2020 US Code
Title 42 - The Public Health and Welfare
Chapter 6A - Public Health Service
Subchapter II - General Powers and Duties
Part B - Federal-State Cooperation
Sec. 247b-15 - Surveillance and education regarding infections associated with illicit drug use and other risk factors

(1) To cooperate with States and Indian tribes in implementing or maintaining a national system to determine the incidence of infections commonly associated with illicit drug use, such as viral hepatitis, human immunodeficiency virus, and infective endocarditis, and to assist the States in determining the prevalence of such infections, which may include the reporting of cases of such infections.

(2) To identify, counsel, and offer testing to individuals who are at risk of infections described in paragraph (1) resulting from illicit drug use, receiving blood transfusions prior to July 1992, or other risk factors.

(3) To provide appropriate referrals for counseling, testing, and medical treatment of individuals identified under paragraph (2) and to ensure, to the extent practicable, the provision of appropriate follow-up services.

(4) To develop and disseminate public information and education programs for the detection and control of infections described in paragraph (1), with priority given to high-risk populations as determined by the Secretary.

(5) To improve the education, training, and skills of health professionals in the detection and control of infections described in paragraph (1), including to improve coordination of treatment of substance use disorders and infectious diseases, with priority given to substance use disorder treatment providers, pediatricians and other primary care providers, obstetrician-gynecologists, and infectious disease clinicians, including HIV clinicians.

"(1) In general.—The Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to in this section as the 'Secretary'), in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, shall conduct a study to determine—

"(2) Designated emergency response employees.—For purposes of this section, the term 'designated emergency response employees' means firefighters, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians who are employees or volunteers of units of local government.

"(3) Date certain for completion; report to congress.—The Secretary shall commence the study under paragraph (1) not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 30, 2000]. Not later than one year after such date, the Secretary shall complete the study and submit to the Congress a report describing the findings of the study.

"(1) In general.—The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Labor, shall make grants to qualifying local governments for the purpose of carrying out demonstration projects that (directly or through arrangements with nonprofit private entities) carry out each of the following activities:

"(2) Qualifying local governments.—For purposes of this section, the term 'qualifying local government' means a unit of local government whose population of designated emergency response employees has a prevalence of hepatitis C that is not less than 200 percent of the national average for the prevalence of such disease in such populations.

"(3) Confidentiality.—A grant may be made under paragraph (1) only if the qualifying local government involved agrees to ensure that information regarding the testing or treatment of designated emergency response employees pursuant to the grant is maintained confidentially in a manner not inconsistent with applicable law.

"(4) Evaluations.—The Secretary shall provide for an evaluation of each demonstration project under paragraph (1) in order to determine the extent to which the project has been effective in carry [sic] out the activities described in such paragraph.

"(5) Report to congress.—Not later than 180 days after the date on which all grants under paragraph (1) have been expended, the Secretary shall submit to Congress a report providing—