Title: Ebola Eradication Act of 2019
Policy area: International Affairs

Summary:
Ebola Eradication Act of 2019
This bill directs the U.S. Agency for International Development to immediately provide assistance to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and other vulnerable countries to combat the Ebola outbreak that began in August 2018.
In November 2018, the President restricted all non-humanitarian and non-trade-related aid to the DRC due to concerns that the country is not taking sufficient steps to combat human trafficking.


[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3085 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3085

To authorize activities to combat the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic 
             Republic of the Congo, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 4, 2019

   Ms. Bass introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize activities to combat the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic 
             Republic of the Congo, 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 ``Ebola Eradication Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic 
        of the Congo, which began in August 2018 in eastern Congo, is 
        the second largest in history and has a reported 1,778 
        confirmed total cases, and 1,153 confirmed deaths.
            (2) Despite the use of preventive tools and new 
        therapeutics, insecurity and community resistance to response 
        efforts remain major obstacles to ending the current Ebola 
        outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the 
        outbreak continues to spread.
            (3) Hospitals, health clinics, and Ebola clinics have been 
        repeatedly attacked by armed actors.
            (4) On February 28, 2019, Doctors Without Borders suspended 
        its work in Ebola epicenters after two treatment centers were 
        attacked.
            (5) On April 19, 2019, Dr. Richard Valery Mouzoko Kiboung, 
        an epidemiologist from Cameroon deployed by the World Health 
        Organization to eastern Congo to help stop the outbreak, was 
        killed in an attack on Butembo University Hospital.
            (6) Healthcare workers responding to Ebola have expressed 
        concerns about their ability to continue working on the 
        response given the complex security situation.
            (7) If the outbreak is not brought under control, it risks 
        spreading across the border to neighboring countries and 
        endangering millions of people.
            (8) The Administration released a November 29, 2018, 
        Presidential Memorandum implementing aid restrictions to most 
        countries on Tier III of the 2018 Trafficking In Persons (TIP) 
        report that fully restricted non-humanitarian, non-trade 
        related aid to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
            (9) Paragraphs (4) and (5) of section 110(d) of the 
        Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 
        7107(d)(4)) authorize the continuation of assistance in Tier 
        III countries if such assistance is determined to be in the 
        national interest of the United States.
            (10) Section 110(d)(5)(B) of the Trafficking Victims 
        Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107(d)(5)(B)) states, ``The 
        President shall exercise the [waiver] authority under paragraph 
        (4) when necessary to avoid significant adverse effects on 
        vulnerable populations, including women and children.''.
            (11) The President has not exercised the waiver authority 
        provided for in section 110(d)(5)(B) of the Trafficking in 
        Victims Protection Act of 2000 in relation to health, 
        education, or community outreach activities essential to the 
        success of the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the 
        Congo.
            (12) It is in the national interest of the United States to 
        help control and end the current Ebola outbreak in the 
        Democratic Republic of the Congo before it spreads.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION TO ADDRESS THE EBOLA OUTBREAK IN THE DEMOCRATIC 
              REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding section 110 of the Trafficking 
Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107), the Administrator of 
the United States Agency for International Development shall 
immediately provide assistance, including multi-sectoral, non-
humanitarian, and non-trade related foreign assistance, to the 
Democratic Republic of the Congo and other vulnerable countries to 
effectively combat the Ebola outbreak that began in August 2018. 
Subject to the availability of appropriations, such assistance shall be 
provided at levels commensurate with both the threat posed by the Ebola 
outbreak and an effective response. Activities to expand and improve 
access to communities heavily affected by the Ebola outbreak should be 
prioritized under this section.
    (b) Report to Congress.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the United States 
Agency for International Development shall submit to the Committee on 
Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
the House of Representatives a report--
            (1) describing the actions the Administrator has taken and 
        plans to take under section 3(a) to end the Ebola outbreak in 
        eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo; and
            (2) proposing any additional legal authorities required to 
        improve the response to the Ebola outbreak in eastern 
        Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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