[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1300 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
114th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1300
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 30, 2015
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security
and Governmental Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to make anthrax vaccines
and antimicrobials available to emergency response providers, 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 ``First Responder Anthrax Preparedness
Act''.
SEC. 2. PRE-EVENT ANTHRAX VACCINATION PROGRAM FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE
PROVIDERS.
(a) Anthrax Preparedness.--
(1) In general.--Title V of the Homeland Security Act of
2002 (Public Law 107-296; 6 U.S.C. 311 et seq.) is amended by
adding at the end the following new section:
``SEC. 526. ANTHRAX PREPAREDNESS.
``(a) Pre-Event Anthrax Vaccination Program for Emergency Response
Providers.--For the purpose of domestic preparedness for and collective
response to terrorism, the Secretary, in coordination with the
Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall establish a program to
provide anthrax vaccines from the strategic national stockpile under
section 319F-2(a) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d-
6b(a)) that will be nearing the end of their labeled dates of use at
the time such vaccines are to be administered to emergency response
providers who are at high risk of exposure to anthrax and who
voluntarily consent to such administration, and shall--
``(1) establish any necessary logistical and tracking
systems to facilitate making such vaccines so available;
``(2) distribute disclosures regarding associated benefits
and risks to end users; and
``(3) conduct outreach to educate emergency response
providers about the voluntary program.
``(b) Threat Assessment.--The Secretary shall--
``(1) support homeland security-focused risk analysis and
risk assessments of the threats posed by anthrax from an act of
terror;
``(2) leverage existing and emerging homeland security
intelligence capabilities and structures to enhance prevention,
protection, response, and recovery efforts with respect to an
anthrax terror attack; and
``(3) share information and provide tailored analytical
support on threats posed by anthrax to State, local, and tribal
authorities, as well as other national biosecurity and
biodefense stakeholders.''.
(2) Clerical amendment.--The table of contents in section
1(b) of such Act is amended by inserting at the end of the
items relating to title V the following new item:
``Sec. 526. Anthrax preparedness.''.
(b) Pilot Program.--
(1) In general.--In carrying out the pre-event vaccination
program authorized in section 526(a) of the Homeland Security
Act of 2002, as added by subsection (a), the Secretary of
Homeland Security, in coordination with the Secretary of Health
and Human Services, shall carry out a pilot program to provide
anthrax vaccines to emergency response providers as so
authorized. The duration of the pilot program shall be 24
months from the date the initial vaccines are administered to
participants.
(2) Preliminary requirements.--By not later than 1 year
after the date of the enactment of this Act, and prior to
implementing the pilot program under paragraph (1), the
Secretary of Homeland Security shall--
(A) establish a communication platform for the
pilot program;
(B) establish education and training modules for
the pilot program;
(C) conduct economic analysis of the pilot program;
and
(D) create a logistical platform for the anthrax
vaccine request process under the pilot program.
(3) Location.--In carrying out the pilot program under this
subsection, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall select
emergency response providers based in at least two States for
participation in the pilot program.
(4) Distribution of information.--The Secretary of Homeland
Security shall provide to each emergency response provider who
participates in the pilot program under this subsection
disclosures and educational materials regarding the associated
benefits and risks of any vaccine provided under the pilot
program and of exposure to anthrax.
(5) Report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter until 1 year
after the completion of the pilot program, the Secretary of
Homeland Security shall submit to the Committee on Homeland
Security and the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House
of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs of the Senate a report on the progress and
results of the pilot program, including the percentage of
eligible emergency response providers, as determined by each
pilot location, that volunteer to participate, the degree to
which participants obtain necessary vaccinations, as
appropriate, and recommendations to improve initial and
recurrent participation in the pilot program. The report shall
include a plan under which the Secretary plans to continue the
program to provide vaccines to emergency response providers
under section 526(a) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as
added by subsection (a).
(6) Deadline for implementation.--The Secretary of Homeland
Security shall begin implementing the pilot program under this
subsection by not later than the date that is 1 year after the
date of the enactment of this Act.
Passed the House of Representatives July 29, 2015.
Attest:
KAREN L. HAAS,
Clerk.