HR 6599 IH1S 
SEC. 3. EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASE PREDICTION AND 
FORECASTING SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 
INTERAGENCY WORKING GROUP. 
(a) INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE.—The Director of the 
Office of Science and Technology Policy, acting through 
the National Science and Technology Council, shall estab-
lish or designate an interagency working group to coordi-
nate Federal programs and activities for emerging infec-
tious disease data acquisition, analysis, situational aware-
ness, prediction and forecasting, and other related activi-
ties. 
(b) CO-CHAIRS.—The interagency working group 
shall be co-chaired by the Director of the Office of Science 
and Technology Policy and, on an annual rotating basis, 
a representative from the participants of the interagency 
working group, as selected by the Director of the Office 
of Science and Technology Policy. 
(c) AGENCY PARTICIPATION.—The Committee shall 
include representatives from— 
(1) the Department of Health and Human 
Services; 
(2) the Department of Homeland Security; 
(3) the Department of Agriculture; 
(4) the Department of Commerce; 
(5) the Department of Energy; 
(6) the Department of the Interior; 
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(7) the Department of Defense; 
(8) the National Science Foundation; 
(9) the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-
tion; 
(10) the National Institutes of Health; 
(11) the Department of State; 
(12) the Department of Veterans Affairs; 
(13) the Environmental Protection Agency; 
(14) the Federal Emergency Management 
Agency; 
(15) the United States Agency for International 
Development; 
(16) the Smithsonian Institution; and 
(17) any other Federal agency as considered 
appropriate by the Director of the Office of Science 
and Technology Policy. 
(d) RESPONSIBILITIES.—The Interagency working 
group shall— 
(1) provide for interagency coordination of Fed-
eral research, technological development, and oper-
ational practice in the prediction of infectious dis-
ease outbreaks in humans, animals, or plants to 
minimize their adverse health, economic, and secu-
rity impact; 
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(2) identify challenges in outbreak prediction 
and modeling and develop a national strategic plan 
for Federal actions to advance the development and 
effective application of outbreak prediction capabili-
ties; 
(3) hold workshops and seminars to engage re-
searchers and stakeholders from universities, indus-
try, public health organizations, and non-profit orga-
nization; and 
(4) engage with international partners and stra-
tegic allies to share best practices and coordinate 
prediction and modeling of infectious disease. 
(e) COORDINATION WITH NATIONAL ACADEMIES 
STANDING COMMITTEE ON EMERGING INFECTIOUS DIS-
EASE AND 21ST CENTURY HEALTH THREATS.—The Di-
rector of the Office of Science and Technology Policy shall 
coordinate with the National Academies to ensure that at 
least one member of the interagency working group is also 
a member of the committee under section 4. 
(f) BIENNIAL REPORTING.—One years after the date 
of enactment of this Act, and at least every 2 years there-
after, the Director of the Office of Science and Technology 
Policy shall provide a summary report to Congress on the 
activities of the working group. 
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SEC. 4. NATIONAL ACADEMIES STANDING COMMITTEE ON 
EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASE AND 21ST 
CENTURY HEALTH THREATS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Office of Science and Tech-
nology Policy, and other agencies as determined by the 
Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, 
shall enter into an agreement with the National Academies 
to create a ‘‘Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious 
Disease and 21st Century Health Threats’’ (hereinafter 
in this section referred to as the ‘‘Standing Committee’’). 
(b) PARTICIPANTS.—The Standing Committee shall 
include members with expertise in emerging infectious dis-
eases, public health, public health preparedness and re-
sponse, biological sciences, clinical care and crisis stand-
ards of care, risk communication, and regulatory issues. 
(c) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the Standing Com-
mittee is to facilitate the exchange of ideas among Federal 
agencies, the private sector, and the academic community, 
as well as other relevant stakeholders, including— 
(1) responding on short notice to requests from 
the Federal Government to assess and consider the 
science and policy implications of an emerging infec-
tious disease or significant public health threat; 
(2) providing a venue to enable science and pol-
icy discussions relevant to the Federal Government 
on emerging issues, research, and activities through 
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in-depth knowledge of the sponsor’s programs, goals, 
and objectives; 
(3) identifying opportunities to integrate science 
into national preparedness and response decision 
making; 
(4) exploring lessons learned and best practices 
from previous preparedness and response efforts, 
and identify opportunities to disseminate that infor-
mation to a variety of stakeholders; 
(5) serving as a forum for national policy dis-
cussions by experts and other leaders in the field; 
(6) identifying and discussing strategies for ad-
dressing misinformation; and 
(7) responding to the needs of the Working 
Group established under section 3 for continuing di-
alog related to strategic planning and program de-
velopment to address emerging infectious diseases, 
biosecurity, and public health and medical prepared-
ness. 
(d) REPORT AND BRIEFING.—The agreement under 
subsection (a) shall specify that— 
(1) the standing committee shall periodically or-
ganize workshops and issue publicly available reports 
on the topics described in subsection (c) and the ac-
tivities of the Standing Committee; and 
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