I 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5710 

To authorize the provision of assistance on an emergency basis for countries 

affected by or at risk of being affected by the outbreak of the Ebola 

virus disease to effectively address such outbreak at its source, and 

for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

NOVEMBER 14, 2014 

Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself, Ms. BASS, and Mr. MEADOWS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign 

Affairs 

A BILL 

To authorize the provision of assistance on an emergency 

basis for countries affected by or at risk of being affected 

by the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease to effectively 

address such outbreak at its source, 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 Emergency Re5 sponse Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

7 It is the sense of Congress that— 

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1 (1) the current outbreak of the Ebola virus dis2 ease in West Africa poses severe health, economic, 

3 and security threats to the countries affected by the 

4 outbreak of the Ebola virus disease, the United 

5 States, and the broader international community; 

6 and 

7 (2) the whole-of-government response taken by 

8 the United States provides unique capabilities that 

9 are critical to effectively helping contain the Ebola 

10 virus disease in West Africa, yet the United States 

11 alone will not succeed in containing the Ebola virus 

12 disease. 

13 SEC. 3. STATEMENTS OF POLICY. 

14 It shall be the policy of the United States to— 

15 (1) support a robust international response to 

16 the Ebola virus disease in West Africa by under17 taking a range of activities to immediately help de18 tect, contain, treat, and deter the further spread of 

19 the disease; 

20 (2) support the efforts of governments of af21 fected countries and of local, regional, and inter22 national nongovernmental organizations and civil so23 ciety organizations working on the front lines of the 

24 response to the Ebola virus disease; and 

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1 (3) work with appropriate security sector per2 sonnel engaged in the response to the Ebola virus 

3 disease in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, as well 

4 as with civil society, regional organizations, and the 

5 United Nations to enhance border security and cre6 ate a secure operating environment for health work7 ers and other responders and the communities they 

8 are serving, including by repurposing, as necessary 

9 and appropriate, existing United States security as10 sistance provided to the affected countries to address 

11 immediate border security and law enforcement 

12 needs. 

13 SEC. 4. INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS TO CONTROL THE OUT14 BREAK OF THE EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE. 

15 In carrying out the policy under section 3, the Presi16 dent shall— 

17 (1) seek to coordinate with the governments of 

18 countries of Africa affected by or at risk of being af19 fected by the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease, 

20 other donors, the private sector, regional and inter21 national financial institutions, local, regional, and 

22 international organizations, civil society, and local, 

23 regional, and nongovernmental organizations, par24 ticularly organizations that possess experience in 

25 emergency relief and infection control, to devise and 

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1 implement a coherent, comprehensive strategy to 

2 control the Ebola virus disease and assist affected 

3 populations, utilizing all necessary and appropriate 

4 assets and capabilities of the United States Govern5 ment; and 

6 (2) direct the United States Permanent Rep7 resentative to the United Nations to use the voice, 

8 vote, and influence of the United States at the 

9 United Nations to— 

10 (A) ensure that the United Nations Mis11 sion in Liberia is fully protecting individuals 

12 under its care from exploitation and abuse, in13 cluding by soldiers serving under its command, 

14 and, within its capabilities and in the context of 

15 its mandate to help solidify peace and stability 

16 while protecting civilians in Liberia, plays an 

17 active role in the emergency response, including 

18 by providing logistics and engineering support, 

19 as well as securing border crossings, state insti20 tutions, and treatment facilities, as necessary 

21 and appropriate; and 

22 (B) ensure that the United Nations Mis23 sion for the Ebola Emergency Response 

24 (UNMEER) plays an effective role in aligning 

25 donors around a single strategic operating plan 

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1 to detect, contain, treat, and deter the further 

2 spread of Ebola, and that the associated costs 

3 for its work are offset by decreases elsewhere in 

4 the general budget of the United Nations. 

5 SEC. 5. ASSISTANCE TO COUNTRIES AFFECTED BY THE 

6 OUTBREAK OF THE EBOLA VIRUS DISEASE. 

7 (a) AUTHORIZATION.—Notwithstanding any other 

8 provision of law, and consistent with the authorities of sec9 tion 491 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 

10 2292), the President is authorized to provide assistance 

11 on an emergency basis to countries directly affected by 

12 or at imminent risk of being affected by the outbreak of 

13 the Ebola virus disease to effectively address such out14 break, by supporting the activities described in subsection 

15 (b). 

16 (b) ACTIVITIES SUPPORTED.—Activities supported 

17 by assistance under subsection (a) are the following: 

18 (1) The construction, staffing, and equipping of 

19 patient isolation and treatment facilities in sufficient 

20 numbers to treat infected persons at the most appro21 priate locations. 

22 (2) The construction and equipping of labora23 tories in sufficient numbers to ensure accurate test24 ing for the Ebola virus disease and other infectious 

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1 diseases, as necessary and appropriate, in as rapid 

2 a time frame as possible. 

3 (3) The provision of vital medical supplies and 

4 equipment necessary to contain the outbreak. 

5 (4) The recruitment and training of local and 

6 international staff on effective disease identification, 

7 isolation, contact tracing, and care with respect to 

8 the Ebola virus disease, especially the proper use of 

9 universal precautions, personal protective equipment, 

10 and other infection control measures, to minimize 

11 transmission. 

12 (5) The recruitment, training, and equipping of 

13 safe burial teams, as necessary, to reduce trans14 mission of the Ebola virus disease. 

15 (6) The provision of medical evacuations, on a 

16 reimbursable basis, for medical and other personnel 

17 engaged in the response to the Ebola virus disease 

18 who become infected with the disease, as necessary 

19 and appropriate. 

20 (7) The development of an effective public in21 formation campaign to help limit the transmission of 

22 the Ebola virus disease, utilizing all appropriate 

23 means of communication, including digital, print, 

24 broadcast communication, and communications 

25 through local health care workers, media, schools, 

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1 civil society organizations, and faith-based and tradi2 tional leaders. 

3 (8) The development and deployment of Ebola 

4 diagnostics and surveillance tools, as well as vaccines 

5 and treatments as they become available and to the 

6 extent possible that such vaccines and treatments 

7 adhere to strictly enforced informed consent proto8 cols. 

9 (9) The provision of emergency food assistance, 

10 water and sanitation, shelter, and support for or11 phans and vulnerable children in communities af12 fected by the Ebola virus disease. 

13 (10) The provision of technical assistance to 

14 strengthen border control, including enhanced health 

15 screening at exit and entry points in the region, to 

16 be complemented by appropriate health screening at 

17 United States ports of entry. 

18 (11) Activities related to sustainable post-out19 break economic recovery and ensuring the stability 

20 of countries affected by the Ebola virus disease. 

21 (c) ALLOCATION AND REIMBURSEMENT AMONG

22 AGENCIES.— 

23 (1) IN GENERAL.—In carrying out this section, 

24 the President, acting through the Administrator of 

25 the United States Agency for International Developmstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

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1 ment, is authorized to utilize the services and facili2 ties of, or procure commodities from, any agency of 

3 the United States Government on a non-reimburs4 able basis, subject to the written consent of the head 

5 of such other agency, and notwithstanding any pro6 vision of law relating to limitations on the use of au7 thorities or funding of such other agency. 

8 (2) CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICATION.—The Ad9 ministrator shall notify the appropriate committees 

10 not later than 15 days after the date on which the 

11 authority under paragraph (1) is utilized. Such noti12 fication shall include the name of the other agency, 

13 the value of such services or facilities utilized, or 

14 commodities procured, the affected appropriations 

15 accounts, and a justification for the utilization of the 

16 authority under paragraph (1). 

17 SEC. 6. SENSE OF CONGRESS ON INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT 

18 TO AVOID ECONOMIC COLLAPSE AND ASSIST 

19 WITH POST-CRISIS COUNTRIES DIRECTLY AF20 FECTED BY THE OUTBREAK OF THE EBOLA 

21 VIRUS DISEASE. 

22 It is the sense of Congress that the President should 

23 work with other donors, including international financial 

24 institutions, to encourage such other donors to help the 

25 governments of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone mitimstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

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1 gate the risks of economic collapse and related civil unrest 

2 by providing appropriate access to emergency grants and 

3 financing tools, as necessary and appropriate, to address 

4 fiscal issues that are the direct result of the Ebola virus 

5 disease crisis, and to assist with post-crisis economic re6 covery. 

7 SEC. 7. REPORT. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 6 months after the 

9 date on which the President determines that the Ebola 

10 epidemic in West Africa has been effectively contained, the 

11 President shall submit to the appropriate congressional 

12 committees a report that assesses the United States co13 ordination and response to the Ebola epidemic, including 

14 how the authorities provided pursuant to this Act were 

15 utilized and lessons learned that may have applications in 

16 response to future epidemics. 

17 (b) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES.— 

18 In this section, the term ‘‘appropriate congressional com19 mittees’’ means— 

20 (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the 

21 Committee on Energy and Commerce, the Com22 mittee on Armed Services, and the Committee on 

23 Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and 

24 (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the 

25 Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Penmstockstill on DSK4VPTVN1PROD with BILLS

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1 sions, the Committee on Armed Services, and the 

2 Committee on Appropriations of the Senate. 

3 SEC. 8. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 

4 There is authorized to be appropriated to the Presi5 dent to carry out section 491 of the Foreign Assistance 

6 Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2292) $1,801,000,000 for fiscal 

7 year 2015. 

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