Index for HR3962: Affordable Health Care for America Act

To provide affordable, quality health care for all Americans and reduce the growth in health care spending, and for other purposes.

Mr. Dingell (for himself, Mr. Rangel, Mr. Waxman, Mr. George Miller of California, Mr. Stark, Mr. Pallone, and Mr. Andrews) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Education and Labor, Oversight and Government Reform, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

(a) In general.—Subtitle B of title XXVIII (42 U.S.C. 300hh–10 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(a) Emergency Care Coordination Center.—

“(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary shall establish, within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, an Emergency Care Coordination Center (in this section referred to as the ‘Center’), to be headed by a director.

“(2) DUTIES.—The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Center, in coordination with the Federal Interagency Committee on Emergency Medical Services, shall—

“(A) promote and fund research in emergency medicine and trauma health care;

“(B) promote regional partnerships and more effective emergency medical systems in order to enhance appropriate triage, distribution, and care of routine community patients; and

“(C) promote local, regional, and State emergency medical systems’ preparedness for and response to public health events.

“(b) Council of Emergency Care.—

“(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary, acting through the Director of the Center, shall establish a Council of Emergency Care to provide advice and recommendations to the Director on carrying out this section.

“(2) COMPOSITION.—The Council shall be comprised of employees of the departments and agencies of the Federal Government who are experts in emergency care and management.

“(c) Report.—

“(1) SUBMISSION.—Not later than 12 months after the date of the enactment of the Affordable Health Care for America Act, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress an annual report on the activities carried out under this section.

“(2) CONSIDERATIONS.—In preparing a report under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall consider factors including—

“(A) emergency department crowding and boarding; and

“(B) delays in care following presentation.

“(d) Authorization of appropriations.—To carry out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2011 through 2015.”.

(b) Functions, personnel, assets, liabilities, and administrative actions.—All functions, personnel, assets, and liabilities of, and administrative actions applicable to, the Emergency Care Coordination Center, as in existence on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act, shall be transferred to the Emergency Care Coordination Center established under section 2816(a) of the Public Health Service Act, as added by subsection (a).