On June 12, 2002, President Bush signed into law the “Public
Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act”
(Public Law No: 107-188). Public Law No: 107-188 authorizes
approximately $4.6 billion for fiscal years 2002-2003 to improve
the ability of the United States to prevent, prepare for, and
respond to bioterrorism and other public health emergencies.
Specific appropriations included are as follows:
- more than $1.5 billion in grants to states, local governments,
and other private and public health-care facilities to improve
planning and preparedness, to enhance laboratory capacity,
to train health-care personnel, and to develop new drugs,
therapies, and vaccines
- $300 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) to upgrade and renovate their facilities to better respond
to public health threats with additional sums as needed to
increase the CDC’s capabilities
- more than $1.15 billion for the Secretary of Health and
Human Services (HHS) to expand the national stockpiles of
medical supplies and to purchase additional small pox vaccines
- $545 million for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to protect the nation’s
food supply and more than $100 million to protect the water
supply.
As previously reported, the bioterrorism law contains provisions
relevant to clinical laboratories. The national preparedness
plan included under Section 101 requires the Secretary of HHS
to ensure that state and local governments have the capacity
to detect and respond to an event of bioterrorism or other public
health emergency including “appropriate laboratory readiness.”
Section 103 authorizes the CDC to establish an integrated system
or systems of public health alert networks, specifically “between
and among public and private health-related laboratories, hospitals
and health care facilities.”
The most noteworthy provisions of the law are those relating
to the shortage of clinical laboratory personnel. Section 105
authorizes the development of a “core curriculum for the recognition
and identification of potential bioweapons and other agents”
for laboratory personnel and other medical professionals. It
also authorizes the development of materials for proficiency
testing of laboratory and public health personnel for the recognition
and identification of bioweapons and other agents.
Section 106 authorizes grants or loans to public or private
health or educational entities, including health professions
schools and programs, to assist in the “education and training
of individuals in any category of health professions for which
there is a shortage.” This applies to professions such as clinical
laboratorians that are needed to effectively prepare and respond
to bioterrorism and other public health emergencies.
Appropriations for Section 106 have not yet been assigned,
and the grants or loans will most likely be administered through
the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) or the
CDC.
Contact for content: Katharine I. Ayres, Director of Health
Care Policy, kayres@clma.org. |
