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Section 4003

SEC. 4003. CLINICAL AND COMMUNITY PREVENTIVE SERVICES.

[a] Preventive Services Task Force- Section 915 of the Public Health Service Act [42 U.S.C. 299b-4] is amended by striking subsection [a] and inserting the following:

'[a] Preventive Services Task Force-

'[1] ESTABLISHMENT AND PURPOSE- The Director shall convene an independent Preventive Services Task Force [referred to in this subsection as the 'Task Force'] to be composed of individuals with appropriate expertise. Such Task Force shall review the scientific evidence related to the effectiveness, appropriateness, and cost-effectiveness of clinical preventive services for the purpose of developing recommendations for the health care community, and updating previous clinical preventive recommendations, to be published in the Guide to Clinical Preventive Services [referred to in this section as the 'Guide'], for individuals and organizations delivering clinical services, including primary care professionals, health care systems, professional societies, employers, community organizations, non-profit organizations, Congress and other policy-makers, governmental public health agencies, health care quality organizations, and organizations developing national health objectives. Such recommendations shall consider clinical preventive best practice recommendations from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Institute of Medicine, specialty medical associations, patient groups, and scientific societies.

'[2] DUTIES- The duties of the Task Force shall include--

'[A] the development of additional topic areas for new recommendations and interventions related to those topic areas, including those related to specific sub-populations and age groups;

'[B] at least once during every 5-year period, review interventions and update recommendations related to existing topic areas, including new or improved techniques to assess the health effects of interventions;

'[C] improved integration with Federal Government health objectives and related target setting for health improvement;

'[D] the enhanced dissemination of recommendations;

'[E] the provision of technical assistance to those health care professionals, agencies and organizations that request help in implementing the Guide recommendations; and

'[F] the submission of yearly reports to Congress and related agencies identifying gaps in research, such as preventive services that receive an insufficient evidence statement, and recommending priority areas that deserve further examination, including areas related to populations and age groups not adequately addressed by current recommendations.

'[3] ROLE OF AGENCY- The Agency shall provide ongoing administrative, research, and technical support for the operations of the Task Force, including coordinating and supporting the dissemination of the recommendations of the Task Force, ensuring adequate staff resources, and assistance to those organizations requesting it for implementation of the Guide's recommendations.

'[4] COORDINATION WITH COMMUNITY PREVENTIVE SERVICES TASK FORCE- The Task Force shall take appropriate steps to coordinate its work with the Community Preventive Services Task Force and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, including the examination of how each task force's recommendations interact at the nexus of clinic and community.

'[5] OPERATION- Operation. In carrying out the duties under paragraph [2], the Task Force is not subject to the provisions of Appendix 2 of title 5, United States Code.

'[6] INDEPENDENCE- All members of the Task Force convened under this subsection, and any recommendations made by such members, shall be independent and, to the extent practicable, not subject to political pressure.

'[7] AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each fiscal year to carry out the activities of the Task Force.'.

[b] Community Preventive Services Task Force-

[1] IN GENERAL- Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act, as amended by paragraph [2], is amended by adding at the end the following:

'SEC. 399U. COMMUNITY PREVENTIVE SERVICES TASK FORCE.

'[a] Establishment and Purpose- The Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shall convene an independent Community Preventive Services Task Force [referred to in this subsection as the 'Task Force'] to be composed of individuals with appropriate expertise. Such Task Force shall review the scientific evidence related to the effectiveness, appropriateness, and cost-effectiveness of community preventive interventions for the purpose of developing recommendations, to be published in the Guide to Community Preventive Services [referred to in this section as the 'Guide'], for individuals and organizations delivering population-based services, including primary care professionals, health care systems, professional societies, employers, community organizations, non-profit organizations, schools, governmental public health agencies, Indian tribes, tribal organizations and urban Indian organizations, medical groups, Congress and other policy-makers. Community preventive services include any policies, programs, processes or activities designed to affect or otherwise affecting health at the population level.

'[b] Duties- The duties of the Task Force shall include--

'[1] the development of additional topic areas for new recommendations and interventions related to those topic areas, including those related to specific populations and age groups, as well as the social, economic and physical environments that can have broad effects on the health and disease of populations and health disparities among sub-populations and age groups;

'[2] at least once during every 5-year period, review interventions and update recommendations related to existing topic areas, including new or improved techniques to assess the health effects of interventions, including health impact assessment and population health modeling;

'[3] improved integration with Federal Government health objectives and related target setting for health improvement;

'[4] the enhanced dissemination of recommendations;

'[5] the provision of technical assistance to those health care professionals, agencies, and organizations that request help in implementing the Guide recommendations; and

'[6] providing yearly reports to Congress and related agencies identifying gaps in research and recommending priority areas that deserve further examination, including areas related to populations and age groups not adequately addressed by current recommendations.

'[c] Role of Agency- The Director shall provide ongoing administrative, research, and technical support for the operations of the Task Force, including coordinating and supporting the dissemination of the recommendations of the Task Force, ensuring adequate staff resources, and assistance to those organizations requesting it for implementation of Guide recommendations.

'[d] Coordination With Preventive Services Task Force- The Task Force shall take appropriate steps to coordinate its work with the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, including the examination of how each task force's recommendations interact at the nexus of clinic and community.

'[e] Operation- In carrying out the duties under subsection [b], the Task Force shall not be subject to the provisions of Appendix 2 of title 5, United States Code.

'[f] Authorization of Appropriations- There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each fiscal year to carry out the activities of the Task Force.'.

[2] TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS-

[A] Section 399R of the Public Health Service Act [as added by section 2 of the ALS Registry Act [Public Law 110-373; 122 Stat. 4047]] is redesignated as section 399S.

[B] Section 399R of such Act [as added by section 3 of the Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Act [Public Law 110-374; 122 Stat. 4051]] is redesignated as section 399T.