Review – HR 286 Introduced – Healthcare Security Grants

Earlier this month, Rep Escobar (D,TX) introduced HR 286,
the Health Care Providers Safety Act of 2023. The bill would amend the Public
Health Service Act by adding a new §399V-8, Grants to Health Care Providers to
Enhance Security. It would
allow HHS to “award grants to health care providers to pay for security
services and otherwise enhance the physical and cyber security of their
facilities, personnel, and patients to ensure safe access.” No funding is
authorized for this proposed program.

This bill is nearly identical to HR 7814 which was
introduced by Escobar last session. That bill saw no action in Committee, nor
did the Senate’s companion measure, S 4268,
that was
introduced by Sen. Gillibrand (D,NY).

Moving Forward

Neither Escobar nor her 107 cosponsors have yet been
assigned to any Committees. Normally, this would mean that it would be
difficult to tell if there would be sufficient influence to see the bill
considered in Committee. But, since this is, at heart, a pro-abortion bill,
there is not enough influence to see the bill considered in the Republican
controlled House Energy and Commerce Committee to which this bill was assigned
for consideration. This bill would not be able to muster the necessary votes to
pass in Committee nor on the House floor.

For more details about this bill, including a look at
Escobar’s press release – see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis – https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-286-introduced  – subscription required.