Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania (for himself and Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce

A BILL To provide for a study and for demonstration projects regarding cases of hepatitis C among firefighters, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians who are employees or volunteers of units of local government. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the 'Emergency Response Employees Disease Protection Act of 2000'. 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS. The Congress finds as follows: 

(1) Hepatitis C is a blood-borne pathogen that is a major cause of chronic liver disease. According to the American Liver Foundation, approximately 1.8 percent of the general population is infected with the disease. 
(2) There is no known cure for hepatitis C. 
(3) Emergency response employees and volunteers of units of local government (such as firefighters, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians) are at high risk of contracting the disease due to the unique nature of their jobs. 
(4) The only emergency response organization that has a comprehensive program to test all of its members for hepatitis C is Local 22 of the International Association of Fire Fighters, representing the firefighters of the City of Philadelphia. 
(5) According to these tests, 130 of 2,100 firefighters tested positive for the disease, which is approximately 6 percent of those tested. 
(6) The City of Philadelphia recently made a decision to commit $3,000,000 each year to provide treatment for 200 employees infected with the disease. Philadelphia is the only major city to devote such resources to the epidemic of hepatitis C among emergency response employees. 
(7) The Federal government should provide for a study to determine the prevalence of hepatitis C among firefighters, paramedics, and emergency medical technicians who are employees or volunteers of units of local government, and should provide for demonstration projects to provide training, testing, and treatment regarding cases of the disease among such employees and volunteers.

SEC. 3. STUDY AND DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS REGARDING CASES OF HEPATITIS C AMONG CERTAIN EMERGENCY RESPONSE EMPLOYEES. 

(a) STUDY REGARDING PREVALENCE AMONG CERTAIN EMERGENCY RESPONSE EMPLOYEES-
(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- 
(A) an estimate of the prevalence of hepatitis C among designated emergency response employees in the United States; and 
(B) the likely means through which such employees become infected with such disease in the course of performing their duties as such employees. 
(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. Not later that one year after such date, the Secretary shall complete the study and submit to the Congress a report describing the findings of the study.

(b) DEMONSTRATIONS PROJECTS REGARDING TRAINING AND TREATMENT-
(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: 
(A) Training designated emergency response employees in minimizing the risk of infection with hepatitis C in performing their duties as such employees. 
(B) Testing such employees for infection with the disease. 
(C) Treating the employees for the disease.

(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 carrying 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 the Congress a report providing-
(A) a summary of evaluations under paragraph (4); and 
(B) the recommendations of the Secretary for administrative or legislative initiatives regarding the activities described in paragraph (1).