NAPH Offers Support to Reauthorize Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act - Aug. 28, 2012

NAPH on Aug. 24 sent a letter to Sens. Thomas Harkin (D-IA) and Mike Enzi (R-WY), chair and ranking member, respectively, of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, and Reps. Fred Upton (R-MI) and Henry Waxman (D-CA), chair and ranking member, respectively, of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, supporting the reauthorization of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA). PAHPA was first passed by Congress and signed by the president in December 2006 to strengthen the nation’s public health and medical preparedness and ability to respond to a range of emergencies. NAPH noted in its letter that reauthorization of this legislation would continue to serve its original purpose. In particular, NAPH noted that the Senate bill, S. 1855, recognized the critical role that trauma centers play in responding to disasters and asked that those provisions related to trauma centers are retained in the final reauthorization.