I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8315 
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a program 
to award a financial prize to persons who successfully develop a system 
or device that makes enclosed sections of a building safer during the 
COVID–19 public health emergency, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 18, 2020 
Mr. HARDER of California (for himself, Mrs. MURPHY of Florida, Ms. 
SHERRILL, Mr. TRONE, Ms. HOULAHAN, Mr. O’HALLERAN, Mr. CARSON 
of Indiana, and Ms. SPANBERGER) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to 
establish a program to award a financial prize to persons 
who successfully develop a system or device that makes 
enclosed sections of a building safer during the COVID– 
19 public health emergency, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Safe Indoor Spaces 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. COVID–19 TECHNOLOGY PRIZE. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’) shall establish a program to award a financial 
prize to persons who successfully develop a system or de-
vice for use during the COVID–19 public health emer-
gency that meets the criteria under subsection (b). 
(b) CRITERIA.—To be eligible to receive a prize under 
this section, a person must develop a system or device that 
meets the following: 
(1) Inactivates or eliminates all traces of air-
borne SARS–CoV–2 from the air of an enclosed sec-
tion of a building. 
(2) Decreases the rate of transmission of 
SARS–CoV–2 in an enclosed section of a building to 
a rate of transmission of SARS–CoV–2 that is com-
parable to an outdoor setting. 
(3) Able to be installed in or service an enclosed 
section of a building or the ventilation systems of a 
building, including— 
(A) schools; 
(B) public buildings; and 
(C) most types of buildings used as places 
of work. 
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(4) With respect to public buildings, able to be 
installed in or service not fewer than 150,000 build-
ings in not less than 6 months. 
(5) Maintains or increases the cost of control-
ling the environment of a building by not more than 
10 percent. 
(c) ESTABLISHMENT OF BOARD.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish 
a board to advise the Secretary with respect to the 
program established under subsection (a). 
(2) MEMBERSHIP.—The board shall be com-
posed of 5 members appointed by the Secretary, in-
cluding— 
(A) a public health expert; 
(B) an individual with experience in edu-
cation; 
(C) an individual who represents small 
businesses; and 
(D) an engineer with expertise in public 
health. 
(d) FINANCIAL AWARD.—Based on the advice of the 
board established under subsection (c), the Secretary shall 
make each award under the program established under 
subsection (a) in an amount equal to or less than 
$5,000,000. 
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(e) INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.—The Federal Gov-
ernment may not acquire an intellectual property right in 
any product or idea by virtue of the submission of such 
product or idea in the prize competition under this section. 
(f) COVID–19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.—In 
this section, the term ‘‘COVID–19 public health emer-
gency’’ means a public health emergency for which a dec-
laration is in effect under section 319 of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d), with respect to COVID– 
19. 
(g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this Act $5,250,000 for 
fiscal year 2021. 
(2) ADMINISTRATIVE
EXPENSES.—Not more 
than $250,000 of the amount appropriated under 
paragraph (1) for a fiscal year may be used for ad-
ministrative expenses incurred in carrying out this 
section. 
Æ 
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