A bill to establish or continue a multidisciplinary research program to advance the discovery and preclinical development of medical products for priority virus families and other viral pathogens with a significant potential to cause a pandemic, and for other purposes.
Bill: S.3489 | Sponsor: Sen. Burr, Richard (R-NC)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
This bill directs the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to support research on medical products for virus families and viral pathogens with pandemic potential.
Specifically, the NIH must establish or continue a multidisciplinary program for supporting research centers to advance the discovery and development of medical products to prevent, treat, and diagnose such viruses.

To establish or continue a multidisciplinary research program to 
 advance the discovery and preclinical development of medical products 
     for priority virus families and other viral pathogens with a 
   significant potential to cause a pandemic, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. RESEARCH CENTERS FOR PATHOGENS OF PANDEMIC CONCERN.

    Subpart 6 of part C of title IV of the Public Health Service Act is 
amended by inserting after section 447C (42 U.S.C. 285f-4) the 
following:

``SEC. 447D. RESEARCH CENTERS FOR PATHOGENS OF PANDEMIC CONCERN.

    ``(a) In General.--The Director of the Institute, in collaboration, 
as appropriate, with the directors of applicable institutes, centers, 
and divisions of the National Institutes of Health, and the Director of 
the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, shall 
establish or continue a multidisciplinary research program to advance 
the discovery and preclinical development of medical products for 
priority virus families and other viral pathogens with a significant 
potential to cause a pandemic, through support for research centers.
    ``(b) Uses of Funds.--The Director of the Institute shall award 
funding through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to public 
or private entities, or consortia of such entities, to provide support 
for research centers described in subsection (a) for the purpose of--
            ``(1) conducting basic research through preclinical 
        development of new medical products or technologies, including 
        platform technologies, to address pathogens of pandemic 
        concern;
            ``(2) identifying potential targets for therapeutic 
        candidates, including antivirals, to treat such pathogens;
            ``(3) identifying existing medical products with the 
        potential to address such pathogens, including candidates that 
        could be used in outpatient settings; and
            ``(4) carrying out or supporting other research related to 
        medical products to address such pathogens, as determined 
        appropriate by the Director.
    ``(c) Coordination.--The Director of the Institute shall, as 
appropriate, provide for the coordination of activities among the 
centers described in subsection (a), including through--
            ``(1) facilitating the exchange of information and regular 
        communication among the centers, as appropriate; and
            ``(2) requiring the periodic preparation and submission to 
        the Director of reports on the activities of each center.
    ``(d) Priority.--In awarding funding through grants, contracts, or 
cooperative agreements under subsection (a), the Director of the 
Institute shall, as appropriate, give priority to applicants with 
existing frameworks and partnerships, as applicable, to support the 
advancement of such research.
    ``(e) Collaboration.--The Director of the Institute shall--
            ``(1) collaborate with the heads of other appropriate 
        Federal departments, agencies, and offices with respect to the 
        identification of additional priority virus families and other 
        viral pathogens with a significant potential to cause a 
        pandemic; and
            ``(2) collaborate with the Director of the Biomedical 
        Advanced Research and Development Authority with respect to the 
        research conducted by centers described in subsection (a), 
        including, as appropriate, providing any updates on the 
        research advancements made by such centers, identifying any 
        advanced research and development needs for such 
        countermeasures, consistent with section 319L(a)(6), and taking 
        into consideration existing manufacturing capacity and future 
        capacity needs for such medical products or technologies, 
        including platform technologies, supported by the centers 
        described in subsection (a).
    ``(f) Supplement, Not Supplant.--Any support received by a center 
described in subsection (a) under this section shall be used to 
supplement, and not supplant, other public or private support for 
activities authorized to be supported.''.

SEC. 2. IMPROVING MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURE RESEARCH COORDINATION.

    Section 402(b) in the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 282(b)) 
is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (24), by striking ``and'' at the end;
            (2) in paragraph (25), by striking the period and inserting 
        a semicolon; and
            (3) by inserting after paragraph (25) the following:
            ``(26) shall consult with the Assistant Secretary for 
        Preparedness and Response, the Director of the Biomedical 
        Advanced Research and Development Authority, the Director of 
        the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the heads 
        of other Federal agencies and offices, as appropriate, 
        regarding research needs to advance medical countermeasures to 
        diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or treat harm from any biological 
        agent or toxin, including emerging infectious diseases, 
        chemical, radiological, or nuclear agent that may cause a 
        public health emergency or other research needs related to 
        emerging public health threats.''.
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