Viral Hepatitis Testing Act of 2015
Latest action · May 12, 2015 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedMay 12, 2015
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Viral Hepatitis Testing Act of 2015
Amends the Public Health Service Act to require the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to carry out hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) virus infection surveillance, education, and testing programs.
Requires HHS to establish a national system regarding HBV and HCV infections, with its goals being to:
- determine the prevalence of infections,
- increase the number of individuals tested and made aware of their status,
- develop and disseminate public information and education programs,
- improve the training of health professionals, and
- provide referrals for counseling and medical treatment and ensure the provision of follow-up services.
Directs HHS to determine the populations that are considered at high risk for HBV or HCV infection.
Requires HHS to develop benchmarks for activities conducted under the Action Plan for the Prevention, Care, & Treatment of Viral Hepatitis.
Directs HHS to establish and support public-private partnerships that facilitate HBV and HCV surveillance, education, screening, testing, and linkage to care programs.
Requires the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to convene the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force every three years to review its recommendation for HBV and HCV screening.
Directs the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide certain veterans with an HBV and HCV risk assessment, and, as needed, an evaluation and information regarding their need for treatment, vaccination, or other therapy.
Cosponsors 7
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from May 12, 2015 to Apr 28, 2016, with 4 there on the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| R-LA | Bill Cassidy | Original | May 12, 2015 |
| D-NY | Charles E. Schumer | Original | May 12, 2015 |
| D-OR | Jeff Merkley | Original | May 12, 2015 |
| D-HI | Mazie K. Hirono | Original | May 12, 2015 |
| D-NY | Kirsten E. Gillibrand | May 14, 2015 | |
| D-NM | Martin Heinrich | Sep 22, 2015 | |
| D-CO | Michael F. Bennet | Apr 28, 2016 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- May 12, 2015Introduced in Senate
- May 12, 2015Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 1101 | Viral Hepatitis Testing Act of 2015 | Identical bill | Mar 13, 2015 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Health.
- Cancer
- Digestive and metabolic diseases
- Health
- Health facilities and institutions
- Health information and medical records
- Health programs administration and funding
- Health promotion and preventive care
- Immunology and vaccination
- Infectious and parasitic diseases
- Medical education
- Medical tests and diagnostic methods
- Public-private cooperation
- Veterans' medical care
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- May 12, 2015Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.