HELP Committee Passes Bipartisan Legislation to Combat Public Health Threats

Bill Includes Senator Hassan Priorities to Help Keep Children Healthy and Safe When Disaster Strikes 

WASHINGTON – The Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee today voted to advance the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act, which reauthorizes and improves programs to respond to public health threats.

Senator Hassan successfully fought to ensure that the bill included the reauthorization of the National Advisory Committee on Children and Disasters (NACCD), which considers the distinctive needs of children in public health emergencies. The bill makes a number of improvements to the Committee, including requiring that the mental and behavioral health needs of children are considered when preparing for and responding to emergencies and disasters as well as requiring the Committee to meet more frequently and adding a wider variety of experts such as state and local stakeholders.

“When public health emergencies or other disasters strike, the federal government must be prepared to respond to the unique health needs of our children,” Senator Hassan said. “This bipartisan bill takes common-sense steps to help ensure that the Department of Health and Human Services is better prepared to keep our children healthy and safe.”

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