I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8315 

To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a program 

to award a financial prize to persons who successfully develop a system 

or device that makes enclosed sections of a building safer during the 

COVID–19 public health emergency, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

SEPTEMBER 18, 2020 

Mr. HARDER of California (for himself, Mrs. MURPHY of Florida, Ms. 

SHERRILL, Mr. TRONE, Ms. HOULAHAN, Mr. O’HALLERAN, Mr. CARSON

of Indiana, and Ms. SPANBERGER) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to 

establish a program to award a financial prize to persons 

who successfully develop a system or device that makes 

enclosed sections of a building safer during the COVID– 

19 public health emergency, 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 ‘‘Safe Indoor Spaces 

5 Act’’. 


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•HR 8315 IH

1 SEC. 2. COVID–19 TECHNOLOGY PRIZE. 

2 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Health and 

3 Human Services (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Sec4 retary’’) shall establish a program to award a financial 

5 prize to persons who successfully develop a system or de6 vice for use during the COVID–19 public health emer7 gency that meets the criteria under subsection (b). 

8 (b) CRITERIA.—To be eligible to receive a prize under 

9 this section, a person must develop a system or device that 

10 meets the following: 

11 (1) Inactivates or eliminates all traces of air12 borne SARS–CoV–2 from the air of an enclosed sec13 tion of a building. 

14 (2) Decreases the rate of transmission of 

15 SARS–CoV–2 in an enclosed section of a building to 

16 a rate of transmission of SARS–CoV–2 that is com17 parable to an outdoor setting. 

18 (3) Able to be installed in or service an enclosed 

19 section of a building or the ventilation systems of a 

20 building, including— 

21 (A) schools; 

22 (B) public buildings; and 

23 (C) most types of buildings used as places 

24 of work. 


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•HR 8315 IH

1 (4) With respect to public buildings, able to be 

2 installed in or service not fewer than 150,000 build3 ings in not less than 6 months. 

4 (5) Maintains or increases the cost of control5 ling the environment of a building by not more than 

6 10 percent. 

7 (c) ESTABLISHMENT OF BOARD.— 

8 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish 

9 a board to advise the Secretary with respect to the 

10 program established under subsection (a). 

11 (2) MEMBERSHIP.—The board shall be com12 posed of 5 members appointed by the Secretary, in13 cluding— 

14 (A) a public health expert; 

15 (B) an individual with experience in edu16 cation; 

17 (C) an individual who represents small 

18 businesses; and 

19 (D) an engineer with expertise in public 

20 health. 

21 (d) FINANCIAL AWARD.—Based on the advice of the 

22 board established under subsection (c), the Secretary shall 

23 make each award under the program established under 

24 subsection (a) in an amount equal to or less than 

25 $5,000,000. 


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•HR 8315 IH

1 (e) INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.—The Federal Gov2 ernment may not acquire an intellectual property right in 

3 any product or idea by virtue of the submission of such 

4 product or idea in the prize competition under this section. 

5 (f) COVID–19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.—In 

6 this section, the term ‘‘COVID–19 public health emer7 gency’’ means a public health emergency for which a dec8 laration is in effect under section 319 of the Public Health 

9 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d), with respect to COVID– 

10 19. 

11 (g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 

13 appropriated to carry out this Act $5,250,000 for 

14 fiscal year 2021. 

15 (2) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—Not more 

16 than $250,000 of the amount appropriated under 

17 paragraph (1) for a fiscal year may be used for ad18 ministrative expenses incurred in carrying out this 

19 section. 

Æ 


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