Health STATISTICS Act of 2020
The source supplies the latest action, but no lifecycle stage.
Latest action (21 Aug 2020): Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
What this bill does
H.R. 8080, the Health STATISTICS Act of 2020, aims to improve how public health data is collected and used across the United States. The bill directs federal agencies, primarily the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to develop uniform standards for reporting public health information. It also mandates the establishment of specific standards for reporting COVID-19 data within 30 days of enactment, with HHS responsible for disseminating this data while protecting privacy. The Office of Management and Budget would also issue directives for federal health data collection, emphasizing the use of social determinants of health data and improving data access for research.
The legislation affects state and local health departments, public health reporting entities, researchers, and ultimately the public by seeking to make health data more standardized and accessible for research. It proposes expanding a program to link federal datasets for statistical public health research, specifically focusing on social determinants of health. Additionally, the CDC would support research entities and public health departments to build their capacity for statistical public health research.
This bill was introduced in the House of Representatives in August 2020 and has been referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. Its current status is "Introduced," meaning it has not yet moved to further legislative stages such as committee markup, floor debate, or votes in either the House or the Senate. If it were to advance, it would need to pass both chambers of Congress in identical form and be signed by the President to become law.
Plain-English summary generated by Bill100 AI from the official record. Always verify against the source below.
Official summary
Health Standards To Advance Transparency, Integrity, Science, Technology Infrastructure, and Confidential Statistics Act of 2020 or the Health STATISTICS Act of 2020
This bill directs various departments and agencies to undertake activities concerning the collection, reporting, and use of public health data.
Specifically, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) must take certain actions, including establishing a working group, to develop uniform standards for reporting public health data. Furthermore, the CDC must, in consultation with the National Institutes of Health, establish specific standards within 30 days for reporting COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) data, and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) must disseminate this data subject to privacy and other requirements. HHS may also award grants to entities that report public health data to support the adoption of uniform standards.
In addition, the Office of Management and Budget must issue directives concerning federal health data collection that address, for example, the use of determinants of health data and access to data for evidence-building initiatives.
The bill also directs the National Center for Health Statistics to expand an existing program that links different federal datasets to facilitate statistical public health research, including to address social determinants of health. The program must assess the availability of datasets, use existing authorities to link these datasets, and support linkage to a specified database of death record information.
Additionally, the CDC shall support research entities and public health departments to increase capacity for statistical public health research.
Timeline
21 Aug 2020
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Common questions
- What does H.R. 8080 do?
- H.R. 8080, the Health STATISTICS Act of 2020, aims to improve how public health data is collected and used across the United States. The bill directs federal agencies, primarily the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to develop uniform standards for reporting public health information. It also mandates the establishment of specific standards for reporting COVID-19 data within 30 days of enactment, with HHS responsible for disseminating this data while protecting privacy. The Office of Management and Budget would also issue directives for federal health data collection, emphasizing the use of social determinants of health data and improving data access for research. The legislation affects state and local health departments, public health reporting entities, researchers, and ultimately the public by seeking to make health data more standardized and accessible for research. It proposes expanding a program to link federal datasets for statistical public health research, specifically focusing on social determinants of health. Additionally, the CDC would support research entities and public health departments to build their capacity for statistical public health research. This bill was introduced in the House of Representatives in August 2020 and has been referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce. Its current status is "Introduced," meaning it has not yet moved to further legislative stages such as committee markup, floor debate, or votes in either the House or the Senate. If it were to advance, it would need to pass both chambers of Congress in identical form and be signed by the President to become law.
- Has H.R. 8080 become law?
- The source does not supply a confirmed lifecycle stage for H.R. 8080. Check the latest action and official source below.
- Who sponsored H.R. 8080?
- H.R. 8080 was sponsored by Rep. Peters, Scott H. [D-CA-52] (D-CA), with 5 cosponsors.
- What's the latest action on H.R. 8080?
- Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. (21 Aug 2020).
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