Recommenda- tions. 

facilities to prepare for, and respond to, public health emer- gencies, including natural disasters. 

(2) CONSULTATION.—In conducting the study under para- graph (1), the entity shall consult with Federal, State, local, Tribal, and territorial public health officials (as appropriate), and health care providers and facilities with experience in public health preparedness and response activities. 

(3) EVALUATION.—The study under paragraph (1) shall include— 

(A) an evaluation of the current benchmarks and objec- tive standards, as applicable, related to programs that sup- port hospitals, long-term care facilities, and other health care facilities, and their effect on improving public health preparedness and response capabilities and medical surge capacities, including the Hospital Preparedness Program, the Public Health Emergency Preparedness cooperative agreements, and the Regional Health Care Emergency Preparedness and Response Systems under section 319C– 3 of the Public Health Service Act (as added by section 203); 

(B) the identification of gaps in preparedness, including with respect to such benchmarks and objective standards, such as those identified during recent public health emer- gencies, for hospitals, long-term care facilities, and other health care facilities to address future potential public health threats; 

(C) an evaluation of coordination efforts between the recipients of Federal funding for programs described in subparagraph (A) and entities with expertise in emergency power systems and other critical infrastructure partners during a public health emergency, to ensure a functioning critical infrastructure, to the greatest extent practicable, during a public health emergency; 

(D) an evaluation of coordination efforts between the recipients of Federal funding for programs described in subparagraph (A) and environmental health agencies with expertise in emergency preparedness and response plan- ning for hospitals, long-term care facilities, and other health care facilities; and 

(E) an evaluation of current public health preparedness and response capabilities and medical surge capacities related to at-risk individuals during public health emer- gencies, including an identification of gaps in such preparedness as they relate to such individuals. 

(b) REPORT.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The agreement under subsection (a) shall require the entity to submit to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the congressional committees of jurisdic- tion, not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this Act, a report on the results of the study conducted pursuant to this section. 

(2) CONTENTS.—The report under paragraph (1) shall— 

(A) describe the findings and conclusions of the evalua- tion conducted pursuant to subsection (a); and 

(B) provide recommendations for improving public health preparedness and response capability and medical 

