II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1915 

To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to make anthrax vaccines 

and antimicrobials available to emergency response providers, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

AUGUST 3, 2015 

Ms. AYOTTE (for herself, Mr. BOOKER, and Mr. COONS) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 

Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to make anthrax vaccines and antimicrobials available to emergency 

response providers, 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 ‘‘First Responder An5 thrax Preparedness Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PRE-EVENT ANTHRAX VACCINATION PROGRAM FOR 

7 EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROVIDERS. 

8 (a) ANTHRAX PREPAREDNESS.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—Title V of the Homeland Se2 curity Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 311 et seq.) is amend3 ed by adding at the end the following new section: 

4 ‘‘SEC. 526. ANTHRAX PREPAREDNESS. 

5 ‘‘(a) PRE-EVENT ANTHRAX VACCINATION PROGRAM

6 FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROVIDERS.—For the pur7 pose of domestic preparedness for and collective response 

8 to terrorism, the Secretary, in coordination with the Sec9 retary of Health and Human Services, shall— 

10 ‘‘(1) establish a program to provide anthrax 

11 vaccines from the strategic national stockpile under 

12 section 319F–2(a) of the Public Health Service Act 

13 (42 U.S.C. 247d–6b(a)) that will be nearing the end 

14 of their labeled dates of use at the time such vac15 cines are to be administered to emergency response 

16 providers who are at high risk of exposure to an17 thrax and who voluntarily consent to such adminis18 tration; 

19 ‘‘(2) establish any necessary logistical and 

20 tracking systems to facilitate making the vaccines 

21 described in paragraph (1) so available; 

22 ‘‘(3) distribute disclosures regarding associated 

23 benefits and risks to end users; and 

24 ‘‘(4) conduct outreach to educate emergency re25 sponse providers about the voluntary program. 


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1 ‘‘(b) THREAT ASSESSMENT.—The Secretary shall— 

2 ‘‘(1) support homeland security-focused risk 

3 analysis and risk assessments of the threats posed 

4 by anthrax from an act of terror; 

5 ‘‘(2) leverage existing and emerging homeland 

6 security intelligence capabilities and structures to 

7 enhance prevention, protection, response, and recov8 ery efforts with respect to an anthrax terror attack; 

9 and 

10 ‘‘(3) share information and provide tailored an11 alytical support on threats posed by anthrax to 

12 State, local, and tribal authorities, as well as other 

13 national biosecurity and biodefense stakeholders.’’. 

14 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con15 tents in section 1(b) of such Act is amended by in16 serting at the end of the items relating to title V the 

17 following new item: 

‘‘Sec. 526. Anthrax preparedness.’’. 

18 (b) PILOT PROGRAM.— 

19 (1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out the pre20 event vaccination program authorized under section 

21 526(a) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as 

22 added by subsection (a), the Secretary of Homeland 

23 Security, in coordination with the Secretary of 

24 Health and Human Services, shall carry out a pilot 

25 program to provide anthrax vaccines to emergency 


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1 response providers as so authorized. The duration of 

2 the pilot program shall be 24 months from the date 

3 the initial vaccines are administered to participants. 

4 (2) PRELIMINARY REQUIREMENTS.—Prior to 

5 implementing the pilot program under paragraph 

6 (1), the Secretary of Homeland Security shall— 

7 (A) establish a communication platform for 

8 the pilot program; 

9 (B) establish education and training mod10 ules for the pilot program; 

11 (C) conduct economic analysis of the pilot 

12 program; and 

13 (D) create a logistical platform for the an14 thrax vaccine request process under the pilot 

15 program. 

16 (3) LOCATION.—In carrying out the pilot pro17 gram under this subsection, the Secretary of Home18 land Security shall select emergency response pro19 viders based in not less than 2 States for participa20 tion in the pilot program. 

21 (4) DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION.—The 

22 Secretary of Homeland Security shall provide to 

23 each emergency response provider who participates 

24 in the pilot program under this subsection disclo25 sures and educational materials regarding the assoVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:47 Aug 03, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1915.IS S1915

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1 ciated benefits and risks of any vaccine provided 

2 under the pilot program and of exposure to anthrax. 

3 (5) REPORT.— 

4 (A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year 

5 after the date of enactment of this Act, and an6 nually thereafter until 1 year after the comple7 tion of the pilot program, the Secretary of 

8 Homeland Security shall submit to the Com9 mittee on Homeland Security and the Com10 mittee on Energy and Commerce of the House 

11 of Representatives and the Committee on 

12 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

13 of the Senate a report on the progress and re14 sults of the pilot program, including— 

15 (i) the percentage of eligible emer16 gency response providers, as determined by 

17 each pilot location, that volunteer to par18 ticipate; 

19 (ii) the degree to which participants 

20 obtain necessary vaccinations, as appro21 priate; and 

22 (iii) recommendations to improve ini23 tial and recurrent participation in the pilot 

24 program. 


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1 (B) REQUIRED PLAN.—The report re2 quired under subparagraph (A) shall include a 

3 plan under which the Secretary plans to con4 tinue the program to provide vaccines to emer5 gency response providers under section 526(a) 

6 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as 

7 added by subsection (a). 

8 (6) DEADLINE FOR IMPLEMENTATION.—Not 

9 later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this 

10 Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall begin 

11 implementing the pilot program under this sub12 section. 

Æ 


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