[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 999 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 999
To reform the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, limit the
scope of public health authorities, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 12, 2025
Mr. Schmitt (for himself and Mr. Lee) introduced the following bill;
which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To reform the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, limit the
scope of public health authorities, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Public Health Improvement Act''.
SEC. 2. TERMS OF CDC AND NIH DIRECTORS.
(a) Term of CDC Director.--Section 305(a) of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 242c(a)) is amended by adding at the end the
following: ``No individual may serve as Director for a total period of
more than 12 years.''.
(b) Term of NIH Director.--Section 402(a) of the Public Health
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 282(a)) is amended by adding at the end the
following: ``No individual may serve as Director of NIH for a total
period of more than 12 years.''.
SEC. 3. LIMITING THE CDC STRATEGIC PLAN.
Section 305(c)(2)(A) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C.
242c(c)(2)(A)) is amended--
(1) in clause (i), by striking ``and noncommunicable
diseases or conditions, and addressing injuries, and
occupational and environmental hazards'' and inserting
``diseases'';
(2) in clause (ii), by striking ``or conditions'';
(3) in clause (iii), by adding ``and'' at the end;
(4) in clause (iv), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a
semicolon; and
(5) by striking clause (v).
SEC. 4. ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO THE CDC DIRECTOR.
Section 305A(c) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 242c-
1(c)) is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``by the Secretary
under'' and inserting ``as described in''; and
(2) in paragraph (3), by striking subparagraphs (A) and (B)
and inserting the following:
``(A) Three members shall be appointed by the
Secretary of Health and Human Services--
``(i) 1 of whom shall be appointed to
represent the Department of Health and Human
Services; and
``(ii) 1 of whom shall be a public health
official.
``(B) Two members shall be appointed by the
majority leader of the Senate.
``(C) Two members shall be appointed by the
minority leader of the Senate.
``(D) Two members shall be appointed by the Speaker
of the House of Representatives.
``(E) Two members shall be appointed by the
minority leader of the House of Representatives.
``(F) Four members shall be appointed by the
Comptroller General of the United States.''.
SEC. 5. LIMITING THE SCOPE OF REGULATIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
AND HUMAN SERVICES TO CONTROL COMMUNICABLE DISEASES.
Section 361(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 264(a))
is amended to read as follows:
``(a) To prevent the introduction, transmission, or spread of
communicable diseases from foreign countries into the States or
possessions, or from one State or possession into any other State or
possession, the Secretary may make and enforce regulations for the
inspection, fumigation, disinfection, sanitation, pest extermination,
or destruction of animals or articles found to be so infected or
contaminated as to be sources of dangerous infection to human
beings.''.
SEC. 6. CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL FOR PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES.
Section 319(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d(a))
is amended by striking the third and fourth sentences and inserting the
following: ``Determinations that terminate under the preceding sentence
may be renewed by a majority vote in both chambers of Congress, and
such a renewal period terminates upon the Secretary declaring that the
emergency no longer exists or the expiration of the 90-day period
beginning on the date on which both chambers of Congress have voted in
favor of such renewal, whichever occurs first. Not later than 48 hours
after making a determination under this subsection of a public health
emergency, the Secretary shall submit to the Congress written
notification of the determination.''.
SEC. 7. TRANSFER OF OFFICES TO NIH.
(a) In General.--Effective on the date that is 2 years after the
date of enactment of this Act, notwithstanding any other provision of
law, the authorities, functions, personnel, and assets of the offices
described in subsection (b) shall be transferred from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention to the National Institutes of Health.
(b) Offices Described.--The offices described in this subsection
are the following:
(1) The National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental
Disabilities.
(2) The National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and
Health Promotion.
(3) The National Center for Environmental Health.
(4) The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
(5) The National Center for Health Statistics.
(6) The National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and
Tuberculosis Prevention.
(7) The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.
(8) The National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health.
SEC. 8. REGULATIONS.
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the
Secretary of Health and Human Services shall issue such new or revised
regulations as are necessary to carry out this Act (including the
amendments made by this Act).
SEC. 9. PREEMPTION.
The provisions of this Act (including the amendments made by this
Act) shall supersede any provision of Federal, State, Tribal,
territorial, or local law, declaration, guidance, or directive to the
extent that such law, declaration, guidance, or directive is
inconsistent with this Act (including such amendments).
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