What does Preamble of ALERT Act of 2026 do?

This bill aims to amend the Public Health Service Act. It would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to expand and enhance the National Healthcare Safety Network. The purpose is to establish real-time infectious disease and public health surveillance capabilities in nursing homes across the United States.

What does SHORT TITLE. of ALERT Act of 2026 do?

This bill is formally titled the Advanced Long-term care Early Response Technology Act of 2026

What does NATIONAL NETWORK OF REAL-TIME INFECTIOUS DISEASE AND PUBLIC of ALERT Act of 2026 do?

This section amends the Public Health Service Act to establish a program to enhance the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) for real-time infectious disease and public health surveillance in nursing homes. The program, initiated within 180 days of the Advanced Long-term care Early Response Technology Act of 2026, will last five years. The Secretary, through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is responsible for carrying out the program. The Secretary may contract with eligible entities to develop and operate the necessary technological and analytic infrastructure. Eligible entities must be located in the United States (or a subsidiary thereof), maintain HITRUST r2 certification (or a successor), not be an electronic medical records company, and demonstrate experience in public health surveillance. The infrastructure must provide real-time monitoring of infectious diseases, integrate with the NHSN, establish a central hub of public health professionals, and enable immediate notification to health authorities. The program must support a staffed care management program that skilled nursing facilities may opt into. Data collected must have appropriate privacy protections and cannot be used for regulatory compliance or enforcement unless expressly authorized by law. The entity awarded a contract will be treated as a covered entity under HIPAA and must comply with all applicable privacy and security requirements. The Secretary will conduct a study and submit a report to Congress at the end of the program, assessing its effectiveness, impact on patient outcomes, and providing recommendations for continuation or expansion.

What does SUPPORTING OF REAL-TIME INFECTIONS DISEASE AND PUBLIC HEALTH of ALERT Act of 2026 do?

This section amends Section 1115A(b)(2)(B) of the Social Security Act. The amendment adds a new clause (xxviii) related to supporting the National Healthcare Safety Network. The network should adopt technology to improve infectious disease surveillance in nursing homes. The technology must have capabilities for immediate detection and reporting of outbreaks. It must facilitate coordinated responses with public health authorities. The technology should enable nursing homes to participate in a staffed care management program to improve resident health outcomes.

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ALERT Act of 2026

Last updated: 5/12/2026 · Introduced: 5/12/2026

Author: Thomas Tillis (R-NC)

TL;DR (AI)

The ALERT Act of 2026 establishes a five-year program to enhance the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) for real-time infectious disease surveillance in nursing homes.
The bill requires the use of technology in nursing homes to immediately detect and report outbreaks, facilitating coordinated responses with public health authorities.
It supports a staffed care management program that skilled nursing facilities may opt into to improve resident health outcomes, while ensuring data privacy protections.

119th Congressin committeeOfficial page

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Other Sections

Includes provisions on preamble, short title., and 2 more.

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