,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dieh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,december #c1  
#bjbj,mr4 ,portman 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,cardin1 ,mr4 ,thune1 and ,mr4          
,menendez7 introduced the following     
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,health1           
,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a   
,,bill  ,to provide for a vaccine safety
 public awareness campaign4  #a4 ,short 
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,,covid-#ai ,vaccine ,awareness ,support
 ,act of #bjbj4  #b4 ,vaccine safety    
public awareness campaign  7a7 ,in      
general ,the ,secretary of ,health and  
,human ,services 7referred to in this   
section as the ,secretary71 acting      
through the ,director of the ,centers   
for ,disease ,control and ,prevention   
and in coordination with the ,office of 
,minority ,health and the ,federal      
,office of ,rural ,health ,policy of the
 ,department of ,health and ,human      
,services1 and1 as appropriate1 with the

 relevant ,offices of ,minority ,health 
of the ,department of ,health and ,human
 ,services1 the ,national ,institute on 
,minority ,health and ,health           
,disparities1 and the ,indian ,health   
,service1 shall establish grant funding 
opportunities for eligible entities to  
carry out a national1 evidence-based    
campaign to disseminate ,,covid-#ai     
vaccination information4  7b7 ,eligible 
entities ,to be eligible to receive a   
grant under this section1 an entity     
shall-- 7#a7 be a ,state1 local1        
,tribal1 or territorial health          
department1 an urban ,indian            
organization 7as defined in section #d  
of the ,indian ,health ,care            
,improvement ,act 7#be ,u4,s4,c4        
#afjc771 a nonprofit community-based    
organization1 or a nonprofit faith-based
 organization2 and  7#b7 agree to-- 7,a7
 work in consultation with relevant     
,state and local health officials1      
health care providers1 health care      
facilities1 and other appropriate       

stakeholders to carry the campaign under
 this section2 and  7,b7 submit to the  
,secretary1 within #cj days of receipt  
of a grant1 a proposed plan for use of  
the grant funds4  7c7 ,use of funds     
7#a7 ,in general ,entities receiving a  
grant under this section shall use such 
grant funds to-- 7,a7 increase awareness
 and knowledge of the safety and        
effectiveness of vaccines approved or   
authorized by the ,food and ,drug       
,administration for the prevention and  
control of ,,covid-#ai and the benefit  
of receiving a ,,covid-#ai vaccine2     
7,b7 provide information on where the   
vaccine can be obtained2 and  7,c7      
create multilingual and culturally      
appropriate messaging to disseminate    
scientific and evidence-based           
information related to vaccines4  7#b7  
,details of campaigns ,information      
disseminated by an entity receiving a   
grant under this section shall-- 7,a7 be
 based on available scientific evidence2
  7,b7 increase awareness and knowledge 

of ,,covid-#ai1 including countering    
stigma associated with ,,covid-#ai2     
7,c7 improve information on the         
availability of ,,covid-#ai vaccines1   
including countering misinformation and 
disinformation with evidence-based      
scientific rebuttals2 and  7,d7 improve 
awareness and knowledge of coverage of  
,,covid-#ai vaccines4  7d7              
,prioritization ,in awarding grants     
under this section1 the ,secretary shall
 give priority to eligible entities in  
either urban or rural communities 7or a 
combination of urban and rural          
communities7 that serve vulnerable      
populations1 including communities of   
color1 which may include low-income1    
uninsured1 and medically underserved    
individuals or populations with         
historically low rates of receiving     
vaccines4  7e7 ,timing ,the ,secretary  
shall awards the grants under this      
section not later than #cj days after   
the earlier of-- 7#a7 the date on which 
the ,food and ,drug ,administration     

licenses a ,,covid-#ai vaccine under    
section #cea of the ,public ,health     
,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bfb72 or  
7#b7 the date on which a manufacturer   
begins to distribute a ,,covid-#ai      
vaccine to public or private entities   
pursuant to an emergency use            
authorization under section #efd of the 
,federal ,food1 ,drug1 and ,cosmetic    
,act 7#ba ,u4,s4,c4 #cfj;bbb-#c74  7f7  
,evaluation ,the ,secretary shall-- 7#a7
 conduct qualitative assessments        
regarding the campaign under this       
section2 and  7#b7 not later than one   
year after the date of enactment of this
 ,act1 prepare and submit to the        
,committee on ,appropriations and the   
,committee on ,health1 ,education1      
,labor1 and ,pensions of the ,senate and
 the ,committee on ,appropriations and  
the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce 
of the ,house of ,representatives an    
evaluation of the campaign under this   
section4  7g7 ,authorization of         
appropriations ,there is authorized to  

be appropriated to carry out this       
section such sums as may be necessary   
for fiscal year #bjba4