Answer COVID FOIAs Now Act

To require the head of each Federal agency, within 100 calendar days, to complete all pending Freedom of Information Act requests related to a drug or medical device to prevent, diagnose, mitigate, or treat COVID–19, gain-of-function or potential pandemic pathogen research, or a policy, rule, or standard requiring COVID–19 vaccination of individuals, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Answer COVID FOIAs Now Act 2. Completion of FOIA requests relating to drugs and medical devices to prevent, diagnose, mitigate, or treat COVID–19 (a) In general (1) Completion of requests Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the head of each Federal agency shall, not later than 100 calendar days after the date of enactment of this Act, complete all requests for records made under section 552(a) of title 5, United States Code, that are— (A) made to the Federal agency; (B) pending as of the date of enactment of this Act; and (C) related to— (i) a drug or medical device to prevent, diagnose, mitigate, or treat COVID–19; (ii) gain-of-function research or potential pandemic pathogen research; or (iii) a policy, rule, or standard requiring COVID–19 vaccination of individuals. (2) Rule of construction Nothing in this Act shall be construed to require the disclosure of information that is exempt from disclosure under section 552(b) of title 5, United States Code. (b) List of pending requests The head of a Federal agency shall publicly and electronically make available a list of all requests described in subsection (a)(1). (c) Reports (1) Initial report Not later than 7 business days after the date of enactment of this Act, the head of each Federal agency shall provide the list required by subsection (b) to— (A) the Committee on the Judiciary, the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and the Committee on Oversight and Reform of the House of Representatives; (B) the Committee on the Judiciary, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; and (C) the Secretary of the Treasury. (2) Subsequent report Not later than 100 calendar days after the date of enactment of this Act, the head of each Federal agency shall provide a list of all requests described in subsection (a)(1) that remain pending, if any, to— (A) the committees referred to in paragraph (1); and (B) the Secretary of the Treasury. (d) Definitions In this section: (1) The term Federal agency (2) The term gain-of-function research (3) The term potential pandemic pathogen (A) is likely highly transmissible and likely capable of wide and uncontrollable spread in human populations; and (B) is likely highly virulent and likely to cause significant morbidity or mortality in humans. 3. Penalty for failure to dispose of pending FOIA requests Beginning on the day that is 101 calendar days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Treasury shall transfer from the appropriations account of the office of the head of a Federal agency (as defined in section 2(d)) to the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program of the Health Resources and Services Administration $1,000,000 for each calendar day on which any request described in section 2(a)(1) remains pending with such Federal agency. 4. Compelling need for expedited processing With respect to affirming or denying a request for expedited processing of a record under section 552(a)(6)(E) of title 5, United States Code, a person submitting such request to a Federal agency (as defined in section 2(d)) shall be deemed to have demonstrated a compelling need for such record if such record is related to— (1) a drug or medical device to prevent, diagnose, mitigate, or treat COVID–19; (2) gain-of-function research or potential pandemic pathogen research (as such terms are defined in section 2(e)); or (3) a policy, rule, or standard requiring COVID–19 vaccination of individuals.

Summary: Answer COVID FOIAs Now Act This bill addresses pending Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests related to COVID-19. Specifically, the bill requires each federal agency, within 100 calendar days, to complete all pending FOIA requests related to a drug or medical device to prevent, diagnose, mitigate, or treat COVID-19; gain-of-function or potential pandemic pathogen research; or a policy, rule, or standard requiring COVID-19 vaccination of individuals. For each calendar day on which any applicable FOIA request remains pending, the Department of the Treasury must transfer $1 million from the appropriations account of the office of the head of the agency to the Countermeasures Injury Compensation Program of the Health Resources and Services Administration. A person submitting such a request shall be deemed to have demonstrated a compelling need for expedited processing.