CARE Act

HR 8080, the CARE Act, requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a mandatory after-action program to review responses to public health emergencies. The program must identify solutions for issues found, improve agency collaboration, and incorporate feedback from state, local, and community partners. It also mandates an annual Inspector General evaluation and detailed reporting on areas like emergency planning, communication protocols, resource management, and infection prevention. Additionally, the bill requires HHS to create a risk communication strategy ensuring public health messages are clear, culturally sensitive, accessible, and translated into relevant languages for at-risk populations. The bill directly affects HHS operations and its agencies' emergency response processes, focusing on procedural improvements rather than new policy changes.