,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #cadi  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november #c1  
#bjba,mr4 ,merkley 7for himself and ,ms4
 ,smith7 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,health1 ,education1     
,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
direct the ,secretary of ,health and    
,human ,services to establish within the
 ,office of the ,director of the        
,centers for ,disease ,control and      
,prevention the ,office of ,rural       
,health1 and for other purposes4  #a4   
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the,rural ,health ,equity ,act4  #b4    
,,cdc ,office of ,rural ,health  7a7 ,in
 general ,the ,secretary shall establish
 within the ,office of the ,director of 
the ,centers for ,disease ,control and  
,prevention an office to be known as the
 ,office of ,rural ,health1 to be headed
 by a director appointed by the         
,director of the ,centers for ,disease  
,control and ,prevention4  7b7 ,duties  

,the ,director of the ,office shall--   
7#a7 serve as the primary point of      
contact in the ,centers for ,disease    
,control and ,prevention on matters     
pertaining to rural health2  7#b7 assist
 the ,secretary in conducting1          
coordinating1 and promoting research    
regarding public health issues affecting
 rural populations1 and in disseminating
 the results of such research2  7#c7    
work with all personnel and offices of  
the ,centers for ,disease ,control and  
,prevention to develop1 refine1         
coordinate1 and promulgate policies1    
best practices1 lessons learned1 and    
innovative1 successful programs to      
improve care1 services1 and social      
determinants of health for populations  
who reside in rural areas of the ,united
 ,states2  7#d7 coordinate and support  
rural health research1 conduct and      
support educational outreach1 and       
disseminate evidence-based interventions
 related to health outcomes1 access to  
health care1 and lifestyle challenges1  

to prevent death1 disease1 injury1 and  
disability1 and promote healthy         
behaviors1 in rural populations1        
including rural minority and ,,lgbtq    
populations2  7#e7 improve the          
understanding of the challenges faced by
 rural populations2  7#f7 identify      
disparities in the availability of      
health care and public health           
interventions for populations living in 
rural areas2  7#g7 administer grants1   
cooperative agreements1 and contracts to
 provide technical assistance and other 
activities as necessary to support      
activities related to improving health  
and health care in rural areas2 and     
7#h7 perform such other functions and   
duties as the ,secretary determines     
appropriate4  7c7 ,definitions ,in this 
section3 7#a7 ,the term ,office1 except 
as otherwise specified1 means the       
,office of ,rural ,health established   
pursuant to subsection 7a74  7#b7 ,the  
term ,secretary means the ,secretary of 
,health and ,human ,services1 acting    

through the ,director of the ,centers   
for ,disease ,control and ,prevention4  
7d7 ,authorization of appropriations    
,there is authorized to be appropriated 
to carry out this section #aj1jjj1jjj   
for fiscal year #bjbb and each          
subsequent fiscal year4