I 
118TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1519 
To provide justice for victims of foreign state misrepresentation to the World 
Health Organization, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 9, 2023 
Mr. SMITH of New Jersey (for himself and Mr. BURGESS) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To provide justice for victims of foreign state misrepresenta-
tion to the World Health Organization, 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 ‘‘Compensation for the 
Victims of State Misrepresentations to the World Health 
Organization Act of 2023’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
(a) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:53 Mar 22, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1519.IH
H1519
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
(1) There is a role for an international organi-
zation to help mitigate infectious diseases that re-
spect no boundaries. 
(2) The United States depends on an effective 
World Health Organization (WHO) to make good, 
well informed, and transparent public health deci-
sions to contain infectious diseases. 
(3) In the past, the WHO played a critical role 
in addressing and mitigating infectious diseases, 
such as the 1979 eradication of smallpox, which 
eradication the WHO coordinated through a sus-
tained global effort. 
(4) Without accurate information, the WHO 
cannot advise Member States properly on the risks 
posed by infectious diseases. 
(5) There are credible reports that in 2006, 
2009, and 2011 the Government of Ethiopia mis-
represented the nature and seriousness of cholera 
epidemics in that country to the WHO with a view 
towards minimizing the potential damage to their 
economy. 
(A) Those misrepresentations diminished 
the WHO’s effectiveness and the WHO trans-
mitted inaccurate and misleading information 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:53 Mar 22, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1519.IH
H1519
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
regarding the presence of cholera to partici-
pating states. 
(B) Other Member States relied on the 
misleading and inaccurate information that the 
WHO communicated to them to formulate pub-
lic health policy, resulting in loss of life, injury, 
and damage to property and commercial inter-
ests to citizens outside of Ethiopia as a con-
sequence of that country’s misrepresentations 
to the WHO. 
(6) There are credible reports that WHO Mem-
ber States misrepresented facts concerning the 
Ebola outbreak to that organization with a view to-
wards minimizing the commercial impact that a 
widely disseminated understanding of the risks 
posed by the Ebola epidemic may have caused in 
their individual economies. 
(A) Those misrepresentations diminished 
the WHO’s effectiveness, and the WHO trans-
mitted inaccurate and misleading information 
regarding the communicability of Ebola to par-
ticipating States. 
(B) Other Member States relied on the 
misleading and inaccurate information that the 
WHO communicated to them to formulate pub-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:53 Mar 22, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1519.IH
H1519
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
lic health policy, resulting in loss of life, injury, 
and damage to property and commercial inter-
ests to citizens outside of the misrepresenting 
States as a consequence of those countries’ mis-
representations to the WHO. 
(7) During the onset of the COVID–19 pan-
demic, China misrepresented the seriousness and na-
ture of the novel coronavirus to the WHO, with a 
view towards minimizing the potential damage to 
their economy and international reputation. 
(A) Those misrepresentations diminished 
the WHO’s effectiveness and the WHO trans-
mitted inaccurate and misleading information 
regarding the communicability of the novel 
coronavirus to participating States. 
(B) Other Member States relied on the 
misleading and inaccurate information that the 
WHO communicated to them to formulate pub-
lic health policy, resulting in loss of life, injury, 
and damage to property and commercial inter-
ests to citizens outside of China as a con-
sequence of that country’s misrepresentations 
to the WHO. 
(8) In failing to relay accurate information to 
Member States particularly at the onset of the 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
22:53 Mar 22, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H1519.IH
H1519
kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS