H.R. 7591 — Introduced in House

I 117th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 7591 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 26, 2022Ms. Tlaib (for herself, Mrs. Dingell, Ms. Eshoo, and Ms. Kelly of Illinois) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To amend the Public Health Service Act to include Middle Easterners and North Africans in the statutory definition of a racial and ethnic minority group, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Health Equity and Middle Eastern and North African Community Inclusion Act of 2022 or the Health Equity and MENA Community Inclusion Act of 2022. 2. Inclusion of Middle Easterners and North Africans in definition of racial and ethnic minority groups (a) In general Section 1707(g)(1) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u–6(g)(1)) is amended by striking and Hispanics and inserting Hispanics, and Middle Easterners and North Africans. (b) References Except as otherwise specified, any reference to the term racial and ethnic minority group in any Federal regulation, guidance, order, or document for establishment or implementation of any federally conducted or supported health care or public health program, activity, or survey shall be treated as having the definition given to such term in section 1707(g)(1) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u–6(g)(1)). (c) Sense of Congress It is the sense of the Congress that subsections (a) and (b) should be implemented so as to ensure that— (1) the definition of a racial and ethnic minority group in section 1707(g)(1) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300u–6(g)(1)), as amended by subsection (a), is applied in the implementation and execution of Federal programs and activities that reference such definition; (2) no racial and ethnic minority group served by such programs and activities is negatively impacted by subsection (a) or (b); and (3) the level of funding authorized for such programs and activities in connection with communities of Middle Easterners and North Africans is commensurate with the level of funding authorized for such programs and activities in connection with other racial and ethnic minority groups, taking into consideration the size and needs of the respective populations.