Establishment of the US Public Health Service Ready Reserve
Resolution No. 11-01 

WHEREAS, on March 23, 2010, Section 5210 of the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (PPACA) established the US Public Health Service (USPHS) Ready Reserve Corps;

WHEREAS, language in Section 5210 did not eliminate the Reserve Corps (RC) and Inactive Reserve Corps (IRC); and

WHEREAS, a Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of General Counsel opinion terminated the USPHS Reserve Corps commissions of IRC officers eliminating USPHS surge capacity to respond to national disasters and Public Health emergencies; and

WHEREAS, IRC officers have carried out multiple deployments and assignments with such as  CONUS/OCONUS Department of Defense units, FEMA emergencies, NOAA ships, USCG units, and supporting and backfilling active-duty USPHS billets; and

WHEREAS, while the 6,200 active-duty Regular Corps is insufficient to meet all on-going DHHS mission requirements, the IRC commissioned officers are eligible, trained, qualified, already certified, credentialed, and deployable for USPHS assignments; and

WHEREAS, the USPHS needs both an experienced active duty Regular Corps, an active drilling Ready Reserve, and inactive Ready Reserve Corps to meet potential and actual deployments requirements; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Reserve Officers Association of the United States, chartered by Congress, urge Congress to look into the delayed establishment of a US Public Health Service (USPHS) Ready Reserve Corps, and the disestablishment of the Reserve Corps (RC) and Inactive Reserve Corps (IRC); and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Congress appropriate funds to support a USPHS Commissioned Officer Corps, including Ready Reserve and Individual Ready Reserve components to replace the IRC as a Department of Health and Human Services surge capacity to respond to national disasters, and Public Health emergencies; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that IRC officers who were in the USPHS Reserve Corps be given the choice of continuation of their commission in the USPHS Ready Reserve Corps or be honorably discharged from the USPHS Reserve Corps with appropriate honors and privileges.

Source: USPHS Affairs Committee
Adopted by the DC National Convention, February 2, 2011