H. R. 2617—1255 
biological, radiological, or nuclear threats, including 
emerging infectious diseases, and incidents covered by 
the National Response Framework, including— 
‘‘(I) sharing information, including with appro-
priate stakeholders, related to the anticipated need 
for, and availability of, such products and supplies 
during such responses; 
‘‘(II) supporting activities, which may include 
public-private partnerships, to maintain capacity 
of medical products and medical supplies, as 
applicable and appropriate; and 
‘‘(III) planning for potential surges in medical 
supply needs for purposes of a response to such 
a threat; and 
‘‘(ii) situational awareness with respect to antici-
pated need for, and availability of, such medical prod-
ucts and medical supplies within the United States 
during a response to such a threat.’’. 
(c) APPEARANCES BEFORE AND REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Section 
2811 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300hh–10) is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(g) APPEARANCES BEFORE CONGRESS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each fiscal year, the Assistant Secretary 
for Preparedness and Response shall appear before the Com-
mittee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate 
and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House 
of Representatives at hearings, on topics such as— 
‘‘(A) coordination of Federal activities to prepare for, 
and respond to, public health emergencies; 
‘‘(B) activities and capabilities of the Strategic National 
Stockpile, including whether, and the degree to which, 
recommendations made pursuant to section 2811–1(c)(1)(A) 
have been met; 
‘‘(C) support for State, local, and Tribal public health 
and medical preparedness; 
‘‘(D) activities implementing the countermeasures 
budget plan described under subsection (b)(7), including— 
‘‘(i) any challenges in meeting the full range of 
identified medical countermeasure needs; and 
‘‘(ii) progress in supporting advanced research, 
development, and procurement of medical counter-
measures, pursuant to subsection (b)(3); 
‘‘(E) the strategic direction of, and activities related 
to, the sustainment of manufacturing surge capacity and 
capabilities for medical countermeasures pursuant to sec-
tion 319L and the distribution and deployment of such 
countermeasures; 
‘‘(F) any additional objectives, activities, or initiatives 
that have been carried out or are planned by the Assistant 
Secretary for Preparedness and Response and associated 
challenges, as appropriate; 
‘‘(G) the specific all-hazards threats that the Assistant 
Secretary for Preparedness and Response is preparing to 
address, or that are being addressed, through the activities 
described in subparagraphs (A) through (F); and 
‘‘(H) objectives, activities, or initiatives related to the 
coordination and consultation required under subsections
H. R. 2617—1256 
(b)(4)(H) and (b)(4)(I), in a manner consistent with para-
graph (3), as appropriate. 
‘‘(2) CLARIFICATIONS.— 
‘‘(A) WAIVER AUTHORITY.—The Chair of the Committee 
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate 
or the Chair of the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
of the House of Representatives may waive the require-
ments of paragraph (1) for the applicable fiscal year with 
respect to the applicable Committee. 
‘‘(B) SCOPE OF REQUIREMENTS.—The requirements of 
this subsection shall not be construed to impact the appear-
ance of other Federal officials or the Assistant Secretary 
at hearings of either Committee described in paragraph 
(1) at other times and for purposes other than the times 
and purposes described in paragraph (1) 
‘‘(3) CLOSED
HEARINGS.—Information that is not appro-
priate for disclosure during an open hearing under paragraph 
(1) in order to protect national security may instead be dis-
cussed in a closed hearing that immediately follows such open 
hearing.’’. 
(d) ANNUAL REPORT ON EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND PREPARED-
NESS.—Section 2801 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
300hh), as amended by subsection (b), is further amended by adding 
at the end the following: 
‘‘(d) ANNUAL REPORT ON EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND PREPARED-
NESS.—The Secretary shall submit a written report each fiscal 
year to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 
and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Appropria-
tions of the House of Representatives, containing— 
‘‘(1) updated information related to an assessment of the 
response to any public health emergency declared, or otherwise 
in effect, during the previous fiscal year; 
‘‘(2) findings related to drills and operational exercises com-
pleted in the previous fiscal year pursuant to section 
2811(b)(4)(G); 
‘‘(3) the state of public health preparedness and response 
capabilities for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear 
threats, including emerging infectious diseases; and 
‘‘(4) any challenges in preparing for or responding to such 
threats, as appropriate.’’. 
(e) GAO REPORT ON INTERAGENCY AGREEMENTS AND COORDINA-
TION.—Not later than 3 years after the date of enactment of this 
Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall— 
(1) conduct a review of previous and current interagency 
agreements established between the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services and the heads of other relevant Federal depart-
ments or agencies pursuant to section 2801(b) of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300hh(b)), including— 
(A) the specific roles and responsibilities of each Fed-
eral department or agency that is a party to any such 
interagency agreement; 
(B) the manner in which specific capabilities of each 
such Federal department or agency may be utilized under 
such interagency agreements; 
(C) the frequency with which such interagency agree-
ments have been utilized;
H. R. 2617—1257 
(D) gaps, if any, in interagency agreements that pre-
vent the Secretary from carrying out the goals under sec-
tion 2802 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
300hh–1); 
(E) barriers, if any, to establishing or utilizing such 
interagency agreements; and 
(F) recommendations, if any, on the ways in which 
such interagency agreements can be improved to address 
the gaps and barriers identified under subparagraphs (D) 
and (E); 
(2) conduct a review of the implementation and utilization 
of the authorities described under section 2801(c) of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300hh(c)); and 
(3) submit to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, 
and Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy 
and Commerce of the House of Representatives a report on 
the reviews under paragraphs (1) and (2), including related 
recommendations, as applicable. 
SEC. 2104. OFFICE OF PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE 
POLICY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There is established in the Executive Office 
of the President an Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response 
Policy (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Office’’), which shall 
be headed by a Director (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Director’’) 
appointed by the President and who shall be compensated at the 
rate provided for level II of the Executive Schedule in section 
5313 of title 5, United States Code. The President is authorized 
to appoint not more than 2 Associate Directors, who shall be com-
pensated at a rate not to exceed that provided for level III of 
the Executive Schedule in section 5314 of such title. Associate 
Directors shall perform such functions as the Director may pre-
scribe. 
(b) FUNCTIONS
OF
THE DIRECTOR.—The primary function of 
the Director is to provide advice, within the Executive Office of 
the President, on policy related to preparedness for, and response 
to, pandemic and other biological threats that may impact national 
security, and support strategic coordination and communication 
with respect to relevant activities across the Federal Government. 
In addition to such other functions and activities as the President 
may assign, the Director, consistent with applicable laws and the 
National Response Framework, shall— 
(1) serve as the principal advisor to the President on all 
matters related to pandemic preparedness and response policy 
and make recommendations to the President regarding pan-
demic and other biological threats that may impact national 
security; 
(2) coordinate Federal activities to prepare for, and respond 
to, pandemic and other biological threats, by— 
(A) providing strategic direction to the heads of 
applicable Federal departments, agencies, and offices, 
including— 
(i) 
the 
establishment, 
implementation, 
prioritization, and assessment of policy goals and objec-
tives across the Executive Office of the President and 
such departments, agencies, and offices;
H. R. 2617—1258 
(ii) supporting the assessment and clarification of 
roles and responsibilities related to such Federal activi-
ties; and 
(iii) supporting the development and implementa-
tion of metrics and performance measures to evaluate 
the extent to which applicable activities meet such 
goals and objectives; 
(B) providing, in consultation with the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services and the heads of other rel-
evant Federal departments, agencies, and offices, leader-
ship with respect to the National Biodefense Strategy and 
related activities pursuant to section 1086 of the National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (6 U.S.C. 
104) and section 363 of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 
(6 U.S.C. 105); 
(C) 
facilitating 
coordination 
and 
communication 
between such Federal departments, agencies, and offices 
to improve preparedness for, and response to, such threats; 
(D) ensuring that the authorities, capabilities, and 
expertise of each such department, agency, and office are 
appropriately leveraged to facilitate the whole-of-Govern-
ment response to such threats; 
(E) overseeing coordination of Federal efforts to prepare 
for and support the production, supply, and distribution 
of relevant medical products and supplies during a response 
to a pandemic or other biological threat, as applicable 
and appropriate, including supporting Federal efforts to 
assess any relevant vulnerabilities in the supply chain 
of such products and supplies, and identify opportunities 
for private entities to engage with the Federal Government 
to address medical product and medical supply needs 
during such a response; 
(F) overseeing coordination of Federal efforts for the 
basic and advanced research, development, manufacture, 
and procurement of medical countermeasures for such 
threats, including by— 
(i) serving, with the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services, as co-Chair of the Public Health 
Emergency 
Medical 
Countermeasures 
Enterprise 
established pursuant to section 2811–1 of the Public 
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300hh–10a); 
(ii) promoting coordination between the medical 
countermeasure research, development, and procure-
ment activities of respective Federal departments and 
agencies, including to advance the discovery and 
development of new medical products and technologies; 
(G) convening heads of Federal departments and agen-
cies, as appropriate, on topics related to capabilities to 
prepare for, and respond to, such threats; 
(H) assessing and advising on international cooperation 
in preparing for, and responding to, such threats to advance 
the national security objectives of the United States; and 
(I) overseeing other Federal activities to assess 
preparedness 
for, 
and 
responses 
to, 
such 
threats, 
including—