(A) the priorities specified in paragraph 
(1); 
(B) working in a coordinated fashion with 
the advisory committee established under sub-
section (c) and respective State and local health 
authorities for the purposes of disseminating in-
formation, best practices, and other such public 
health-related measures; and 
(C) readiness to conduct or contribute to 
basic, clinical, translational, and implementa-
tion research into novel or existing public health 
threats, such as participating in diverse clinical 
trial research or vaccine, diagnostic, or thera-
peutic development, however appropriate. 
(b) ELIGIBILITY.—To be eligible to receive a grant, 
contract, or cooperative agreement under subsection (a), 
an entity shall— 
(1) be an academic medical center; and 
(2) submit to the Secretary of Health and 
Human Services an application at such time, in such 
manner, and containing such information as the Sec-
retary may require, including a description of— 
(A) how the entity will conduct or con-
tribute to the activities described in such sub-
section; 
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(B) how many individuals with COVID–19 
the entity has cared for and the entity’s contin-
ued capacity and expertise to provide such care, 
and how the entity improves health outcomes 
for such individuals, and reduces health inequi-
ties among such individuals; 
(C) how the entity plans to comprehen-
sively care for COVID–19 survivors; 
(D) how the entity identifies and addresses 
the mental health needs of the frontline health 
care workforce to ensure the ability of such in-
dividuals to continue to care for the community, 
in addition to current and future COVID–19 
patients; 
(E) how the entity will conduct research 
and address health and health care inequities 
by identifying, implementing, or developing 
COVID–19 
evidenced-based 
strategies 
and 
interventions and engaging the populations 
heavily impacted by COVID–19 in their com-
munity; 
(F) how the entity will engage with the 
community and share information concerning 
COVID–19 basic, clinical, translational, and 
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implementation research, including vaccine re-
search; 
(G) the most significant risk factors and 
comorbidities of COVID–19 patients observed 
by the entity and strategies employed by the en-
tity to reduce the risk of COVID–19 trans-
mission; 
(H) 
the 
long-term 
health 
effects 
of 
COVID–19 and effective treatments utilized by 
the entity to treat those infected with COVID– 
19; 
(I) secondary factors in COVID–19 mobil-
ity and mortality identified by the entity, such 
as antibiotic resistant infections and blood clot-
ting disorders; 
(J) how the entity will collaborate with 
other health care institutions, public health 
agencies, and community-based organizations to 
ensure equitable care to marginalized and un-
derserved populations, including rural and eth-
nic minority communities; 
(K) how the entity will conduct research 
involving 
the 
unique 
pathophysiology 
of 
COVID–19 in children and adolescents and 
unique needs of pregnant women; and 
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(L) how the entity is prepared to con-
tribute to advance planning and real-time re-
sponse efforts for subsequent outbreaks that 
present a significant potential to imminently be-
come a national public health emergency. 
(c) ADVISORY COMMITTEE.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall establish an advisory committee to facilitate 
collaboration, information sharing, and the dissemi-
nation of best practices relating to the COVID–19 
pandemic, in addition to preparing for, monitoring, 
mitigating, and responding to future pandemics. The 
advisory committee shall be composed of a designee 
of each of the following: 
(A) The Director of the Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention. 
(B) The Director of the National Institutes 
of Health. 
(C) The Commissioner of Food and Drugs. 
(D) The Assistant Secretary for Prepared-
ness and Response. 
(E) The Director of the Biomedical Ad-
vanced Research and Development Authority. 
(F) The Secretary of Defense. 
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(G) A representative from each center of 
excellence established under this section. 
(H) Not more than 20 representatives 
from national organizations that work with and 
can represent populations disproportionately 
impacted by COVID–19, populations vulnerable 
for disproportionate impact during a subse-
quent pandemic, and populations disproportion-
ately impacted by other health disparities. 
(2) MEETINGS.—The advisory committee under 
paragraph (1) shall convene not less than twice an-
nually. 
(3) VOTES.—In carrying out its duties pursu-
ant to section 9 of the Federal Advisory Committee 
Act (5 U.S.C. App.), the advisory committee shall 
vote on which best practices with respect to COVID– 
19 and pandemic response to disseminate. 
(d) COVID–19 AND PANDEMIC RESPONSE CENTERS 
OF EXCELLENCE PROGRAM FUND.— 
(1) ESTABLISHMENT OF FUND.—There is es-
tablished a fund to be known as the ‘‘COVID–19 
and Pandemic Response Centers of Excellence Pro-
gram Fund’’ (referred to in this section as the 
‘‘Fund’’) to provide awards under this section. 
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(2) APPROPRIATIONS.—Out of any funds in the 
Treasury not otherwise appropriated, there are au-
thorized to be appropriated, and there are appro-
priated, to the Fund, $500,000,000 for the second 
calendar quarter of fiscal year 2022. 
(e) AMOUNT OF AWARD.—The amount of an award 
to a center of excellence under subsection (a) shall be not 
less than $10,000,000 for the first calendar quarter of fis-
cal year 2022, and $5,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2023, 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027. 
(f) CONDITION.—Each center of excellence shall, as 
a condition of receipt of funds under subsection (a), sub-
mit to the Secretary a budget that describes the activities 
to be funded under the award, which may include the pur-
chasing of equipment, costs related to construction, and 
other such activities that contribute to the center’s ability 
to address the issues described in subsection (a) and to 
address and prepare for future pandemics. 
(g) REPORTING PROCESS.—An entity that receives 
an award under this section shall work with an office with-
in the Department of Health and Human Services, as des-
ignated by the Secretary, to submit annual progress re-
ports and other such annual reports determined necessary 
by the Secretary. 
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(h) DISTRIBUTION.—In awarding grants under this 
section, the Secretary shall, to the extent practicable, en-
sure an equitable national geographic distribution of the 
grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements, including 
areas of the United States where the incidence of COVID– 
19 cases or cases of a disease responsible for a subsequent 
pandemic, is highest. 
(i) ADVISORY COMMITTEE REPORTING.—Not later 
than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, and 
every year thereafter, the advisory committee established 
under subsection (c) shall 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 which shall include a syn-
thesized analysis of all Centers of Excellence grantees 
findings, best practices determined for each item specified 
under paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a), policy rec-
ommendations, and other reports determined necessary by 
the Secretary. 
(j) ACADEMIC MEDICAL CENTER DEFINED.—In this 
section, the term ‘‘academic medical center’’ means— 
(1) an institutition with— 
(A) integrated health care delivery; 
(B) medical education and training; and 
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(C) basic, clinical, translational, and imple-
mentation research operations; and 
(2) an institution that meets such other criteria 
as the Secretary may establish. 
Æ 
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