,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #aa  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the 
,,united ,,states  ,january #c1 #bjai   
,mr4 ,rubio 7for himself and ,mr4       
,cornyn7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,health1 ,education1     
,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
amend the ,public ,health ,service ,act 
to strengthen the ,national ,disaster   
,medical ,system1 and for other         
purposes4  #a4 ,short title  ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,strengthening the  
,national ,disaster ,medical ,system    
,act of #bjai4  #b4 ,national disaster  
medical system  7a7 ,strengthening the  
national disaster medical system ,clause
 7ii7 of section #bhab7;a77#c77;,a7 of  
the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db  
,u4,s4,c4 #cjj;hh-#aa7;a77#c77;,a77 is  
amended to read as follows3  7ii7 be    
present at locations1 and for limited   
periods of time1 specified by the       
,secretary on the basis that the        
,secretary has determined that a        

location is at risk of a public health  
emergency during the time specified1 or 
there is a significant potential for a  
public health emergency4  4  7b7 ,review
 of the national disaster medical system
 ,section #bhab7;b77#b7 of the ,public  
,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4    
#cjj;hh-#aa7;b77#b77 is amended to read 
as follows3  7#b7 ,joint review and     
medical surge capacity strategic plan   
7,a7 ,review ,not later than #ahj days  
after the date of enactment of the      
,strengthening the ,national ,disaster  
,medical ,system ,act of #bjai1 the     
,secretary1 in coordination with the    
,secretary of ,homeland ,security1 the  
,secretary of ,defense1 and the         
,secretary of ,veterans ,affairs1 shall 
conduct a joint review of the ,national 
,disaster ,medical ,system4 ,such review
 shall include--  7i7 an evaluation of  
medical surge capacity1 as described in 
section #bhjc7;a72  7ii7 an assessment  
of the available workforce of the       
intermittent disaster response personnel

 described in subsection 7c72  7iii7 the
 capacity of the workforce described in 
clause 7ii7 to respond to all hazards1  
including the capacity to simultaneously
 respond to multiple public health      
emergencies and the capacity to respond 
to a nationwide public health emergency2
  7iv7 the effectiveness of efforts to  
recruit1 retain1 and train such         
workforce2 and  7v7 gaps that may exist 
in such workforce and recommendations   
for addressing such gaps4  7,b7 ,updates
 ,as part of the ,national ,health      
,security ,strategy under section #bhjb1
 the ,secretary shall update the        
findings from the review under          
subparagraph 7,a7 and provide           
recommendations to modify the policies  
of the ,national ,disaster ,medical     
,system as necessary4  4  7c7           
,notification of shortage ,section      
#bhab7;c7 of the ,public ,health        
,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4            
#cjj;hh-#aa7;c77 is amended by adding at
 the end the following3  7#c7           

,notification ,not later than #cj days  
after the date on which the ,secretary  
determines the number of intermittent   
disaster-response personnel of the      
,national ,disaster ,medical ,system is 
insufficient to address a public health 
emergency or potential public health    
emergency1 the ,secretary shall submit  
to the congressional committees of      
jurisdiction a notification detailing-- 
7,a7 the impact such shortage could have
 on meeting public health needs and     
emergency medical personnel needs during
 a public health emergency2 and  7,b7   
any identified measures to address such 
shortage4  7#d7 ,certain appointments   
7,a7 ,in general ,if the ,secretary     
determines that the number of           
intermittent disaster response personnel
 within the ,national ,disaster ,medical
 ,system under this section is          
insufficient to address a public health 
emergency or potential public health    
emergency1 the ,secretary may appoint   
candidates directly to personnel        

positions for intermittent disaster     
response within such system without     
regard to the provisions of sections    
#ccji through #ccah of title #e1 ,united
 ,states ,code4 ,the ,secretary shall   
provide updates on the number of vacant 
or unfilled positions within such system
 to the congressional committees of     
jurisdiction each quarter for which this
 authority is in effect4  7,b7 ,sunset  
,the authority under this paragraph     
shall expire on ,september #cj1 #bjbb4  
4