Social Determinants of Health Data Analysis Act of 2021

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of seven bills that originated in the Health Subcommittee of Energy & Commerce. I'm proud of my Subcommittee's bipartisan work on these critical bills which tackle hard problems, including substance use treatment, vaccine access, and the social inequities that result in poor health outcomes, especially for mothers and people of color.

Two of the bills we're considering help address the overdose crisis our nation currently faces. According to the CDC, overdose deaths spiked after the start of the pandemic. There were 93,000 overdose deaths in 2020, a 30 percent increase from the year prior, making 2020 the deadliest year for overdoses on record, with synthetic opioids the primary driver of the overall increase in overdose deaths across America.

H.R. 2355, the ``Opioid Prescription Verification Act of 2021,'' enables HHS and the CDC to help combat this urgent overdose epidemic by facilitating responsible, informed dispensing of controlled substances. I thank my colleagues Reps. Rodney Davis, Gus Bilirakis, and Ann Wagner for authoring this legislation.

H.R. 2364, the ``Synthetic Opioid Danger Awareness Act,'' directs the CDC to conduct a public awareness campaign on the dangers of synthetic opioids and available treatments. It also requires the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to make educational materials for first responders about synthetic opioid exposure prevention. I thank my colleagues Reps. Andy Kim and Chris Pappas for authoring this legislation.

The next three bills aim to ensure that every American, no matter their age. race, or income, are empowered to receive the ``dose of hope'' from vaccine protection. As we've seen during the pandemic, there are lifesaving benefits of safe, effective, and free vaccines.

H.R. 951, the ``Maternal Vaccination Act,'' helps to enhance maternal health care quality and outcomes. It authorizes $2 million annually for the next four years to increase awareness of the importance of combatting vaccine-preventable infection diseases during pregnancy. In the United States, pregnant women and infants are disproportionately susceptible to complications of infectious diseases such as influenza and whooping cough. Available vaccine data shows that vaccinations against these diseases confer protection to both mothers and newborns with no increased risk of adverse effects on pregnancy outcomes, and they are highly recommended by the CDC. I thank my colleague Rep. Terri Sewell for authoring this legislation.

H.R. 550, the ``Immunization Infrastructure Modernization Act of 2021,'' will create a national policy framework and provide resources to improve immunization information systems allowing for better management of routine vaccinations and enhancing our public health response to future pandemics. I thank my colleagues Reps. Ann Kuster and Larry Bucshon for their leadership authoring this legislation.

H.R. 1550, the ``PREVENT HPV Cancers Act of 2021,'' will create a national CDC public awareness campaign targeted to communities with the lowest HPV vaccination rates to increase vaccinations and prevent HPV cancers. I thank my colleague Rep. Kathy Castor for her leadership authoring this legislation.

The final two bills address social inequities that result in poor health outcomes and hurt the most vulnerable amongst us.

H.R. 4026, the ``Social Determinants of Health Data Analysis Act of 2021,'' calls for a GAO report on the HHS Secretary's actions to help inform Congress' next steps in addressing the factors that are at the heart of the health disparities across the country. I thank my colleagues Reps. Michael Burgess and Lisa Blunt Rochester for authoring this legislation.

H.R. 3894, the ``CARING for Social Determinants Act of 2021,'' directs the HHS to provide guidance to states on how to address social determinants of health through Medicaid and CHIP. I thank my colleagues Reps. Lisa Blunt Rochester and Gus Bilirakis for authoring this legislation.

I urge my colleagues to vote for these bills and I thank the members of the House Health Subcommittee and the bipartisan sponsors of each bill for their good work.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4026) to require the Comptroller General of the United States to submit to Congress a report on actions taken by the Secretary of Health and Human Services to address social determinants of health.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4026.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, social determinants, or social drivers, of health affect every single person in our communities. They are aspects of our daily living, such as the conditions in the places where we live, learn, work, and play, which can positively or negatively affect a wide range of health risks and outcomes.

Through our healthcare system, social determinants of health are being examined as part of a holistic view of a person's healthcare.

A noted example was highlighted by The New England Journal of Medicine linking the loop that determinants can play throughout a person's life. Poor health or lack of education can impact employment opportunities which, in turn, constrains income. Low incomes reduce access to healthcare and nutritious food and overall increase hardship. Hardship causes stress which, in turn, promotes unhealthy coping mechanisms, such as substance abuse and poor nutrition choices. And poor nutrition increases risk factors for heart disease, obesity, and diabetes.

When not given an equal opportunity to thrive, these social factors can compound and snowball to negatively impact a person and their community. Fortunately, States are becoming innovative in addressing social needs in the communities to improve health and decrease costs.

Today, we are taking another step in the right direction by considering H.R. 4026, the Social Determinants of Health Data Analysis Act of 2021. This bipartisan legislation requires a report on programs undertaken by the Department of Health and Human Services to address social determinants of health. The report would include recommendations to foster private-public partnerships and include an analysis of privacy measures as part of social determinants of health data collection.

The report and research, Mr. Speaker, will help inform our future work on social determinants, and, therefore, it is important that we pass this bill.

I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4026, the Social Determinants of Health Data Analysis Act of 2021, led by the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Burgess) and the gentlewoman from Delaware (Ms. Blunt Rochester), my Energy and Commerce Committee colleagues.

Social determinants of health impact the quality of an individual's life and

can drive health outcomes. These determinants are not routinely collected or utilized by healthcare providers to help address patients' health conditions and improve their quality of life.

The Social Determinants of Health Data Analysis Act requires the GAO to submit a report to Congress on existing actions taken by the Department of Health and Human Services to address social determinants of health. This legislation would, therefore, allow us to better understand existing Federal initiatives to address social determinants of health.

It will also inform us of potential future interventions that would be most effective in fully addressing these needs in our communities.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.