Bill Summary
This legislation, called the "Strengthening Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Act" or the "SMASH Act," aims to support programs for surveillance and control of mosquito-borne and other vector-borne diseases. It reauthorizes the existing Mosquito Abatement for Safety and Health Program, expands its scope to include programs for emerging infectious diseases, and allows for improved and new control programs. It also provides grants for epidemiology and laboratory capacity, and requires a study to be conducted on the state of surveillance and control of mosquito-borne diseases and recommendations for preparedness and response efforts.
Possible Impacts
1. The SMASH Act could provide funding for programs to address emerging mosquito-borne diseases, potentially leading to better surveillance and control efforts for these diseases. This could positively affect people by reducing the incidence and severity of mosquito-borne illnesses in their communities.
2. The Act could also allow for the waiver of certain regulations for mosquito control programs, such as those related to economic conditions or the severity of the mosquito-borne disease. This could potentially speed up the implementation of control measures and better protect people from the spread of diseases.
3. The GAO study required by the Act could provide valuable information on the state of mosquito control infrastructure and programs in the US, as well as identify any regulatory barriers to utilizing effective control technologies. This could lead to improvements in mosquito control efforts and better protect people from diseases carried by mosquitoes.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 345 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 345
To support programs for mosquito-borne and other vector-borne disease
surveillance and control.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 8, 2019
Mr. Soto introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To support programs for mosquito-borne and other vector-borne disease
surveillance and control.
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 ``Strengthening Mosquito Abatement for
Safety and Health Act'' or the ``SMASH Act''.
SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION OF MOSQUITO ABATEMENT FOR SAFETY AND HEALTH
PROGRAM.
Section 317S of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247b-21)
is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(1)(B)--
(A) by inserting ``including programs to address
emerging infectious mosquito-borne diseases,'' after
``control programs,''; and
(B) by inserting ``or improving existing control
programs'' before the period at the end;
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``, including
improvement,'' after ``operation'';
(B) in paragraph (2)--
(i) in subparagraph (A)--
(I) in clause (ii), by striking
``or'' at the end;
(II) in clause (iii), by striking
the semicolon at the end and inserting
``, including an emerging infectious
mosquito-borne disease that presents a
serious public health threat; or''; and
(III) by adding at the end the
following:
``(iv) a public health emergency due to the
incidence or prevalence of a mosquito-borne
disease that presents a serious public health
threat;''; and
(ii) in subparagraph (D), by inserting ``or
that demonstrates to the Secretary that the
control program is consistent with existing
State mosquito control plans or policies, or
other applicable State preparedness plans''
before the period at the end;
(C) in paragraph (4)(C), by striking ``that
extraordinary'' and all that follows through the period
at the end and inserting ``that--
``(i) extraordinary economic conditions in
the political subdivision or consortium of
political subdivisions involved justify the
waiver; or
``(ii) the geographical area covered by a
political subdivision or consortium for a grant
under paragraph (1) has an extreme mosquito
control need due to--
``(I) the size or density of the
potentially impacted human population;
``(II) the size or density of a
mosquito population that requires
heightened control; or
``(III) the severity of the
mosquito-borne disease, such that
expected serious adverse health
outcomes for the human population
justify the waiver.''; and
(D) by amending paragraph (6) to read as follows:
``(6) Number of grants.--A political subdivision or a
consortium of political subdivisions may not receive more than
one grant under paragraph (1).''; and
(3) in subsection (f)--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``for fiscal year
2003, and such sums as may be necessary for each of
fiscal years 2004 through 2007'' and inserting ``for
each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024'';
(B) in paragraph (2), by striking ``the Public
Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and
Response Act of 2002'' and inserting ``other medical
and public health preparedness and response laws''; and
(C) in paragraph (3)--
(i) in the heading, by striking ``2004''
and inserting ``2020''; and
(ii) by striking ``2004'' and inserting
``2020''.
SEC. 3. EPIDEMIOLOGY-LABORATORY CAPACITY GRANTS.
Section 2821 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300hh-31)
is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(1), by inserting ``, including
mosquito and other vector-borne diseases,'' after ``infectious
diseases''; and
(2) in subsection (b), by striking ``2010 through 2013''
and inserting ``2020 through 2024''.
SEC. 4. GAO STUDY.
(a) Study.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall
conduct a study on the state of surveillance and control of mosquito-
borne infectious diseases in the United States and territories,
including the state of preparedness for conducting such surveillance
and control. The study shall include--
(1) a description of the infrastructure and programs for
mosquito control in the United States, including--
(A) how such infrastructure and programs are
organized and implemented at the Federal, State and
local levels, including with respect to departments and
agencies of the States, and local organizations
(including special districts) involved in such control
programs;
(B) the role of the private sector in such
activities;
(C) how the authority for mosquito control impacts
such activities; and
(D) the resources for such infrastructure and
programs, including Federal, State, and local funding
sources;
(2) how mosquito and other vector-borne disease
surveillance and control is integrated into Federal, State, and
local preparedness plans and actions, including how zoonotic
surveillance is integrated into infectious disease surveillance
to support real-time situational surveillance and awareness;
(3) Federal, State, and local laboratory capacity for
emerging vector-borne diseases, including mosquito-borne and
other zoonotic diseases; and
(4) any regulatory challenges for developing and utilizing
vector-control technologies and platforms as part of mosquito
control strategies.
(b) Consultations.--In conducting the study under subsection (a),
the Comptroller General of the United States shall consult with--
(1) State and local public health officials involved in
mosquito and other vector-borne disease surveillance and
control efforts;
(2) researchers and manufacturers of mosquito control
products;
(3) stakeholders involved in mosquito abatement activities;
(4) infectious disease experts; and
(5) entomologists involved in mosquito-borne disease
surveillance and control efforts.
(c) Report.--Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit
to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the
Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of
Representatives a report containing the results of the study conducted
under subsection (a) and relevant recommendations for Zika virus and
other mosquito-borne diseases preparedness and response efforts.
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