To reauthorize the Kay Hagan Tick Act, and for other purposes.
Impact
The bill is expected to bolster the strategies employed by health departments across the country. By reauthorizing programs aimed at managing tick-borne diseases, HB4348 will provide resources for enhanced training, improved data collection, and increased public awareness initiatives. These efforts will especially focus on recognizing high-risk areas and populations, thus promoting proactive measures to mitigate disease transmission. Overall, the impact of this legislation could lead to improved public health outcomes by ensuring that local health departments are better equipped to deal with these medical challenges.
Summary
House Bill 4348 aims to reauthorize the Kay Hagan Tick Act, which focuses on improving national strategies for addressing tick-borne diseases. The bill seeks to enhance the capacity of public health departments to identify, report, prevent, and respond to diseases transmitted by ticks. This reauthorization extends the timeline for these initiatives to 2030, reflecting ongoing concerns about the impacts of vector-borne diseases on public health. By updating the relevant sections of the Public Health Service Act, the bill emphasizes the importance of sustained government support for combating such diseases over an extended timeframe.
Contention
While the bill is designed to improve public health, discussions around its implications highlight potential contention regarding funding and resource allocation. Some stakeholders may express concern about the prioritization of tick-borne diseases over other pressing health issues. They might raise questions about whether sufficient resources are being distributed to tackle a broad range of health challenges or if the focus on one specific type of disease could detract from comprehensive public health strategies. Ensuring adequate funding and support while balancing these priorities will be essential as the bill moves through the legislative process.
To amend the Small Business Act to reauthorize and modify the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Research programs, and for other purposes.
To amend the Toxic Substances Control Act to authorize grants for toxic substances remediation in schools, to reauthorize healthy high-performance schools, and for other purposes.