I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2118 

To authorize United States participation in the Coalition for Epidemic 

Preparedness Innovations, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 23, 2021 

Mr. BERA (for himself and Mr. FITZPATRICK) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

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, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

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

5 From Epidemics Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) Due to increasing population and popu9 lation density, human mobility, and ecological 


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1 change, emerging infectious diseases pose a real and 

2 growing threat to global health security. 

3 (2) While vaccines can be the most effective 

4 tools to protect against infectious disease, the ab5 sence of vaccines for a new or emerging infectious 

6 disease with epidemic potential is a major health se7 curity threat globally, posing catastrophic potential 

8 human and economic costs. 

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

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

11 2,656,822 people worldwide, and it is likely that un12 reported cases and deaths are significant. 

13 (4) Even regional outbreaks can have enormous 

14 human costs and substantially disrupt the global 

15 economy and cripple regional economies. The 2014 

16 Ebola outbreak in West Africa killed more than 

17 11,000 and cost $2,800,000,000 in losses in the af18 fected countries alone. 

19 (5) While the need for vaccines to address 

20 emerging epidemic threats is acute, markets to drive 

21 the necessary development of vaccines to address 

22 them—a complex and expensive undertaking—are 

23 very often critically absent. Also absent are mecha24 nisms to ensure access to those vaccines by those 

25 who need them when they need them. 


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1 (6) To address this global vulnerability and the 

2 deficit of political commitment, institutional capac3 ity, and funding, in 2017, several countries and pri4 vate partners launched the Coalition for Epidemic 

5 Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). CEPI’s mission 

6 is to stimulate, finance, and coordinate development 

7 of vaccines for high-priority, epidemic-potential 

8 threats in cases where traditional markets do not 

9 exist or cannot create sufficient demand. 

10 (7) Through funding of partnerships, CEPI 

11 seeks to bring priority vaccines candidates through 

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

13 vaccine platforms that can be rapidly deployed 

14 against emerging pathogens. 

15 (8) CEPI supported the manufacturing of the 

16 United States-developed Moderna COVID–19 vac17 cine during its Phase 1 clinical trial, and CEPI has 

18 initiated at least 12 partnerships to develop vaccines 

19 against COVID–19. 

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

21 pillar of the ACT–Accelerator, which is a global col22 laboration to quickly produce and equitably dis23 tribute safe and effective vaccines and therapeutics 

24 for COVID–19. 


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1 (10) Support for and participation in CEPI is 

2 an important part of the United States own health 

3 security and biodefense and is in the national inter4 est, complementing the work of many Federal agen5 cies and providing significant value through global 

6 partnership and burden-sharing. 

7 SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION FOR UNITED STATES PARTICIPA8 TION. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—The United States is hereby au10 thorized to participate in the Coalition for Epidemic Pre11 paredness Innovations (‘‘Coalition’’). 

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

13 designate an employee of the relevant Federal department 

14 or agency providing the majority of United States con15 tributions to the Coalition, who should demonstrate knowl16 edge and experience in the fields of development and pub17 lic health, epidemiology, or medicine, to serve— 

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

19 and 

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

21 of Directors of the Coalition, as a representative of 

22 the United States. 

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

24 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the PresiVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:46 May 19, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2118.IH H2118

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1 dent shall submit to the appropriate congressional com2 mittees a report that includes the following: 

3 (1) The United States planned contributions to 

4 the Coalition and the mechanisms for United States 

5 participation in such Coalition. 

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

7 States shall participate in the governance of the Co8 alition. 

9 (3) How participation in the Coalition supports 

10 relevant United States Government strategies and 

11 programs in health security and biodefense, includ12 ing— 

13 (A) the Global Health Security Strategy 

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

15 the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 

16 (Public Law 115–141); 

17 (B) the applicable revision of the National 

18 Biodefense Strategy required by section 1086 of 

19 the National Defense Authorization Act for Fis20 cal Year 2017 (6 U.S.C. 104); and 

21 (C) any other relevant decision-making 

22 process for policy, planning, and spending in 

23 global health security, biodefense, or vaccine 

24 and medical countermeasures research and de25 velopment. 


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1 (d) UNITED STATES CONTRIBUTIONS.—Amounts au2 thorized to be appropriated under chapters 1 and 10 of 

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

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

5 be made available for United States contributions to the 

6 Coalition. 

7 (e) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.— 

8 In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com9 mittees’’ means— 

10 (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the 

11 Committee on Appropriations of the House of Rep12 resentatives; and 

13 (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and 

14 the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate. 

Æ 


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