National Center for Health Statistics

There is established in the Department of Health and Human Services the National Center for Health Statistics (hereinafter in this section referred to as the “Center”) which shall be under the direction of a Director who shall be appointed by the Secretary. The Secretary, acting through the Center, shall conduct and support statistical and epidemiological activities for the purpose of improving the effectiveness, efficiency, and quality of health services in the United States. In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary, acting through the Center, shall collect statistics on— The Center shall furnish such special statistical and epidemiological compilations and surveys as the Committee on Labor and Human Resources and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives may request. Such statistical and epidemiological compilations and surveys shall not be made subject to the payment of the actual or estimated cost of the preparation of such compilations and surveys. To insure comparability and reliability of health statistics, the Secretary shall, through the Center, provide adequate technical assistance to assist State and local jurisdictions in the development of model laws dealing with issues of confidentiality and comparability of data. For the purpose of producing comparable and uniform health information and statistics, there is established the Cooperative Health Statistics System. The Secretary, acting through the Center, shall— To assist in carrying out this section, the Secretary, acting through the Center, shall cooperate and consult with the Departments of Commerce and Labor and any other interested Federal departments or agencies and with State and local health departments and agencies. For such purpose he shall utilize insofar as possible the services or facilities of any agency of the Federal Government and, without regard to section 6101 of title 41, of any appropriate State or other public agency, and may, without regard to such section, utilize the services or facilities of any private agency, organization, group, or individual, in accordance with written agreements between the head of such agency, organization, or group and the Secretary or between such individual and the Secretary. Payment, if any, for such services or facilities shall be made in such amounts as may be provided in such agreement. To secure uniformity in the registration and collection of mortality, morbidity, and other health data, the Secretary shall prepare and distribute suitable and necessary forms for the collection and compilation of such data. The Center may provide to public and nonprofit private entities technical assistance in the effective use in such activities of statistics collected or compiled by the Center. In carrying out the requirements of section 242b(c) of this title and paragraph (1) of subsection (e) of this section, the Secretary shall coordinate health statistical and epidemiological activities of the Department of Health and Human Services by— Of the members of the Committee— The Committee— shall assist and advise the Secretary— Not later than 1 year after August 21, 1996, and annually thereafter, the Committee shall submit to the Congress, and make public, a report regarding the implementation of part C of title XI of the Social Security Act [42 U.S.C. 1320d et seq.]. Such report shall address the following subjects, to the extent that the Committee determines appropriate: In carrying out this section, the Secretary, acting through the Center, shall collect and analyze adequate health data that is specific to particular ethnic and racial populations, including data collected under national health surveys. Activities carried out under this subsection shall be in addition to any activities carried out under subsection (m). The Secretary, acting through the Center, may make grants to public and nonprofit private entities for—