Senate urged to swiftly reauthorize preparedness programs

A coalition of 40 health care and public health organizations, including the AHA, today urged the Senate to quickly pass the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act, included in legislation approved by the House this week. The PAHPAI Act includes AHA-supported provisions changing financing and uses for the Public Health Emergency Fund; reauthorizing the Hospital Preparedness Program at an increased amount, including reserving a percentage of HPP funds for the purpose of developing regional health care emergency preparedness and response systems; and formally keeping the HPP and the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Program separate under their respective agencies.
 
“The Health Education, Labor & Pensions and Energy & Commerce committees have made tremendous, bipartisan progress on this important legislation, and it would be a setback for our national health security to further delay reauthorization,” the organizations told Senate leaders. “…We are particularly concerned that several authorities have expired, including temporary reassignment of state and local personnel, the National Advisory Committee on Children and Disasters limited antitrust exemption and other provisions critical to HHS contracting. We believe that time is of the essence in reauthorizing these important authorities.”