Ebola Eradication Act of 2019

I 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3085 To authorize activities to combat the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 4, 2019 Ms. BASS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs A BILL 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 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ebola Eradication Act 4 of 2019’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress makes the following findings: 7 (1) The current Ebola outbreak in the Demo- 8 cratic Republic of the Congo, which began in August 9 2018 in eastern Congo, is the second largest in his- 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:13 Jun 12, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3085.IH H3085 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •HR 3085 IH tory and has a reported 1,778 confirmed total cases, 1 and 1,153 confirmed deaths. 2 (2) Despite the use of preventive tools and new 3 therapeutics, insecurity and community resistance to 4 response efforts remain major obstacles to ending 5 the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Re- 6 public of the Congo, and the outbreak continues to 7 spread. 8 (3) Hospitals, health clinics, and Ebola clinics 9 have been repeatedly attacked by armed actors. 10 (4) On February 28, 2019, Doctors Without 11 Borders suspended its work in Ebola epicenters after 12 two treatment centers were attacked. 13 (5) On April 19, 2019, Dr. Richard Valery 14 Mouzoko Kiboung, an epidemiologist from Cameroon 15 deployed by the World Health Organization to east- 16 ern Congo to help stop the outbreak, was killed in 17 an attack on Butembo University Hospital. 18 (6) Healthcare workers responding to Ebola 19 have expressed concerns about their ability to con- 20 tinue working on the response given the complex se- 21 curity situation. 22 (7) If the outbreak is not brought under con- 23 trol, it risks spreading across the border to neigh- 24 boring countries and endangering millions of people. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:13 Jun 12, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3085.IH H3085 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •HR 3085 IH (8) The Administration released a November 1 29, 2018, Presidential Memorandum implementing 2 aid restrictions to most countries on Tier III of the 3 2018 Trafficking In Persons (TIP) report that fully 4 restricted non-humanitarian, non-trade related aid to 5 the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 6 (9) Paragraphs (4) and (5) of section 110(d) of 7 the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 8 U.S.C. 7107(d)(4)) authorize the continuation of as- 9 sistance in Tier III countries if such assistance is 10 determined to be in the national interest of the 11 United States. 12 (10) Section 110(d)(5)(B) of the Trafficking 13 Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 14 7107(d)(5)(B)) states, ‘‘The President shall exercise 15 the [waiver] authority under paragraph (4) when 16 necessary to avoid significant adverse effects on vul- 17 nerable populations, including women and children.’’. 18 (11) The President has not exercised the waiver 19 authority provided for in section 110(d)(5)(B) of the 20 Trafficking in Victims Protection Act of 2000 in re- 21 lation to health, education, or community outreach 22 activities essential to the success of the Ebola re- 23 sponse in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:13 Jun 12, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3085.IH H3085 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •HR 3085 IH (12) It is in the national interest of the United 1 States to help control and end the current Ebola 2 outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo 3 before it spreads. 4 SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION TO ADDRESS THE EBOLA OUT- 5 BREAK IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF 6 THE CONGO. 7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding section 110 of 8 the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 9 7107), the Administrator of the United States Agency for 10 International Development shall immediately provide as- 11 sistance, including multi-sectoral, non-humanitarian, and 12 non-trade related foreign assistance, to the Democratic 13 Republic of the Congo and other vulnerable countries to 14 effectively combat the Ebola outbreak that began in Au- 15 gust 2018. Subject to the availability of appropriations, 16 such assistance shall be provided at levels commensurate 17 with both the threat posed by the Ebola outbreak and an 18 effective response. Activities to expand and improve access 19 to communities heavily affected by the Ebola outbreak 20 should be prioritized under this section. 21 (b) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 30 days 22 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Adminis- 23 trator of the United States Agency for International De- 24 velopment shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Rela- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:13 Jun 12, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3085.IH H3085 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 5 •HR 3085 IH tions of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs 1 of the House of Representatives a report— 2 (1) describing the actions the Administrator has 3 taken and plans to take under section 3(a) to end 4 the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic 5 of the Congo; and 6 (2) proposing any additional legal authorities 7 required to improve the response to the Ebola out- 8 break in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. 9 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 04:13 Jun 12, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H3085.IH H3085 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS