PRIA Logo™
119-s-999119th CongressWALLET

Public Health Improvement Act

Sponsored By: Senator Schmitt, Eric [R-MO]

Introduced

Summary

Recasts the CDC to focus only on communicable diseases. This bill would narrow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's planning and regulatory authority to infectious diseases, impose 12-year term limits for CDC and NIH directors, and move several CDC centers into the National Institutes of Health while adding new congressional checks on emergency declarations.

Show full summary
  • Families and children: Moves eight named CDC centers, including those for birth defects and chronic disease prevention, to NIH, shifting where research and program decisions for those issues are made.
  • Workers and workplace safety: Transfers the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to NIH and removes occupational and environmental hazards from the CDC strategic plan, changing which agency oversees worker health and related guidance.
  • State and local public health and emergencies: Limits HHS regulations to preventing spread of communicable diseases across states or from abroad, lets Congress renew public health emergencies by majority votes with a 90-day renewal window, and preempts inconsistent federal, state, tribal, territorial, or local rules.

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Free to download

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

5 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 1 costs, 4 mixed.

Limit federal disease and CDC scope

If enacted, this bill would limit HHS authority to preventing the spread of communicable diseases across states or from other countries. It would limit federal measures to inspection, fumigation, disinfection, sanitation, pest extermination, or destroying infected animals or articles. It would also narrow the CDC strategic plan to focus on "diseases" and remove language about noncommunicable conditions, injuries, and environmental or occupational hazards.

Federal override of conflicting health laws

If enacted, this bill would say its provisions supersede any Federal, State, Tribal, territorial, or local law, declaration, guidance, or directive to the extent those other rules conflict with this Act.

Move major CDC centers to NIH

If enacted, this bill would move eight CDC offices into the National Institutes of Health two years after enactment. It would transfer authorities, staff, grants, and assets of those offices. Programs and grants run by those centers could be reorganized or disrupted during the move.

Congressional renewal of public health emergencies

If enacted, this bill would let Congress renew a public health emergency by majority votes in both chambers. A renewal would end when the HHS Secretary says the emergency is over or 90 days after both chambers voted in favor of renewal, whichever comes first. The Secretary would have to notify Congress in writing within 48 hours of declaring an emergency. The bill would also require HHS to issue any new or revised regulations needed to carry out the Act not later than 90 days after enactment.

New limits on CDC and NIH leadership

If enacted, this bill would limit one person to a maximum of 12 years as CDC Director and 12 years as NIH Director. It would also change who appoints members of the CDC Director's advisory committee, adding congressional leaders and four appointees by the Comptroller General and requiring HHS appointees to include an HHS representative and a public health official.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Schmitt, Eric [R-MO]

MO • R

Cosponsors

  • Sen. Lee, Mike [R-UT]

    UT • R

    Sponsored 3/12/2025

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

View on Congress.gov
Back to Legislation