H. R. 2617—1259 
(i) drills and operational exercises conducted 
pursuant to applicable provisions of law; and 
(ii) Federal after-action reports developed following 
such drills and exercises or a response to a pandemic 
or other biological threat; 
(3) promote and support the development of relevant exper-
tise and capabilities within the Federal Government to ensure 
that the United States can quickly detect, identify, and respond 
to such threats, and provide recommendations, as appropriate, 
to the President; 
(4) consult with the Director of the Office of Management 
and Budget and other relevant officials within the Executive 
Office of the President, including the Assistant to the President 
for National Security Affairs and the Director of the Office 
of Science and Technology Policy, regarding activities related 
to preparing for, and responding to, such threats and relevant 
research and emerging technologies that may advance the bio-
security and preparedness and response goals of the Federal 
Government; 
(5) identify opportunities to leverage current and emerging 
technologies, including through public-private partnerships, as 
appropriate, to address such threats and advance the prepared-
ness and response goals of the Federal Government; and 
(6) ensure that findings of Federal after-action reports con-
ducted pursuant to paragraph (2)(I)(ii) are implemented to the 
maximum extent feasible within the Federal Government. 
(c) SUPPORT
FROM
OTHER
AGENCIES.—Each department, 
agency, and instrumentality of the executive branch of the Federal 
Government, including any independent agency, is authorized to 
support the Director by providing the Director such information 
as the Director determines necessary to carry out the functions 
of the Director under this section. 
(d) PREPAREDNESS OUTLOOK REPORT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Within its first year of operation, the 
Director, in consultation with the heads of relevant Federal 
departments and agencies and other officials within the Execu-
tive Office of the President, shall through a report submitted 
to the President and made available to the public, to the extent 
practicable, identify and describe situations and conditions 
which warrant special attention within the next 5 years, 
involving current and emerging problems of national signifi-
cance related to pandemic or other biological threats, and 
opportunities for, and the barriers to, the research, develop-
ment, and procurement of medical countermeasures to ade-
quately respond to such threats. 
(2) REVISIONS.—The Office shall revise the report under 
paragraph (1) not less than once every 5 years and work with 
relevant Federal officials to address the problems, barriers, 
opportunities, and actions identified under this report through 
the development of the President’s Budgets and programs. 
(e) INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING GROUP.—The Director shall 
lead an interdepartmental working group that will meet on a reg-
ular basis to evaluate national biosecurity and pandemic prepared-
ness issues and make recommendations to the heads of applicable 
Federal departments, agencies and offices. The working group shall 
consist of representatives from—
H. R. 2617—1260 
(1) the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response 
Policy, to serve as the chair; 
(2) the Department of Health and Human Services; 
(3) the Department of Homeland Security; 
(4) the Department of Defense; 
(5) the Office of Management and Budget; and 
(6) other Federal Departments and agencies. 
(f) INDUSTRY LIAISON.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 10 days after the initiation 
of a Federal response to a pandemic or other biological threat 
that may pose a risk to national security, the Director shall 
appoint an Industry Liaison within the Office of Pandemic 
Preparedness and Response Policy to serve until the termi-
nation of such response. 
(2) ACTIVITIES.—The Industry Liaison shall— 
(A) not later than 20 days after the initiation of such 
response, identify affected industries and develop a plan 
to regularly communicate with, and receive input from, 
affected industries; 
(B) work with relevant Federal departments and agen-
cies to support information sharing and coordination with 
industry stakeholders; and 
(C) communicate, and support the provision of technical 
assistance, as applicable, with private entities interested 
in supporting such response, which may include entities 
not historically involved in the public health or medical 
sectors, as applicable and appropriate. 
(g) ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS OF THE DIRECTOR.—The Director, 
in addition to the other duties and functions set forth in this 
section— 
(1) shall— 
(A) serve as a member of the Domestic Policy Council 
and the National Security Council; 
(B) serve as a member of the Intergovernmental 
Science, Engineering, and Technology Advisory Panel under 
section 205(b) of the National Science and Technology 
Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976 (42 U.S.C. 
6614(b)) and the Federal Coordinating Council for Science, 
Engineering and Technology under section 401 of such 
Act (42 U.S.C. 6651); 
(C) consult with State, Tribal, local, and territorial 
governments, industry, academia, professional societies, 
and other stakeholders, as appropriate; 
(D) use for administrative purposes, on a reimbursable 
basis, the available services, equipment, personnel, and 
facilities of Federal, State, and local agencies; and 
(E) at the President’s request, perform such other 
duties and functions and enter into contracts and other 
arrangements for studies, analyses, and related services 
with public or private entities, as applicable and appro-
priate; and 
(2) may hold such hearings in various parts of the United 
States as necessary to determine the views of the entities 
and individuals referred to in paragraph (1) and of the general 
public, concerning national needs and trends in pandemic 
preparedness and response.
H. R. 2617—1261 
(h) STAFFING AND DETAILEES.—In carrying out functions under 
this section, the Director may— 
(1) appoint not more than 25 individuals to serve as 
employees of the Office as necessary to carry out this section; 
(2) fix the compensation of such personnel at a rate to 
be determined by the Director, up to the amount of annual 
compensation (excluding expenses) specified in section 102 of 
title 3, United States Code; 
(3) utilize the services of consultants, which may include 
by obtaining services described under section 3109(b) of title 
5, United States Code, at rates not to exceed the rate of basic 
pay for level IV of the Executive Schedule; and 
(4) direct, with the concurrence of the Secretary of a depart-
ment or head of an agency, the temporary reassignment within 
the Federal Government of personnel employed by such depart-
ment or agency, in order to carry out the functions of the 
Office. 
(i) PREPAREDNESS REVIEW AND REPORT.—The Director, in con-
sultation with the heads of applicable Federal departments, agen-
cies, and offices, shall— 
(1) not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of 
this Act, conduct a review of applicable Federal strategies, 
policies, procedures, and after-action reports to identify gaps 
and inefficiencies related to pandemic preparedness and 
response; 
(2) not later than 18 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, and every 2 years thereafter, submit to the President 
and 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 describing— 
(A) current and emerging pandemic and other 
biological threats that pose a significant level of risk to 
national security; 
(B) the roles and responsibilities of the Federal Govern-
ment in preparing for, and responding to, such threats; 
(C) the findings of the review conducted under para-
graph (1); 
(D) any barriers or limitations related to addressing 
such findings; 
(E) current and planned activities to update Federal 
strategies, policies, and procedures to address such 
findings, consistent with applicable laws and the National 
Response Framework; 
(F) current and planned activities to support the 
development of expertise within the Federal Government 
pursuant to subsection (b)(3); and 
(G) opportunities to improve Federal preparedness and 
response capacities and capabilities through the use of 
current and emerging technologies. 
(j) NONDUPLICATION
OF EFFORT.—The Director shall ensure 
that activities carried out under this section do not unnecessarily 
duplicate the efforts of other Federal departments, agencies, and 
offices. 
(k) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) Section 2811–1 of the Public Health Service Act (42 
U.S.C. 300hh–10a) is amended—
H. R. 2617—1262 
(A) in the second sentence of subsection (a), by striking 
‘‘shall serve as chair’’ and inserting ‘‘and the Director of 
the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy 
shall serve as co-chairs’’; and 
(B) in subsection (b)— 
(i) by redesignating paragraph (10) as paragraph 
(11); and 
(ii) by inserting after paragraph (9) the following: 
‘‘(10) The Director of the Office of Pandemic Preparedness 
and Response Policy.’’. 
(2) Section 101(c)(1) of the National Security Act of 1947 
(50 U.S.C. 3021(c)(1)) is amended by inserting ‘‘the Director 
of the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy’’ 
after ‘‘Treasury,’’. 
(3) The National Science and Technology Policy, Organiza-
tion, and Priorities Act of 1976 (42 U.S.C. 6601 et seq.) is 
amended— 
(A) in section 205(b)(2) (42 U.S.C. 6614(b)(2))— 
(i) by striking ‘‘and (C)’’ and inserting ‘‘(C)’’; and 
(ii) by striking the period at the end and inserting 
‘‘; and (D) the Director of the Office of Pandemic 
Preparedness and Response Policy.’’; and 
(B) in section 401(b) (42 U.S.C. 6651(b)), by inserting 
‘‘, the Director of the Office of Pandemic Preparedness 
and Response Policy,’’ after ‘‘Technology Policy’’. 
CHAPTER 2—STATE AND LOCAL READINESS 
SEC. 2111. IMPROVING STATE AND LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH SECURITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 319C–1(b)(2) of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d–3a(b)(2)) is amended— 
(1) in subparagraph (A)— 
(A) in clause (vii), by inserting ‘‘during and’’ before 
‘‘following a public health emergency’’; 
(B) by amending clause (viii) to read as follows: 
‘‘(viii) a description of how the entity, as applicable 
and appropriate, will coordinate with State emergency 
preparedness and response plans in public health 
emergency preparedness, including State education 
agencies (as defined in section 8101 of the Elementary 
and Secondary Education Act of 1965), State child 
care lead agencies (designated under section 658D of 
the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 
1990), and other relevant State agencies’’; 
(C) in clause (xi), by striking ‘‘; and’’ and inserting 
a semicolon; 
(D) by redesignating clause (xii) as clause (xiii); and 
(E) by inserting after clause (xi) the following: 
‘‘(xii) a description of how the entity will provide 
technical assistance to improve public health prepared-
ness and response, as appropriate, to agencies or other 
entities that operate facilities within the entity’s juris-
diction in which there is an increased risk of infectious 
disease outbreaks in the event of a public health emer-
gency declared under section 319, such as residential 
care facilities, group homes, and other similar settings; 
and’’;