,,ii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #dcbh ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,july #bg1 #bjbj,mr4 ,schumer 7for himself1 ,mrs4 ,murray1 ,mr4 ,brown1 ,ms4 ,baldwin1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 ,mr4 ,casey1 ,ms4 ,rosen1 ,mr4 ,menendez1 ,mr4 ,leahy1 ,mr4 ,reed1 ,mr4 ,van ,hollen1 ,ms4 ,smith1 ,mrs4 ,feinstein1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1 ,mr4 ,kaine1 ,ms4 ,warren1 ,mr4 ,heinrich1 ,ms4 ,harris1 ,mr4 ,udall1 ,mr4 ,markey1 ,mr4 ,merkley1 ,mrs4 ,gillibrand1 ,mr4 ,whitehouse1 ,mr4 ,cardin1 ,ms4 ,stabenow1 ,mr4 ,booker1 ,mr4 ,wyden1 ,ms4 ,duckworth1 ,mrs4 ,shaheen1 and ,mr4 ,bennet7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to require the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united ,states to conduct a study and report on data quality1 sharing1 transparency1 access1 and analysis4 #a4 ,protecting ,data ,quality1 ,sharing1 ,transparency1 ,access1 and ,analysis 7a7 ,inquiry and submission of findings 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #g days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,comptroller ,general of the ,united ,states 7referred to in this section as the ,comptroller ,general7 shall initiate an inquiry into any changes or interruptions in data quality1 sharing1 transparency1 access1 and analysis resulting from the changes to ,,covid-#ai hospital data reporting requirements initiated by the ,white ,house ,coronavirus ,task ,force and the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services on ,july #ac1 #bjbj4 7#b7 ,submission of findings ,not later than #de days after initiation of such inquiry1 the ,comptroller ,general shall present its findings to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions of the ,senate1 the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce of the ,house of ,representatives1 and the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services1 in oral briefings1 which shall detail-- 7,a7 what is known about any changes or interruptions in data quality1 sharing1 transparency1 access to data1 and analysis or access to relevant analytics1 including whether such changes increased1 decreased1 expedited1 or delayed such quality1 sharing1 transparency1 access1 and analysis or access to relevant analytics1 for-- 7i7 the public2 7ii7 ,state1 local1 ,tribal1 and territorial health departments2 7iii7 hospitals2 or 7iv7 ,federal agency officials1 including officials within the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services and ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention2 and 7,b7 what is known about whether there was any impact to1 or interruptions in1 delivery of supplies1 including personal protective equipment1 ventilators1 and ,,covid-#ai therapeutics1 to ,states or other entities resulting from changes to ,,covid-#ai hospital data reporting requirements described in paragraph 7#a74 7b7 ,access to reporting system ,for purposes of the review required under this section or any other audit1 evaluation1 or investigation authorized by law1 the ,secretary shall1 within #g days of the date of enactment of this ,act1 provide the ,comptroller ,general with direct access to the systems used for the reporting of information referred to in this section1 including to all information collected1 stored1 analyzed1 processed1 or produced in or through such systems used for such purposes4 ,for purposes of this subsection1 the term direct access means secured access to the information technology systems maintained by the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services that enables the ,comptroller ,general to independently access1 view1 download and retrieve data from such systems4 7c7 ,addressing issues ,not later than #g days after the ,comptroller ,general submits the findings to ,congress under subsection 7a77#b71 the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services shall address data quality1 sharing1 transparency1 access1 and analysis1 and access to relevant analytics for the public2 ,state1 local1 ,tribal1 and territorial health departments2 hospitals2 and ,federal agency officials1 including officials within the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services and ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention1 to fully correct any decreases or delays reported under subsection 7a77#b7 by the ,comptroller ,general and ensure that data quality1 sharing1 transparency1 access1 and analysis or access to relevant analytics are equal to or better than they were as of ,july #ab1 #bjbj4 7d7 ,report ,not later than #ah months after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,comptroller ,general 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 report regarding the impact of changes to ,,covid-#ai hospital data reporting requirements initiated by the ,white ,house ,coronavirus ,task ,force and the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services on ,july #ac1 #bjbj4 ,in preparing such report1 the ,comptroller ,general shall collect information from relevant stakeholders1 as appropriate4 ,such report shall-- 7#a7 detail any known changes or interruptions in data quality1 sharing1 transparency1 access1 and analysis or access to relevant analytics for the entities described in subsection 7a77#b77;,a71 including whether such changes ultimately increased1 decreased1 expedited1 or delayed data quality1 sharing1 transparency1 access1 and analysis or access to relevant analytics2 7#b7 describe challenges faced by hospitals1 ,states1 localities1 ,indian ,tribes 7as defined in section #d of the ,indian ,self-,determination and ,education ,assistance ,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #ecjd771 urban ,indian organizations 7as defined in section #d of the ,indian ,health ,care ,improvement ,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #afjc771 territories1 ,federal agencies1 and the public resulting from such changes2 7#c7 describe the extent to which such changes may allow for manipulation of the data in a manner that results in hospitals1 ,states1 localities1 ,indian ,tribes 7as defined in section #d of the ,indian ,self-,determination and ,education ,assistance ,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #ecjd771 urban ,indian organizations 7as defined in section #d of the ,indian ,health ,care ,improvement ,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #afjc771 territories1 ,federal agencies1 and the public receiving different information than what was provided to the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services2 7#d7 assess the extent to which such changes increased or decreased the number of hospitals reporting data and the completeness and quality of data reported by hospitals2 7#e7 determine whether any ,states deployed the ,national ,guard to assist in hospital data reporting1 as suggested in communications from the ,white ,house ,coronavirus ,task ,force and the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services on ,july #ac1 #bjbj1 and whether any such deployment had a measurable effect on the speed1 content1 or quality of such reporting2 7#f7 describe the decision-making process within the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services that led to the changes initiated on ,july #ac1 #bjbj1 including-- 7,a7 the role of the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention in such decision-making2 7,b7 any analysis conducted by the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services or the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention that assessed the quality and completeness of different data streams 7including the ,national ,healthcare ,safety ,network1 ,tele,tracking1 data reported by ,states to the ,protect ,system of the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services71 prior to ,july #ac1 #bjbj2 7,c7 any external input into the decision-making process1 including from other ,federal agencies1 ,states1 localities1 ,indian ,tribes 7as defined in section #d of the ,indian ,self-,determination and ,education ,assistance ,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #ecjd771 urban ,indian organizations 7as defined in section #d of the ,indian ,health ,care ,improvement ,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4 #afjc771 territories1 or hospitals2 7,d7 the public health justification for the changes2 and 7,e7 any other justification for such changes2 and 7#g7 assess the process used to address any decreases or delays in data quality1 sharing1 transparency1 access to data1 and analysis and access to relevant analytics as required under subsection 7c74 7e7 ,interim report ,not later than #f months after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,comptroller ,general 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 ,representatives an interim report providing information on initial findings under subsection 7d74