Global Pandemic Prevention and Biosecurity Act
Bill: S.1737 | Sponsor: Sen. Coons, Christopher A. (D-DE)
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Global Pandemic Prevention and Biosecurity Act
This bill establishes a task force and requires the Department of State and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to take specified measures to respond to and prevent zoonotic (animal-to-human) disease outbreaks.
Specifically, the bill establishes the Global Zoonotic Disease Task Force to ensure an integrated approach to preventing, detecting, preparing for, and responding to zoonotic spillover and zoonotic disease outbreaks that may pose a threat to global health security.
The bill directs the State Department and the USAID to work with international stakeholders on measures that include (1) preventing zoonotic spillover events, (2) preventing degradation and fragmentation of forests and other ecosystems to minimize interactions between wildlife and human populations, and (3) strengthening global capacity for detection of zoonotic diseases with pandemic potential.

To establish a global zoonotic disease task force, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Global Pandemic Prevention and 
Biosecurity Act''.

SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF POLICY.

    It shall be the policy of the United States Government--
            (1) to support improved community health, forest 
        management, sustainable agriculture, and safety of livestock 
        production in developing countries, particularly in tropical 
        landscapes where there is an elevated risk of zoonotic disease 
        spillover;
            (2) to support the availability of scalable and sustainable 
        alternative animal and plant-sourced protein for local 
        communities, where appropriate, to minimize human reliance on 
        the trade in live wildlife and raw or unprocessed wildlife 
        parts and derivatives;
            (3) to support foreign governments--
                    (A) to transition from the sale of such wildlife 
                for human consumption in markets and restaurants to 
                alternate protein and nutritional sources; and
                    (B) to prevent commercial trade in live wildlife 
                and raw or unprocessed wildlife parts and derivatives 
                that risks contributing to zoonotic spillover events 
                between animals and humans, excluding commercial trade 
                in--
                            (i) fish;
                            (ii) invertebrates;
                            (iii) amphibians;
                            (iv) reptiles; and
                            (v) the meat of game species--
                                    (I) traded in markets in countries 
                                with effective implementation and 
                                enforcement of scientifically based, 
                                nationally implemented policies and 
                                legislation for processing, transport, 
                                trade, marketing; and
                                    (II) sold after being slaughtered 
                                and processed under sanitary 
                                conditions; and
                    (C) to establish and effectively manage protected 
                and conserved areas, particularly in tropical 
                landscapes where there is an elevated risk of zoonotic 
                disease spillover, including indigenous and community-
                conserved areas;
            (4) to encourage development projects that do not 
        contribute to the destruction, fragmentation, or degradation of 
        forests or the loss of biodiversity; and
            (5) to respect the rights and needs of indigenous people 
        and local communities dependent on such wildlife for 
        nutritional needs and food security.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
        Development.
            (2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Foreign Relations of the 
                Senate;
                    (B) the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
                    (C) the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House 
                of Representatives; and
                    (D) the Committee on Appropriations of the House of 
                Representatives.
            (3) Commercial wildlife trade.--The term ``commercial 
        wildlife trade'' means trade in wildlife for the purpose of 
        obtaining economic benefit (whether in cash or otherwise) that 
        is directed toward sale, resale, exchange, or any other form of 
        economic use or benefit.
            (4) Human consumption.--The term ``human consumption'' 
        means specific use for human food or medicine.
            (5) Live wildlife market.--The term ``live wildlife 
        market'' means a commercial market that sells, processes, or 
        slaughters live or fresh wildlife for human consumption in 
        markets or restaurants, regardless of whether such wildlife 
        originated in the wild or in a captive situation.
            (6) One health.--The term ``One Health'' means a 
        collaborative, multi-sectoral, and trans-disciplinary approach 
        achieving optimal health outcomes that recognizes the 
        interconnection between--
                    (A) people, wildlife, and plants; and
                    (B) the environment shared by such people, 
                wildlife, and plants.
            (7) Outbreak.--The term ``outbreak'' means the occurrence 
        of disease cases in excess of normal expectancy.
            (8) Public health emergency.--The term ``public health 
        emergency'' means the public health emergency declared by the 
        Secretary of Health and Human Services with respect to COVID-19 
        on January 31, 2020, pursuant to section 319 of the Public 
        Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d).
            (9) Spillover event.--The term ``spillover event'' means 
        the transmission of a pathogen from a species to another 
        species.
            (10) Task force.--The term ``Task Force'' means the Global 
        Zoonotic Disease Task Force established under section 6(a).
            (11) USAID.--The term ``USAID'' means the United States 
        Agency for International Development.
            (12) Zoonotic disease.--The term ``zoonotic disease'' means 
        any disease that is naturally transmissible between animals and 
        humans.

SEC. 4. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The majority of recent emerging infectious diseases 
        have originated in wildlife.
            (2) There is a rise in the frequency of zoonotic spillover 
        events and outbreaks of such diseases.
            (3) This rise in such spillover events and outbreaks 
        relates to the increased interaction between humans and 
        wildlife.
            (4) There is a progressive and increasing rise in 
        interaction between human populations and wildlife related to 
        deforestation, habitat degradation, and expansion of human 
        activity into the habitat of such wildlife.
            (5) The increase in such interactions due to these factors, 
        particularly in forested regions of tropical countries where 
        there is high mammalian diversity, is a serious risk factor for 
        spillover events.
            (6) A serious risk factor for spillover events also relates 
        to the collection, production, commercial trade, and sale for 
        human consumption of wildlife that may transmit to zoonotic 
        pathogens to humans that may then replicate and be transmitted 
        within the human population.
            (7) Such a risk factor is increased if it involves wildlife 
        that--
                    (A) does not ordinarily interact with humans; or
                    (B) lives under a stressful condition, as such 
                condition exacerbates the shedding of zoonotic 
                pathogens.
            (8) Markets for such wildlife to be sold for human 
        consumption are found in many countries.
            (9) In some communities, such wildlife may be the only 
        accessible source of high quality nutrition.
            (10) The public health emergency has resulted in--
                    (A) trillions of dollars in economic damage to the 
                United States; and
                    (B) the deaths of hundreds of thousands of American 
                citizens.

SEC. 5. UNITED STATES POLICY TOWARD ASSISTING COUNTRIES IN PREVENTING 
              ZOONOTIC SPILLOVER EVENTS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of State and the Administrator of 
the United States Agency for International Development, in consultation 
with the Director of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the 
Secretary of Agriculture, and the heads of other relevant agencies, 
shall coordinate, engage, and work with governments, multilateral 
entities, intergovernmental organizations, international partners, and 
nongovernmental organizations--
            (1) to prevent commercial trade in live wildlife and raw or 
        unprocessed wildlife parts and derivatives for human 
        consumption that risks contributing to zoonotic spillover, with 
        a focus on tropical countries and countries with significant 
        markets for live wildlife for human consumption, including--
                    (A) high volume commercial wildlife trade and 
                associated markets;
                    (B) wildlife trade in and across well connected 
                urban centers; and
                    (C) wildlife trade for luxury consumption or where 
                there is no dietary necessity;
            (2) to prevent the degradation and fragmentation of forests 
        and other intact ecosystems, particularly in tropical 
        countries, to minimize interactions between wildlife and human 
        and livestock populations that could contribute to spillover 
        events and zoonotic disease transmission, including by 
        providing assistance or supporting policies that--
                    (A) conserve, protect, and restore the integrity of 
                such ecosystems;
                    (B) support the rights of indigenous people and 
                local communities and their ability to continue their 
                effective stewardship of their traditional lands and 
                territories;
                    (C) support the establishment and effective 
                management of protected areas, prioritizing highly 
                intact areas; and
                    (D) prevent activities that result in the 
                destruction, degradation, fragmentation, or conversion 
                of intact forests and other intact ecosystems and 
                biodiversity strongholds, including activities carried 
                out by governments, private sector entities, and 
                multilateral development financial institutions;
            (3) to offer alternative livelihood and worker training 
        programs and enterprise development to wildlife traders, 
        wildlife breeders, and local communities whose members are 
        engaged in the commercial wildlife trade for human consumption;
            (4) to work with indigenous peoples and local communities--
                    (A) to ensure that their rights are respected and 
                their authority to exercise such rights is protected;
                    (B) to provide education and awareness regarding 
                animal handling, sanitation, and disease transmission;
                    (C) to provide sustainable wildlife management and 
                support for the development of village-level 
                alternative sources of protein and nutrition;
                    (D) to reduce the risk of zoonotic spillover, while 
                ensuring food security and access to healthy diets; and
                    (E) to improve farming practices to reduce the risk 
                of zoonotic spillover to livestock;
            (5) to strengthen global capacity for detection of zoonotic 
        diseases with pandemic potential; and
            (6) to support the development of One Health systems at the 
        community level.
    (b) Engagement Methods.--The efforts described in subsection (a) 
shall be carried out by--
            (1) working through existing treaties, conventions, and 
        agreements to develop new protocols or amend existing protocols 
        or agreements;
            (2) expanding combating wildlife trafficking programs to 
        support enforcement of the closure of such markets and new 
        illegal markets in response to closures, and the prevention of 
        such trade, including--
                    (A) providing assistance to improve law 
                enforcement;
                    (B) detecting and deterring the illegal import, 
                transit, sale, and export of wildlife;
                    (C) strengthening such programs to assist countries 
                through legal reform;
                    (D) improving information sharing and enhancing 
                capabilities of participating foreign governments;
                    (E) supporting efforts to change behavior and 
                reduce demand for wildlife products described in 
                subsection (a)(1); and
                    (F) leveraging United States private sector 
                technologies and expertise to scale and enhance 
                enforcement responses to detect and prevent such trade;
            (3) leveraging strong bilateral relationships with the 
        United States to support new and existing interministerial 
        collaborations or task forces that can serve as regional One 
        Health models; and
            (4) building local agricultural capacity by leveraging 
        expertise from the Department of Agriculture, the United States 
        Fish and Wildlife Service, and institutions of higher education 
        with agricultural expertise.

SEC. 6. GLOBAL ZOONOTIC DISEASE TASK FORCE.

    (a) Establishment.--There is established the ``Global Zoonotic 
Disease Task Force'' (referred to in this section as the ``Task 
Force'').
    (b) Composition.--
            (1) Membership.--The Task Force shall be composed of--
                    (A) a Chairperson, which position shall rotate 
                every 2 years, in an order to be determined by the 
                Administrator, among a representative (at the level of 
                Deputy Assistant Secretary or above) of--
                            (i) the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
                        Service of the Department of Agriculture;
                            (ii) the Department of Health and Human 
                        Services or the Centers for Disease Control and 
                        Prevention;
                            (iii) the Department of the Interior or the 
                        United States Fish and Wildlife Service;
                            (iv) the Department of State or USAID; and
                            (v) the National Security Council; and
                    (B) at least 13 additional members, from--
                            (i) the Centers for Disease Control and 
                        Prevention;
                            (ii) the Department of Agriculture;
                            (iii) the Department of Defense;
                            (iv) the Department of State;
                            (v) the Environmental Protection Agency;
                            (vi) the National Science Foundation;
                            (vii) the National Institutes of Health;
                            (viii) the National Institute of Standards 
                        and Technology;
                            (ix) the Office of Science and Technology 
                        Policy;
                            (x) USAID;
                            (xi) the United States Fish and Wildlife 
                        Service;
                            (xii) U.S. Customs and Border Protection; 
                        and
                            (xiii) U.S. Immigration and Customs 
                        Enforcement.
            (2) Timing of appointments.--Initial appointments to the 
        Task Force shall be made not later than 30 days after the date 
        of the enactment of this Act.
            (3) Terms.--
                    (A) In general.--Each member of the Task Force 
                shall be appointed for a term of 2 years.
                    (B) Vacancies.--Any member appointed to fill a 
                vacancy occurring before the expiration of the term for 
                which the member's predecessor was appointed shall be 
                appointed only for the remainder of the prior member's 
                term. A member may serve after the expiration of his or 
                her term until a successor has been appointed.
    (c) Duties.--The Task Force shall--
            (1) ensure an integrated approach across the Federal 
        Government and globally to the prevention of, early detection 
        of, preparedness for, and response to zoonotic spillover and 
        the outbreak and transmission of zoonotic diseases that may 
        pose a threat to global health security;
            (2) not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
        of this Act, develop and publish, on a publicly accessible 
        website, a plan for global biosecurity and zoonotic disease 
        prevention and response that leverages expertise in public 
        health, wildlife health, livestock veterinary health, 
        sustainable forest management, community-based conservation, 
        rural food security, and indigenous rights to coordinate 
        zoonotic disease surveillance internationally, including 
        support for One Health institutions around the world that can 
        prevent and provide early detection of zoonotic outbreaks; and
            (3) expand the scope of the implementation of the White 
        House's Global Health Security Strategy to more robustly 
        support the prevention of zoonotic spillover and to respond to 
        zoonotic disease investigations and outbreaks by establishing a 
        10-year strategy with specific Federal Government international 
        goals, priorities, and timelines for action, including--
                    (A) recommended policy actions and mechanisms in 
                developing countries to reduce the risk of zoonotic 
                spillover and zoonotic disease emergence and 
                transmission, including support for the activities 
                described in section 5;
                    (B) new mandates, authorities, and incentives that 
                are needed to strengthen the global zoonotic disease 
                prevention and response plan required under paragraph 
                (2); and
                    (C) prioritizing engagement in programs that target 
                tropical countries and regions experiencing high rates 
                of deforestation, forest degradation, and land 
                conversion and countries with significant markets for 
                live wildlife for human consumption.
    (d) Meeting.--
            (1) Initial meeting.--The Task Force shall hold its initial 
        meeting not later than 45 days after the final appointment of 
        all members pursuant to subsection (b)(2).
            (2) Meetings.--
                    (A) In general.--The Task Force shall meet at the 
                call of the Chairperson.
                    (B) Quorum.--Eight members of the Task Force shall 
                constitute a quorum, but a lesser number may hold 
                hearings.
    (e) Compensation.--
            (1) Prohibition of compensation.--Except as provided in 
        paragraph (2), Task Force members may not receive additional 
        pay, allowances, benefits as compensation for their service on 
        the Task Force.
            (2) Travel expenses.--Each Task Force member shall receive 
        travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of subsistence, in 
        accordance with applicable provisions under subchapter I of 
        chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code.
    (f) Reports.--
            (1) Report to task force.--Not later than 6 months after 
        the date of the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter, 
        each Federal agency listed in subsection (b)(1) shall submit a 
        report to the Task Force containing a detailed statement with 
        respect to the results of any programming within such agency 
        that addresses the goals of zoonotic spillover and disease 
        prevention.
            (2) Report to congress.--Not later than 1 year after the 
        date of the enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the 
        Task Force shall submit a report to the appropriate 
        congressional committees and the National Security Advisor that 
        contains a detailed statement of the recommendations of the 
        Task Force pursuant to subsection (c)(3)(A).
    (g) Termination.--In accordance with section 14(a)(2)(B) of the 
Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.), the Task Force shall 
terminate on the later of--
            (1) the date that is 7 years after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act; or
            (2) on a date selected by the Chairperson of the Task Force 
        that is not later than 2 years after the date referred to in 
        paragraph (1).
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