United States-Taiwan Public Health Protection Act

To establish a joint United States-Taiwan Infectious Disease Monitoring Center to serve as an early warning center in the case of an infectious disease outbreak in the Indo-Pacific region. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the United States-Taiwan Public Health Protection Act 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Center The term Center (2) Relevant congressional committees The term relevant congressional committees (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate (B) the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate (C) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives (D) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives (3) Secretary The term Secretary 3. Infectious Disease Monitoring Center (a) Establishment The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the heads of other relevant Federal departments and agencies, shall— (1) establish an Infectious Disease Monitoring Center within the American Institute in Taiwan in Taipei, Taiwan; and (2) not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, complete a study of how best to establish the Center that includes— (A) consultation with the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control, and any other relevant instrumentalities of the Taiwanese government; and (B) a consideration of the personnel, material, and funding requirements necessary to establish and operate the Center. (b) Partnership The Center shall seek to partner with the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control to conduct health monitoring of infectious diseases in the region by— (1) regularly monitoring, analyzing, and disseminating open-source material from countries in the region, including viral strains, bacterial sub­types, and other pathogens; (2) engaging in people-to-people contacts with medical specialists and public health officials in the region; (3) providing expertise and information on infectious diseases to the Government of the United States and the Taiwanese government; and (4) carrying out other appropriate activities, as determined by the Director of the Center. (c) Staffing (1) Infectious disease experts The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall annually submit a list to the Secretary that identifies not fewer than 3 infectious disease experts, from among the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration, who are recommended to serve as detailees to the Center. (2) Other public health professionals The heads of other relevant Federal departments and agencies may submit recommendations to the Secretary of qualified persons within their respective departments and agencies to serve as detailees to the Center. (3) Selection The Secretary, after considering the detailees recommended pursuant to paragraphs (1) and (2)— (A) shall appoint, for a period to be determined by the Secretary— (i) not fewer than 3 infectious disease experts detailed from among the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration to work at the Center, including 1 expert to serve as the Director of the Center; and (ii) not fewer than 1 qualified person from any other relevant Federal department or agency, including the Department of State and the United States Agency for International Development, to work at the Center; (B) may employ qualified foreign service nationals or locally engaged staff who are considered citizens of Taiwan to work at the Center; and (C) may enter into agreements with the Taiwanese government regarding employees of the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control who may be tasked with supporting or coordinating with the Center. (4) Compensation Individuals appointed by the Secretary pursuant to clause (i) or (ii) of paragraph (3)(A)— (A) shall be placed on leave without pay from their respective Federal departments and agencies for the duration of such appointment; and (B) shall be compensated by the Department of State. 4. Report Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit a report to the relevant congressional committees that contains the results of the study described in section 3(a)(2), including— (1) a plan on how to establish and operate the Center, including— (A) the personnel, material, and funding requirements necessary to establish and operate the Center; and (B) the proposed structure and composition of Center personnel; (2) a description of the efforts that have been undertaken to establish the Center; and (3) a description of any consultations or agreements between the Department of State and the Taiwanese government regarding the establishment and operation of the Center, including— (A) the role that employees of the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control would play in supporting or coordinating with the Center; and (B) whether any employees of the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control would be detailed to, or co-located with, the Center. 5. Authorization of appropriations (a) Department of State There are authorized to be appropriated to the Department of State— (1) for fiscal year 2022, $300,000, of which— (A) $250,000 shall be used to conduct the study described in section 3(a)(2); and (B) $50,000 shall be used to determine the selection of detailees to the Center from among the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and other relevant Federal departments or agencies; and (2) for fiscal year 2023, and each succeeding fiscal year, $50,000, which shall be used to determine the selection of detailees to the Center from among the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, and other relevant Federal departments or agencies. (b) American Institute in Taiwan There are authorized to be appropriated to the American Institute in Taiwan for fiscal year 2022, and each succeeding fiscal year, $1,300,000, of which— (1) $1,200,000 shall be used to employ the personnel described in section 3(c)(3); and (2) $100,000 shall be used for management expenses related to operating the Center.

Summary: United States-Taiwan Public Health Protection Act This bill requires the Department of State to establish an Infectious Disease Monitoring Center within the American Institute in Taipei, Taiwan. (The U.S.-Taiwan relationship is unofficial, and the American Institute in Taiwan office in Taipei performs many of the same functions as an embassy.) The center must seek to partner with the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control to monitor infectious diseases in the region, including by regularly monitoring, analyzing, and disseminating open-source material, such as viral strains and other pathogens, from countries in the region.