,,ii  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #ddii  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #ab1      
#bjbf,mr4 ,tillis 7for himself and ,mr4 
,hickenlooper7 introduced the following 
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,health1           
,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a   
,,bill  ,to amend the ,public ,health   
,service ,act to require the ,secretary 
of ,health and ,human ,services to      
expand and enhance the ,national        
,healthcare ,safety ,network to         
establish real-time infectious disease  
and public health surveillance          
capabilities across nursing homes in the
 ,united ,states1 and for other         
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,advanced ,long-term
 care ,early ,response ,technology ,act 
of #bjbf or the ,,alert ,act of #bjbf4  
#b4 ,national network of real-time      
infectious disease and public health    
surveillance in nursing homes ,part ,b  
of title ,,iii of the ,public ,health   

,service ,act is amended by inserting   
after section #cai,m 7#db ,u4,s4,c4     
#bdg;d-f7 the following3  #cai,n4       
,enhancement of ,national ,healthcare   
,safety ,network for real-time          
surveillance in nursing homes  7a7 ,in  
general ,not later than #ahj days after 
the date of enactment of the ,advanced  
,long-term care ,early ,response        
,technology ,act of #bjbf1 the          
,secretary1 acting through the ,director
 of the ,centers for ,disease ,control  
and ,prevention 7referred to in this    
section as the ,secretary71 shall carry 
out a #e-year program to expand and     
enhance the ,national ,healthcare       
,safety ,network 7referred to in this   
section as the ,,nhsn7 to establish     
real-time infectious disease and public 
health surveillance capabilities across 
nursing homes in the ,united ,states4   
7b7  ,contracting authority  7#a7  ,in  
general  ,the ,secretary may enter into 
one or more contracts with an eligible  
entity to develop1 implement1 and       

operate the technological and analytic  
infrastructure necessary to provide     
real-time surveillance and rapid        
notification capabilities under the     
,,nhsn4  7#b7  ,eligibility  ,to be     
eligible to enter into a contract with  
the ,secretary under paragraph 7#a71 an 
entity--  7,a7 shall be located in1 or  
shall be a subsidiary of an entity that 
is located in1 the ,united ,states2     
7,b7 shall have1 and shall maintain for 
the period of the contract1 ,,hitrust   
r#b certification 7or a successor       
certification72  7,c7 shall not be an   
electronic medical records company2 and 
7,d7 shall demonstrate experience in    
establishing and operating a public     
health surveillance network that        
monitors infectious diseases or other   
public health threats at the ,state or  
local level4  7c7  ,required            
capabilities  ,any contract entered into
 under subsection 7b7 shall-- 7#a7      
ensure that the infrastructure developed
 pursuant to the contract is capable    

of--  7,a7 providing real-time          
monitoring of emerging infectious       
diseases and other public health threats
 among nursing homes nationwide2  7,b7  
integrating with1 and enhancing1 the    
reporting systems of the ,,nhsn2  7,c7  
establishing a central hub of           
epidemiologists and other public health 
professionals to support rapid          
identification of outbreaks2  7,d7      
providing for immediate notification to 
appropriate ,federal1 ,state1 and local 
health authorities2 and  7,e7 supporting
 the implementation of a staffed care   
management program that skilled nursing 
facilities may opt into2  7#b7 ensure   
appropriate privacy protections for     
individual patient data2 and  7#c7      
prohibit the use of data collected or   
generated under the contract for        
regulatory compliance or enforcement    
purposes unless expressly authorized by 
law4  7d7  ,,hipaa and data protections 
,the entity awarded a contract under    
subsection 7b7-- 7#a7 shall be treated  

as a covered entity 7as defined in      
section #afj4ajc of title #de1 ,code of 
,federal ,regulations 7or successor     
regulations77 for purposes of the       
privacy regulations promulgated under   
section #bfd7;c7 of the ,health         
,insurance ,portability and             
,accountability ,act of #aiif2 and  7#b7
 shall comply with all applicable       
,federal privacy and security           
requirements4  7e7  ,study and report   
,at the end of the period of the program
 described in subsection 7a71 the       
,secretary shall conduct1 and submit to 
,congress a report that describes the   
results of1 a study on--  7#a7 the      
effectiveness of the enhanced ,,nhsn    
system in monitoring infectious diseases
 and public health threats in nursing   
homes2  7#b7 the impact of the enhanced 
,,nhsn system on hospitalization rates  
and patient outcomes2 and  7#c7         
recommendations regarding continuation  
or expansion of the program under this  
section4  7f7  ,authorization of        

appropriations  ,to carry out this      
section1 there is authorized to be      
appropriated such sums as may be        
necessary for each of fiscal years #bjbg
 through #bjca4  4  #c4 ,supporting of  
real-time infections disease and public 
health surveillance network for nursing 
homes ,section #aaae;,a7b77#b77;,b7 of  
the ,social ,security ,act 7#db         
,u4,s4,c4 #acae;a7b77#b77;,b77 is       
amended by adding at the end the        
following new clause3  7xxviii7         
,supporting the adoption by the         
,national ,healthcare ,safety ,network  
of technology to improve infectious     
disease surveillance in nursing homes   
that-- 7,i7 has capabilities for        
immediate detection and reporting of    
infectious disease outbreaks2  7,,ii7   
facilitates coordinated responses with  
local1 ,state1 and ,federal public      
health authorities2 and  7,,iii7 enables
 nursing homes to participate in a      
staffed care management program to      
improve resident health outcomes4  4