I
107TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 3269
To provide for the development of State medical disaster response plans
regarding terrorist attacks that use biological or chemical weapons.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NOVEMBER 8, 2001
Ms. WATSON of California introduced the following bill; which was referred
to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
A BILL
To provide for the development of State medical disaster
response plans regarding terrorist attacks that use bio-
logical or chemical weapons.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. STATE MEDICAL DISASTER RESPONSE PLANS
REGARDING TERRORIST ATTACKS.
(a) IN GENERAL.—
(1) STATE PLANS.—The Secretary of Health
and Human Services (in this section referred to as
the ‘‘Secretary’’), acting through the Director of the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall
cooperate with the States toward the goal of ensur-
ing that each State develops a medical disaster re-
sponse plan regarding terrorist attacks that use bio-
logical or chemical weapons.
(2) COLLABORATION.—The Secretary shall
carry out this section in collaboration with the As-
sistant to the President for Homeland Security, the
Director of the Federal Emergency Management
Agency, and the Attorney General.
(b) FEDERAL CRITERIA.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish criteria that provide recommendations to the States
for response plans under subsection (a). Such criteria shall
provide that a response plan of a State should, with re-
spect to terrorist attacks described in such subsection,
include—
(1) provisions for a comprehensive assessment
of the response capabilities of the State, including
the capabilities of local governments;
(2) provisions for the storage and distribution
of pharmaceuticals in coordination with the Office of
Emergency Preparedness and the Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention, which provisions
should be designed to meet a standard of providing
supplies for every diagnosed victim within 24 hours
of diagnosis;
(3) provisions for training medical personnel;
and
(4) provisions for hospitals and medical per-
sonnel to conduct emergency drills.
(c) FEDERAL EVALUATION OF PLANS; COORDINA-
TION THROUGH OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY.—The
Secretary shall request that the States submit proposed
response plans under subsection (a) to the Assistant to
the President for Homeland Security. Such Assistant to
the President shall coordinate—
(1) the evaluation of the response plans by the
Secretary, the Director of the Federal Emergency
Management Agency, and the Attorney General; and
(2) the provision to the States of recommenda-
tions regarding modifications to the response plans.
(d) 
REPORT
TO
CONGRESS; 
COORDINATION
THROUGH OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—A report shall be submitted
to the Congress that, on the basis of evaluations
under subsection (c) and of State actions in response
to the evaluations, describes the extent to which the
States are prepared to respond to terrorist attacks
that use biological or chemical weapons.
(2) PREPARATION
OF
REPORT.—The report
under paragraph (1) shall be prepared by the Sec-
retary, the Director of the Federal Emergency Man-
agement Agency, and the Attorney General, and the
Assistant to the President for Homeland Security
shall coordinate the preparation of the report.
Æ