public health emergency after-action programs of such agencies.
The Secretary shall establish, maintain, and implement a comprehensive strategy to ensure that communications about infectious diseases and other public health risks by agencies and offices of the Department of Health and Human Services, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are clear, accurate, and prioritize the populations most at risk.
ensure that communications are targeted, understandable, and accessible.
Section 1 would name the legislation the Coordinated Agency Response Enhancement Act, or CARE Act.
This Act may be cited as the Coordinated Agency Response Enhancement Act or the CARE Act.
Section 2 would add a department-wide after-action program—a process for reviewing an emergency response and addressing problems—to the Public Health Service Act. The Health and Human Services Secretary would have to establish it and begin implementation within two years after enactment. It would cover responses to public health emergency determinations under section 319(a) and integrate agency after-action programs to encourage collaboration.
Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 280g et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following: 399V–8. Department-wide after-action program
The Secretary shall establish, maintain, and implement an after-action program to— (1) identify and implement solutions for issues found following any response by the Department of Health and Human Services to a determination of a public health emergency under section 319(a); and (2) encourage collaboration among the agencies of the Department, including by integrating any public health emergency after-action programs of such agencies.
The Secretary shall establish and begin implementation of the after-action program under subsection (a) not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this section.
The review program would have to obtain input from and coordinate with relevant outside participants in each department emergency response. Examples include other federal agencies, state, Tribal, territorial and municipal health departments, and nongovernmental partners.
The after-action program under subsection (a) shall include input from, and coordinate with, relevant external stakeholders involved in each public health emergency response of the Department of Health and Human Services, such as— (1) other Federal agencies; (2) other jurisdictions, including the health departments of States, Indian Tribes, and territories of the United States and municipalities thereof; and (3) nongovernmental partners.
The department's Inspector General would evaluate the program and report to Congress whenever the Inspector General considers appropriate, based on risks and emerging needs. Evaluations would include whether the program can identify challenges and propose solutions; the bill does not set a fixed evaluation schedule.
The Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services shall, whenever the Inspector General determines appropriate, based on assessed risks and emerging needs— (1) evaluate the efficacy of the after-action program under subsection (a), including by evaluating the ability of the program to identify challenges and propose solutions; and (2) submit to Congress a report summarizing the evaluation under paragraph (1).
The Secretary would decide which listed elements are appropriate to include in program reports. These include reviews of emergency plans and plans for keeping operations running, information sharing that complies with disclosure laws, coordination with community and health care partners, technology used during emergencies, coordination of patient loads across facilities, and emergency management structures. These are reporting guidelines, not unconditional requirements that every listed practice be adopted.
The Secretary shall, as the Secretary determines appropriate, incorporate in any report of the after-action program under subsection (a) the elements described in subparagraphs (A) through (M) of paragraph (2).
A description of the process and outcomes of reviewing and updating emergency operations plans, continuity of operations plans, and business continuity plans both annually and after significant public health emergencies.
A description of the establishment and effectiveness of protocols for efficient information sharing (consistent with applicable disclosure laws) and situational awareness among health care facilities and partners, including the development and deployment of an integrated joint information system.
Descriptions of— (i) strategies for coordination with national, State, and local health care patient and public health coalitions and community partners, focusing on active engagement and information sharing (consistent with applicable disclosure laws); (ii) information technology solutions used for coordination during public health emergencies; and (iii) how medical operations coordination cells were implemented for effective patient load balancing during surges to assure regional health care coordination.
A description of incident management structures, including the maintenance of the incident command system and the establishment of an incident action planning process.
A description of strategies for the development and maintenance of a dynamic communications framework for real-time information sharing (consistent with applicable disclosure laws) and situational awareness.
Other report topics, included as the Secretary considers appropriate, would cover staffing, space, patient and resident well-being, supply chains, emergency allocation of resources, conservation or reuse of supplies, and infection prevention. The resource topic includes crisis standards of care—protocols for allocating and using medical and other resources during emergencies.
The Secretary shall, as the Secretary determines appropriate, incorporate in any report of the after-action program under subsection (a) the elements described in subparagraphs (A) through (M) of paragraph (2).
A description of strategies for comprehensive staff management plans, scalable space management strategies, and policies adopted to maintain patient and resident well-being.
A description of strategies for developing comprehensive logistics and supply chain management strategies to ensure a steady and sufficient supply of personal protective equipment, medical equipment, pharmaceuticals, and other items.
A description of strategies for implementing crisis standards of care protocols to optimize the allocation and use of medical and non-medical assets during emergencies, including guidelines for the conservation, reuse, or repurposing of supplies.
A description of strategies for enhancing infection prevention measures, including staff training, environmental cleaning, and patient screening, to mitigate the spread of infectious diseases within health care facilities.
Reports could also address treatment, transport and discharge procedures, remote care where feasible, coordination of patients' clinical and other needs, and recovery strategies. Another topic would be developing and making available vaccines, tests, treatments and other medical countermeasures, including challenges encountered. Inclusion of these topics would remain subject to the Secretary's judgment.
The Secretary shall, as the Secretary determines appropriate, incorporate in any report of the after-action program under subsection (a) the elements described in subparagraphs (A) through (M) of paragraph (2).
A description of how treatment, transport, and discharge protocols were standardized to ensure consistency and efficiency in patient care and movement, including the incorporation of telehealth and remote monitoring solutions where feasible, explaining the technologies used and the outcomes of the interventions.
Descriptions of— (i) how case management protocols were refined to address both clinical and non-clinical needs of patients and residents; and (ii) the measures taken to ensure coordinated care and support throughout the treatment and recovery phases, detailing the challenges faced and the strategies employed to overcome such challenges.
Descriptions of— (i) the strategy employed to accelerate the development, distribution, and administration of medical countermeasures, such as vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostic tests, and treatments; and (ii) the challenges encountered in making such medical countermeasures available for use during the public health emergency and how such challenges were addressed.
A description of any implemented recovery strategies focusing on administrative, financial, policy, and equity considerations.
The bill would authorize Congress to provide $3.5 million for establishing and operating the review program, stakeholder coordination and reporting, including its first four reports. It would separately authorize whatever amounts are necessary for Inspector General oversight. These authorizations would not themselves provide the money; appropriated funds would remain available until spent.
There is authorized to be appropriated, to remain available until expended— (1) $3,500,000 to carry out subsections (a), (b), (c), and (e), including the first 4 reports of the after-action program; and (2) such sums as may be necessary to carry out subsection (d).
Section 3 would require the Secretary to establish, maintain and implement a public health risk communication strategy across the department, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It would address infectious diseases and other health risks, prioritize populations most at risk, identify at-risk populations during emergencies, and aim for targeted, understandable and accessible messages.
The Secretary shall establish, maintain, and implement a comprehensive strategy to ensure that communications about infectious diseases and other public health risks by agencies and offices of the Department of Health and Human Services, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are clear, accurate, and prioritize the populations most at risk.
The strategy under subsection (a) shall be designed to— (1) clearly identify at-risk populations during public health emergencies; and (2) ensure that communications are targeted, understandable, and accessible.
The Secretary would have to establish and begin implementing the initial communication strategy within one year after enactment.
The Secretary shall establish and begin implementation of the initial strategy under subsection (a) not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section.
The supplied actions snapshot, updated May 6, 2025, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce on March 6, 2025. It does not establish what happened after that snapshot.
Source snapshot updated 2025-05-06T08:05:33Z. 2025-03-06: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. 2025-03-06: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2025-03-06. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. Its provisions concern public health emergency review, coordination and communication. This conclusion applies only to this version and does not establish the contents or attachment history of other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for a particular outside recipient or place was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. General program funding authorizations are not automatically earmarks. This conclusion is limited to this version; accompanying materials that could establish formal earmark status are absent.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
None identified in the reviewed text
No materially narrow carve-out, special exemption or preferential benefit was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. Prioritizing people most at risk in public health communications is part of the program's ordinary purpose. This conclusion applies only to the supplied version, not other versions or accompanying materials.
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: May 6, 2025. How PlainBill uses AI