[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3489 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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117th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3489
To establish or continue a multidisciplinary research program to
advance the discovery and preclinical development of medical products
for priority virus families and other viral pathogens with a
significant potential to cause a pandemic, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 12 (legislative day, January 10), 2022
Mr. Burr (for himself and Mr. Hickenlooper) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health,
Education, Labor, and Pensions
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish or continue a multidisciplinary research program to
advance the discovery and preclinical development of medical products
for priority virus families and other viral pathogens with a
significant potential to cause a pandemic, 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. RESEARCH CENTERS FOR PATHOGENS OF PANDEMIC CONCERN.
Subpart 6 of part C of title IV of the Public Health Service Act is
amended by inserting after section 447C (42 U.S.C. 285f-4) the
following:
``SEC. 447D. RESEARCH CENTERS FOR PATHOGENS OF PANDEMIC CONCERN.
``(a) In General.--The Director of the Institute, in collaboration,
as appropriate, with the directors of applicable institutes, centers,
and divisions of the National Institutes of Health, and the Director of
the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, shall
establish or continue a multidisciplinary research program to advance
the discovery and preclinical development of medical products for
priority virus families and other viral pathogens with a significant
potential to cause a pandemic, through support for research centers.
``(b) Uses of Funds.--The Director of the Institute shall award
funding through grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to public
or private entities, or consortia of such entities, to provide support
for research centers described in subsection (a) for the purpose of--
``(1) conducting basic research through preclinical
development of new medical products or technologies, including
platform technologies, to address pathogens of pandemic
concern;
``(2) identifying potential targets for therapeutic
candidates, including antivirals, to treat such pathogens;
``(3) identifying existing medical products with the
potential to address such pathogens, including candidates that
could be used in outpatient settings; and
``(4) carrying out or supporting other research related to
medical products to address such pathogens, as determined
appropriate by the Director.
``(c) Coordination.--The Director of the Institute shall, as
appropriate, provide for the coordination of activities among the
centers described in subsection (a), including through--
``(1) facilitating the exchange of information and regular
communication among the centers, as appropriate; and
``(2) requiring the periodic preparation and submission to
the Director of reports on the activities of each center.
``(d) Priority.--In awarding funding through grants, contracts, or
cooperative agreements under subsection (a), the Director of the
Institute shall, as appropriate, give priority to applicants with
existing frameworks and partnerships, as applicable, to support the
advancement of such research.
``(e) Collaboration.--The Director of the Institute shall--
``(1) collaborate with the heads of other appropriate
Federal departments, agencies, and offices with respect to the
identification of additional priority virus families and other
viral pathogens with a significant potential to cause a
pandemic; and
``(2) collaborate with the Director of the Biomedical
Advanced Research and Development Authority with respect to the
research conducted by centers described in subsection (a),
including, as appropriate, providing any updates on the
research advancements made by such centers, identifying any
advanced research and development needs for such
countermeasures, consistent with section 319L(a)(6), and taking
into consideration existing manufacturing capacity and future
capacity needs for such medical products or technologies,
including platform technologies, supported by the centers
described in subsection (a).
``(f) Supplement, Not Supplant.--Any support received by a center
described in subsection (a) under this section shall be used to
supplement, and not supplant, other public or private support for
activities authorized to be supported.''.
SEC. 2. IMPROVING MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURE RESEARCH COORDINATION.
Section 402(b) in the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 282(b))
is amended--
(1) in paragraph (24), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in paragraph (25), by striking the period and inserting
a semicolon; and
(3) by inserting after paragraph (25) the following:
``(26) shall consult with the Assistant Secretary for
Preparedness and Response, the Director of the Biomedical
Advanced Research and Development Authority, the Director of
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the heads
of other Federal agencies and offices, as appropriate,
regarding research needs to advance medical countermeasures to
diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or treat harm from any biological
agent or toxin, including emerging infectious diseases,
chemical, radiological, or nuclear agent that may cause a
public health emergency or other research needs related to
emerging public health threats.''.
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