Securing America From Epidemics Act

Bill: 116-hr-6334
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Bera, Ami [D-CA-7]
Introduced: 2020-03-23
Policy area: International Affairs
Subjects: Chemical and biological weapons

Congressional oversight

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Health promotion and preventive care

Immunology and vaccination

Infectious and parasitic diseases

International organizations and cooperation

Medical research

Public-private cooperation

Research and development

World health
Latest action: action_date: 2020-11-30
text: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-03-23
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Securing America From Epidemics Act</b></p> <p>This bill authorizes the United States to participate in the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), an alliance of countries and private partners whose mission is to finance and coordinate the development of vaccines for high-priority, epidemic-potential threats.</p> <p>The President must submit a report outlining (1) planned U.S. contributions to, and participation in, CEPI; (2) the manner and extent to which the United States shall participate in the governance of CEPI; and (3) how participation in CEPI supports U.S. government strategies and programs in health security and biodefense. </p>

action_date: 2020-11-18
action_desc: Passed House
text: <p><b>Securing America From Epidemics Act</b></p> <p>This bill authorizes the United States to participate in the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), an alliance of countries and private partners whose mission is to finance and coordinate the development of vaccines for high-priority, epidemic-potential threats.</p> <p>The President must submit a report outlining (1) planned U.S. contributions to, and participation in, CEPI; (2) the manner and extent to which the United States shall participate in the governance of CEPI; and (3) how participation in CEPI supports U.S. government strategies and programs in health security and biodefense. </p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6334 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 23, 2020 Mr. Bera (for himself and Mr. Yoho ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs A BILL To authorize United States participation in the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Securing America From Epidemics Act . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Due to increasing population and population density, human mobility, and ecological change, emerging infectious diseases pose a real and growing threat to global health security. (2) While vaccines can be the most effective tools to protect against infectious disease, the absence of vaccines for a new or emerging infectious disease with epidemic potential is a major health security threat globally, posing catastrophic potential human and economic costs. (3) The 1918 influenza pandemic infected 500,000,000 people, or about one-third of the world’s population at the time, and killed 50,000,000 people—more than died in the First World War. (4) The economic cost of an outbreak can be devastating. The estimated global cost today, should an outbreak of the scale of the 1918 influenza pandemic strike, is 5 percent of global gross domestic product. (5) Even regional outbreaks can have enormous human costs and substantially disrupt the global economy and cripple regional economies. The 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa killed more than 11,000 and cost $2,800,000,000 in losses in the affected countries alone. (6) The ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak reflects the pressing need for quick and effective vaccine and countermeasure development. (7) While the need for vaccines to address emerging epidemic threats is acute, markets to drive the necessary development of vaccines to address them—a complex and expensive undertaking—are very often critically absent. Also absent are mechanisms to ensure access to those vaccines by those who need them when they need them. (8) To address this global vulnerability and the deficit of political commitment, institutional capacity, and funding, in 2017, several countries and private partners launched the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). CEPI’s mission is to stimulate, finance, and coordinate development of vaccines for high-priority, epidemic-potential threats in cases where traditional markets do not exist or cannot create sufficient demand. (9) Through funding of partnerships, CEPI seeks to bring priority vaccines candidates through the end of phase II clinical trials, as well as support vaccine platforms that can be rapidly deployed against emerging pathogens. (10) CEPI has funded multiple partners to develop vaccine candidates against the novel coronavirus, responding to this urgent, global requirement. (11) Support for and participation in CEPI is an important part of the United States own health security and biodefense and is in the national interest, complementing the work of many Federal agencies and providing significant value through global partnership and burden-sharing. 3. Authorization for United States participation (a) In general The United States is hereby authorized to participate in the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. (b) Privileges and immunities The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations shall be considered a public international organization for purposes of section 1 of the International Organizations Immunities Act ( 22 U.S.C. 288 ). (c) Reports to Congress Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that includes the following: (1) The United States planned contributions to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and the mechanisms for United States participation in such Coalition. (2) The manner and extent to which the United States shall participate in the governance of the Coalition. (3) How participation in the Coalition supports relevant United States Government strategies and programs in health security and biodefense, to include— (A) the Global Health Security Strategy required by section 7058(c)(3) of division K of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 ( Public Law 115–141 ); (B) the applicable revision of the National Biodefense Strategy required by section 1086 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 ( 6 U.S.C. 104 ); and (C) any other relevant decision-making process for policy, planning, and spending in global health security, biodefense, or vaccine and medical countermeasures research and development. (d) Appropriate congressional committees In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees means— (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6334 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AN ACT To authorize United States participation in the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Securing America From Epidemics Act . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Due to increasing population and population density, human mobility, and ecological change, emerging infectious diseases pose a real and growing threat to global health security. (2) While vaccines can be the most effective tools to protect against infectious disease, the absence of vaccines for a new or emerging infectious disease with epidemic potential is a major health security threat globally, posing catastrophic potential human and economic costs. (3) The 1918 influenza pandemic infected 500,000,000 people, or about one-third of the world’s population at the time, and killed 50,000,000 people—more than died in the First World War. (4) The economic cost of an outbreak can be devastating. The estimated global cost today, should an outbreak of the scale of the 1918 influenza pandemic strike, is 5 percent of global gross domestic product. (5) Even regional outbreaks can have enormous human costs and substantially disrupt the global economy and cripple regional economies. The 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa killed more than 11,000 and cost $2,800,000,000 in losses in the affected countries alone. (6) The ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak reflects the pressing need for quick and effective vaccine and countermeasure development. (7) While the need for vaccines to address emerging epidemic threats is acute, markets to drive the necessary development of vaccines to address them—a complex and expensive undertaking—are very often critically absent. Also absent are mechanisms to ensure access to those vaccines by those who need them when they need them. (8) To address this global vulnerability and the deficit of political commitment, institutional capacity, and funding, in 2017, several countries and private partners launched the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). CEPI’s mission is to stimulate, finance, and coordinate development of vaccines for high-priority, epidemic-potential threats in cases where traditional markets do not exist or cannot create sufficient demand. (9) Through funding of partnerships, CEPI seeks to bring priority vaccines candidates through the end of phase II clinical trials, as well as support vaccine platforms that can be rapidly deployed against emerging pathogens. (10) CEPI has funded multiple partners to develop vaccine candidates against the novel coronavirus, responding to this urgent, global requirement. (11) Support for and participation in CEPI is an important part of the United States own health security and biodefense and is in the national interest, complementing the work of many Federal agencies and providing significant value through global partnership and burden-sharing. 3. Authorization for United States participation (a) In general The United States is hereby authorized to participate in the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. (b) Board of directors The Administrator for the United States Agency for International Development is authorized to designate an employee to serve on the Investors Council of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations as a representative of the United States. (c) Reports to Congress Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that includes the following: (1) The United States planned contributions to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and the mechanisms for United States participation in such Coalition. (2) The manner and extent to which the United States shall participate in the governance of the Coalition. (3) How participation in the Coalition supports relevant United States Government strategies and programs in health security and biodefense, to include— (A) the Global Health Security Strategy required by section 7058(c)(3) of division K of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 ( Public Law 115–141 ); (B) the applicable revision of the National Biodefense Strategy required by section 1086 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 ( 6 U.S.C. 104 ); and (C) any other relevant decision-making process for policy, planning, and spending in global health security, biodefense, or vaccine and medical countermeasures research and development. (d) United States contributions Amounts authorized to be appropriated under chapters 1 and 10 of part I and chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 ( 22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) are authorized to be made available for United States contributions to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. (e) Appropriate congressional committees In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees means— (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.

Passed the House of Representatives November 18, 2020. Cheryl L. Johnson, Clerk.

tv_txt: IIB 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6334 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES November 30, 2020 Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations AN ACT To authorize United States participation in the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Securing America From Epidemics Act . 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Due to increasing population and population density, human mobility, and ecological change, emerging infectious diseases pose a real and growing threat to global health security. (2) While vaccines can be the most effective tools to protect against infectious disease, the absence of vaccines for a new or emerging infectious disease with epidemic potential is a major health security threat globally, posing catastrophic potential human and economic costs. (3) The 1918 influenza pandemic infected 500,000,000 people, or about one-third of the world’s population at the time, and killed 50,000,000 people—more than died in the First World War. (4) The economic cost of an outbreak can be devastating. The estimated global cost today, should an outbreak of the scale of the 1918 influenza pandemic strike, is 5 percent of global gross domestic product. (5) Even regional outbreaks can have enormous human costs and substantially disrupt the global economy and cripple regional economies. The 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa killed more than 11,000 and cost $2,800,000,000 in losses in the affected countries alone. (6) The ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak reflects the pressing need for quick and effective vaccine and countermeasure development. (7) While the need for vaccines to address emerging epidemic threats is acute, markets to drive the necessary development of vaccines to address them—a complex and expensive undertaking—are very often critically absent. Also absent are mechanisms to ensure access to those vaccines by those who need them when they need them. (8) To address this global vulnerability and the deficit of political commitment, institutional capacity, and funding, in 2017, several countries and private partners launched the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). CEPI’s mission is to stimulate, finance, and coordinate development of vaccines for high-priority, epidemic-potential threats in cases where traditional markets do not exist or cannot create sufficient demand. (9) Through funding of partnerships, CEPI seeks to bring priority vaccines candidates through the end of phase II clinical trials, as well as support vaccine platforms that can be rapidly deployed against emerging pathogens. (10) CEPI has funded multiple partners to develop vaccine candidates against the novel coronavirus, responding to this urgent, global requirement. (11) Support for and participation in CEPI is an important part of the United States own health security and biodefense and is in the national interest, complementing the work of many Federal agencies and providing significant value through global partnership and burden-sharing. 3. Authorization for United States participation (a) In general The United States is hereby authorized to participate in the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. (b) Board of directors The Administrator for the United States Agency for International Development is authorized to designate an employee to serve on the Investors Council of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations as a representative of the United States. (c) Reports to Congress Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that includes the following: (1) The United States planned contributions to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and the mechanisms for United States participation in such Coalition. (2) The manner and extent to which the United States shall participate in the governance of the Coalition. (3) How participation in the Coalition supports relevant United States Government strategies and programs in health security and biodefense, to include— (A) the Global Health Security Strategy required by section 7058(c)(3) of division K of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 ( Public Law 115–141 ); (B) the applicable revision of the National Biodefense Strategy required by section 1086 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 ( 6 U.S.C. 104 ); and (C) any other relevant decision-making process for policy, planning, and spending in global health security, biodefense, or vaccine and medical countermeasures research and development. (d) United States contributions Amounts authorized to be appropriated under chapters 1 and 10 of part I and chapter 4 of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 ( 22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.) are authorized to be made available for United States contributions to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. (e) Appropriate congressional committees In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees means— (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.

Passed the House of Representatives November 18, 2020. Cheryl L. Johnson, Clerk