Posted on 05/12/2020 5:29:45 AM PDT by RaceBannon
116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6666
To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to eligible entities to conduct diagnostic testing for COVID–19, and related activities such as contact tracing, through mobile health units and, as necessary, at individuals’ residences, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 1, 2020 Mr. Rush (for himself, Ms. Barragán, Ms. Bass, Mr. Beyer, Mr. Brown of Maryland, Mr. Butterfield, Mr. Cárdenas, Mr. Carson of Indiana, Mr. Cohen, Mr. Correa, Mr. Cuellar, Ms. DeGette, Mrs. Demings, Mr. Gonzalez of Texas, Mr. Grijalva, Mr. Hastings, Mrs. Hayes, Mr. Higgins of New York, Ms. Kaptur, Mr. Khanna, Ms. Kuster of New Hampshire, Mr. Larson of Connecticut, Mr. Lynch, Ms. McCollum, Ms. Moore, Ms. Norton, Mr. Payne, Mr. Raskin, Mr. Rouda, Mr. Ryan, Mr. Sarbanes, Ms. Sewell of Alabama, Mr. Sires, Mr. Soto, Ms. Tlaib, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Mr. Van Drew, Ms. Velázquez, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, and Mrs. Napolitano) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
A BILL To authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award grants to eligible entities to conduct diagnostic testing for COVID–19, and related activities such as contact tracing, through mobile health units and, as necessary, at individuals’ residences, and for other purposes.
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 “COVID–19 Testing, Reaching, And Contacting Everyone (TRACE) Act”.
SEC. 2. COVID–19 TESTING AND CONTACT TRACING USING MOBILE HEALTH UNITS.
(a) In General.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, may award grants to eligible entities to conduct diagnostic testing for COVID–19, to trace and monitor the contacts of infected individuals, and to support the quarantine of such contacts, through—
(1) mobile health units; and
(2) as necessary, testing individuals and providing individuals with services related to testing and quarantine at their residences.
(b) Permissible Uses Of Funds.—A grant recipient under this section may use the grant funds, in support of the activities described in subsection (a)—
(1) to hire, train, compensate, and pay the expenses of individuals; and
(2) to purchase personal protective equipment and other supplies.
(c) Priority.—In selecting grant recipients under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to—
(1) applicants proposing to conduct activities funded under this section in hot spots and medically underserved communities; and
(2) applicants that agree, in hiring individuals to carry out activities funded under this section, to hire residents of the area or community where the activities will primarily occur, with higher priority among applicants described in this paragraph given based on the percentage of individuals to be hired from such area or community.
(d) Distribution.—In selecting grant recipients under this section, the Secretary shall ensure that grants are distributed across urban and rural areas.
(e) Federal Privacy Requirements.—Nothing in this section shall be construed to supersede any Federal privacy or confidentiality requirement, including the regulations promulgated under section 264(c) of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (Public Law 104–191; 110 Stat. 2033) and section 543 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 290dd–2).
(f) Definitions.—In this section:
(1) The term “eligible entity” means—
(A) a Federally qualified health center (as defined in section 1861(aa) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(aa)));
(B) a school-based health clinic;
(C) a disproportionate share hospital (as defined under the applicable State plan under title XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) pursuant to section 1923(a)(1)(A) of such Act (42 U.S.C. 1396r–4));
(D) an academic medical center;
(E) a nonprofit organization (including any such faith-based organization);
(F) an institution of higher education (as defined in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001));
(G) a high school (as defined in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7801)); or
(H) any other type of entity that is determined by the Secretary to be an eligible entity for purposes of this section.
(2) The term “emergency period” has the meaning given to that term in section 1135(g)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b–5(g)(1)(B)).
(3) The term “hot spot” means a geographic area where the rate of infection with the virus that causes COVID–19 exceeds the national average.
(4) The term “medically underserved community” has the meaning given to that term in section 799B of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 295p).
(5) The term “Secretary” means the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
(g) Authorization Of Appropriations.—To carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated—
(1) $100,000,000,000 for fiscal year 2020; and
(2) such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal year 2021 and any subsequent fiscal year during which the emergency period continues.
2Chr 7:12 And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice. 2Chr 7:13 If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people; 2Chr 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
have you seen this yet?
an awful lot . . .
So take your damned bill and stick it up your collective asses.
And take Mr. Gates with you.
President Trump, if this farce of a bill is not dead on arrival by the time it makes your desk, I would be most grateful if you would simply drop it into the nearest shredder.
$100B for “services related to testing and quarantine at their residences”
No thanks, we’re good!
Anything coming from the House o Representatives is not worth the Obamastuff it’s scribbled with.
The Democrats put the CRITTER in congresscritter.
I assume all Wuhan virus tests must be conducted by government union testers.
Call it for what it is, community organizing on our dime.
It’s hard to believe that this particular bill wound up with that particular number.
Wow—I am amazed at some of the responses in this thread.
I don’t know how many people have balked at the lock down. I’ve seen many complaints that “no quarantine in history has ever kept healthy people locked up” (which is not true, but people believe that). So here is a bill designed to target testing to those who are the most likely to have been exposed, to conduct contact tracing, to quarantine those individuals who test positive—and people are complaining?
This bill actually RELIEVES the lock downs. It is intended to allow people who test negative to go about their ordinary business, while keeping those who test positive confined.
It seems unbelievable but not if you understand prophecy. Four sixes are not three but close enough.
This reminds me of the star trek episode where the computers decided whom had to go rather than having a war and the dopes volunteered to go into the disintergrator chambers. “oh I see here you are positive, report to chamber number 3 by 11 o clock”.
Then go ahead and get tested and be put in a data base. Great.
I see the hand of God in a lot that is going on right now.
I still don’t understand what good testing for the virus is, when you can test negative one day and then catch it the next. This seems to be what has happened in the White House.
Do they intend to test everyone every day?
I’m somewhat (and only somewhat) comfortable that this will not be signed into law as long as the opposing party is in control of the Senate and the President is Donald Trump.
HOWEVER, should the Democrats take the Senate and the Executive this coming November, this is the type of thing will likely become the law of the land. A chilling prospect.
I still don’t understand what good testing for the virus is, when you can test negative one day and then catch it the next. This seems to be what has happened in the White House. Do they intend to test everyone every day?
Apparently the White House is testing daily. That allowed Stephanie Miller to know she had the disease and self quarantine instead if going into the VPs office for a few days more. Are you saying there is no benefit to that?
This is actually going to deter people from seeking medical treatment if they have the virus.
No one will want to submit to a test or admit feeling ill if they are going to be subjected to the Spanish Inquisition.
Quinn’s First Law: Liberalism always generates the EXACT OPPOSITE of it’s stated intent.
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