NEW YORK – US Representative Lizzie Fletcher (D-Texas), introduced Monday legislation that would establish a pilot program at the US Department of Health and Human Services to award grants supporting clinical laboratories to meet the increased demand in services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The bill, HR 1818, would provide $4.5 billion from 2022 to 2026 to support the improvement, renovation, or modernization of clinical laboratory infrastructure to improve SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 testing and response activities.
"As we look to improve our infrastructure as an opportunity to invest in our communities and help get people back to work, modernizing the infrastructure of clinical laboratories must be a priority," Fletcher, a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Health Subcommittee, said in a statement.