If the Secretary determines, after consultation with such public health officials as may be necessary, that—
(1) a disease or disorder presents a public health emergency; or
(2) a public health emergency, including significant outbreaks of infectious diseases or bioterrorist attacks, otherwise exists,
the Secretary may take such action as may be appropriate to respond to the public health emergency, including making grants, providing awards for expenses, and entering into contracts and conducting and supporting investigations into the cause, treatment, or prevention of a disease or disorder as described in paragraphs (1) and (2). Any such determination of a public health emergency terminates upon the Secretary declaring that the emergency no longer exists, or upon the expiration of the 90-day period beginning on the date on which the determination is made by the Secretary, whichever occurs first. Determinations that terminate under the preceding sentence may be renewed by the Secretary (on the basis of the same or additional facts), and the preceding sentence applies to each such renewal. Not later than 48 hours after making a determination under this subsection of a public health emergency (including a renewal), the Secretary shall submit to the Congress written notification of the determination.
There is established in the Treasury a fund to be designated as the “Public Health Emergency Fund” to be made available to the Secretary without fiscal year limitation to carry out subsection (a) of this section only if a public health emergency has been declared by the Secretary under such subsection. There is authorized to be appropriated to the Fund such sums as may be necessary.
Not later than 90 days after the end of each fiscal year, the Secretary shall prepare and submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Commerce and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives a report describing—
(A) the expenditures made from the Public Health Emergency Fund in such fiscal year; and
(B) each public health emergency for which the expenditures were made and the activities undertaken with respect to each emergency which was conducted or supported by expenditures from the Fund.
Funds appropriated under this section shall be used to supplement and not supplant other Federal, State, and local public funds provided for activities under this section.
In any case in which the Secretary determines that, wholly or partially as a result of a public health emergency that has been determined pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, individuals or public or private entities are unable to comply with deadlines for the submission to the Secretary of data or reports required under any law administered by the Secretary, the Secretary may, notwithstanding any other provision of law, grant such extensions of such deadlines as the circumstances reasonably require, and may waive, wholly or partially, any sanctions otherwise applicable to such failure to comply. Before or promptly after granting such an extension or waiver, the Secretary shall notify the Congress of such action and publish in the Federal Register a notice of the extension or waiver.
(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title III, §319, as added Pub. L. 106–505, title I, §102, Nov. 13, 2000, 114 Stat. 2315; amended Pub. L. 107–188, title I, §§141, 144(a), 158, June 12, 2002, 116 Stat. 626, 630, 633.)
A prior section 247d, act July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title III, §319, as added Pub. L. 98–49, July 13, 1983, 97 Stat. 245; amended Pub. L. 100–607, title II, §256(a), Nov. 4, 1988, 102 Stat. 3110; Pub. L. 102–321, title I, §163(b)(2), July 10, 1992, 106 Stat. 376; Pub. L. 102–531, title III, §312(d)(2), Oct. 27, 1992, 106 Stat. 3504, authorized the Secretary to take appropriate action relating to public health emergencies, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 106–505, title I, §102, Nov. 13, 2000, 114 Stat. 2315.
Another prior section 247d, act July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title III, §319, formerly §310, as added Sept. 25, 1962, Pub. L. 87–692, 76 Stat. 592, and amended and renumbered, which related to migrant health centers, was renumbered section 329 of act July 1, 1944, by Pub. L. 95–626, title I, §102(a), Nov. 10, 1978, 92 Stat. 3551, and transferred to section 254b of this title, prior to being omitted in the general amendment of subpart I (§254b et seq.) of part D of this subchapter by Pub. L. 104–299, §2.
Committee on Commerce of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Energy and Commerce of House of Representatives, and jurisdiction over matters relating to securities and exchanges and insurance generally transferred to Committee on Financial Services of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Seventh Congress, Jan. 3, 2001.
2002—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 107–188, §158, substituted “grants, providing awards for expenses, and” for “grants and” in concluding provisions.
Pub. L. 107–188, §144(a), inserted at end of concluding provisions “Any such determination of a public health emergency terminates upon the Secretary declaring that the emergency no longer exists, or upon the expiration of the 90-day period beginning on the date on which the determination is made by the Secretary, whichever occurs first. Determinations that terminate under the preceding sentence may be renewed by the Secretary (on the basis of the same or additional facts), and the preceding sentence applies to each such renewal. Not later than 48 hours after making a determination under this subsection of a public health emergency (including a renewal), the Secretary shall submit to the Congress written notification of the determination.”
Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 107–188, §141, added subsec. (d).
Pub. L. 107–188, title I, §144(b), June 12, 2002, 116 Stat. 630, provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending this section] applies to any public health emergency under section 319(a) of the Public Health Service Act [subsec. (a) of this section], including any such emergency that was in effect as of the day before the date of the enactment of this Act [June 12, 2002]. In the case of such an emergency that was in effect as of such day, the 90-day period described in such section with respect to the termination of the emergency is deemed to begin on such date of enactment.”