II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3814 

To modernize biosurveillance capabilities and infectious disease data collection, 

and improve epidemic forecasting and outbreak analytics. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MARCH 10 (legislative day, MARCH 7), 2022 

Mr. HICKENLOOPER (for himself and Mr. CASSIDY) introduced the following 

bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To modernize biosurveillance capabilities and infectious disease data collection, and improve epidemic forecasting 

and outbreak analytics. 

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 ‘‘Modernizing Bio5 surveillance Capabilities and Epidemic Forecasting Act’’. 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 3814 IS

1 SEC. 2. MODERNIZING BIOSURVEILLANCE CAPABILITIES 

2 AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE DATA COLLEC3 TION. 

4 Section 319D of the Public Health Service Act (42 

5 U.S.C. 247d–4) is amended— 

6 (1) in subsection (b)(1)(A), by striking ‘‘, and 

7 local’’ and inserting ‘‘, local, and Tribal’’; 

8 (2) in subsection (c)— 

9 (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘mod10 ernize,’’ after ‘‘establish,’’; 

11 (B) in paragraph (3)(B), by inserting ‘‘, 

12 and make recommendations to improve the 

13 quality of data collected pursuant to subpara14 graph (A) to ensure complete, accurate, and 

15 timely sharing of such data, as appropriate, 

16 across such elements as described in subpara17 graph (A)’’ after ‘‘under subparagraph (A)’’; 

18 (C) in paragraph (5)— 

19 (i) in subparagraph (A)— 

20 (I) in the matter preceding clause 

21 (i), by striking ‘‘and operating’’ and 

22 inserting ‘‘, operating, and updating, 

23 as appropriate,’’; 

24 (II) in clause (iv), by striking 

25 ‘‘and’’ at the end; 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 3814 IS

1 (III) in clause (v), by striking the 

2 period and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

3 (IV) by adding at the end the fol4 lowing: 

5 ‘‘(vi) in collaboration with State, local, 

6 and Tribal public health officials, integrate 

7 and update applicable existing public 

8 health data systems and networks of the 

9 Department of Health and Human Serv10 ices to reflect technological advancements, 

11 consistent with section 2823, as applica12 ble.’’; and 

13 (ii) in subparagraph (B)— 

14 (I) in clause (i), by inserting 

15 ‘‘and 180 days after the date of enact16 ment of the Modernizing Biosurveil17 lance Capabilities and Epidemic Fore18 casting Act,’’ after ‘‘Innovation Act of 

19 2019,’’; 

20 (II) in clause (ii), by inserting 

21 ‘‘experts in privacy and data secu22 rity;’’ after ‘‘forecasting);’’; and 

23 (III) in clause (iii)— 

24 (aa) in subclause (V), by 

25 striking ‘‘and’’ at the end; 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 3814 IS

1 (bb) in subclause (VI), by 

2 striking the period and inserting 

3 a semicolon; and 

4 (cc) by adding at the end 

5 the following: 

6 ‘‘(VII) strategies to integrate lab7 oratory and public health data sys8 tems and capabilities to support rapid 

9 and accurate reporting of laboratory 

10 test results and associated relevant 

11 data; 

12 ‘‘(VIII) strategies to improve the 

13 collection and reporting of relevant, 

14 aggregated, deidentified demographic 

15 data to inform responses to public 

16 health emergencies, including identi17 fication of at-risk populations and to 

18 address potential health disparities; 

19 and 

20 ‘‘(IX) strategies to improve the 

21 electronic exchange of health informa22 tion between State and local health 

23 departments and health care providers 

24 and facilities to improve public health 

25 surveillance.’’; and 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 3814 IS

1 (D) in paragraph (6)(A)— 

2 (i) in the matter preceding clause (i), 

3 by inserting ‘‘and every 5 years there4 after,’’ after ‘‘Innovation Act of 2019,’’ 

5 (ii) in clause (iii)— 

6 (I) in subclause (III), by striking 

7 ‘‘and’’ at the end; and 

8 (II) by adding at the end the fol9 lowing: 

10 ‘‘(V) improve coordination and 

11 collaboration, as appropriate, with 

12 other Federal departments; and 

13 ‘‘(VI) implement applicable les14 sons learned from recent public health 

15 emergencies to address gaps in situa16 tional awareness and biosurveillance 

17 capabilities;’’; 

18 (iii) in clause (iv), by striking ‘‘and’’ 

19 at the end; 

20 (iv) in clause (v), by striking the pe21 riod and inserting ‘‘, including a descrip22 tion of how such steps will further the 

23 goals of the network, consistent with para24 graph (1); and’’; and 

25 (v) by adding at the end the following: 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
6 

•S 3814 IS

1 ‘‘(vi) identifies and demonstrates 

2 measurable steps the Secretary will take to 

3 further develop and integrate infectious 

4 disease detection, support rapid and accu5 rate reporting of laboratory test results 

6 during a public health emergency, and im7 prove coordination and collaboration with 

8 State, local, and Tribal public health offi9 cials, clinical laboratories, and other enti10 ties with expertise in public health surveil11 lance.’’; 

12 (3) in subsection (d)— 

13 (A) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘, act14 ing through the Director of the Centers for Dis15 ease Control and Prevention and in coordina16 tion with the heads of other appropriate agen17 cies and offices within the Department of 

18 Health and Human Services,’’ after ‘‘the Sec19 retary’’; 

20 (B) in paragraph (2)(C), by inserting ‘‘, 

21 including any public-private partnerships or 

22 other partnerships entered into to improve such 

23 capacity’’ before the semicolon; and 

24 (C) by adding at the end the following: 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
7 

•S 3814 IS

1 ‘‘(6) NON-DUPLICATION OF EFFORT.—The Sec2 retary shall ensure that activities carried out under 

3 an award under this subsection do not unnecessarily 

4 duplicate efforts of other agencies and offices within 

5 the Department of Health and Human Services.’’; 

6 (4) by amending subsection (i) to read as fol7 lows: 

8 ‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

9 are authorized to be appropriated— 

10 ‘‘(1) to carry out subsection (a), $25,000,000 

11 for each of fiscal years 2022 and 2023; and 

12 ‘‘(2) to carry out subsections (b), (c), and (d), 

13 $136,800,000 for each of fiscal years 2022 and 

14 2023.’’; and 

15 (5) by striking ‘‘tribal’’ each place it appears 

16 and inserting ‘‘Tribal’’. 

17 SEC. 3. EPIDEMIC FORECASTING AND OUTBREAK ANA18 LYTICS. 

19 Title XXVIII of the Public Health Service Act (42 

20 U.S.C. 300hh et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 

21 the following: 

22 ‘‘SEC. 2824. EPIDEMIC FORECASTING AND OUTBREAK ANA23 LYTICS. 

24 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through 

25 the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and PreVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:10 Mar 13, 2022 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3814.IS S3814

kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
8 

•S 3814 IS

1 vention, shall continue activities related to the develop2 ment of infectious disease outbreak analysis capabilities 

3 to enhance the prediction, modeling, and forecasting of po4 tential public health emergencies and other infectious dis5 ease outbreaks, which may include activities to support 

6 preparedness for, and response to, such emergencies and 

7 outbreaks. In carrying out this subsection, the Secretary 

8 shall identify strategies to include and leverage, as appro9 priate, the capabilities to public and private entities, which 

10 may include conducting such activities through collabo11 rative partnerships with public and private entities, includ12 ing academic institutions, and other Federal agencies, con13 sistent with section 319D, as applicable. 

14 ‘‘(b) CONSIDERATIONS.—In carrying out subsection 

15 (a), the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Cen16 ters for Disease Control and Prevention, may consider 

17 public health data and, as appropriate, other data sources 

18 related to the transmission of such infectious diseases that 

19 affect preparedness for, or response to, public health 

20 emergencies and infectious disease outbreaks. 

21 ‘‘(c) ANNUAL REPORTS.—Not later than 1 year after 

22 the date of enactment of this section, and annually there23 after for each of the subsequent 4 years, the Secretary 

24 shall prepare and submit a report, to the Committee on 

25 Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate and 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
9 

•S 3814 IS

1 the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House 

2 of Representatives, regarding an update on progress on 

3 activities conducted under this section to develop infec4 tious disease outbreak analysis capabilities and any addi5 tional information relevant to such efforts.’’. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS