On June 15, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved, by voice vote, a bill to reauthorize community health centers (H.R. 5573). The House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health approved, by voice vote, the bill on June 8 (see The Source, 06/09/06).
Sponsored by Chair Nathan Deal (R-GA), the bill would reauthorize community health centers at $1.963 billion in FY2007, $1.999 billion in FY2008, $2.015 billion in FY2009, and $2.041 billion in FY2010 and FY2011.
The committee also approved, 28-14, a bill to expand health information technology (H.R. 4157). Among other provisions, the measure would encourage the creation of a national standard for health information technology and sharing, codify the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology within the Department of Health and Human Services, and enable private funding sources to finance the adoption of electronic health records by health care professionals and medical institutions.
On June 15, the House Ways and Means Committee also approved, 23-17, H.R. 4157. An amendment by Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA) to prohibit the pre-emption of state security and confidentiality laws that relate to sensitive information, including mental health, substance abuse, rape, incest, domestic violence, family planning, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, and genetic screening failed, 17-23.
