Global Wildlife Health and Pandemic Prevention Act

II 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION S. 3759 To close high risk wildlife markets and prevent wildlife disease transmission globally, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES MAY 19, 2020 Mr. COONS (for himself and Mr. GRAHAM) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations A BILL To close high risk wildlife markets and prevent wildlife disease transmission globally, 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; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 3 (a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 4 ‘‘Global Wildlife Health and Pandemic Prevention Act’’. 5 (b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 6 this Act is as follows: 7 Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. Sec. 2. Definitions. Sec. 3. Findings. Sec. 4. Sense of Congress. Sec. 5. Closing high risk wildlife markets. Sec. 6. Preventing outbreaks of diseases of wildlife origin. Sec. 7. Authorization of appropriations. VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:31 Jun 08, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6211 E:\BILLS\S3759.IS S3759 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •S 3759 IS SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 1 In this Act: 2 (1) EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASE.—The 3 term ‘‘emerging infectious disease’’ means an infec- 4 tious disease whose incidence in humans has in- 5 creased in the past two decades or threatens to in- 6 crease in the near future. 7 (2) HIGH RISK WILDLIFE MARKETS.—The term 8 ‘‘high risk wildlife markets’’ means any commercial 9 market that sells or processes wildlife for human 10 consumption, whether the animals originated in the 11 wild or in a captive situation, and where— 12 (A) the species of wildlife or regulation of 13 the market is determined under section 6(a)(1) 14 to be a risk factor for zoonotic disease spread 15 to humans or is linked with the global illegal 16 trade in wildlife; or 17 (B) the manner of processing the wildlife 18 is determined under section 6(a)(1) to be a risk 19 factor for zoonotic disease spread to humans. 20 (3) ONE HEALTH.—The term ‘‘One Health’’ 21 means a collaborative and transdisciplinary approach 22 to achieving optimal health outcomes that recognizes 23 the interconnection between people, animals, plants, 24 and their shared environment. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:31 Jun 08, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3759.IS S3759 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •S 3759 IS (4) SPILLOVER EVENT.—The term ‘‘spillover 1 event’’ means the transmission of a pathogen from 2 one species to another that was not previously a host 3 for that pathogen. 4 (5) ZOONOTIC DISEASE.—The term ‘‘zoonotic 5 disease’’ means any disease that is naturally trans- 6 missible from vertebrate animals to humans. 7 SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 8 Congress makes the following findings: 9 (1) According to the Centers for Disease Con- 10 trol and Prevention, the majority of emerging infec- 11 tious diseases in recent years have originated in 12 wildlife, and the rate of outbreaks of these diseases 13 is increasing. 14 (2) Zoonotic disease spillover events can occur 15 from unnatural interaction between human and wild- 16 life populations or between wildlife populations with- 17 out human presence. 18 (3) The collection, production, trade, and sale 19 of wildlife for human consumption can be a serious 20 risk factor for spillover events, particularly if it in- 21 volves animal species not typically in close proximity 22 to humans or to each other, living under poorly reg- 23 ulated and stressful conditions that exacerbate the 24 shedding of zoonotic pathogens. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:31 Jun 08, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3759.IS S3759 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •S 3759 IS (4) Changing land use practices and human ex- 1 pansion into wildlife habitat also increase opportuni- 2 ties for contact between wildlife and humans that 3 can lead to disease transmission. 4 (5) Markets where wildlife is sold for human 5 consumption are found in many countries through- 6 out the world, and in some cases these products rep- 7 resent the only accessible source of protein for com- 8 munities; therefore, sustainable production of alter- 9 native protein should be supported in such commu- 10 nities in order to reduce need or demand for wildlife 11 as a food source. 12 (6) The human, economic, and security costs of 13 global pandemics and regional epidemics of zoonotic 14 diseases and emerging infectious diseases is over- 15 whelming. It is believed that the COVID–19 pan- 16 demic will result in tens of thousands of deaths and 17 trillions of dollars in economic damage to the United 18 States alone. 19 SEC. 4. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 20 It is the sense of Congress that— 21 (1) the United States Government should 22 prioritize actions that lead to the immediate and 23 permanent closure of high risk wildlife markets 24 around the world; and 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:31 Jun 08, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3759.IS S3759 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 5 •S 3759 IS (2) the United States Government should utilize 1 a One Health approach to emerging zoonotic and in- 2 fectious disease prevention, detection, reporting, and 3 response that leverages expertise across public 4 health, epidemiology, wildlife and biodiversity con- 5 servation, food security, and veterinary medicine de- 6 signed to eliminate the risk of future such zoonotic 7 and emerging infectious disease epidemics and 8 pandemics. 9 SEC. 5. CLOSING HIGH RISK WILDLIFE MARKETS. 10 (a) CLOSURE OF MARKETS.—The Department of 11 State, the United States Agency for International Devel- 12 opment, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, and 13 the Department of Agriculture, in collaboration with other 14 relevant United States agencies, shall— 15 (1) prioritize the closure of high risk wildlife 16 markets around the world and associated activities 17 as part of United States diplomatic efforts; 18 (2) provide support for other governments 19 around the world in their efforts to close high risk 20 wildlife markets; 21 (3) work with other governments and multilat- 22 eral organizations, through appropriate existing 23 treaties and conventions, to develop agreements or 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:31 Jun 08, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3759.IS S3759 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 6 •S 3759 IS protocols around closing high risk wildlife markets; 1 and 2 (4) coordinate these activities with existing 3 United States Government efforts to combat wildlife 4 trafficking, including— 5 (A) providing assistance to combat corrup- 6 tion, strengthen governance, and build law en- 7 forcement capacity abroad; 8 (B) aiding countries in detecting and de- 9 terring illegal import, transit, and export of 10 wildlife; 11 (C) improving information sharing in order 12 to halt wildlife trade that may spread zoonotic 13 disease and emerging infectious disease; and 14 (D) reducing demand for wildlife and wild- 15 life products, including by increasing access to 16 alternative protein sources for food insecure 17 communities. 18 (b) NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL MEASURES.—The 19 National Security Council, in consultation with the United 20 States Agency for International Development, the Centers 21 for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States 22 Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Department of Agri- 23 culture, shall develop policies and mechanisms to support 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:31 Jun 08, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3759.IS S3759 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 7 •S 3759 IS the closure of high risk wildlife markets and associated 1 activities globally. 2 (c) SANCTIONS.— 3 (1) FINDINGS WARRANTING SANCTIONS.—If the 4 Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Interior, or 5 the Secretary of Agriculture finds that a country is 6 continuing to willfully harbor high risk wildlife mar- 7 kets, including a failure to enforce relevant laws and 8 regulations, the Secretary making such finding shall 9 certify such finding to the President and shall report 10 this certification within 15 days to Congress. 11 (2) ACTIONS.—Upon the receipt of any certifi- 12 cation made under subsection (c), the President 13 may— 14 (A) prohibit the import of any products 15 from the offending country, to the extent that 16 such prohibition is permitted under current 17 trade agreements; 18 (B) freeze assets of any government offi- 19 cials from the offending country; or 20 (C) impose travel bans and visa restric- 21 tions on any government officials from the of- 22 fending country. 23 (d) EXCEPTIONS.—In carrying out this section, lim- 24 ited exceptions shall be considered if necessary to meet 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:31 Jun 08, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3759.IS S3759 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 8 •S 3759 IS the nutritional, subsistence, or cultural needs and rights 1 of indigenous peoples or communities dependent on wild- 2 life for food security. 3 SEC. 6. PREVENTING OUTBREAKS OF DISEASES OF WILD- 4 LIFE ORIGIN. 5 (a) INTEGRATING HUMAN, ANIMAL, AND ENVIRON- 6 MENTAL HEALTH.—The Department of State, the United 7 States Agency for International Development, the Centers 8 for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States 9 Fish and Wildlife Service, the United States Geological 10 Survey, and the Department of Agriculture, in collabora- 11 tion with other relevant United States agencies as appro- 12 priate, shall leverage public health, animal health, and en- 13 vironmental health expertise to— 14 (1) identify high risk wildlife markets for the 15 purposes of carrying out section 5; 16 (2) coordinate an integrated, Federal govern- 17 ment-wide approach to global zoonotic disease pre- 18 paredness, surveillance, and response; 19 (3) support efforts to better understand the 20 connection between human and wildlife health; 21 (4) promote a multi-sectoral approach that co- 22 ordinates global health, food security, and biodiver- 23 sity activities; 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:31 Jun 08, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3759.IS S3759 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 9 •S 3759 IS (5) strengthen global capacity for detection of 1 zoonotic diseases with pandemic potential by— 2 (A) supporting institutions that can pre- 3 vent and provide early detection of zoonotic out- 4 breaks; 5 (B) investing in laboratory diagnostic ca- 6 pability and workforce training; 7 (C) supporting surveillance at locations at 8 high risk of spillover events; and 9 (D) preventing biodiversity loss and eco- 10 system degradation that can lead to zoonotic 11 disease transmission; 12 (6) invest in food security efforts that aim to— 13 (A) eliminate public health threats from 14 zoonotic disease spillover events; 15 (B) prevent biodiversity loss and species 16 extinction; and 17 (C) protect food insecure communities 18 from loss of access to protein that may result 19 from closure of high risk wildlife markets and 20 efforts to reduce demand for wildlife as a food 21 source; and 22 (7) take action to minimize the human-wildlife 23 interface in the wild, including by— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:31 Jun 08, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3759.IS S3759 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 10 •S 3759 IS (A) preventing the degradation and frag- 1 mentation of intact ecosystems; 2 (B) restoring the integrity of degraded and 3 fragmented ecosystems; 4 (C) supporting effective indigenous and 5 local stewardship of traditional territories; 6 (D) supporting national and subnational 7 governments in effectively managing their pro- 8 tected areas; 9 (E) helping enforce current laws that pro- 10 tect wildlife; and 11 (F) investing in risk reduction and commu- 12 nity education programs that reduce demand 13 for wildlife as a food source and increase access 14 to alternative protein sources. 15 (b) IDENTIFICATION OF HIGH RISK WILDLIFE MAR- 16 KETS.—In carrying out subsection (a)(1), the following 17 factors shall be considered: 18 (1) Wildlife markets that are regulated under 19 national and international veterinary standards for 20 slaughter shall not be considered high risk wildlife 21 markets. 22 (2) Mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians of 23 wild origin, whether removed directly from the wild 24 or bred in captivity, shall be considered wildlife for 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:31 Jun 08, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3759.IS S3759 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 11 •S 3759 IS the purposes of identifying high risk wildlife mar- 1 kets. 2 (c) GLOBAL HEALTH FUNDING PLAN.—The Sec- 3 retary of State and the Administrator of the United States 4 Agency for International Development shall include infor- 5 mation about zoonotic disease preparedness and surveil- 6 lance in the reports required under section 406(b) of the 7 Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental 8 Appropriations Act, 2020 (Public Law 116–123). 9 SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 10 The following amounts are authorized to be appro- 11 priated for fiscal year 2021 to carry out the activities out- 12 lined in this Act: 13 (1) $100,000,000 for State International Nar- 14 cotics Control and Law Enforcement. 15 (2) $50,000,000 for the Fish and Wildlife Serv- 16 ice Office of Law Enforcement. 17 (3) $20,000,000 for the Fish and Wildlife Serv- 18 ice Office of International Affairs. 19 (4) $40,000,000 for the United States Geologi- 20 cal Survey National Wildlife Health Center. 21 (5) $30,000,000 for the USDA National Ani- 22 mal Health Laboratory Network. 23 (6) $200,000,000 for USAID Global Health Se- 24 curity Programs. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:31 Jun 08, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3759.IS S3759 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 12 •S 3759 IS (7) $125,000,000 for USAID Food Security 1 Programs. 2 (8) $500,000,000 for USAID Biodiversity Pro- 3 grams. 4 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:31 Jun 08, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S3759.IS S3759 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS