A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the people of the United States should have continuous access to timely, up-to-date, and accurate health information.
This is a non-binding Senate resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that the people of the United States should have continuous access to timely, up-to-date, and accurate health information provided by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). It highlights the essential role of HHS in urgent public health communications, notes the longstanding publication of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) since 1961, and underscores the importance of foodborne disease outbreak notices. It also references 2024 Health Alert Network (HAN) information about elevated risks from avian influenza, dengue fever, and measles. Overall, the resolution signals broad support for ongoing, reliable health information dissemination by HHS, but it does not create new requirements or funding.
Key Points
- 1Expresses the sense of the Senate that Americans should have continuous access to timely, up-to-date, and accurate health information provided by HHS.
- 2Emphasizes HHS’s role in external communications to protect public health and to help providers and the public respond to health incidents and threats.
- 3References the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), published weekly since 1961, as a key epidemiological bulletin.
- 4Highlights the importance of foodborne disease outbreak notices for coordinating investigations and protecting the roughly 48 million Americans who get sick from foodborne illness each year.
- 5Cites 2024 HAN communications from CDC about increased risks from avian influenza, dengue, and measles, reinforcing the need for ongoing access to health information.