On March 4, the House passed the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (HR 307) by a vote of 370-28. The bill reauthorizes several medical disaster preparedness programs, including the National Disaster Medical System and the Public Health Emergency Preparedness Cooperative Agreement program, which provides grants to enhance state and local health departments’ ability to respond to public health hazards. Under the bill, both programs would be reauthorized at current spending levels through fiscal 2018. In addition, the bill directs the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a 15-member interagency National Advisory Committee on Children and Disasters. The bill was previously approved by the House in January and passed the Senate with amendments last week. The bill will now go to the President for his signature.

Link: HR 307