,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dgfg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #cj 
7legislative day1 ,september #bi71      
#bjbj,mr4 ,casey 7for himself and ,ms4  
,stabenow7 introduced the following     
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,health1           
,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a   
,,bill  ,to establish programs to       
support research and development with   
respect to personal protective equipment
 for health care workers4  #a4 ,short   
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,,ppe ,innovation ,act of #bjbj4  #b4   
,improving the supply of personal       
protective equipment ,part ,b of title  
,,iii of the ,public ,health ,service   
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bdc et seq47 is    
amended by inserting after section      
#cai,m the following3  #cai,n4 ,programs
 to improve the supply of personal      
protective equipment  7a7 ,national     
,personal ,protective ,technology       
,laboratory ,the ,secretary1 acting     

through the ,director of the ,centers   
for ,disease ,control and ,prevention1  
shall continue to carry out the         
activities of the ,national ,personal   
,protective ,technology ,laboratory     
within the ,national ,institute for     
,occupational ,safety and ,health1      
including by-- 7#a7 conducting research 
and development related to personal     
protective equipment1 which shall       
include developing new methods to test  
effectiveness of such equipment2  7#b7  
developing and implementing             
science-based national guidance for     
respiratory equipment and other personal
 protective equipment2  7#c7            
establishing guidance and tools to help 
employers and workers use personal      
protective equipment as effectively and 
efficiently as possible2 and  7#d7      
developing and evaluating innovative    
designs and test methods to improve     
acceptability1 comfort1 fit1 and        
usability of personal protective        
equipment4  7b7 ,research and           

development program for personal        
protective equipment for health care    
workers  7#a7 ,in general ,the          
,secretary1 acting through the ,director
 of the ,centers for ,disease ,control  
and ,prevention1 shall establish1 within
 the ,national ,personal ,protective    
,technology ,laboratory described in    
subsection 7a71 a program to ensure     
innovation with respect to personal     
protective equipment for health care    
workers1 by conducting and applying     
scientific research on essential safety1
 design considerations1 and usage       
qualities and standards of personal     
protective equipment used in health care
 settings4  7#b7 ,requirements ,the     
program established under paragraph 7#a7
 shall-- 7,a7 integrate consultation    
with heath care personnel who use       
personal protective equipment in their  
work to inform factors such as comfort  
over short- and long-durations1 fit1    
durability1 and feasibility in          
real-world health care settings2  7,b7  

conduct pilot testing for periods of #f 
months to evaluate workforce experience 
with1 and preliminary efficacy of1 newly
 developed equipment2 and  7,c7         
coordinate with manufacturers to-- 7i7  
ensure capability for large             
scale-production of personal protective 
equipment1 even in the potential        
circumstance of low-profitability1 and  
7ii7 guarantee the ability to increase  
supply of such equipment rapidly in     
response to sudden medical need1 through
 manufacturing at facilities within the 
,united ,states and at reliable         
manufacturing facilities abroad4  7#c7  
,consultation ,in carrying out the      
program under this subsection1 the      
,director of the ,centers for ,disease  
,control and ,prevention shall consult  
with-- 7,a7 the ,assistant ,secretary of
 ,labor for ,occupational ,safety and   
,health to align and integrate the      
objectives of the #b agencies with      
respect to innovative development of    
personal protective equipment for health

 care workers2 and  7,b7 the            
,commissioner of ,food and ,drugs to    
ensure appropriate communication related
 to relevant certification of personal  
protective equipment4  7#d7             
,authorization of appropriations ,to    
carry out this subsection1 there are    
authorized to be appropriated           
#ahj1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years   
#bjba through #bjbe4  7c7 ,reporting    
7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary shall  
seek to enter into a contract with the  
,national ,academies of ,science1       
,engineering and ,medicine 7referred to 
in this subsection as the ,academies7   
under which1 not later than #c years    
after the date of enactment of the ,,ppe
 ,innovation ,act of #bjbj1 and         
thereafter1 at such regular intervals as
 the ,secretary shall determine1 the    
,standing ,committee on ,personal       
,protective ,equipment for ,workplace   
,safety and ,health of such ,academies  
shall-- 7,a7 present a workshop to      
update the public on progress of the    

program under subsection 7b7 and the    
progress and remaining knowledge gaps   
with respect to implementation of such  
program and innovative product          
deployment of personal protective       
equipment in health care settings in the
 ,united ,states2 and  7,b7 submit a    
written summary of such workshop to the 
,committee on ,health1 ,education1      
,labor1 and ,pensions of the ,senate and
 the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce
 of the ,house of ,representatives4     
7#b7 ,authorization of appropriations   
,there are authorized to be appropriated
 such sums as may be required to carry  
out this subsection4  7d7 ,definition   
,in this section1 the term personal     
protective equipment means equipment    
worn to minimize exposure to hazards    
that cause serious workplace injuries   
and illnesses and includes respiratory  
protection1 clothing1 eye protection1   
and such other equipment to protect the 
wearer as the ,secretary may determine4 
4