COVID-19 Origin Act of 2023

Subjects: Asia, Cardiovascular and respiratory health, China, Congressional oversight, Director of National Intelligence, Government studies and investigations, Infectious and parasitic diseases, Intelligence activities, surveillance, classified information

Summary:  <p><b>COVID-19 Origin Act of 2023</b></p> <p>This bill requires the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) to declassify all information relating to potential links between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the origin of COVID-19. The ODNI must submit to Congress an unclassified report with all such information with redactions only as necessary to protect sources and methods.</p>

<html><body><pre>[118th Congress Public Law 2]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]



[[Page 137 STAT. 4]]

Public Law 118-2
118th Congress

                                 An Act


 
     To require the Director of National Intelligence to declassify 
     information relating to the origin of COVID-19, and for other 
             purposes. &lt;&lt;NOTE: Mar. 20, 2023 -  [S. 619]&gt;&gt; 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, &lt;&lt;NOTE: COVID-19 Origin 
Act of 2023. 50 USC 3161 note.&gt;&gt; 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``COVID-19 Origin Act of 2023''.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.

    It is the sense of Congress that--
            (1) identifying the origin of Coronavirus Disease 2019 
        (COVID-19) is critical for preventing a similar pandemic from 
        occurring in the future;
            (2) there is reason to believe the COVID-19 pandemic may 
        have originated at the Wuhan Institute of Virology; and
            (3) the Director of National Intelligence should declassify 
        and make available to the public as much information as possible 
        about the origin of COVID-19 so the United States and like-
        minded countries can--
                    (A) identify the origin of COVID-19 as expeditiously 
                as possible, and
                    (B) use that information to take all appropriate 
                measures to prevent a similar pandemic from occurring 
                again.
SEC. 3. DECLASSIFICATION OF INFORMATION RELATED TO THE ORIGIN OF 
                    COVID-19.

     &lt;&lt;NOTE: Deadline.&gt;&gt; Not later than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Director of National Intelligence shall--
            (1) declassify any and all information relating to potential 
        links between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the origin of 
        the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), including--
                    (A) activities performed by the Wuhan Institute of 
                Virology with or on behalf of the People's Liberation 
                Army;
                    (B) coronavirus research or other related activities 
                performed at the Wuhan Institute of Virology prior to 
                the outbreak of COVID-19; and
                    (C) researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology 
                who fell ill in autumn 2019, including for any such 
                researcher--
                          (i) the researcher's name;
                          (ii) the researcher's symptoms;
                          (iii) the date of the onset of the 
                      researcher's symptoms;

[[Page 137 STAT. 5]]

                          (iv) the researcher's role at the Wuhan 
                      Institute of Virology;
                          (v) whether the researcher was involved with 
                      or exposed to coronavirus research at the Wuhan 
                      Institute of Virology;
                          (vi) whether the researcher visited a hospital 
                      while they were ill; and
                          (vii) a description of any other actions taken 
                      by the researcher that may suggest they were 
                      experiencing a serious illness at the time; and
            (2) &lt;&lt;NOTE: Reports.&gt;&gt;  submit to Congress an unclassified 
        report that contains--
                    (A) all of the information described under paragraph 
                (1); and
                    (B) only such redactions as the Director determines 
                necessary to protect sources and methods.

    Approved March 20, 2023.

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY--S. 619:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 169 (2023):
            Mar. 1, considered and passed Senate.
            Mar. 10, considered and passed House.
DAILY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS (2023):
            Mar. 20, Presidential statement.

                                  &lt;all&gt;
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