What This Bill Does
This bill requires the Director of National Intelligence to release classified information about the origin of COVID-19 to the public. The bill specifically focuses on potential connections between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the COVID-19 pandemic. Congress states that identifying the pandemic's origin is important for preventing similar pandemics in the future.
Who It Affects
The Director of National Intelligence is directly responsible for carrying out this bill's requirements. Congress will receive the declassified report. The American public will have access to the released information.
Key Provisions
• The Director of National Intelligence must release classified information about possible links between the Wuhan Institute of Virology and the origin of COVID-19 within 90 days after the bill becomes law (Sec. 3).
• The Director must declassify information about activities the Wuhan Institute of Virology performed with or for the People's Liberation Army (Sec. 3).
• The Director must declassify information about coronavirus research conducted at the Wuhan Institute of Virology before COVID-19 spread (Sec. 3).
• The Director must declassify detailed information about researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology who became ill in autumn 2019, including their names, symptoms, illness onset dates, job roles and hospital visits (Sec. 3).
• The Director must submit an unclassified report to Congress containing all declassified information, with only limited redactions allowed to protect intelligence sources and methods (Sec. 3).
What Changes
Currently classified information about the Wuhan Institute of Virology and COVID-19's origin becomes publicly available. Congress receives an unclassified report with this information within 90 days of the law taking effect.
Important Definitions
Declassify means to officially release information that was previously kept secret by the government. Redactions means removing or covering up specific information before release.
Effective Date
The 90-day deadline for declassification begins after the bill becomes law. The exact date this bill becomes law is not specified in the bill text.
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION H. R. 1346
To require the Director of National Intelligence to declassify information
relating to the origin of COVID–19, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 3, 2023
Mr. GALLAGHER (for himself, Ms. STEFANIK, Mr. STEWART, Mr. RUTHER-
FORD, Mr. CLOUD, Mr. GREEN of Tennessee, Mr. BIGGS, Mr. PFLUGER,
and Mr. WEBSTER of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was
referred to the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and in addi-
tion to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be sub-
sequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of
such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
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 Representa-
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tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
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This Act may be cited as the ‘‘COVID–19 Origin Act
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of 2023’’.
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SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
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It is the sense of Congress that—
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•HR 1346 IH
(1) identifying the origin of Coronavirus Dis-
1
ease 2019 (COVID–19) is critical for preventing a
2
similar pandemic from occurring in the future;
3
(2) there is reason to believe the COVID–19
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pandemic may have originated at the Wuhan Insti-
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tute of Virology; and
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(3) the Director of National Intelligence should
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declassify and make available to the public as much
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information as possible about the origin of COVID–
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19 so the United States and like-minded countries
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can—
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(A) identify the origin of COVID–19 as ex-
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peditiously as possible, and
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(B) use that information to take all appro-
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priate measures to prevent a similar pandemic
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from occurring again.
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SEC. 3. DECLASSIFICATION OF INFORMATION RELATED TO
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THE ORIGIN OF COVID–19.
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Not later than 90 days after the date of the enact-
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ment of this Act, the Director of National Intelligence
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shall—
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(1) declassify any and all information relating
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to potential links between the Wuhan Institute of Vi-
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rology and the origin of the Coronavirus Disease
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2019 (COVID–19), including—
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•HR 1346 IH
(A) activities performed by the Wuhan In-
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stitute of Virology with or on behalf of the Peo-
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ple’s Liberation Army;
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(B) coronavirus research or other related
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activities performed at the Wuhan Institute of
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Virology prior to the outbreak of COVID–19;
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and
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(C) researchers at the Wuhan Institute of
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Virology who fell ill in autumn 2019, including
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for any such researcher—
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(i) the researcher’s name;
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(ii) the researcher’s symptoms;
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(iii) the date of the onset of the re-
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searcher’s symptoms;
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(iv) the researcher’s role at the
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Wuhan Institute of Virology;
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(v) whether the researcher was in-
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volved with or exposed to coronavirus re-
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search at the Wuhan Institute of Virology;
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(vi) whether the researcher visited a
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hospital while they were ill; and
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(vii) a description of any other actions
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taken by the researcher that may suggest
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they were experiencing a serious illness at
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the time; and
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•HR 1346 IH
(2) submit to Congress an unclassified report
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that contains—
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(A) all of the information described under
3
paragraph (1); and
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(B) only such redactions as the Director
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determines necessary to protect sources and
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methods.
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Æ
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