IV 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 1286 
Expressing the sentiment of Congress that the Department of Health and 
Human Services should declare the monkeypox outbreak a public health 
emergency. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 26, 2022 
Mr. TORRES of New York (for himself, Mr. NADLER, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Mr. 
QUIGLEY, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York, 
Mr. EVANS, Ms. BONAMICI, Mr. TONKO, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Ms. JACOBS of 
California, Ms. MENG, Ms. STRICKLAND, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Ms. 
BASS, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. SUOZZI, Mr. JONES, and Mr. BOW-
MAN) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sentiment of Congress that the Department 
of Health and Human Services should declare the 
monkeypox outbreak a public health emergency. 
Whereas the Secretary of Health and Human Services may, 
under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 247d), determine that (1) a disease or disorder 
presents a public health emergency or (2) a public health 
emergency, including significant outbreaks of infectious 
disease or bioterrorist attacks, otherwise exists, which al-
lows the Secretary to take certain discretionary actions in 
response to an acute threat to public health; 
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•HRES 1286 IH 
Whereas these actions may include making grants, entering 
into contracts, conducting and supporting investigations 
into the cause, treatment, or prevention of the disease or 
disorder, providing supplies, equipment, and services, and 
detailing employees of the Department of Health and 
Human Services to the recipients of awards for carrying 
out activities funded through their awards; 
Whereas the Secretary of Health and Human Services may 
also use funds appropriated to the Public Health Emer-
gency Fund to immediately respond to the public health 
emergency or potential public health emergency by facili-
tating coordination among Federal, State, local, Tribal, 
and territorial entities, and public and private health care 
entities, making awards, supporting advanced research 
and development and biosurveillance, supporting initial 
emergency operations related to preparation and deploy-
ment of National Disaster Medical System teams, and 
other actions determined appropriate and applicable by 
the Secretary, and granting extensions or waiving sanc-
tions relating to submission of data or reports required 
under authority vested by law in the Secretary, when the 
Secretary determines that as a result of the public health 
emergency, individuals or public or private entities are 
unable to comply with deadlines for such data or reports; 
Whereas the World Health Organization has considered the 
monkeypox virus the most important orthopoxvirus for 
public health since the eradication of smallpox in 1980; 
Whereas, since early May 2022, cases of monkeypox virus 
have been reported from countries where the disease is 
not endemic, and most reported cases have been identi-
fied thus far through sexual health or other health serv-
ices largely among the LGBTQ+ community; 
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•HRES 1286 IH 
Whereas the World Health Organization declared monkeypox 
a public health emergency of international concern on 
July 24, 2022, and warned that the virus could spread 
far beyond the LGBTQ+ community; 
Whereas the World Health Organization has designated only 
two other diseases, COVID–19 and polio, as public health 
emergencies of international concern; 
Whereas the United States has reported approximately 3,000 
cases of monkeypox as of July 25, 2022, a rate tenfold 
higher than case reports only one month prior, which 
demonstrates a rapidly evolving public health threat, and 
when there is an infectious disease outbreak, the Federal 
Government is obligated to make vaccines, therapeutics, 
and diagnostics immediately and widely available; 
Whereas though the Federal Government had the resources 
available to curb the spread of monkeypox, including mil-
lions of vaccine doses stockpiled, its delays in approving 
distribution of both tests and vaccines allowed this virus 
to entrench itself as a rapidly spreading rare disease; 
Whereas the monkeypox virus, a highly containable disease, 
has now spread uncontrollably for two months and be-
come uncontainable, with a clear risk of further national 
and international spread; 
Whereas with the rapid and often underreported spread of in-
fectious diseases like COVID–19 and monkeypox, the Na-
tion’s public health infrastructure has been proven ten-
uous; 
Whereas as the Nation grapples with the radical restruc-
turing of life in the wake of COVID–19, we must now 
ensure that public health agencies like the Department of 
Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease 
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•HRES 1286 IH 
Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Admin-
istration are vigilant in preparing the Nation for a worst 
case scenario; 
Whereas the acute threat monkeypox poses to LGBTQ+ in-
dividuals and other vulnerable populations must be treat-
ed with the seriousness and urgency it deserves; and 
Whereas it is critical that the United States deploy all nec-
essary resources to develop immunity in the population 
and stop the spread of this disease, which will prevent 
another catastrophic public health emergency: Now, 
therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) expresses concern about the rapid spread of 
monkeypox in the United States and across the 
globe; 
(2) urges the Department of Health and 
Human Services to take all possible actions to de-
ploy every resource available, including testing, vac-
cines, and therapeutics, to aggressively respond to 
the rapid spread of monkeypox; and 
(3) recommends that the Secretary of Health 
and Human Services declare a public health emer-
gency for the monkeypox virus. 
Æ 
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