Compensation for the Victims of State Misrepresentations to the World Health Organization Act of 2023

Bill: 118-hr-1519
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Smith, Christopher H. [R-NJ-4]
Introduced: 2023-03-09
Policy area: International Affairs
Latest action: action_date: 2023-03-09
text: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Summaries:
action_date: 2023-03-09
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Compensation for the Victims of State Misrepresentations to the World Health Organization Act of 2023</b></p> <p>This bill revises an exception to the jurisdictional immunity of a foreign state to allow an action seeking money damages against a foreign state for personal injury, death, or other damage resulting from certain misrepresentations related to infectious disease made by the state to the World Health Organization.</p>

tv_txt: I 118th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1519 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 9, 2023 Mr. Smith of New Jersey (for himself and Mr. Burgess ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To provide justice for victims of foreign state misrepresentation to the World Health Organization, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Compensation for the Victims of State Misrepresentations to the World Health Organization Act of 2023 . 2. Findings (a) Findings Congress finds the following: (1) There is a role for an international organization to help mitigate infectious diseases that respect no boundaries. (2) The United States depends on an effective World Health Organization (WHO) to make good, well informed, and transparent public health decisions to contain infectious diseases. (3) In the past, the WHO played a critical role in addressing and mitigating infectious diseases, such as the 1979 eradication of smallpox, which eradication the WHO coordinated through a sustained global effort. (4) Without accurate information, the WHO cannot advise Member States properly on the risks posed by infectious diseases. (5) There are credible reports that in 2006, 2009, and 2011 the Government of Ethiopia misrepresented the nature and seriousness of cholera epidemics in that country to the WHO with a view towards minimizing the potential damage to their economy. (A) Those misrepresentations diminished the WHO’s effectiveness and the WHO transmitted inaccurate and misleading information regarding the presence of cholera to participating states. (B) Other Member States relied on the misleading and inaccurate information that the WHO communicated to them to formulate public health policy, resulting in loss of life, injury, and damage to property and commercial interests to citizens outside of Ethiopia as a consequence of that country’s misrepresentations to the WHO. (6) There are credible reports that WHO Member States misrepresented facts concerning the Ebola outbreak to that organization with a view towards minimizing the commercial impact that a widely disseminated understanding of the risks posed by the Ebola epidemic may have caused in their individual economies. (A) Those misrepresentations diminished the WHO’s effectiveness, and the WHO transmitted inaccurate and misleading information regarding the communicability of Ebola to participating States. (B) Other Member States relied on the misleading and inaccurate information that the WHO communicated to them to formulate public health policy, resulting in loss of life, injury, and damage to property and commercial interests to citizens outside of the misrepresenting States as a consequence of those countries’ misrepresentations to the WHO. (7) During the onset of the COVID–19 pandemic, China misrepresented the seriousness and nature of the novel coronavirus to the WHO, with a view towards minimizing the potential damage to their economy and international reputation. (A) Those misrepresentations diminished the WHO’s effectiveness and the WHO transmitted inaccurate and misleading information regarding the communicability of the novel coronavirus to participating States. (B) Other Member States relied on the misleading and inaccurate information that the WHO communicated to them to formulate public health policy, resulting in loss of life, injury, and damage to property and commercial interests to citizens outside of China as a consequence of that country’s misrepresentations to the WHO. (8) In failing to relay accurate information to Member States particularly at the onset of the COVID–19 pandemic, Director-General Tedros relied on false information provided by the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party that the virus either could not be transmitted human-to-human or had a low rate of transmission, and based on such reliance, failed to thoroughly investigate the origins of the COVID–19 virus as well as contrary evidence of whistleblowers such as Li Wenliang regarding the virus’s transmissibility and lethality, thereby abetting the People’s Republic of China’s efforts to suppress information regarding a global health emergency. To date he has failed to hold the People’s Republic of China accountable to International Health Regulations, which apply to all WHO members, and mandate accurate reporting of disease outbreaks. 3. Responsibility of foreign states for loss of life, injury, or other damages resulting from certain misrepresentations to the World Health Organization (a) In general Section 1605(a)(5) of title 28, United States Code, is amended by striking in which money damages are sought against a foreign state for personal injury or death, or damage to or loss of property, occurring in the United States and caused by the tortious act or omission of that foreign state or of any official or employee of that foreign state while acting within the scope of his office or employment; and inserting in which money damages are sought against a foreign state, for personal injury or death, or damage to or loss of property, occurring in the United States as a result of a willful or grossly negligent misrepresentation of information to the World Health Organization of the nature, seriousness, or communicability of an infections disease or other tortious act or omission of that foreign state or of any official or employee of that foreign state while acting within the scope of his office or employment; . (b) Conforming amendment Section 1605(a)(5)(B) of title 28, United States Code, is amended by striking misrepresentation, deceit, . (c) Effective date The amendment made by this section shall take effect 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.