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Citing warnings from senior Obama administration officials, lawmakers from both parties are calling on Congress to establish a dedicated funding source to combat infectious disease outbreaks, according to a letter released Monday. The fund, which 21 lawmakers requested in a letter to senior House appropriators, would appropriate $300 million to help the Trump administration “contain and eradicate future infectious disease epidemics.” (Reid, 4/10)

Now new technology and a rare bipartisan push from lawmakers who are trying to reduce regulations for the sale of hearing aids are raising hopes that more people with mild to moderate hearing loss will be able to buy hearing devices a lot more cheaply and without seeing a doctor. It’s a modest-sounding goal, but supporters believe the measure on Capitol Hill could lower prices, spur innovation, and ultimately get hearing aids into the ears of far more people. (McGrane, 4/11)

New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen is planning to introduce a bill to improve efforts to identify the public health effects of emerging contaminants found in drinking water. Shaheen, a Democrat, is working on the bill with Republican Sen. Rob Portman, of Ohio. They note the potentially harmful and unregulated materials such as PFCs and cyanotoxins are being detected in their states and elsewhere. (4/10)