What This Bill Does
This law requires the Director of National Intelligence to release secret information about the origins of COVID-19 to the public. Congress believes that finding out how COVID-19 started is important to prevent similar pandemics in the future, and that the public should have access to as much information as possible on this topic.
Who It Affects
The Director of National Intelligence (the person who oversees all U.S. intelligence agencies) is directly responsible for carrying out this law. Congress and the American public are the intended recipients of the released information.
Key Provisions
- The Director of National Intelligence must release all secret information about possible connections between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and COVID-19's origins within 90 days of this law taking effect (Sec. 3).
- The information to be released includes activities the Wuhan Institute of Virology performed with or for the People's Liberation Army (Sec. 3).
- The information to be released includes coronavirus research and other related activities at the Wuhan Institute of Virology before COVID-19 broke out (Sec. 3).
- The information must include details about researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology who got sick in autumn 2019, including their names, symptoms, when symptoms started, their job roles, and hospital visits (Sec. 3).
- The Director must submit an unclassified report to Congress with all this information, with only those sections hidden that are needed to protect intelligence sources and methods (Sec. 3).
What Changes
Information currently kept secret about COVID-19's possible origins becomes public, specifically information connected to the Wuhan Institute of Virology.
Important Definitions
None defined in bill text.
137 STAT. 4
PUBLIC LAW 118–2—MAR. 20, 2023
Public Law 118–2
118th Congress
An Act
To require the Director of National Intelligence to declassify information relating
to the origin of COVID–19, 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 ‘‘COVID–19 Origin Act of 2023’’.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that—
(1) identifying the origin of Coronavirus Disease 2019
(COVID–19) is critical for preventing a similar pandemic from
occurring in the future;
(2) there is reason to believe the COVID–19 pandemic
may have originated at the Wuhan Institute of Virology; and
(3) the Director of National Intelligence should declassify
and make available to the public as much information as pos-
sible about the origin of COVID–19 so the United States and
like-minded countries can—
(A) identify the origin of COVID–19 as expeditiously
as possible, and
(B) use that information to take all appropriate meas-
ures to prevent a similar pandemic from occurring again.
SEC. 3. DECLASSIFICATION OF INFORMATION RELATED TO THE
ORIGIN OF COVID–19.
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Director of National Intelligence shall—
(1) declassify any and all information relating to potential
links between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the origin
of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID–19), including—
(A) activities performed by the Wuhan Institute of
Virology with or on behalf of the People’s Liberation Army;
(B) coronavirus research or other related activities per-
formed at the Wuhan Institute of Virology prior to the
outbreak of COVID–19; and
(C) researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology
who fell ill in autumn 2019, including for any such
researcher—
(i) the researcher’s name;
(ii) the researcher’s symptoms;
(iii) the date of the onset of the researcher’s symp-
toms;
Deadline.
COVID–19
Origin Act of
2023.
50 USC 3161
note.
Mar. 20, 2023
[S. 619]
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137 STAT. 5
PUBLIC LAW 118–2—MAR. 20, 2023
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY—S. 619:
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD, Vol. 169 (2023):
Mar. 1, considered and passed Senate.
Mar. 10, considered and passed House.
DAILY COMPILATION OF PRESIDENTIAL DOCUMENTS (2023):
Mar. 20, Presidential statement.
Æ
(iv) the researcher’s role at the Wuhan Institute
of Virology;
(v) whether the researcher was involved with or
exposed to coronavirus research at the Wuhan Institute
of Virology;
(vi) whether the researcher visited a hospital while
they were ill; and
(vii) a description of any other actions taken by
the researcher that may suggest they were experi-
encing a serious illness at the time; and
(2) submit to Congress an unclassified report that con-
tains—
(A) all of the information described under paragraph
(1); and
(B) only such redactions as the Director determines
necessary to protect sources and methods.
Approved March 20, 2023.
Reports.
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