Detection and Response to Emerging Highly Communicable Infectious Disease Events Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 6505 To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to clarify the role of the National Biosurveillance Integration Center of the Department of Home- land Security regarding an emerging highly communicable infectious dis- ease event of national concern, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 14, 2020 Ms. JACKSON LEE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to clarify the role of the National Biosurveillance Integration Cen- ter of the Department of Homeland Security regarding an emerging highly communicable infectious disease event of national concern, 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 ‘‘Detection and Re- 4 sponse to Emerging Highly Communicable Infectious Dis- 5 ease Events Act’’. 6 VerDate Sep 11 2014 18:10 Apr 21, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6505.IH H6505 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 6505 IH SEC. 2. NATIONAL BIOSURVEILLANCE INTEGRATION CEN- 1 TER. 2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (c) of section 316 of 3 the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 195b) is 4 amended by inserting ‘‘, including an emerging highly 5 communicable infectious disease event,’’ after ‘‘biological 6 event’’. 7 (b) REPORTING.—Section 316 of the Homeland Se- 8 curity Act of 2002 is amended by— 9 (1) redesignating subsections (h) through (j) as 10 subsections (i) through (k), respectively; and 11 (2) inserting after subsection (g) the following 12 new subsection: 13 ‘‘(h) REPORTING.—The Directing Officer of the 14 NBIC shall report to the National Security Council, the 15 Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Rep- 16 resentatives, and the Committee on Homeland Security 17 and Governmental Affairs of the Senate within 72 hours 18 of confirmation of an emerging highly communicable infec- 19 tious disease event of national concern being detected.’’. 20 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:52 Apr 22, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H6505.IH H6505 pamtmann on DSKBC07HB2PROD with BILLS