Division S — Foreign Affairs Provisions

H.R. 8406 · 116th Congress · Sep 29, 2020 · Lineage

S Foreign Affairs Provisions

I Matters Relating to the Department of State

Sec. 101 Efforts to assist Federal voters overseas impacted by COVID–19

(a)

Sense of Congress— It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense and the Postmaster General, should undertake efforts to mitigate the effects of limited or curtailed diplomatic pouch capacities or other operations constraints at United States diplomatic and consular posts, due to coronavirus, on overseas voters (as such term is defined in section 107(5) of the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (52 U.S.C. 20310(5))) seeking to return absentee ballots and other balloting materials under such Act with respect to elections for Federal office held in 2020. Such efforts should include steps to—

(1)

restore or augment diplomatic pouch capacities;

(2)

facilitate using the Army Post Office, Fleet Post Office, Diplomatic Post Office, the United States mails, or private couriers, if available;

(3)

mitigate other operations constraints affecting eligible overseas voters;

(4)

develop specific outreach plans to educate eligible overseas voters about accessing all available forms of voter assistance prior to the date of the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office; and

(5)

ensure any employees at Department of State overseas posts interacting with Federal overseas voters seeking to return their ballots are informed of and exercise necessary protocols to avoid the spoilage or invalidating of ballots for which the Department of State is helping to facilitate return.

(b)

Report on efforts to assist and inform Federal voters overseas— Not later than 15 days before the date of the regularly scheduled general election for Federal office held in November 2020, the Secretary of State, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall report to the appropriate congressional committees on the efforts described in subsection (a).

(c)

Appropriate congressional committees defined— In this section, the term “appropriate congressional committees” means—

(1)

the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Armed Services of the House of Representatives; and

(2)

the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Armed Services of the Senate.

Sec. 102 Report on efforts of the Coronavirus Repatriation Task Force

Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this division, the Secretary of State shall submit to the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate a report evaluating the efforts of the Coronavirus Repatriation Task Force of the Department of State to repatriate United States citizens and legal permanent residents in response to the 2020 coronavirus outbreak. The report shall identify—

(1)

the most significant impediments to repatriating such persons;

(2)

the lessons learned from such repatriations; and

(3)

any changes planned to future repatriation efforts of the Department of State to incorporate such lessons learned.

II Global Health Security Act of 2020

Sec. 201 Short title

This title may be cited as the “Global Health Security Act of 2020”.

Sec. 202 Findings

Congress finds the following:

(1)

In December 2009, President Obama released the National Strategy for Countering Biological Threats, which listed as one of seven objectives “Promote global health security: Increase the availability of and access to knowledge and products of the life sciences that can help reduce the impact from outbreaks of infectious disease whether of natural, accidental, or deliberate origin”.

(2)

In February 2014, the United States and nearly 30 other nations launched the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) to address several high-priority, global infectious disease threats. The GHSA is a multi-faceted, multi-country initiative intended to accelerate partner countries’ measurable capabilities to achieve specific targets to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats, whether naturally occurring, deliberate, or accidental.

(3)

In 2015, the United Nations adopted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which include specific reference to the importance of global health security as part of SDG 3 “ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages” as follows: “strengthen the capacity of all countries, in particular developing countries, for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks”.

(4)

On November 4, 2016, President Obama signed Executive Order 13747, “Advancing the Global Health Security Agenda to Achieve a World Safe and Secure from Infectious Disease Threats”.

(5)

In October 2017 at the GHSA Ministerial Meeting in Uganda, the United States and more than 40 GHSA member countries supported the “Kampala Declaration” to extend the GHSA for an additional 5 years to 2024.

(6)

In December 2017, President Trump released the National Security Strategy, which includes the priority action: “Detect and contain biothreats at their source: We will work with other countries to detect and mitigate outbreaks early to prevent the spread of disease. We will encourage other countries to invest in basic health care systems and to strengthen global health security across the intersection of human and animal health to prevent infectious disease outbreaks”.

(7)

In September 2018, President Trump released the National Biodefense Strategy, which includes objectives to “strengthen global health security capacities to prevent local bioincidents from becoming epidemics”, and “strengthen international preparedness to support international response and recovery capabilities”.

Sec. 203 Statement of policy

It is the policy of the United States to—

(1)

promote global health security as a core national security interest;

(2)

advance the aims of the Global Health Security Agenda;

(3)

collaborate with other countries to detect and mitigate outbreaks early to prevent the spread of disease;

(4)

encourage other countries to invest in basic resilient and sustainable health care systems; and

(5)

strengthen global health security across the intersection of human and animal health to prevent infectious disease outbreaks and combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.

Sec. 204 Global Health Security Agenda Interagency Review Council

(a)

Establishment— The President shall establish a Global Health Security Agenda Interagency Review Council (in this section referred to as the “Council”) to perform the general responsibilities described in subsection (c) and the specific roles and responsibilities described in subsection (e).

(b)

Meetings— The Council shall meet not less than four times per year to advance its mission and fulfill its responsibilities.

(c)

General responsibilities— The Council shall be responsible for the following activities:

(1)

Provide policy-level recommendations to participating agencies on Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) goals, objectives, and implementation.

(2)

Facilitate interagency, multi-sectoral engagement to carry out GHSA implementation.

(3)

Provide a forum for raising and working to resolve interagency disagreements concerning the GHSA.

(4)

(A)

Review the progress toward and work to resolve challenges in achieving United States commitments under the GHSA, including commitments to assist other countries in achieving the GHSA targets.

(B)

The Council shall consider, among other issues, the following:

(i)

The status of United States financial commitments to the GHSA in the context of commitments by other donors, and the contributions of partner countries to achieve the GHSA targets.

(ii)

The progress toward the milestones outlined in GHSA national plans for those countries where the United States Government has committed to assist in implementing the GHSA and in annual work-plans outlining agency priorities for implementing the GHSA.

(iii)

The external evaluations of United States and partner country capabilities to address infectious disease threats, including the ability to achieve the targets outlined within the WHO Joint External Evaluation (JEE) tool, as well as gaps identified by such external evaluations.

(d)

Participation— The Council shall consist of representatives, serving at the Assistant Secretary level or higher, from the following agencies:

(1)

The Department of State.

(2)

The Department of Defense.

(3)

The Department of Justice.

(4)

The Department of Agriculture.

(5)

The Department of Health and Human Services.

(6)

The Department of Labor.

(7)

The Department of Homeland Security.

(8)

The Office of Management and Budget.

(9)

The United States Agency for International Development.

(10)

The Environmental Protection Agency.

(11)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

(12)

The Office of Science and Technology Policy.

(13)

The National Institutes of Health.

(14)

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

(15)

Such other agencies as the Council determines to be appropriate.

(e)

Specific roles and responsibilities—

(1)

In general— The heads of agencies described in subsection (d) shall—

(A)

make the GHSA and its implementation a high priority within their respective agencies, and include GHSA-related activities within their respective agencies’ strategic planning and budget processes;

(B)

designate a senior-level official to be responsible for the implementation of this division;

(C)

designate, in accordance with subsection (d), an appropriate representative at the Assistant Secretary level or higher to participate on the Council;

(D)

keep the Council apprised of GHSA-related activities undertaken within their respective agencies;

(E)

maintain responsibility for agency-related programmatic functions in coordination with host governments, country teams, and GHSA in-country teams, and in conjunction with other relevant agencies;

(F)

coordinate with other agencies that are identified in this section to satisfy programmatic goals, and further facilitate coordination of country teams, implementers, and donors in host countries; and

(G)

coordinate across GHSA national plans and with GHSA partners to which the United States is providing assistance.

(2)

Additional roles and responsibilities— In addition to the roles and responsibilities described in paragraph (1), the heads of agencies described in subsection (d) shall carry out their respective roles and responsibilities described in subsections (b) through (i) of section 3 of Executive Order 13747 (81 Fed. Reg. 78701; relating to Advancing the Global Health Security Agenda to Achieve a World Safe and Secure from Infectious Disease Threats), as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this division.

Sec. 205 United States Coordinator for Global Health Security

(a)

In general— The President shall appoint an individual to the position of United States Coordinator for Global Health Security, who shall be responsible for the coordination of the interagency process for responding to global health security emergencies. As appropriate, the designee shall coordinate with the President’s Special Coordinator for International Disaster Assistance.

(b)

Congressional briefing— Not less frequently than twice each year, the employee designated under this section shall provide to the appropriate congressional committees a briefing on the responsibilities and activities of the individual under this section.

Sec. 206 Sense of Congress

It is the sense of the Congress that, given the complex and multisectoral nature of global health threats to the United States, the President—

(1)

should consider appointing an individual with significant background and expertise in public health or emergency response management to the position of United States Coordinator for Global Health Security, as required by section 205(a), who is an employee of the National Security Council at the level of Deputy Assistant to the President or higher; and

(2)

in providing assistance to implement the strategy required under section 207(a), should—

(A)

coordinate, through a whole-of-government approach, the efforts of relevant Federal departments and agencies to implement the strategy;

(B)

seek to fully utilize the unique capabilities of each relevant Federal department and agency while collaborating with and leveraging the contributions of other key stakeholders; and

(C)

utilize open and streamlined solicitations to allow for the participation of a wide range of implementing partners through the most appropriate procurement mechanisms, which may include grants, contracts, cooperative agreements, and other instruments as necessary and appropriate.

Sec. 207 Strategy and reports

(a)

Strategy— The United States Coordinator for Global Health Security (appointed under section 205(a)) shall coordinate the development and implementation of a strategy to implement the policy aims described in section 203, which shall—

(1)

set specific and measurable goals, benchmarks, timetables, performance metrics, and monitoring and evaluation plans that reflect international best practices relating to transparency, accountability, and global health security;

(2)

support and be aligned with country-owned global health security policy and investment plans developed with input from key stakeholders, as appropriate;

(3)

facilitate communication and collaboration, as appropriate, among local stakeholders in support of a multi-sectoral approach to global health security;

(4)

support the long-term success of programs by building the capacity of local organizations and institutions in target countries and communities;

(5)

develop community resilience to infectious disease threats and emergencies;

(6)

leverage resources and expertise through partnerships with the private sector, health organizations, civil society, nongovernmental organizations, and health research and academic institutions; and

(7)

support collaboration, as appropriate, between United States universities, and public and private institutions in target countries and communities to promote health security and innovation.

(b)

Coordination— The President, acting through the United States Coordinator for Global Health Security, shall coordinate, through a whole-of-government approach, the efforts of relevant Federal departments and agencies in the implementation of the strategy required under subsection (a) by—

(1)

establishing monitoring and evaluation systems, coherence, and coordination across relevant Federal departments and agencies; and

(2)

establishing platforms for regular consultation and collaboration with key stakeholders and the appropriate congressional committees.

(c)

Strategy submission—

(1)

In general— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this division, the President, in consultation with the head of each relevant Federal department and agency, shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees the strategy required under subsection (a) that provides a detailed description of how the United States intends to advance the policy set forth in section 203 and the agency-specific plans described in paragraph (2).

(2)

Agency-specific plans— The strategy required under subsection (a) shall include specific implementation plans from each relevant Federal department and agency that describes—

(A)

the anticipated contributions of the department or agency, including technical, financial, and in-kind contributions, to implement the strategy; and

(B)

the efforts of the department or agency to ensure that the activities and programs carried out pursuant to the strategy are designed to achieve maximum impact and long-term sustainability.

(d)

Report—

(1)

In general— Not later than 1 year after the date on which the strategy required under subsection (a) is submitted to the appropriate congressional committees under subsection (c), and not later than October 1 of each year thereafter, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that describes the status of the implementation of the strategy.

(2)

Contents— The report required under paragraph (1) shall—

(A)

identify any substantial changes made in the strategy during the preceding calendar year;

(B)

describe the progress made in implementing the strategy;

(C)

identify the indicators used to establish benchmarks and measure results over time, as well as the mechanisms for reporting such results in an open and transparent manner;

(D)

contain a transparent, open, and detailed accounting of expenditures by relevant Federal departments and agencies to implement the strategy, including, to the extent practicable, for each Federal department and agency, the statutory source of expenditures, amounts expended, partners, targeted populations, and types of activities supported;

(E)

describe how the strategy leverages other United States global health and development assistance programs;

(F)

assess efforts to coordinate United States global health security programs, activities, and initiatives with key stakeholders;

(G)

incorporate a plan for regularly reviewing and updating strategies, partnerships, and programs and sharing lessons learned with a wide range of stakeholders, including key stakeholders, in an open, transparent manner; and

(H)

describe the progress achieved and challenges concerning the United States Government’s ability to advance the Global Health Security Agenda across priority countries, including data disaggregated by priority country using indicators that are consistent on a year-to-year basis and recommendations to resolve, mitigate, or otherwise address the challenges identified therein.

(e)

Form— The strategy required under subsection (a) and the report required under subsection (d) shall be submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified annex.

Sec. 208 Compliance with the Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability Act of 2016

Section 2(3) of the Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability Act of 2016 (Public Law 114–191; 22 U.S.C. 2394c note) is amended—

(1)

in subparagraph (C), by striking “and” at the end;

(2)

in subparagraph (D), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following:

“(E) the Global Health Security Act of 2020.”

Sec. 209 Definitions

In this title:

(1)

Appropriate congressional committees— The term appropriate congressional committees means—

(A)

the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and

(B)

the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate.

(2)

Global health security— The term global health security means activities supporting epidemic and pandemic preparedness and capabilities at the country and global levels in order to minimize vulnerability to acute public health events that can endanger the health of populations across geographical regions and international boundaries.

Sec. 210 Sunset

This title (other than section 205), and the amendments made by this title, shall cease to be effective on December 31, 2024.

III Securing America From Epidemics Act

Sec. 301 Findings

Congress finds the following:

(1)

Due to increasing population and population density, human mobility, and ecological change, emerging infectious diseases pose a real and growing threat to global health security.

(2)

While vaccines can be the most effective tools to protect against infectious disease, the absence of vaccines for a new or emerging infectious disease with epidemic potential is a major health security threat globally, posing catastrophic potential human and economic costs.

(3)

The 1918 influenza pandemic infected 500,000,000 people, or about one-third of the world’s population at the time, and killed 50,000,000 people—more than died in the First World War.

(4)

The economic cost of an outbreak can be devastating. The estimated global cost today, should an outbreak of the scale of the 1918 influenza pandemic strike, is 5 percent of global gross domestic product.

(5)

Even regional outbreaks can have enormous human costs and substantially disrupt the global economy and cripple regional economies. The 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa killed more than 11,000 and cost $2,800,000,000 in losses in the affected countries alone.

(6)

The ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak reflects the pressing need for quick and effective vaccine and countermeasure development.

(7)

While the need for vaccines to address emerging epidemic threats is acute, markets to drive the necessary development of vaccines to address them—a complex and expensive undertaking—are very often critically absent. Also absent are mechanisms to ensure access to those vaccines by those who need them when they need them.

(8)

To address this global vulnerability and the deficit of political commitment, institutional capacity, and funding, in 2017, several countries and private partners launched the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI). CEPI’s mission is to stimulate, finance, and coordinate development of vaccines for high-priority, epidemic-potential threats in cases where traditional markets do not exist or cannot create sufficient demand.

(9)

Through funding of partnerships, CEPI seeks to bring priority vaccines candidates through the end of phase II clinical trials, as well as support vaccine platforms that can be rapidly deployed against emerging pathogens.

(10)

CEPI has funded multiple partners to develop vaccine candidates against the novel coronavirus, responding to this urgent, global requirement.

(11)

Support for and participation in CEPI is an important part of the United States own health security and biodefense and is in the national interest, complementing the work of many Federal agencies and providing significant value through global partnership and burden-sharing.

Sec. 302 Authorization for united states participation

(a)

In general— The United States is hereby authorized to participate in the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.

(b)

Board of directors— The Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development is authorized to designate an employee of such Agency to serve on the Investors Council of the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations as a representative of the United States.

(c)

Reports to congress— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this division, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that includes the following:

(1)

The United States planned contributions to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and the mechanisms for United States participation in such Coalition.

(2)

The manner and extent to which the United States shall participate in the governance of the Coalition.

(3)

How participation in the Coalition supports relevant United States Government strategies and programs in health security and biodefense, to include—

(A)

the Global Health Security Strategy required by section 7058(c)(3) of division K of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (Public Law 115–141);

(B)

the applicable revision of the National Biodefense Strategy required by section 1086 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017 (6 U.S.C. 104); and

(C)

any other relevant decision-making process for policy, planning, and spending in global health security, biodefense, or vaccine and medical countermeasures research and development.

(d)

Appropriate congressional committees— In this section, the term “appropriate congressional committees” means—

(1)