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42 U.S. Code § 247d-3a. Improving State and local public health security
(a) In general
To enhance the security of the United States with respect to public health emergencies, the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall award cooperative agreements to eligible entities to enable such entities to conduct the activities described in subsection (d).
(b) Eligible entitiesTo be eligible to receive an award under subsection (a), an entity shall—
(1)
(A)
be a State;
(B)
be a political subdivision determined by the Secretary to be eligible for an award under this section (based on criteria described in subsection (h)(4)); or
(C)
be a consortium of States; and
(2) prepare and submit to the Secretary an application at such time, and in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including—
(A) an All-Hazards Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Plan which shall include—
(i)
a description of the activities such entity will carry out under the agreement to meet the goals identified under section 300hh–1 of this title, including with respect to chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear threats, whether naturally occurring, unintentional, or deliberate;
(ii)
a description of the activities such entity will carry out with respect to pandemic influenza, as a component of the activities carried out under clause (i), and consistent with the requirements of paragraphs (2) and (5) of subsection (g);
(iii)
preparedness and response strategies and capabilities that take into account the medical and public health needs of at-risk individuals in the event of a public health emergency;
(iv) a description of the mechanism the entity will implement to utilize the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, or other mutual aid agreement, for medical and public health mutual aid, and, as appropriate, the activities such entity will implement pursuant to section 247d–7b of this title to improve enrollment and coordination of volunteer health care professionals seeking to provide medical services during a public health emergency, which may include—
(I)
providing a public method of communication for purposes of volunteer coordination (such as a phone number);
(II)
providing for optional registration to participate in volunteer services during processes related to State medical licensing, registration, or certification or renewal of such licensing, registration, or certification; or
(III)
other mechanisms as the State determines appropriate;
(v)
a description of how the entity will include the State Unit on Aging in public health emergency preparedness;
(vi)
a description of how, as appropriate, the entity may partner with relevant public and private stakeholders, including public health agencies with specific expertise that may be relevant to public health security, such as environmental health agencies, in public health emergency preparedness and response;
(vii)
a description of how, as applicable, such entity may integrate information to account for individuals with behavioral health needs during and following a public health emergency;
(viii)
a description of how the entity, as applicable and appropriate, will coordinate with State emergency preparedness and response plans in public health emergency preparedness, including State education agencies [1] (as defined in section 7801 of title 20), State child care lead agencies (designated under section 9858b of this title), and other relevant State agencies [2]
(ix)
in the case of entities that operate on the United States-Mexico border or the United States-Canada border, a description of the activities such entity will carry out under the agreement that are specific to the border area including disease detection, identification, investigation, and preparedness and response activities related to emerging diseases and infectious disease outbreaks whether naturally occurring or due to bioterrorism, consistent with the requirements of this section;
(x)
a description of any activities that such entity will use to analyze real-time clinical specimens for pathogens of public health or bioterrorism significance, including any utilization of poison control centers;
(xi)
a description of how the entity will partner with health care facilities, including hospitals and nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, to promote and improve public health preparedness and response;
(xii)
a description of how the entity will provide technical assistance to improve public health preparedness and response, as appropriate, to agencies or other entities that operate facilities within the entity’s jurisdiction in which there is an increased risk of infectious disease outbreaks in the event of a public health emergency declared under section 247d of this title, such as residential care facilities, group homes, and other similar settings; and
(xiii)
a description of how, as appropriate and practicable, the entity will include critical infrastructure partners, such as utility companies within the entity’s jurisdiction, in planning pursuant to this subparagraph to help ensure that critical infrastructure will remain functioning during, or return to function as soon as practicable after, a public health emergency;
(B)
an assurance that the entity will report to the Secretary on an annual basis (or more frequently as determined by the Secretary) on the evidence-based benchmarks and objective standards established by the Secretary to evaluate the preparedness and response capabilities of such entity under subsection (g);
(C)
an assurance that the entity will conduct, on at least an annual basis, an exercise or drill that meets any criteria established by the Secretary to test the preparedness and response capabilities of such entity, including addressing the needs of at-risk individuals, and that the entity will report back to the Secretary within the application of the following year on the strengths and weaknesses identified through such exercise or drill, and corrective actions taken to address material weaknesses;
(D)
an assurance that the entity will require relevant staff to complete relevant preparedness and response trainings, including trainings related to efficient and effective operation during an incident or event within an Incident Command System;
(E)
an assurance that the entity will provide to the Secretary the data described under section 247d–4(c)(3) of this title as determined feasible by the Secretary;
(F)
an assurance that the entity will conduct activities to inform and educate the hospitals within the jurisdiction of such entity on the role of such hospitals in the plan required under subparagraph (A);
(G)
an assurance that the entity, with respect to the plan described under subparagraph (A), has developed and will implement an accountability system to ensure that such entity makes satisfactory annual improvement and describes such system in the plan under subparagraph (A);
(H)
a description of the means by which to obtain public comment and input on the plan described in subparagraph (A) and on the implementation of such plan, that shall include an advisory committee or other similar mechanism for obtaining comment from the public and from other State, local, and tribal stakeholders; and
(I)
as relevant, a description of the process used by the entity to consult with local departments of public health to reach consensus, approval, or concurrence on the relative distribution of amounts received under this section.