---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 247d–3c"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "247d–3c"
heading: "Guidelines for regional health care emergency preparedness and response systems"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/247d-3c"
units:
  - "Chapter 6A — Public Health Service"
  - "Subchapter II — General Powers and Duties"
  - "Part B — Federal-State Cooperation"
---

# §247d–3c. Guidelines for regional health care emergency preparedness and response systems

- (a) **Purpose—** It is the purpose of this section to identify and provide guidelines for regional systems of [hospitals](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=1), health care facilities, and other public and private sector entities, with varying levels of capability to treat patients and increase medical surge capacity during, in advance of, and immediately following a public health emergency, including threats posed by one or more chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear agents, including emerging infectious diseases.
- (b) **Guidelines—** The Assistant [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) for Preparedness and Response, in consultation with the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the [Administrator](/usc/42/4005.md?p=1) of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid [Services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a), the [Administrator](/usc/42/4005.md?p=1) of the Health Resources and [Services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) Administration, the Commissioner of Food and [Drugs](/usc/42/11851.md?p=4), the Assistant [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) for Mental Health and Substance Use, the Assistant [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) of Veterans Affairs, the heads of such other Federal [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) as the [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) determines to be appropriate, and [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f), local, Tribal, and territorial public health officials, shall, not later than 2 years after June 24, 2019—
  - (1) identify and develop a set of guidelines relating to [practices](/usc/42/17061.md?p=19) and protocols for all-hazards public health emergency preparedness and response for [hospitals](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=1) and health care facilities to provide appropriate patient care during, in advance of, or immediately following, a public health emergency, resulting from one or more chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear agents, including emerging infectious diseases (which may include existing [practices](/usc/42/17061.md?p=19), such as [trauma](/usc/42/300d–31.md?p=4) care and medical surge capacity and capabilities), with respect to—
    - (A) a regional approach to identifying [hospitals](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=1) and health care facilities based on varying capabilities and capacity to treat patients affected by such emergency, including—
      - (i) the manner in which the system will coordinate with and integrate the partnerships and health care coalitions established under [section 247d–3b(b) of this title](/usc/42/247d–3b.md?p=b); and
      - (ii) informing and educating appropriate first responders and health care supply chain partners of the regional emergency preparedness and response capabilities and medical surge capacity of such [hospitals](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=1) and health care facilities in the community;
    - (B) physical and technological infrastructure, laboratory capacity, staffing, blood supply, and other supply chain needs, taking into account resiliency, geographic considerations, and rural considerations;
    - (C) protocols or best [practices](/usc/42/17061.md?p=19) for the safety and personal protection of workers who handle human remains and health care workers (including with respect to protective equipment and supplies, waste management processes, and decontamination), sharing of specialized experience among the health care workforce, behavioral health, psychological resilience, and training of the workforce, as applicable;
    - (D) in a manner that allows for disease containment (within the meaning of [section 300hh–1(b)(2)(B) of this title](/usc/42/300hh–1.md?p=b-2-B)), coordinated medical triage, [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11), and transportation of patients, based on patient medical need (including patients in rural areas), to the appropriate [hospitals](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=1) or health care facilities within the regional system or, as applicable and appropriate, between systems in different [States](/usc/42/201.md?p=f) or regions; and
    - (E) the needs of children and other at-risk individuals;
  - (2) make such guidelines available on the internet website of the Department of Health and Human [Services](/usc/42/201.md?p=a) in a manner that does not compromise national security; and
  - (3) update such guidelines as appropriate, including based on input received pursuant to subsections [(c)](#c) and [(e)](#e) and information resulting from applicable reports required under the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2019 (including any amendments made by such Act), to address new and emerging public health threats.
- (c) **Considerations—** In identifying, developing, and updating guidelines under [subsection (b)](#b), the Assistant [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) for Preparedness and Response shall—
  - (1) include input from [hospitals](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=1) and health care facilities (including health care coalitions under [section 247d–3b of this title](/usc/42/247d–3b.md)), [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f), local, Tribal, and territorial public health departments, and health care or subject matter experts (including experts with relevant expertise in chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear threats, including emerging infectious diseases), as the Assistant [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) determines appropriate, to meet the goals under [section 300hh–1(b)(3) of this title](/usc/42/300hh–1.md?p=b-3);
  - (2) consult and engage with appropriate [health care providers](/usc/42/300aa–33.md?p=1) and professionals, including physicians, nurses, first responders, health care facilities (including [hospitals](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=1), primary care clinics, community health centers, mental health facilities, ambulatory care facilities, and dental health facilities), pharmacies, emergency medical [providers](/usc/42/299b–21.md?p=8), [trauma](/usc/42/300d–31.md?p=4) care [providers](/usc/42/299b–21.md?p=8), environmental health [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1), public health laboratories, poison control centers, blood banks, tissue banks, and other experts that the Assistant [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) determines appropriate, to meet the goals under [section 300hh–1(b)(3) of this title](/usc/42/300hh–1.md?p=b-3);
  - (3) consider feedback related to financial implications for [hospitals](/usc/42/300s–3.md?p=1), health care facilities, public health [agencies](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1), laboratories, blood banks, tissue banks, and other entities engaged in regional preparedness planning to implement and follow such guidelines, as applicable; and
  - (4) consider financial requirements and potential incentives for entities to prepare for, and respond to, public health emergencies as part of the regional health care emergency preparedness and response system.
- (d) **Technical assistance—** The Assistant [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) for Preparedness and Response, in consultation with the [Director](/usc/42/11851.md?p=5) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Assistant [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, may provide technical assistance and consultation toward meeting the guidelines described in [subsection (b)](#b).
- (e) **Demonstration project for regional health care preparedness and response systems—**
  - (1) **In general—** The Assistant [Secretary](/usc/42/201.md?p=c) for Preparedness and Response may establish a demonstration [project](/usc/42/13641.md?p=2) pursuant to the development and implementation of guidelines under [subsection (b)](#b) to award grants to improve medical surge capacity for all hazards, build and integrate regional medical response capabilities, improve specialty care expertise for all-hazards response, and coordinate medical preparedness and response across [State](/usc/42/201.md?p=f), local, Tribal, territorial, and regional jurisdictions.
  - (2) **Sunset—** The authority under this subsection shall expire on September 30, 2023.

## Source credit

(July 1, 1944, ch. 373, title III, § 319C–3, as added Pub. L. 116–22, title II, § 203(a), June 24, 2019, 133 Stat. 911.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2019, referred to in subsec. (b)(3), is Pub. L. 116–22, June 24, 2019, 133 Stat. 905. For complete classfication of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 2019 Amendment note set out under section 201 of this title and Tables.