Immunization Infrastructure Modernization Act of 2021

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 550, the ``Immunization Infrastructure Modernization Act of 2021,'' which will improve our public health infrastructure and expand information-sharing between state and federal governments, as well as public and private health care providers, to ensure vaccines are being administered effectively and efficiently across all states and territories.

Mr. Speaker, public health agencies work every day to prevent disease and viruses, promote health, and prepare for and respond to both emergency situations and ongoing challenges--but they cannot do so without the ability to access the best available data and share information with other experts, and the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted this fact.

As the Chair of the Congressional Coronavirus Task Force, I have used every means possible to sound the alarm about the seriousness of the COVID-19 virus.

On February 10, 2020, I held the first press conference on the issue of COVID-19 at Houston Intercontinental Airport.

I then held a second press conference on February 24th to continue efforts to raise public knowledge of the impending threat.

On February 26th, I wrote the Chair and Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security requesting to be briefed by Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf regarding the preparedness of the Department of Homeland Security to address a possible pandemic.

On March 19th, I announced an innovative partnership with United Methodist Medical Center (UMMC) to open the first drive-through Coronavirus Test Screening facility in the Greater Houston area, which proved beneficial to everyone in the Greater Houston area, as with UMMC's help we have opened multiple sites that are located within high- risk communities in the Greater Houston area, to reduce the need for travel to get access to COVID-19 testing.

Since the start of this pandemic, I have sought to proactively address the critical issues and concerns tied to the COVID-19 virus.

As I stated at the beginning of this pandemic, We must not panic, but prepare.''

I am pleased to see that this bill is not a panic-induced response, but a well-thought-out proposal to further protect our citizens.

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed a number of challenges for public health information systems, but worst among them is the limited capacity of existing state Immunization Information Systems.

The importance of these systems cannot be understated: they allow providers to keep vaccines and supplies in stock, prevent over--or under--vaccination, remind patients when they are due for a recommended vaccine, and identify areas with low vaccination rates to ensure equitable distribution of vaccines.

However, states lack modern, comprehensive information systems that can meet the challenges of COVID-19 and future public health threats through the secure exchange of real-time immunization data.

Consequently, many state systems struggled to accommodate additional demand, implement new functionalities, onboard immunization providers, support interoperable exchange with health care partners and enable timely reporting of immunization data to federal partners.

These issues are exactly what this legislation seeks to address.

Through H.R. 550, HHS will develop a strategy and a plan to improve immunization information systems and designate data and technology standards for use in these systems.

Additionally, HHS will award grants to health departments and other government agencies to improve their systems contingent upon meeting designated standards.

As the vaccine rollout continues and the time for boosters is upon us, immunization data systems will be a critical tool in the success of these efforts, and they are in need of modernization.

That is why I rise in ardent support of H.R. 550, and that is why the bill has strong bipartisan backing.

Lastly, I want to thank Congresswoman Kuster and Congressman Bucshon for introducing and shepherding this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 550, the ``Immunization Infrastructure Modernization Act of 2021,'' which will improve our public health infrastructure and expand information-sharing between state and federal governments, as well as public and private health care providers, to ensure vaccines are being administered effectively and efficiently across all states and territories.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 550) to amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to immunization system data modernization and expansion, and for other purposes, as amended.

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. 550.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 550, the Immunization Infrastructure Modernization Act. This bill would authorize $400 million for grants to expand, enhance, and improve immunization information systems administered by health departments and used by healthcare providers.

Immunization information systems, also known as IIS, or immunization registries, are confidential, population-based, computerized databases that record immunization doses administered by providers to patients. They are critical in our fight against COVID-19 and other public health threats like measles and influenza.

Local public health officials use IIS to collect, analyze, store, and view aggregated vaccination information, which is kept confidential and separate from identifiable patient information. This information helps them understand overall vaccination levels so they can better guide public health decisions for their communities.

IIS also helps patients and healthcare providers by allowing them to view a secure consolidated immunization history, helping them determine appropriate and necessary vaccinations, and reminding patients about vaccination schedules.

IIS have been critical in the COVID-19 pandemic. They have helped us understand where vaccines are getting to patients, and where we need to do more to reach people and provide access. They provided near real- time information sharing, allowing State officials and leadership at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to understand vaccination rates and where people are choosing to receive their vaccines.

Like all forms of infrastructure, IIS require maintenance and upgrades. As I mentioned, IIS have been an important tool in the fight against COVID-19, but the pandemic has also tested the ability of IIS to keep up with the pace of our massive vaccination efforts.

According to the American Immunization Registry Association, one State went from an average of 17,000 doses recorded in its IIS each day to over 500,000 this past spring. This dramatic increase required the State health department to nearly quadruple the number of digital servers used to host the data. These are not one-time costs. Going forward, these new servers and the new data collected during the pandemic will need to be maintained and secured.

State and local leaders have also told us that inconsistent and antiquated technology, incomplete provider participation, and faltering interoperability are areas where we must improve to ensure that we have useful and quality data.

It is important that the systems used by physicians are able to communicate with the State and local public health departments, and that these systems

can also communicate with other States and the CDC.

H.R. 550, the bill before us today, addresses these challenges by providing grants for technological upgrades, provider outreach and enrollment, policy development, and a skilled workforce to build and maintain these systems.

The legislation also requires the Department of Health and Human Services to create an implementation strategy and set clear data standards that must be followed by all grantees. And this should help ensure that States are coordinated going forward.

H.R. 550 will ensure all IIS are brought up to modern standards, help control disease outbreaks, and put our public health infrastructure on a solid foundation for years to come.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Representatives Kuster and Bucshon for their bipartisan work on this bill. I urge all Members to support this important bipartisan legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no additional speakers at this time, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would ask that we support this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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 yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 550, the Immunization Infrastructure Modernization Act, a bill introduced by my Energy and Commerce Committee colleagues, Ms. Kuster and Mr. Bucshon.

Immunization information systems, or IIS, are important tools in providing immunization care for patients by allowing providers to view a patient's comprehensive immunization history to determine the appropriate vaccinations throughout their life.

The Immunization Infrastructure Modernization Act authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct activities to improve immunization information systems. These activities include designating data and technology standards, developing public-private partnerships, and awarding grants or cooperative agreements to health departments to enhance their systems.

Modernizing our immunization infrastructure will give us a better understanding of our current vaccination efforts and will also help us determine which communities may need additional vaccination outreach-- better targeting our efforts to improve health outcomes across the country.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Bucshon).

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 550, the Immunization Infrastructure Modernization Act of 2021.

Immunization information systems serve as a vital link between public health officials, community providers and individuals, not only in cases of disease outbreak or emergencies, but also during routine vaccination efforts.

The COVID-19 pandemic has made clear that our immunization information systems are in need of modernization.

Decisions in response to outbreaks must be based on science, and we must ensure our States and localities have access to meaningful data to make targeted decisions that lessen the spread and quickly reopen our economies.

H.R. 550 would repurpose previously appropriated funds to be spent through an existing grant program to improve and enhance the ability of immunization information systems to securely exchange real-time immunization record data between all public health programs.

As a doctor, I would take my patients' medical privacy very seriously. Therefore, I want to make clear that the immunization information systems are secure, confidential, population-based databases, and are completely deidentified.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Representative Kuster for her partnership, and I urge a ``yes'' vote.