459 
ment and manufacture of such medical 
countermeasures; and’’; and 
(ii) in subparagraph (F)(ii), by insert-
ing ‘‘or priority virus families and other 
viral pathogens that pose a threat due to 
their significant potential to cause a pan-
demic,’’ after ‘‘pandemic influenza,’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (5), by adding at the end 
the following: 
‘‘(I) NOTIFICATION.—In awarding con-
tracts, grants, cooperative agreements, or other 
transactions under this section, the Secretary 
shall communicate to relevant vendors regard-
ing modifications, renewals, extensions, or ter-
minations of contracts, including through the 
development of a contract notification process, 
within 30 days of such determination, as prac-
ticable.’’; 
(2) 
in 
subsection 
(d)(2), 
by 
striking 
‘‘$611,700,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 
2023’’ and inserting ‘‘$950,000,000 for each of fis-
cal years 2025 and 2026’’; and 
(3) in subsection (e)(1), by amending subpara-
graph (D) to read as follows: 
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460 
‘‘(D) SUNSET.—This paragraph shall cease 
to have force or effect after December 31, 
2026.’’. 
SEC. 627. PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY MEDICAL COUN-
TERMEASURES ENTERPRISE. 
Section 2811–1 of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 300hh–10a) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by redesignating paragraph (11) as 
paragraph (13); 
(B) by inserting after paragraph (10) the 
following: 
‘‘(11) The Director of the Biomedical Advanced 
Research and Development Authority. 
‘‘(12) The Director of the Strategic National 
Stockpile.’’; and 
(C) in paragraph (13), as so redesignated, 
by striking ‘‘the Director of the Biomedical Ad-
vanced Research and Development Authority, 
the Director of the Strategic National Stock-
pile, the Director of the National Institute of 
Allergy and Infectious Diseases,’’ and inserting 
‘‘the Director of the National Institute of Al-
lergy and Infectious Diseases’’; and 
(2) in subsection (c)— 
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(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by redesignating subparagraph (D) 
as subparagraph (E); and 
(ii) by inserting after subparagraph 
(C) the following: 
‘‘(D) Assist the Secretary in developing 
strategies for appropriate and evidence-based 
allocation and distribution of countermeasures 
to jurisdictions, in a manner that supports the 
availability and use of such countermeasures, 
for public health and medical preparedness and 
response needs.’’; 
(B) in paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘rel-
evant stakeholders, including industry,’’ after 
‘‘consider input from’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(3) INFORMATION
SHARING.—The Secretary 
shall, as appropriate and in a manner that does not 
compromise national security, communicate and 
share information related to recommendations made 
and strategies developed under paragraph (1) with 
relevant stakeholders, including industry and State, 
local, and Tribal public health departments.’’. 
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462 
SEC. 628. FELLOWSHIP AND TRAINING PROGRAMS. 
Section 317G of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 247b–8) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘The Secretary,’’ and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary,’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(b) NONCOMPETITIVE CONVERSION.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Secretary may non-
competitively convert an individual who has com-
pleted an epidemiology, surveillance, or laboratory 
fellowship or training program under subsection (a) 
to a career-conditional appointment without regard 
to the provisions of subchapter I of chapter 33 of 
title 5, United States Code, provided that such indi-
vidual meets qualification requirements for the ap-
pointment.’’. 
SEC. 629. REGIONAL BIOCONTAINMENT RESEARCH LAB-
ORATORIES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’) shall make awards to establish or maintain, as 
applicable, not fewer than 12 regional biocontainment lab-
oratories, for purposes of— 
(1) conducting biomedical research to support 
public health and medical preparedness for, and 
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rapid response to, biological agents, including emerg-
ing infectious diseases; 
(2) ensuring the availability of surge capacity 
for purposes of responding to such biological agents; 
(3) supporting information sharing between, 
and the dissemination of findings to, researchers and 
other relevant individuals to facilitate collaboration 
between industry and academia; and 
(4) providing, as appropriate and applicable, 
technical assistance and training to researchers and 
other relevant individuals to support the biomedical 
research workforce in improving the management 
and mitigation of safety and security risks in the 
conduct of research involving such biological agents. 
(b) REQUIREMENTS.—As a condition of receiving a 
grant under this section, a regional biocontainment labora-
tory shall agree to such oversight activities as the Sec-
retary determines appropriate, including periodic meetings 
with relevant officials of the Department of Health and 
Human Services, facility inspections, and other activities 
as necessary and appropriate to ensure compliance with 
the terms and conditions of such award. 
(c) WORKING GROUP.—The Secretary shall establish 
a Working Group, consisting of a representative from each 
entity in receipt of an award under subsection (a). The 
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Working Group shall make recommendations to the Sec-
retary in administering awards under this section, for pur-
poses of— 
(1) improving the quality and consistency of ap-
plicable procedures and practices within laboratories 
funded pursuant to subsection (a); and 
(2) ensuring coordination, as appropriate, of 
federally funded activities carried out at such labora-
tories. 
(d) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘regional 
biocontainment laboratory’’ means a Biosafety or Animal 
Biosafety Level–3 and Level–2 facility located at an insti-
tution in the United States that is designated by the Sec-
retary to carry out the activities described in subsection 
(a). 
(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 
out this section, there are authorized to be appropriated 
$52,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2025 and 2026, to 
remain available through December 31, 2026. 
(f) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—Of the amount 
available to carry out this section for a fiscal year, the 
Secretary may use not more than 5 percent for the admin-
istrative expenses of carrying out this section, including 
expenses related to carrying out subsection (c). 
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(g) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, and biannually 
thereafter, the Secretary, in consultation with the heads 
of applicable Federal departments and agencies shall re-
port to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
Pensions of the Senate and the Committee on Energy and 
Commerce of the House of Representatives on— 
(1) the activities and accomplishments of the 
regional biocontainment laboratories; 
(2) any published or disseminated research 
findings based on research conducted in such labora-
tories in the applicable year; 
(3) oversight activities carried out by the Sec-
retary pursuant to subsection (b); 
(4) activities undertaken by the Secretary to 
take into consideration the capacity and capabilities 
of the network of regional biocontainment labora-
tories in activities to prepare for and respond to bio-
logical agents, which may include leveraging such ca-
pacity and capabilities to support the Laboratory 
Response Network, as applicable and appropriate; 
(5) plans for the maintenance and sustainment 
of federally funded activities conducted at the re-
gional biocontainment laboratories, consistent with 
the strategy required under section 2312 of the 
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PREVENT Pandemics Act (Public Law 117–328); 
and 
(6) activities undertaken by the Secretary to co-
ordinate with the heads of other relevant Federal de-
partments and agencies to ensure that work carried 
out by each such facility on behalf of the Secretary 
and such other relevant heads is prioritized, is com-
plementary to the work carried out by other such fa-
cilities and other relevant federally funded activities, 
and avoids unnecessary duplication. 
SEC. 629A. LIMITATION RELATED TO COUNTRIES OF CON-
CERN CONDUCTING CERTAIN RESEARCH. 
Section 2315(c) of the PREVENT Pandemics Act 
(42 U.S.C. 6627) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(c) LIMITATIONS ON COUNTRIES OF CONCERN CON-
DUCTING CERTAIN RESEARCH.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health 
and Human Services (referred to in this subsection 
as the ‘Secretary’) shall not fund research that may 
reasonably be anticipated to involve the creation, 
transfer, and use of enhanced pathogens of pan-
demic potential or biological agents or toxins listed 
pursuant to section 351A(a)(1) of the Public Health 
Service Act if such research is conducted by a for-
eign entity at a facility located in a country that is 
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determined to be a country of concern as defined in 
paragraph (2). 
‘‘(2) COUNTRIES OF CONCERN.— 
‘‘(A) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this 
subsection, a ‘country of concern’ means the 
People’s Republic of China, the Democratic 
People’s Republic of Korea, the Russian Fed-
eration, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and any 
other country as determined pursuant to sub-
paragraph (B). 
‘‘(B) ADDITIONAL
COUNTRIES.—The Di-
rector of National Intelligence (referred to in 
this subsection as the ‘Director’) shall, in con-
sultation with the Secretary, add additional 
countries of concern for purposes of paragraph 
(1), only if— 
‘‘(i) the Director determines that evi-
dence exists that a country has malicious 
intent related to the creation, enhance-
ment, transfer, or use of pathogens of pan-
demic potential or biological agents or tox-
ins 
listed 
pursuant 
to 
such 
section 
351A(a)(1); and 
‘‘(ii) in a manner that does not com-
promise national security, the Director 
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provides such evidence in a report sub-
mitted to the Committee on Health, Edu-
cation, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate 
and the Committee on Energy and Com-
merce of the House of Representatives. 
‘‘(C) LIMITATION.—Paragraph (1) shall 
not take effect with respect to a country of con-
cern identified under subparagraph (B) until 
the date that is 15 days after the date on which 
the Director submits the report described in 
subparagraph (B)(ii). 
‘‘(3) CLARIFICATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The requirement of 
paragraph (1) may be waived by the President 
for the duration of the initial response to an 
outbreak of a novel emerging infectious disease 
if the President determines that such require-
ment impedes the ability of the Federal Govern-
ment to immediately respond to such outbreak. 
‘‘(B) NOTIFICATION.—The President shall 
notify such committees of Congress not later 
than 48 hours after exercising the waiver under 
subparagraph (A), and shall provide updates to 
such committees related to the use of such 
waiver every 15 days thereafter. 
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‘‘(4) SUNSET.—The limitation under this sub-
section shall expire on December 31, 2026.’’. 
Subtitle C—Addressing the Needs 
of All Individuals 
SEC. 631. IMPROVING ACCESS TO CERTAIN PROGRAMS. 
(a) PROCEDURES RELATED TO THE TRANSITION OF 
CERTAIN CLAIMS.— 
(1) PROCEDURES
FOR
CORRECTING
SUBMIS-
SIONS.— 
(A) 
REQUESTS
INITIALLY
SUBMITTED 
UNDER SECTION 319F–4.— 
(i) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a re-
quest for compensation submitted under 
section 319F–4 of the Public Health Serv-
ice Act (42 U.S.C. 247d–6e) for an injury 
or death related to a medical product for 
active immunization to prevent coronavirus 
disease 2019 that the Secretary determines 
to be ineligible pursuant to subsection 
(b)(4)(B) of such section 319F–4, the Sec-
retary shall, not later than 30 days after 
such determination, notify the individual 
submitting the request of such determina-
tion. 
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