Safe Indoor Spaces Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 8315 To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a program to award a financial prize to persons who successfully develop a system or device that makes enclosed sections of a building safer during the COVID–19 public health emergency, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SEPTEMBER 18, 2020 Mr. HARDER of California (for himself, Mrs. MURPHY of Florida, Ms. SHERRILL, Mr. TRONE, Ms. HOULAHAN, Mr. O’HALLERAN, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, and Ms. SPANBERGER) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a program to award a financial prize to persons who successfully develop a system or device that makes enclosed sections of a building safer during the COVID– 19 public health emergency, 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 ‘‘Safe Indoor Spaces 4 Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:37 Oct 05, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8315.IH H8315 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 8315 IH SEC. 2. COVID–19 TECHNOLOGY PRIZE. 1 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary of Health and 2 Human Services (in this Act referred to as the ‘‘Sec- 3 retary’’) shall establish a program to award a financial 4 prize to persons who successfully develop a system or de- 5 vice for use during the COVID–19 public health emer- 6 gency that meets the criteria under subsection (b). 7 (b) CRITERIA.—To be eligible to receive a prize under 8 this section, a person must develop a system or device that 9 meets the following: 10 (1) Inactivates or eliminates all traces of air- 11 borne SARS–CoV–2 from the air of an enclosed sec- 12 tion of a building. 13 (2) Decreases the rate of transmission of 14 SARS–CoV–2 in an enclosed section of a building to 15 a rate of transmission of SARS–CoV–2 that is com- 16 parable to an outdoor setting. 17 (3) Able to be installed in or service an enclosed 18 section of a building or the ventilation systems of a 19 building, including— 20 (A) schools; 21 (B) public buildings; and 22 (C) most types of buildings used as places 23 of work. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:37 Oct 05, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8315.IH H8315 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 8315 IH (4) With respect to public buildings, able to be 1 installed in or service not fewer than 150,000 build- 2 ings in not less than 6 months. 3 (5) Maintains or increases the cost of control- 4 ling the environment of a building by not more than 5 10 percent. 6 (c) ESTABLISHMENT OF BOARD.— 7 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish 8 a board to advise the Secretary with respect to the 9 program established under subsection (a). 10 (2) MEMBERSHIP.—The board shall be com- 11 posed of 5 members appointed by the Secretary, in- 12 cluding— 13 (A) a public health expert; 14 (B) an individual with experience in edu- 15 cation; 16 (C) an individual who represents small 17 businesses; and 18 (D) an engineer with expertise in public 19 health. 20 (d) FINANCIAL AWARD.—Based on the advice of the 21 board established under subsection (c), the Secretary shall 22 make each award under the program established under 23 subsection (a) in an amount equal to or less than 24 $5,000,000. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:37 Oct 05, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8315.IH H8315 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 8315 IH (e) INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY.—The Federal Gov- 1 ernment may not acquire an intellectual property right in 2 any product or idea by virtue of the submission of such 3 product or idea in the prize competition under this section. 4 (f) COVID–19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.—In 5 this section, the term ‘‘COVID–19 public health emer- 6 gency’’ means a public health emergency for which a dec- 7 laration is in effect under section 319 of the Public Health 8 Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d), with respect to COVID– 9 19. 10 (g) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 11 (1) IN GENERAL.—There is authorized to be 12 appropriated to carry out this Act $5,250,000 for 13 fiscal year 2021. 14 (2) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES.—Not more 15 than $250,000 of the amount appropriated under 16 paragraph (1) for a fiscal year may be used for ad- 17 ministrative expenses incurred in carrying out this 18 section. 19 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:37 Oct 05, 2020 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H8315.IH H8315 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS