Washington, D.C. – Health Subcommittee Chairwoman Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA) and Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) released the following joint statement today after the House of Representatives passed two public health bills:

"Today, the House passed two bills to authorize grants and programs that will promote the health and well-being of Americans. These bills fund lifesaving programs to screen newborns for certain diseases and will make much-needed improvements to the collection and surveillance of public health data in tribal communities. We applaud our colleagues for working together to pass these vital bills and look forward to continuing our efforts to protect the health of communities across the country."

The House of Representatives passed the following two bills:

H.R. 482, the "Newborn Screening Saves Lives Reauthorization Act of 2021," was introduced by Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) along with 24 original cosponsors. The bill reauthorizes newborn screening programs for five years and revises several programs and activities relating to newborn screening for certain conditions and genetic, endocrine, and metabolic diseases. The bill passed by an en bloc vote of 325-103.

H.R. 3841, the "Tribal Health Data Improvement Act," was introduced by Reps. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) and Tom O'Halleran (D-AZ). The bill would expand tribal access to public health care data and surveillance and would require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to address collection and availability of health data for American Indians and Alaska Natives. In addition, the bill provides grants to tribal epidemiology and public health centers to address under-sampling and misclassification of tribal populations and improve quality and accuracy of health data. The bill passed by an en bloc vote of 325-103.

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