,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #agic  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #ab1     
#bjai,mr4 ,kaine 7for himself1 ,mr4     
,isakson1 and ,mr4 ,king7 introduced the
 following bill2 which was read twice   
and referred to the ,committee on       
,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and        
,pensions  ,a ,,bill  ,to establish a   
grant program for the purpose of public 
health data system modernization4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,saving ,lives ,through ,better     
,data ,act4  #b4 ,public health data    
system modernization ,subtitle ,c of    
title ,,xxviii of the ,public ,health   
,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #cjj;hh-#ca
 et seq47 is amended by adding at the   
end the following3  #bhbb4 ,public      
health data system modernization grants 
7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary1 acting 
through the ,director of the ,centers   
for ,disease ,control and ,prevention1  
shall--  7#a7 award grants to ,state1   
local1 ,tribal1 and territorial public  

health departments for the expansion and
 modernization of public health data    
systems1 to assist public health        
departments in--  7,a7 improving secure 
public health data collection1          
transmission1 exchange1 maintenance1 and
 analysis2  7,b7 simplifying reporting  
by health care providers1 as applicable1
 pursuant to ,state law1 including      
through the use of health information   
technology1 to ,state1 local1 ,tribal1  
and territorial public health           
departments1 including public health    
officials in multiple jurisdictions     
within such ,state1 as appropriate2     
7,c7 enhancing interoperability of      
current public health data systems with 
health information technology1 including
 certified health information           
technology2  7,d7 supporting earlier    
disease and health condition detection  
for public health responses2 and  7,e7  
supporting activities within the        
applicable jurisdiction related to the  
expansion and modernization of          

electronic case reporting2  7#b7 conduct
 activities related to the              
interoperability and improvement of     
applicable public health data systems   
used by the ,centers for ,disease       
,control and ,prevention1 as            
appropriate2 and  7#c7 develop and      
utilize public-private partnerships for 
technical assistance and related        
implementation support for ,state1      
local1 ,tribal1 and territorial public  
health departments1 and the ,centers for
 ,disease ,control and ,prevention1 on  
the expansion and modernization of      
electronic case reporting and public    
health data systems1 as applicable4  7b7
 ,requirements  7#a7 ,in general ,the   
,secretary may not award a grant under  
subsection 7a77#a7 unless the applicant 
supports standards endorsed by the      
,national ,coordinator for ,health      
,information ,technology pursuant to    
section #cjja7;c77#a7 or adopted by the 
,secretary under section #cjjd4  7#b7   
,waiver ,the ,secretary may waive the   

requirement under paragraph 7#a7 with   
respect to an applicant if the          
,secretary determines that the          
activities under subsection 7a7 cannot  
otherwise be carried out within the     
applicable jurisdiction4  7c7 ,use of   
funds ,an entity receiving a grant under
 this section may use amounts received  
under such grant for one or both of the 
following3  7#a7 ,carrying out          
activities described in subsection      
7a77#a7 to support public health data   
systems 7including electronic case      
reporting71 which may include support   
for1 and training of1 professionals with
 expertise in contributing to and using 
such systems4  7#b7 ,developing and     
disseminating information related to the
 use and importance of public health    
data4  7d7 ,strategy and implementation 
plan ,not later than #ahj days after the
 date of enactment of the ,saving ,lives
 ,through ,better ,data ,act1 the       
,secretary1 acting through the ,director
 of the ,centers for ,disease ,control  

and ,prevention1 shall submit to the    
,committee on ,health1 ,education1      
,labor1 and ,pensions of the ,senate and
 the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce
 of the ,house of ,representatives1 a   
coordinated strategy and an accompanying
 implementation plan that identifies and
 demonstrates the steps the ,secretary  
will carry out to--  7#a7 update and    
improve applicable public health data   
systems used by the ,centers for        
,disease ,control and ,prevention2 and  
7#b7 carry out the activities described 
in this section to support the          
improvement of ,state1 local1 ,tribal1  
and territorial public health data      
systems4  7e7 ,consultation ,the        
,secretary1 acting through the ,director
 of the ,centers for ,disease ,control  
and ,prevention1 shall consult with     
,states1 local1 ,tribal1 and territorial
 health departments1 professional       
medical and public health associations1 
health information technology experts1  
and other appropriate entities regarding

 the plan and grant program to modernize
 public health data systems pursuant to 
this section4 ,such activities may      
include the provision of technical      
assistance related to the exchange of   
information by such public health data  
systems used by relevant health care and
 public health entities at the local1   
,state1 ,federal1 ,tribal1 and          
territorial levels4  7f7 ,report to     
,congress ,not later than one year after
 the date of enactment of this section1 
the ,secretary shall submit a report to 
the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1  
,labor1 and ,pensions of the ,senate and
 the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce
 of the ,house of ,representatives that 
includes--  7#a7 a description of any   
barriers to-- 7,a7 public health        
authorities implementing electronic case
 reporting and interoperable public     
health data systems2 or  7,b7 the       
exchange of information pursuant to     
electronic case reporting2  7#b7 an     
assessment of the potential public      

health impact of implementing electronic
 case reporting and interoperable public
 health data systems2 and  7#c7 a       
description of the activities carried   
out pursuant to this section4  7g7      
,electronic case reporting ,in this     
section1 the term electronic case       
reporting means the automated           
identification1 generation1 and         
bilateral exchange of reports of health 
events among electronic health record or
 health information technology systems  
and public health authorities4  7h7     
,authorization of appropriations ,for   
the purpose of carrying out this        
section1 there are authorized to be     
appropriated #ajj1jjj1jjj for each of   
fiscal years #bjbj through #bjbd4  4