Strategic National Stockpile Enhancement and Transparency Act

Bill: 116-hr-6607
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8]
Introduced: 2020-04-23
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Advanced technology and technological innovations

Computers and information technology

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Emergency planning and evacuation

Health technology, devices, supplies

Immunology and vaccination

State and local government operations

Strategic materials and reserves
Latest action: action_date: 2020-04-23
text: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-04-23
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Strategic National Stockpile Enhancement and Transparency Act</b></p> <p>This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish, and award grants to states for the implementation of, the National Emergency Biodefense Network. HHS must coordinate with the Strategic National Stockpile and the National Biodefense Science Board in this effort. The network consists of state entities responsible for tracking and maintaining adequate supplies of drugs, medical devices, and other items necessary for the emergency health security of the United States. The network must be developed and implemented&nbsp;using a private blockchain (i.e., a distributed ledger technology). </p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6607 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 23, 2020 Mr. Lynch (for himself and Mr. Soto ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish, in coordination with the Director of the strategic national stockpile, the National Emergency Biodefense Network, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Strategic National Stockpile Enhancement and Transparency Act . 2. National Emergency Biodefense Network (a) In general Part B of title III of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 243 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 319F–4 ( 42 U.S.C. 247d–6e ) the following: 319F–5. National Emergency Biodefense Network (a) In general Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall establish, in coordination with the strategic national stockpile under section 319F–2 and the National Biodefense Science Board established under section 319M, a network of State entities to be known as the National Emergency Biodefense Network (referred to in this section as the Network ) to, with respect to drugs, vaccines and other biological products, medical devices, and other supplies necessary for the emergency health security of the United States— (1) track the availability of such supplies in each State and in the strategic national stockpile; and (2) maintain an adequate supply of such supplies in each State and in the strategic national stockpile. (b) Network requirement The Network shall be developed and implemented using a private blockchain. (c) Grants to States The Secretary shall award grants to States to enable States to establish an entity which shall— (1) serve as a statewide repository of the supplies referred to in subsection (a); and (2) provide for the tracking of the inventory and movement of such supplies using a private blockchain. (d) Blockchain In this section, the term blockchain means software that uses a distributed digital ledger of cryptographically signed transactions that are grouped into blocks, each of which— (1) is cryptographically linked to the previous block after validation and undergoing a consensus decision; and (2) when added as a new block, makes any older blocks more difficult to modify and is replicated across all copies of the ledger within the relevant network, with any conflicts in such blocks resolved automatically using established rules. (e) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to carry out this section $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2021 and 2022. .