IIB 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2118 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 21, 2021 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations 

AN ACT 

To authorize United States participation in the Coalition 

for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Securing America 

3 From Epidemics Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

5 Congress finds the following: 

6 (1) Due to increasing population and popu7 lation density, human mobility, and ecological 

8 change, emerging infectious diseases pose a real and 

9 growing threat to global health security. 

10 (2) While vaccines can be the most effective 

11 tools to protect against infectious disease, the ab12 sence of vaccines for a new or emerging infectious 

13 disease with epidemic potential is a major health se14 curity threat globally, posing catastrophic potential 

15 human and economic costs. 

16 (3) The COVID–19 pandemic has infected more 

17 than 119,960,700 individuals and has killed at least 

18 2,656,822 people worldwide, and it is likely that un19 reported cases and deaths are significant. 

20 (4) Even regional outbreaks can have enormous 

21 human costs and substantially disrupt the global 

22 economy and cripple regional economies. The 2014 

23 Ebola outbreak in West Africa killed more than 

24 11,000 and cost $2,800,000,000 in losses in the af25 fected countries alone. 


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1 (5) While the need for vaccines to address 

2 emerging epidemic threats is acute, markets to drive 

3 the necessary development of vaccines to address 

4 them—a complex and expensive undertaking—are 

5 very often critically absent. Also absent are mecha6 nisms to ensure access to those vaccines by those 

7 who need them when they need them. 

8 (6) To address this global vulnerability and the 

9 deficit of political commitment, institutional capac10 ity, and funding, in 2017, several countries and pri11 vate partners launched the Coalition for Epidemic 

12 Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). CEPI’s mission 

13 is to stimulate, finance, and coordinate development 

14 of vaccines for high-priority, epidemic-potential 

15 threats in cases where traditional markets do not 

16 exist or cannot create sufficient demand. 

17 (7) Through funding of partnerships, CEPI 

18 seeks to bring priority vaccines candidates through 

19 the end of phase II clinical trials, as well as support 

20 vaccine platforms that can be rapidly deployed 

21 against emerging pathogens. 

22 (8) CEPI supported the manufacturing of the 

23 United States-developed Moderna COVID–19 vac24 cine during its Phase 1 clinical trial, and CEPI has 


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1 initiated at least 12 partnerships to develop vaccines 

2 against COVID–19. 

3 (9) CEPI is co-leading COVAX, the vaccines 

4 pillar of the ACT–Accelerator, which is a global col5 laboration to quickly produce and equitably dis6 tribute safe and effective vaccines and therapeutics 

7 for COVID–19. 

8 (10) Support for and participation in CEPI is 

9 an important part of the United States own health 

10 security and biodefense and is in the national inter11 est, complementing the work of many Federal agen12 cies and providing significant value through global 

13 partnership and burden-sharing. 

14 SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION FOR UNITED STATES PARTICIPA15 TION. 

16 (a) IN GENERAL.—The United States is hereby au17 thorized to participate in the Coalition for Epidemic Pre18 paredness Innovations (‘‘Coalition’’). 

19 (b) DESIGNATION.—The President is authorized to 

20 designate an employee of the relevant Federal department 

21 or agency providing the majority of United States con22 tributions to the Coalition, who should demonstrate knowl23 edge and experience in the fields of development and pub24 lic health, epidemiology, or medicine, to serve— 


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1 (1) on the Investors Council of the Coalition; 

2 and 

3 (2) if nominated by the President, on the Board 

4 of Directors of the Coalition, as a representative of 

5 the United States. 

6 (c) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 180 

7 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Presi8 dent shall submit to the appropriate congressional com9 mittees a report that includes the following: 

10 (1) The United States planned contributions to 

11 the Coalition and the mechanisms for United States 

12 participation in such Coalition. 

13 (2) The manner and extent to which the United 

14 States shall participate in the governance of the Co15 alition. 

16 (3) How participation in the Coalition supports 

17 relevant United States Government strategies and 

18 programs in health security and biodefense, includ19 ing— 

20 (A) the Global Health Security Strategy 

21 required by section 7058(c)(3) of division K of 

22 the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 

23 (Public Law 115–141); 

24 (B) the applicable revision of the National 

25 Biodefense Strategy required by section 1086 of 


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1 the National Defense Authorization Act for Fis2 cal Year 2017 (6 U.S.C. 104); and 

3 (C) any other relevant decision-making 

4 process for policy, planning, and spending in 

5 global health security, biodefense, or vaccine 

6 and medical countermeasures research and de7 velopment. 

8 (d) UNITED STATES CONTRIBUTIONS.—Amounts au9 thorized to be appropriated under chapters 1 and 10 of 

10 part I and chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance 

11 Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) are authorized to 

12 be made available for United States contributions to the 

13 Coalition. 

14 (e) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.— 

15 In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com16 mittees’’ means— 

17 (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 

18 Committee on Appropriations of the House of Rep19 resentatives; and 


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1 (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and 

2 the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate. 

Passed the House of Representatives July 20, 2021. 

Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 

Clerk. 


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