Title: To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a program for the development of rapid and cost-effective medical countermeasures to pandemics, and for other purposes.
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
This bill requires the Department of Defense to implement a program for the development of rapid and cost-effective medical countermeasures to pandemics.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8897 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8897

   To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a program for the 
  development of rapid and cost-effective medical countermeasures to 
                   pandemics, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 8, 2020

  Mr. Gosar introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of Defense to carry out a program for the 
  development of rapid and cost-effective medical countermeasures to 
                   pandemics, 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. PANDEMIC PREVENTION PLATFORM.

    (a) Designation.--The Secretary of Defense shall designate a lead 
within the Department of Defense to implement and advance a program for 
the development of rapid and cost-effective medical countermeasures to 
pandemics.
    (b) Objectives.--The Secretary shall ensure that the program 
carries out the following within 60 days of identifying a virus or 
other pathogen that may cause a pandemic with the goal of reducing this 
time frame to 28 days:
            (1) Grow the virus or other pathogen.
            (2) Identify an antibody or biologic product that targets 
        the virus or other pathogen for use in a medical 
        countermeasure.
            (3) Evolve the antibody or biologic product for increased 
        potency.
            (4) Clinical grade product manufacturing.
            (5) Deliver the product to patients to induce protection in 
        fewer than three days following administration.
            (6) Any other objective the Secretary of Defense deems 
        necessary.
    (c) Collaboration and Information Sharing.--In carrying out this 
section, the Secretary of Defense--
            (1) may collaborate with such Secretaries pursuant to the 
        National Biodefense Strategy under section 1086 of the National 
        Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (6 U.S.C. 104);
            (2) shall ensure that information from the program is 
        shared with such Secretaries pursuant to the National 
        Biodefense Strategy under section 1086 of the National Defense 
        Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (6 U.S.C. 104); and
            (3) through regular, structured, and close consultation 
        with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the 
        Secretary of Homeland Security, shall ensure that the 
        activities of the Department of Defense in carrying out the 
        program are coordinated with, complement, and do not 
        unnecessarily duplicate activities of other Federal agencies 
        pursuant to the National Biodefense Strategy under section 1086 
        of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 
        (6 U.S.C. 104).
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