,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hjfa  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,august #ad1 #bjbj   
,ms4 ,underwood 7for herself1 ,ms4      
,schrier1 ,ms4 ,castor of ,florida1 and 
,ms4 ,kuster of ,new ,hampshire7        
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,energy  
and ,commerce  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the 
,public ,health ,service ,act to direct 
the ,secretary of ,health and ,human    
,services to make grants to covered     
health departments to increase the rate 
of recommended immunizations1 and for   
other purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this 
,act may be cited as the ,community     
,immunity ,during ,,covid-#ai ,act of   
#bjbj4  #b4 ,grants to increase the rate
 of immunizations ,section #cag of the  
,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #bdg;b7 is amended by adding  
at the end the following new subsection3
  7n7 ,grants ,to increase the rate of  
immunizations  7#a7 ,in general ,the    
,secretary1 acting through the ,director

 of the ,centers for ,disease ,control  
and ,prevention1 shall make grants to   
covered health departments to increase  
the rate of recommended immunizations   
during the ,,covid-#ai public health    
emergency4  7#b7 ,use of funds ,a       
covered health department receiving a   
grant under this section may use funds  
received through the grant for the      
following3  7,a7 ,providing funds to    
programs that increase the rate of      
recommended immunizations during the    
,,covid-#ai public health emergency1    
including supporting evidence-based     
outreach and educational activities in  
communities served by the covered health
 department involved4  7,b7 ,supporting 
efforts by health care providers to     
communicate the importance of           
maintaining immunization schedules and  
visiting a primary care provider during 
the ,,covid-#ai public health emergency4
  7,c7 ,increasing awareness with       
respect to health insurance options and 
programs that reduce the cost of        

vaccines1 including the ,vaccines for   
,children program 7or similar program7  
carried out by the ,centers for ,disease
 ,control and ,prevention4  7,d7        
,evaluating efforts to increase the rate
 of recommended immunizations in        
communities described in subparagraph   
7,a7 during the ,,covid-#ai public      
health emergency4  7,e7 ,developing and 
distributing culturally and             
linguistically appropriate messages     
about the importance of recommended     
immunizations during the ,,covid-#ai    
public health emergency1 including      
vaccines licensed under section #cea of 
this ,act to prevent1 mitigate1 or treat
 the virus that causes ,,covid-#ai4     
7,f7 ,combating misinformation and      
disinformation with respect to the      
safety of vaccines1 including a vaccine 
that will be licensed under section #cea
 of this ,act to prevent1 mitigate1 or  
treat the virus that causes ,,covid-#ai4
  7#c7 ,partnerships ,a covered health  
department that receives a grant under  

this section may develop a partnership  
with entities and individuals in the    
communities served by the ,state1 local1
 or ,tribal government involved to carry
 out the activities under paragraph     
7#c71 including-- 7,a7 a health care    
provider1 which may include a           
pediatrician1 pediatric nurse           
practitioner1 family physician1 internal
 medicine physician1 or primary care    
provider2  7,b7 a school nurse2  7,c7 an
 organization that primarily provides   
health care or social services for--    
7i7 groups that have a low rate of      
immunizations2  7ii7 individuals with a 
chronic health condition or underlying  
medical condition associated with       
increased risk for severe illness from  
,,covid-#ai2 or  7iii7 individuals with 
a limited proficiency in the ,english   
language2  7,d7 a faith-based           
organization2  7,e7 a long-term care    
facility1 senior center1 or other       
facility in which recommended           
immunizations for older adults may be   

provided or promoted by the staff of    
such facility or center2  7,f7 a vaccine
 coalition2  7,g7 a pediatric hospital2 
7,h7 a pharmacy2  7,i7 a kindergarten1  
elementary1 or secondary school2 or     
7,j7 an institution of higher education4
  7#d7 ,evaluation ,not later than #ah  
months after the date on which a covered
 health department receives a grant     
under this subsection1 the covered      
health department shall submit to the   
,secretary an evaluation on the         
effectiveness of the activities carried 
out using such funds to increase the    
rate of recommended immunizations4  7#e7
 ,report to ,congress ,not later than #b
 years after the date of the enactment  
of this subsection1 the ,secretary shall
 submit to ,congress a report that      
includes--  7,a7 an evaluation of the   
effectiveness of the activities under   
paragraph 7#c7 to increase the rate of  
recommended immunizations1 based on the 
evaluations submitted pursuant to       
paragraph 7#f72 and  7,b7               

recommendations to increase the rate of 
recommended immunizations1 including    
recommendations with respect to any     
public health emergency that occurs in  
the future4  7#f7 ,definitions ,in this 
subsection3 7,a7 ,covered health        
department ,the term covered health     
department means the public health      
department of a ,state1 local1 or       
,tribal government4  7,b7 ,,covid-#ai   
public health emergency ,the term       
,,covid-#ai public health emergency     
means the public health emergency       
declared by the ,secretary of ,health   
and ,human ,services under section #cai 
of this ,act on ,january #ca1 #bjbj1    
with respect to ,,covid-#ai4  7,c7      
,institution of higher education ,the   
term institution of higher education has
 the meaning given that term in section 
#aja of the ,higher ,education ,act of  
#aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja74  7,d7      
,recommended immunizations ,the term    
recommended immunizations means         
immunizations recommended by the        

,advisory ,committee on ,immunization   
,practices of the ,centers for ,disease 
,control and ,prevention4  7#g7         
,authorization of appropriations  7,a7  
,in general ,to carry out this          
subsection1 there is authorized to be   
appropriated1 #efj1jjj1jjj to remain    
available until expended4  7,b7         
,apportionment ,in awarding grant funds 
under this subsection1 the ,secretary   
shall apportion the amounts appropriated
 to carry out this subsection as        
follows3 7i7 ,not less than #ej percent 
of such funds to ,state and ,tribal     
public health departments4  7ii7 ,not   
less than #ej percent of such funds to  
local health departments4  7iii7 ,based 
on the population of the ,state1 local1 
or ,tribal government involved4  4  #c4 
,,covid-#ai vaccine guidance  7a7 ,in   
general ,not later than #c months after 
the date of enactment of this section1  
the ,director of the ,centers for       
,disease ,control and ,prevention 7in   
this section referred to as the         

,director71 in consultation with the    
,advisory ,committee on ,immunization   
,practices and ,centers for ,medicare   
,medicaid ,services1 shall develop and  
distribute to health care providers and 
,state education agencies guidance to   
provide health counseling services with 
respect to a vaccine licensed under     
section #cea of the ,public ,health     
,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bfb7 for  
the prevention1 mitigation1 or treatment
 of ,,covid-#ai4  7b7 ,content ,the     
guidance developed pursuant to          
subsection 7a7 shall--  7#a7 be aligned 
with evidence-based practices2 and  7#b7
 include information that is culturally 
appropriate4  7c7 ,update ,the ,director
 shall periodically update and          
distribute1 as appropriate1 the guidance
 developed pursuant to subsection 7a74  
7d7 ,authorization of appropriations    
,there is authorized to be appropriated 
to carry out this section1 #b1ejj1jjj to
 remain available until expended4