Title: Establishing the Joint Select Committee on the Events and Activities Surrounding China's Handling of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus.
Policy area: Congress

Summary:
This concurrent resolution establishes the Joint Select Committee on the Events and Activities Surrounding China's Handling of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus to investigate and report to Congress and the executive branch, including recommendations on

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 97 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. CON. RES. 97

 Establishing the Joint Select Committee on the Events and Activities 
      Surrounding China's Handling of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 17, 2020

   Mr. Barr submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
                   referred to the Committee on Rules

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
 Establishing the Joint Select Committee on the Events and Activities 
      Surrounding China's Handling of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus.

    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring),

SECTION 1. ESTABLISHMENT.

    There is hereby established in the Senate and the House of 
Representatives a joint select committee to be known as the ``Joint 
Select Committee on the Events and Activities Surrounding China's 
Handling of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus'' (hereafter referred to as the 
``Joint Select Committee'').

SEC. 2. MEMBERSHIP.

    (a) Selection and Appointment.--
            (1) In general.--The Joint Select Committee shall be 
        composed of 20 Members of the House of Representatives and 
        Senate, of whom--
                    (A) 10 shall be Members of the House of 
                Representatives, of whom 5 shall be appointed by the 
                Speaker of the House of Representatives and 5 shall be 
                appointed by the minority leader of the House of 
                Representatives; and
                    (B) 10 shall be Senators, of whom 5 shall be 
                appointed by the majority leader of the Senate and 5 
                shall be appointed by the minority leader of the 
                Senate.
            (2) Treatment of delegate and resident commissioner.--For 
        purposes of this section, a ``Member'' of the House of 
        Representatives includes a Delegate or Resident Commissioner to 
        the Congress.
    (b) Co-chairs.--Two of the members of the Joint Select Committee 
shall serve as co-chairs of the Joint Select Committee, and shall be 
appointed as follows:
            (1) One shall be a Member of the House of Representatives, 
        who shall be appointed as co-chair by the Speaker of the House 
        of Representatives in consultation with the minority leader of 
        the House of Representatives.
            (2) One shall be a Senator, who shall be appointed as co-
        chair by the majority leader of the Senate in consultation with 
        the minority leader of the Senate.
    (c) Vacancies.--A vacancy in the membership of the Joint Select 
Committee (including a vacancy resulting because a member ceases to be 
a Member of the House of Representatives or a Senator) shall not affect 
its powers, and shall be filled not later than 14 calendar days after 
the date on which the vacancy occurs in the same manner as the original 
appointment was made.
    (d) Deadlines.--Members of the Joint Select Committee and the co-
chairs of the Joint Select Committee shall be appointed not later than 
14 calendar days after the date of the adoption of this concurrent 
resolution.

SEC. 3. INVESTIGATION AND REPORT ON THE EVENTS SURROUNDING CHINA'S 
              HANDLING OF THE 2019 NOVEL CORONAVIRUS.

    (a) Investigation and Report.--The Joint Select Committee is 
authorized and directed to conduct a full and complete investigation 
of, and to issue a final report to the House of Representatives and 
Senate regarding, the following:
            (1) The origins and causes of the 2019 novel coronavirus.
            (2) All policies, decisions, and activities by China 
        regarding the origins and causes of such coronavirus.
            (3) All policies, decisions, and activities by China in 
        response to the initial outbreak and spread of such 
        coronavirus.
            (4) All policies, decisions, and activities by China to 
        suppress facts and information regarding the spread, origins, 
        causes, and transmission of such coronavirus, including efforts 
        to silence those making early warnings, punish whistleblowers, 
        and restrict freedom of information about such coronavirus.
            (5) All policies, decisions, and activities by China to 
        spread misinformation regarding the origins and causes of such 
        coronavirus, including accusations and misinformation that the 
        coronavirus was brought to the city of Wuhan by the United 
        States military.
            (6) All policies, decisions, and activities by China to 
        sideline, deny, and suppress charitable service organizations, 
        institutions of civil society, secular and faith-based non-
        governmental organizations, international humanitarian 
        organizations, and foreign governments offering to provide 
        information, expertise, resources, and assistance to China and 
        the Chinese people to combat such coronavirus.
            (7) Accountability for policies, decisions and activities 
        related to influencing the World Health Organization's response 
        to the outbreak of such coronavirus, including individuals and 
        entities responsible for those policies, decisions, and 
        activities.
            (8) All policies, decisions, and activities by China to 
        manufacture, produce, procure, possess, or hoard personal 
        protective equipment and critical pharmaceutical components to 
        manipulate or weaponize the supply chain against the 
        international community, including the United States.
            (9) Vulnerabilities in the United States domestic and 
        global supply chain to combat a global pandemic due to reliance 
        on Chinese manufacturing and recommendations for decreasing 
        dependence on Chinese manufacturing by improving and securing a 
        domestic supply chain for antibiotics, viral drugs, critical 
        pharmaceutical components, masks, and other personal protective 
        equipment.
            (10) Information related to lessons learned from China's 
        handling of such coronavirus.
            (11) Any other relevant issues relating to China's actions 
        that led to further spread of such coronavirus, China's 
        response to such coronavirus, or the investigation by the Joint 
        Select Committee into China regarding such coronavirus.
            (12) Any recommendations to Congress and the executive 
        branch regarding actions the United States government should 
        take in response to China's handling of such coronavirus.
    (b) Transfer of Records.--At the request of the co-chairs of the 
Joint Select Committee, any standing committee of the Senate or House 
of Representatives having custody of records in any form relating to 
the matters described in subsection (a) shall transfer such records to 
the Joint Select Committee.
    (c) Interim Reports.--In addition to the final report issued under 
subsection (a), the Joint Select Committee may issue such interim 
reports as it considers necessary.
    (d) Classified Annex.--The Joint Select Committee may include a 
classified annex in any report issued under this section.
    (e) Definitions.--
            (1) China.--In this section, the term ``China'' means the 
        Government of the People's Republic of China and any of the 
        following:
                    (A) An official of the Chinese Communist Party.
                    (B) An official of the Government of the People's 
                Republic of China.
                    (C) An agent or instrumentality of the Government 
                of the People's Republic of China.
                    (D) Any other person owned or controlled by or 
                acting on behalf of any person described in 
                subparagraphs (A) through (C).
            (2) 2019 novel coronavirus.--In this subsection, the term 
        ``2019 novel coronavirus'' means the coronavirus disease 
        (COVID-19) and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 
        (SARS-CoV-2).

SEC. 4. POWERS.

    (a) Hearings and Other Activities.--For the purpose of carrying out 
its duties, the Joint Select Committee may hold such hearings and 
undertake such other activities as the Joint Select Committee 
determines to be necessary to carry out its duties, whether the 
Congress is in session, has recessed, or has adjourned.
    (b) Authority To Use Subpoenas.--The Joint Select Committee may 
require by subpoena the attendance of such witnesses and the production 
of such books, papers, and documents, as it considers appropriate.
    (c) Access to Legislative Branch Services.--The Joint Select 
Committee shall have access to the services of the Government 
Accountability Office, the Congressional Budget Office, and the 
Congressional Research Service in the same manner and under the same 
terms and conditions as any standing committee of the House of 
Representatives or Senate.
    (d) Adoption of Rules.--Not later than 7 days after all of its 
members have been appointed, the Joint Select Committee shall adopt 
rules governing its operations, including rules governing the issuance 
of subpoenas and rules governing the use of official funds for travel 
by members and staff, and shall submit such rules to the Clerk of the 
House of Representatives and Secretary of the Senate for publication in 
the Congressional Record.

SEC. 5. STAFF; FUNDING.

    (a) Staff.--
            (1) Use of existing staff.--To the greatest extent 
        practicable, the Joint Select Committee shall utilize the 
        services of staff of employing offices of the Senate and House 
        of Representatives.
            (2) Authority to appoint staff.--
                    (A) In general.--Each of the co-chairs of the Joint 
                Select Committee may appoint, prescribe the duties and 
                responsibilities of, and fix the pay of such staff as 
                the co-chair considers appropriate to assist the Joint 
                Select Committee in carrying out its duties, so long as 
                the number of staff appointed by one of the co-chairs 
                does not exceed the number of staff appointed by the 
                other co-chair.
                    (B) Detail of congressional employees.--Upon the 
                joint request of the co-chairs, the head of an 
                employing office of the House of Representatives or 
                Senate (including a joint committee of the Congress) is 
                authorized to detail, without reimbursement, any of the 
                staff of the office to the Joint Select Committee to 
                assist the Joint Select Committee in carrying out its 
                duties.
            (3) Experts and consultants.--Section 202(i) of the 
        Legislative Reorganization Act of 1946 (2 U.S.C. 4301(i)) shall 
        apply with respect to the Joint Select Committee in the same 
        manner as such section applies with respect to a standing 
        committee of the Senate, except that any consultant whose 
        services are procured by the Joint Select Committee shall be 
        selected jointly by the co-chairs of the Joint Select 
        Committee.
    (b) Funding.--
            (1) Vouchers.--Payments for expenses of the Joint Select 
        Committee shall be made using vouchers authorized by the Joint 
        Select Committee, signed by co-chairs of the Joint Select 
        Committee, and approved in a manner directed by the Committee 
        on Rules and Administration of the Senate and the Committee on 
        House Administration of the House of Representatives.
            (2) Source of funds.--There are authorized to be 
        appropriated such sums as may be necessary for the operation of 
        the Joint Select Committee, of which--
                    (A) 50 percent shall be derived from the applicable 
                accounts of the House of Representatives; and
                    (B) 50 percent shall be derived from the contingent 
                fund of the Senate.

SEC. 6. TERMINATION.

    (a) Termination Date.--The Joint Select Committee shall terminate 
30 days after filing the final report required under section 3.
    (b) Transfer of Records.--Upon termination of the Joint Select 
Committee, the records of the Joint Select Committee shall be 
transferred to--
            (1) such committee or committees of the House of 
        Representatives as may be designated by the Speaker of the 
        House of Representatives; and
            (2) such committee or committees of the Senate as my be 
        designated by the President pro tempore of the Senate.
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