Sec. 6. Establishment of the Nonproliferation and Counterterrorism Fellowship 
Program. 
Sec. 7. Technical review and assessment of harmful biological incident and ac-
tivity investigation technologies. 
Sec. 8. Review and assessment of global legal regime for biosecurity. 
Sec. 9. Reporting requirements. 
Sec. 10. International disease outbreak information sharing. 
Sec. 11. Definitions. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The advance of biological science is vital to 
increasing the health of humanity, ensuring the well- 
being of the environment, and spurring economic 
growth. 
(2) In 2001, letters containing anthrax spores 
were distributed via the United States postal system, 
infecting 22 people and resulting in five deaths, ex-
tensive social disruption, and extensive costs for 
emergency response and remediation. 
(3) In 2001, while engaging the Taliban in Af-
ghanistan, coalition forces came into possession of a 
significant body of evidence that al-Qaeda was seek-
ing to develop the capability to conduct biological 
weapons attacks. 
(4) In a time of international terrorist threats 
and global health epidemics, United States policy 
with regard to biological risks is in need of a well 
coordinated strategy to ensure the effectiveness of 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:26 Oct 09, 2010
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6297.IH
H6297
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
efforts to protect the national security and foreign 
policy interests of the United States. 
(5) Biological risks extend beyond biological 
weapons developed or used by foreign countries and 
also include intentional release of harmful biological 
agents by non-state groups or individuals, harmful 
outcomes through unintentional release or unfore-
seen consequences of biological research and experi-
mental biological agents, and natural disease out-
breaks. 
(6) A major disease outbreak affecting animals 
or crops, whether intentionally inflicted or natural, 
anywhere in the world could threaten food supplies 
and economic prosperity, potentially exacerbating 
broader security concerns. 
(7) A major disease outbreak against civilian 
populations, whether intentionally inflicted or nat-
ural, anywhere in the world could cause devastating 
loss of life and economic harm. Such an outbreak 
would have adverse implications for United States 
national security and foreign policy. 
(8) Improving global capacity for monitoring 
and detecting disease outbreaks improves the ability 
of the United States to counter both natural and 
man-made biological risks. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:26 Oct 09, 2010
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6297.IH
H6297
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
(9) A well-coordinated strategy for countering 
harmful biological incidents that integrates United 
States foreign policies will help ensure the health of 
Americans as well as security against terrorism and 
other threats. 
(10) In November 2009, President Obama set 
forth a ‘‘National Strategy for Countering Biological 
Threats’’. 
(11) The changing geopolitical climate in which 
a number of countries and non-state actors are seek-
ing or have acquired weapons of mass destruction 
indicates that the United States will require special-
ized nonproliferation experts in addition to experts 
in regional security. 
(12) The United States national security com-
munity has focused primarily on technical and inter-
national security solutions to international prolifera-
tion. 
(13) There are limited opportunities for the 
next generation of policy makers and nonprolifera-
tion specialists to undertake interdisciplinary study 
in the area of nonproliferation policy. 
(14) Coordinating foreign assistance and other 
international efforts to improve the ability of partner 
countries to detect and respond to disease outbreaks 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:26 Oct 09, 2010
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6297.IH
H6297
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
benefits partner nations and also improves the 
United States security by preventing the spread of 
infectious disease. 
SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 
It is the sense of Congress that— 
(1) emerging biological technologies, while pro-
viding the promise for unprecedented improvements 
in health and the environment, may pose a potential 
for harm, both intentional and accidental or inad-
vertent; 
(2) the ‘‘National Strategy for Countering Bio-
logical Threats’’, released by President Obama in 
November 2009, is a significant step toward enhanc-
ing domestic and international biosecurity; 
(3) because biological risks do not heed political 
borders, United States policy to counter such risks 
should include cooperation with other countries and 
improved coordination within the United States Gov-
ernment; 
(4) the United States should work with other 
countries toward developing international standards 
and an oversight framework for biological research 
to prevent and mitigate harmful outcomes; 
(5) the United States strategy for monitoring, 
reducing, and responding to biological risks should 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:26 Oct 09, 2010
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6297.IH
H6297
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
address both natural and man-made risks and 
should be able to identify and mitigate the impact of 
both intentional and unintentional or unforeseen 
harmful biological incidents; 
(6) United States collaboration with and assist-
ance to foreign countries aimed at reducing biologi-
cal risks should be mutually beneficial and serve to 
counter natural or man-made biological risks that 
are mutually determined to be of high importance; 
and 
(7) because the Convention on the Prohibition 
of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of 
Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and 
on their Destruction (commonly referred to as the 
‘‘Biological Weapons Convention’’ or ‘‘BWC’’) em-
bodies the global norm against the development, pro-
duction, acquisition, and transfer of biological agents 
for hostile purposes, United States policy should aim 
to strengthen the Biological Weapons Convention by 
increasing its adherence, addressing its transparency 
and compliance mechanisms, and strengthening its 
effectiveness to build confidence internationally. 
SEC. 4. INTERNATIONAL BIOSECURITY INITIATIVE (IBSI). 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—To improve the United States 
international strategy for reducing and responding to bio-
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
02:26 Oct 09, 2010
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6297.IH
H6297
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS