[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1286 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1286
Expressing the sentiment of Congress that the Department of Health and
Human Services should declare the monkeypox outbreak a public health
emergency.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 26, 2022
Mr. Torres of New York (for himself, Mr. Nadler, Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr.
Quigley, Ms. Velazquez, Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of New York, Mr. Evans,
Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Tonko, Mr. Espaillat, Ms. Jacobs of California, Ms.
Meng, Ms. Strickland, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. Bass, Mrs. Watson
Coleman, Mr. Suozzi, Mr. Jones, and Mr. Bowman) submitted the following
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing the sentiment of Congress that the Department of Health and
Human Services should declare the monkeypox outbreak a public health
emergency.
Whereas the Secretary of Health and Human Services may, under section 319 of the
Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d), determine that (1) a disease
or disorder presents a public health emergency or (2) a public health
emergency, including significant outbreaks of infectious disease or
bioterrorist attacks, otherwise exists, which allows the Secretary to
take certain discretionary actions in response to an acute threat to
public health;
Whereas these actions may include making grants, entering into contracts,
conducting and supporting investigations into the cause, treatment, or
prevention of the disease or disorder, providing supplies, equipment,
and services, and detailing employees of the Department of Health and
Human Services to the recipients of awards for carrying out activities
funded through their awards;
Whereas the Secretary of Health and Human Services may also use funds
appropriated to the Public Health Emergency Fund to immediately respond
to the public health emergency or potential public health emergency by
facilitating coordination among Federal, State, local, Tribal, and
territorial entities, and public and private health care entities,
making awards, supporting advanced research and development and
biosurveillance, supporting initial emergency operations related to
preparation and deployment of National Disaster Medical System teams,
and other actions determined appropriate and applicable by the
Secretary, and granting extensions or waiving sanctions relating to
submission of data or reports required under authority vested by law in
the Secretary, when the Secretary determines that as a result of the
public health emergency, individuals or public or private entities are
unable to comply with deadlines for such data or reports;
Whereas the World Health Organization has considered the monkeypox virus the
most important orthopoxvirus for public health since the eradication of
smallpox in 1980;
Whereas, since early May 2022, cases of monkeypox virus have been reported from
countries where the disease is not endemic, and most reported cases have
been identified thus far through sexual health or other health services
largely among the LGBTQ+ community;
Whereas the World Health Organization declared monkeypox a public health
emergency of international concern on July 24, 2022, and warned that the
virus could spread far beyond the LGBTQ+ community;
Whereas the World Health Organization has designated only two other diseases,
COVID-19 and polio, as public health emergencies of international
concern;
Whereas the United States has reported approximately 3,000 cases of monkeypox as
of July 25, 2022, a rate tenfold higher than case reports only one month
prior, which demonstrates a rapidly evolving public health threat, and
when there is an infectious disease outbreak, the Federal Government is
obligated to make vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics immediately
and widely available;
Whereas though the Federal Government had the resources available to curb the
spread of monkeypox, including millions of vaccine doses stockpiled, its
delays in approving distribution of both tests and vaccines allowed this
virus to entrench itself as a rapidly spreading rare disease;
Whereas the monkeypox virus, a highly containable disease, has now spread
uncontrollably for two months and become uncontainable, with a clear
risk of further national and international spread;
Whereas with the rapid and often underreported spread of infectious diseases
like COVID-19 and monkeypox, the Nation's public health infrastructure
has been proven tenuous;
Whereas as the Nation grapples with the radical restructuring of life in the
wake of COVID-19, we must now ensure that public health agencies like
the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, and the Food and Drug Administration are
vigilant in preparing the Nation for a worst case scenario;
Whereas the acute threat monkeypox poses to LGBTQ+ individuals and other
vulnerable populations must be treated with the seriousness and urgency
it deserves; and
Whereas it is critical that the United States deploy all necessary resources to
develop immunity in the population and stop the spread of this disease,
which will prevent another catastrophic public health emergency: Now,
therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) expresses concern about the rapid spread of monkeypox
in the United States and across the globe;
(2) urges the Department of Health and Human Services to
take all possible actions to deploy every resource available,
including testing, vaccines, and therapeutics, to aggressively
respond to the rapid spread of monkeypox; and
(3) recommends that the Secretary of Health and Human
Services declare a public health emergency for the monkeypox
virus.
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