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Summary

Key recent events -- the 2001 terrorist attacks, Hurricane Katrina, and concerns about an influenza ("flu") pandemic -- have sharpened congressional interest in the nation's systems to track and respond to public health threats. The 109th Congress passed laws that reauthorized public health and medical preparedness and response programs in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and reorganized parts of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), including the establishment of an Office of Health Affairs (OHA), and reorientation of the mission and authorities of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In its second session, the 110th Congress is likely to continue its oversight of the implementation of these laws, focusing in particular on such matters as (1) how well equipped HHS and DHS are -- in terms of authority, funding, policies, and workforce -- to respond to complex health emergencies; (2) how well they and other federal agencies coordinate their preparedness and response efforts with each other; (3) the status of major federal initiatives, such as pandemic flu preparedness, biodefense research and development, and disaster planning for at-risk populations; and (4) the effect of the impending presidential transition on authorities and programs that were established during the current administration. This report, which will be updated, discusses key issues in public health and medical preparedness and response, citing additional CRS reports and other resources.

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