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Congress Passes Key Public Health and Countermeasures Development Legislation

By Crystal Franco, December 15, 2006

According to a bill action summary[1] on the Library of Congress Thomas website, the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (S 3678), was passed by the Senate on December 5 and by the House on December 9, 2006 during the final week of the lame duck session of Congress.[1] According to the text[2] of the bill, the bipartisan Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act aims “to amend the Public Health Service Act with respect to public health security and all-hazards preparedness and response”.[2] The legislation, which was first introduced to the Senate in July 2006 by Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina, was presented to the President on December 14, 2006 for his signature.[1]

According to a report[3] by GovExec, the new bill will clarify federal agency roles in preparing for and responding to a bioterrorism event or outbreak of infectious disease such as pandemic flu.[3] HHS is to take the lead on public health emergency preparedness and response and will be in charge of newly created, reorganized, and transplanted offices and systems such as the National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), GovExec reports.  According to the bill text,[2] S 3678 also establishes an Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), expand programs for state and local public health emergency preparedness, require the establishment of a nationwide system of electronic health records, and among other initiatives.[2] GovExec reports that S. 3678 also creates a new agency within HHS, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), to facilitate the development of new biodefense countermeasures.[3] The legislation also calls for the Secretary of HHS to create a plan within six months to address how BARDA will be integrated into existing biodefense and research and development efforts. According to GovExec, HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt emphasized that S. 3678 "supports [HHS] efforts to improve coordination of preparedness and response programs across the department."[3]

The Center for Biosecurity has prepared a comprehensive summary of the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act, which can be found on the Center’s website.

References

1. Bill Action Summary for S.3678. Library of Congress (Thomas).   Available at: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:SN03678:@@@X. Accessed December 15, 2006.
2. United States. Cong. Senate. 109th Congress, 2nd Session. S. 3678, A Bill to amend the Public Health Service Act. 109th Congress. Congressional Bills, GPO Access.  Available at:  http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=109_cong_bills&docid=f:s3678enr.txt.pdf.  Accessed December 15, 2006.
3. Bill creating HHS bioterror research agency on Bush's desk. GovExec.com December 15, 2006. Available at: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1206/121306j1.htm. Accessed December 15, 2006.