Biosecurity Information Optimization for Defense Act of 2021
Bill: H.R.4492 | Sponsor: Rep. Swalwell, Eric (D-CA)
Policy area: Emergency Management

Summary:
Biosecurity Information Optimization for Defense Act of 2021
This bill directs the President to establish a cabinet-level interagency forum to be known as the National Biodefense Directorate.
The directorate must develop a (1) national biodefense strategy and implementation plan, and (2) national strategy for combating public health misinformation and disinformation that threatens the national security and associated implementation plan.
The directorate must submit to the National Security Council and Congress a report including the National Biodefense Strategy and associated implementation plans.
The Government Accountability Office must review the report and submit to Congress a report that identifies gaps in such strategies and plans and that makes recommendations to address such gaps.

To establish an interagency forum for biodefense preparedness, 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 ``Biosecurity Information Optimization 
for Defense Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. NATIONAL BIODEFENSE STRATEGY.

    Section 1086 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal 
year 2017 (Public Law 114-328; 130 Stat. 2423; 6 U.S.C. 104), as 
amended by section 1704 of the National Defense Authorization Act for 
Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116-92; 133 Stat. 1797; 6 U.S.C. 104), is 
further amended to read as follows:

``SEC. 104. NATIONAL BIODEFENSE STRATEGY.

    ``(a) Interagency Forum for Biodefense Preparedness.--The President 
shall establish a cabinet-level interagency forum to be known as the 
`National Biodefense Directorate' (referred to in this section as the 
`Directorate').
    ``(b) Duties of Directorate.--The Directorate shall develop--
            ``(1) a national biodefense strategy and associated 
        implementation plan; and
            ``(2) a national strategy with respect to countering the 
        spread of misinformation and disinformation relating to 
        biodefense and associated implementation plans.
    ``(c) Membership.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Directorate shall be composed from 
        governmental positions specified in paragraph (2).
            ``(2) Governmental positions.--Governmental positions 
        specified in this paragraph are the following:
                    ``(A) The Secretary of Agriculture.
                    ``(B) The Secretary of Defense.
                    ``(C) The Secretary of Health and Human Services.
                    ``(D) The Secretary of Homeland Security.
                    ``(E) The Vice President.
                    ``(F) Other officers of the United States 
                Government designated by the President.
            ``(3) Chairperson.--The Chairperson of the Directorate 
        shall be the Vice President, or in the absence of the Vice 
        President, the designee of the Vice President.
    ``(d) Meeting.--
            ``(1) Meetings.--The Directorate shall meet not less than 
        once every six months or at the call of the Chairperson.
            ``(2) Quorum.--A simple majority shall constitute a quorum.
    ``(e) Executive Secretary and Staff of Directorate.--
            ``(1) Executive secretary.--The Directorate shall have an 
        Executive Secretary who shall be--
                    ``(A) appointed by the Chairperson; and
                    ``(B) be an employee of the Office of the Vice 
                President.
            ``(2) Personnel.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Subject to the rules prescribed 
                by the Directorate, the Executive Secretary may appoint 
                and fix the pay of personnel as the Executive Secretary 
                considers appropriate.
                    ``(B) Applicability of civil service laws.--
                Personnel appointed to the Directorate pursuant to 
                subparagraph (A) shall be subject to the provisions of 
                title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in 
                the competitive service, and shall be paid in 
                accordance with the provisions of chapter 51 and 
                subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title relating to 
                classification and General Schedule pay rates.
            ``(3) Prohibition of compensation of federal employees.--
        Except as provided in paragraph (4), members of the Directorate 
        who are full-time officers or employees of the United States 
        may not receive additional pay, allowances, or benefits by 
        reason of their service on the Directorate.
            ``(4) Travel expenses.--Each member of the Directorate 
        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.
            ``(5) Staff of federal agencies.--The Secretary of Defense, 
        the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of 
        Homeland Security, Secretary of Agriculture, and each officer 
        of the United States appointed to the Directorate pursuant to 
        subsection (c) shall detail, on a reimbursable basis, one staff 
        member of that department or agency to the Directorate to 
        assist it in carrying out its duties under this Act.
    ``(f) Administrative Support Services.--Upon the request of the 
Directorate, the Administrator of General Services shall provide to the 
Directorate, on a reimbursable basis, the administrative support 
services necessary for the Directorate to carry out its 
responsibilities under this Act.
    ``(g) Strategy and Implementation Plan Required.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Directorate shall jointly develop a 
        national biodefense strategy to be known as the `National 
        Biodefense Strategy' and associated implementation plan, which 
        shall--
                    ``(A) include a review and assessment of biodefense 
                policies, practices, programs and initiatives;
                    ``(B) base such review and assessment on methods 
                established by the Directorate for the collection and 
                analysis of data provided by Federal, State, and local 
                agencies; and
                    ``(C) review and, as appropriate, revise the 
                strategy every 6 months.
            ``(2) Elements.--The strategy and associated implementation 
        plan required under subsection (a) shall include each of the 
        following:
                    ``(A) An inventory and assessment of all existing 
                strategies, plans, policies, laws, and interagency 
                agreements related to biodefense, including prevention, 
                deterrence, preparedness, detection, response, 
                attribution, recovery, and mitigation.
                    ``(B) A description of biological threats, 
                including biological warfare, bioterrorism, naturally 
                occurring infectious diseases, and accidental 
                exposures.
                    ``(C) A description of the current programs, 
                efforts, or activities of the Federal Government with 
                respect to--
                            ``(i) preventing the acquisition, 
                        proliferation, and use of a biological weapon;
                            ``(ii) preventing an accidental or 
                        naturally occurring biological outbreak; and
                            ``(iii) mitigating the effects of a 
                        biological epidemic.
                    ``(D) A description of the roles and 
                responsibilities of the Executive Agencies, including 
                internal and external coordination procedures, in 
                identifying and sharing information related to, warning 
                of, and protection against, acts of terrorism using 
                biological agents and weapons and accidental or 
                naturally occurring biological outbreaks.
                    ``(E) An articulation of related or required 
                interagency capabilities and whole-of-Government 
                activities required to support the National Biodefense 
                Strategy.
                    ``(F) An identification of challenges relating to 
                disease outbreak prediction and modeling.
                    ``(G) An assessment relating to the need for a 
                National Infectious Disease Forecasting Center to--
                            ``(i) advance the development and effective 
                        application of Federal outbreak models, 
                        predictions, and forecasts; and
                            ``(ii) support the duties of the 
                        Directorate pursuant to subsection (b).
                    ``(H) Recommendations for--
                            ``(i) strengthening and improving the 
                        current biodefense capabilities, authorities, 
                        and command structures of the Federal 
                        Government;
                            ``(ii) improving and formalizing 
                        interagency coordination and support mechanisms 
                        with respect to providing a robust national 
                        biodefense; and
                            ``(iii) predicting, modeling, preventing, 
                        mitigating, and eliminating biological threats 
                        that may impact the national security of the 
                        United States.
                    ``(I) Any other matters the Directorate may 
                determine necessary.
    ``(h) National Strategy Combating Biodefense Misinformation.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Directorate shall--
                    ``(A) jointly develop a national strategy with 
                respect to combating public health misinformation and 
                disinformation that threatens the national security, 
                and associated implementation plan, including a review 
                and assessment of Federal government communications 
                policies, practices, programs and initiatives;
                    ``(B) with respect to developing such strategy and 
                plan, engage stakeholders, including social media 
                companies, news media organizations, public health 
                practitioners, and members of the academic community; 
                and
                    ``(C) review and, as appropriate, revise the 
                strategy every 6 months.
            ``(2) Elements.--The strategy and associated implementation 
        plan required under paragraph (1) shall include each of the 
        following:
                    ``(A) An inventory and assessment of all existing 
                strategies, plans, policies, laws, and interagency 
                agreements with respect to Federal communications 
                relating to biodefense.
                    ``(B) A description of the current programs, 
                efforts, or activities of the United States Government 
                with respect to countering the spread of misinformation 
                and disinformation relating to biological threats.
                    ``(C) A description of the roles and 
                responsibilities of the Executive Agencies, including 
                internal and external coordination procedures, with 
                respect to--
                            ``(i) communicating information relating to 
                        biodefense; and
                            ``(ii) countering the spread of 
                        misinformation and disinformation relating to 
                        biodefense.
                    ``(D) An articulation of related or required 
                interagency capabilities and whole-of-Government 
                activities required to support the national strategy 
                for countering the spread of misinformation and 
                disinformation relating to biological threats.
                    ``(E) Recommendations with respect to predicting, 
                preventing, mitigating, and eliminating the spread of 
                misinformation and disinformation relating to 
                biological threats that may impact the national 
                security of the United States.
                    ``(F) Recommendations for improving and formalizing 
                interagency coordination and supporting processes with 
                respect to providing robust Federal communications 
                relating to biodefense.
                    ``(G) Recommendations for public-private 
                partnerships between social media companies and Federal 
                agencies to counter the spread of misinformation and 
                disinformation relating to biological threats on social 
                media platforms.
                    ``(H) Specific and practice-based strategies and 
                guidance with respect to Federal and State 
                communications relating to biological threats.
                    ``(I) Any other matters the Directorate may 
                determine necessary.
    ``(i) Report.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
        of the enactment of this section and annually thereafter, the 
        Directorate shall submit to the National Security Council and 
        appropriate congressional committees a report including the 
        strategy and associated implementation plans required by 
        subsections (f) and (g).
            ``(2) Form.--Each report required under paragraph (1) shall 
        be submitted in unclassified form, but may include a classified 
        annex.
    ``(j) GAO Review.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
        on which the report is submitted pursuant to subsection (i), 
        the Comptroller General of the United States shall complete a 
        review of such report.
            ``(2) Report.--Not later than 90 days after the date on 
        which the Comptroller General completes the report required 
        under paragraph (1), the Comptroller General shall submit to 
        the appropriate congressional committees a report that 
        includes--
                    ``(A) the identification of gaps in such strategies 
                and plans; and
                    ``(B) recommendations to address such gaps.
    ``(k) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    ``(A) the congressional defense committees;
                    ``(B) the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
                House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, 
                Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate;
                    ``(C) the Committee on Homeland Security of the 
                House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland 
                Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; and
                    ``(D) the Committee on Agriculture of the House of 
                Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, 
                Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate.
            ``(2) Biodefense.--The term `biodefense' includes actions 
        to counter biological threats, reduce risks, and prepare for, 
        respond to, and recover from biological incidents.
            ``(3) Biological threat.--The term `biological threat' 
        includes biological warfare, bioterrorism, naturally occurring 
        infectious diseases, and accidental exposures.
            ``(4) Misinformation.--The term `misinformation' means 
        information that is materially incorrect in the context of 
        scientific information of the time.
            ``(5) Disinformation.--The term `disinformation' means 
        information that is intentionally materially incorrect in the 
        context of scientific information of the time.''.
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