I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3085 

To authorize activities to combat the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic 

Republic of the Congo, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 4, 2019 

Ms. BASS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Foreign Affairs 

A BILL 

To authorize activities to combat the Ebola outbreak in the 

Democratic Republic of the Congo, 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 ‘‘Ebola Eradication Act 

5 of 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 

8 (1) The current Ebola outbreak in the Demo9 cratic Republic of the Congo, which began in August 

10 2018 in eastern Congo, is the second largest in hisVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:13 Jun 12, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3085.IH H3085

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1 tory and has a reported 1,778 confirmed total cases, 

2 and 1,153 confirmed deaths. 

3 (2) Despite the use of preventive tools and new 

4 therapeutics, insecurity and community resistance to 

5 response efforts remain major obstacles to ending 

6 the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Re7 public of the Congo, and the outbreak continues to 

8 spread. 

9 (3) Hospitals, health clinics, and Ebola clinics 

10 have been repeatedly attacked by armed actors. 

11 (4) On February 28, 2019, Doctors Without 

12 Borders suspended its work in Ebola epicenters after 

13 two treatment centers were attacked. 

14 (5) On April 19, 2019, Dr. Richard Valery 

15 Mouzoko Kiboung, an epidemiologist from Cameroon 

16 deployed by the World Health Organization to east17 ern Congo to help stop the outbreak, was killed in 

18 an attack on Butembo University Hospital. 

19 (6) Healthcare workers responding to Ebola 

20 have expressed concerns about their ability to con21 tinue working on the response given the complex se22 curity situation. 

23 (7) If the outbreak is not brought under con24 trol, it risks spreading across the border to neigh25 boring countries and endangering millions of people. 


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1 (8) The Administration released a November 

2 29, 2018, Presidential Memorandum implementing 

3 aid restrictions to most countries on Tier III of the 

4 2018 Trafficking In Persons (TIP) report that fully 

5 restricted non-humanitarian, non-trade related aid to 

6 the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

7 (9) Paragraphs (4) and (5) of section 110(d) of 

8 the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 

9 U.S.C. 7107(d)(4)) authorize the continuation of as10 sistance in Tier III countries if such assistance is 

11 determined to be in the national interest of the 

12 United States. 

13 (10) Section 110(d)(5)(B) of the Trafficking 

14 Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 

15 7107(d)(5)(B)) states, ‘‘The President shall exercise 

16 the [waiver] authority under paragraph (4) when 

17 necessary to avoid significant adverse effects on vul18 nerable populations, including women and children.’’. 

19 (11) The President has not exercised the waiver 

20 authority provided for in section 110(d)(5)(B) of the 

21 Trafficking in Victims Protection Act of 2000 in re22 lation to health, education, or community outreach 

23 activities essential to the success of the Ebola re24 sponse in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 


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1 (12) It is in the national interest of the United 

2 States to help control and end the current Ebola 

3 outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo 

4 before it spreads. 

5 SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION TO ADDRESS THE EBOLA OUT6 BREAK IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF 

7 THE CONGO. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding section 110 of 

9 the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 

10 7107), the Administrator of the United States Agency for 

11 International Development shall immediately provide as12 sistance, including multi-sectoral, non-humanitarian, and 

13 non-trade related foreign assistance, to the Democratic 

14 Republic of the Congo and other vulnerable countries to 

15 effectively combat the Ebola outbreak that began in Au16 gust 2018. Subject to the availability of appropriations, 

17 such assistance shall be provided at levels commensurate 

18 with both the threat posed by the Ebola outbreak and an 

19 effective response. Activities to expand and improve access 

20 to communities heavily affected by the Ebola outbreak 

21 should be prioritized under this section. 

22 (b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 30 days 

23 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Adminis24 trator of the United States Agency for International De25 velopment shall submit to the Committee on Foreign RelaVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:13 Jun 12, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3085.IH H3085

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1 tions of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs 

2 of the House of Representatives a report— 

3 (1) describing the actions the Administrator has 

4 taken and plans to take under section 3(a) to end 

5 the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic 

6 of the Congo; and 

7 (2) proposing any additional legal authorities 

8 required to improve the response to the Ebola out9 break in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. 

Æ 


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