Ebola Eradication Act of 2019

IC 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 1340 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SEPTEMBER 24, 2019 Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs AN ACT To authorize activities to combat the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:40 Sep 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1340.RFH S1340 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 S 1340 RFH SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 1 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ebola Eradication Act 2 of 2019’’. 3 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 4 Congress makes the following findings: 5 (1) The current Ebola outbreak in the Demo- 6 cratic Republic of the Congo, which began in August 7 2018 in eastern Congo, is the second largest in his- 8 tory and has resulted in over 1,600 cases and 1,000 9 deaths. 10 (2) Despite the use of preventive tools and new 11 therapeutics, insecurity and community resistance to 12 response efforts remain major obstacles to ending 13 the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Re- 14 public of the Congo, and the outbreak continues to 15 spread. 16 (3) Hospitals, health clinics, and Ebola clinics 17 have been repeatedly attacked by armed actors. 18 (4) On February 28, 2019, Doctors Without 19 Borders suspended its work in Ebola epicenters after 20 two treatment centers were attacked. 21 (5) On April 19, 2019, Dr. Richard Valery 22 Mouzoko Kiboung, an epidemiologist from Cameroon 23 deployed by the World Health Organization to east- 24 ern Congo to help stop the outbreak, was killed in 25 an attack on Butembo University Hospital. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:40 Sep 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1340.RFH S1340 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 3 S 1340 RFH (6) Healthcare workers responding to Ebola 1 have expressed concerns about their ability to con- 2 tinue working on the response given the complex se- 3 curity situation. 4 (7) If the outbreak is not brought under con- 5 trol, it risks spreading across the border to neigh- 6 boring countries and endangering millions of people. 7 (8) The Administration released a November 8 29, 2018, Presidential Memorandum implementing 9 aid restrictions to most countries on Tier III of the 10 2018 Trafficking In Persons (TIP) report that fully 11 restricted non-humanitarian, non-trade related aid to 12 the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 13 (9) Paragraphs (4) and (5) of section 110(d) of 14 the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 15 U.S.C. 7107(d)(4) and (5)) authorize the continu- 16 ation of assistance in Tier III countries if such as- 17 sistance is determined to be in the national interest 18 of the United States. 19 (10) Section 110(d)(5)(B) of the Trafficking 20 Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 21 7107(d)(5)(B)) states, ‘‘The President shall exercise 22 the [waiver] authority under paragraph (4) when 23 necessary to avoid significant adverse effects on vul- 24 nerable populations, including women and children.’’. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:40 Sep 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1340.RFH S1340 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 4 S 1340 RFH (11) The President has not exercised the waiver 1 authority provided for in section 110(d)(5)(B) of the 2 Trafficking in Victims Protection Act of 2000 in re- 3 lation to health, education, or community outreach 4 activities essential to the success of the Ebola re- 5 sponse in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 6 (12) It is in the national interest of the United 7 States to help control and end the current Ebola 8 outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo 9 before it spreads. 10 SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION TO ADDRESS THE EBOLA OUT- 11 BREAK IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF 12 THE CONGO. 13 (a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding section 110 of 14 the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 15 7107), and subject to the availability of appropriations, 16 the Administrator of the United States Agency for Inter- 17 national Development shall immediately provide assist- 18 ance, including targeted foreign assistance under chapters 19 1 and 10 of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 20 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et seq.; 22 U.S.C. 2293 et seq.) for global 21 health and activities necessary to respond to the threat 22 posed by Ebola, and under chapter 4 of part II of the 23 Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2346 et seq.), 24 to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:40 Sep 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1340.RFH S1340 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 5 S 1340 RFH and Burundi to effectively combat the Ebola outbreak that 1 began in August 2018, including water and sanitation in- 2 frastructure, global health activities, public messaging and 3 other critical activities necessary for ending the outbreak. 4 Such assistance shall be provided at levels commensurate 5 both to address the threat posed by the Ebola outbreak 6 and conduct activities necessary for an effective response. 7 Activities to expand and improve access to communities 8 heavily affected by the Ebola outbreak should be 9 prioritized under this section. 10 (b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 30 days 11 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Adminis- 12 trator of the United States Agency for International De- 13 velopment shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Rela- 14 tions of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs 15 of the House of Representatives a report— 16 (1) describing the actions the Administrator has 17 taken and plans to take under section 3(a) to end 18 the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic 19 of the Congo; and 20 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:40 Sep 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1340.RFH S1340 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 6 S 1340 RFH (2) proposing any additional legal authorities 1 required to improve the response to the Ebola out- 2 break in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. 3 Passed the Senate September 23, 2019. Attest: JULIE E. ADAMS, Secretary. VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:40 Sep 25, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1340.RFH S1340 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS