S. 3595 – Ensuring Understanding of COVID-19 to Protect Public Health Act

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Updated April 14, 2026 at 12:04 PM UTC

The Ensuring Understanding of COVID‑19 to Protect Public Health Act directs the National Institutes of Health to conduct a long‑term, nationwide study of how COVID‑19 affects people’s health over at least a decade. It requires enrolling a diverse population, monitoring both physical and mental health outcomes, and publicly sharing results regularly. The law applies to NIH, the CDC, and any public‑private partners involved in the research.

Key Provisions

The NIH Director, working with the CDC, must start a nationwide, 10‑year longitudinal study of COVID‑19’s health effects within six months of the law’s passage.
The study must enroll a diverse group of participants—including different ages, genders, races, ethnicities, geographic areas, people with various health conditions, pregnant and lactating women, and those who had mild, moderate, or severe COVID‑19 symptoms.
Researchers must track physical health (e.g., lung function, immune response) and mental health over time, checking in at least twice a year after the first year of infection, and also follow people exposed prenatally.
NIH may create a public‑private research network, but all research results must be publicly available.
NIH must release summary findings at least every three months for the first two years, then at least every six months thereafter.

Legislative Activity

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SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

May 4, 2020

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

May 4, 2020

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee

May 4, 2020

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued May 4, 2020

II

116th CONGRESS

2d Session

S. 3595

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

May 4, 2020

Ms. Rosen (for herself and Mr. Rubio) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

A BILL

To require a longitudinal study on the impact of COVID–19.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Ensuring Understanding of COVID-19 to Protect Public Health Act.

2.

Study on the impact of COVID–19

Part A of title IV of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 281 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

404O.

Study on the impact of COVID–19

(a)

In general

The Director of NIH, in consultation with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall conduct a longitudinal study, over not less than 10 years, on the full impact of COVID–19 on infected individuals, including both short-term and long-term health impacts.

(b)

Timing

The Director of NIH shall begin enrolling patients in the study under this section not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this section.

(c)

Requirements

The study under this section shall—

(1)

be nationwide;

(2)

include diversity of enrollees to account for gender, age, race, ethnicity, geography, comorbidities, and underrepresented populations, including pregnant and lactating women;

(3)

study individuals who were infected with COVID–19 who experienced mild symptoms, such individuals who experienced moderate symptoms, and such individuals who experienced severe symptoms;

(4)

monitor the health outcomes and symptoms of individuals who were infected with COVID–19, or had prenatal exposure to COVID–19, including lung capacity and function, and immune response, taking into account any pharmaceutical interventions such individuals may have received;

(5)

monitor the mental health outcomes of individuals infected with COVID–19, taking into account any interventions that affected mental health; and

(6)

monitor individuals enrolled in the study not less frequently than twice per year after the first year of the individual's infection with COVID–19.

(d)

Public-Private research network

For purposes of carrying out the study under this section, the Director of NIH may develop a network of public-private research partners, provided that all research, including the research carried out through any such partner, is available publicly.

(e)

Summaries of findings

The Director of NIH shall make public a summary of findings under this section not less frequently than once every 3 months for the first 2 years of the study, and not less frequently than every 6 months thereafter. Such summaries may include information about how the findings of the study under this section compare with findings from research conducted abroad.

(f)

Authorization of appropriations

There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.

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