International Pandemic Preparedness and COVID–19 Response Act of 2021
A BILL
To improve global health, and for other purposes.
2. Definitions
In this Act:
Appropriate congressional committees— The term appropriate congressional committees means—
the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate;
the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate;
the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives; and
the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives.
Global health security agenda; GHSA— The terms Global Health Security Agenda and GHSA mean the multi-sectoral initiative launched in 2014 and renewed in 2017 that brings together countries, regions, international organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector to elevate global health security as a national-level priority, to share best practices, and to facilitate national capacity to comply with and adhere to—
the International Health Regulations (2005);
the World Organisation for Animal Health international standards and guidelines;
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 (2004);
the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction, done at Washington, London, and Moscow, April 10, 1972 (commonly referred to as the “Biological Weapons Convention”);
the Global Health Security Agenda 2024 Framework; and
other relevant frameworks that contribute to global health security.
Global health security index— The term Global Health Security Index means the comprehensive assessment and benchmarking of health security and related capabilities across the countries that make up the States Parties to the International Health Regulations (2005).
Global health security initiative— The term Global Health Security Initiative means the informal network of countries and organizations that came together in 2001 to undertake concerted global action to strengthen public health preparedness and response to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats, as well as pandemic influenza.
Joint external evaluation— The term Joint External Evaluation means the World Health Organization-facilitated, voluntary, collaborative, multi-sectoral process to assess country capacity to prevent, detect, and rapidly respond to public health risks occurring naturally or due to deliberate or accidental events, assess progress in achieving the targets under the International Health Regulations (2005), and recommend priority actions.
Key stakeholders— The term key stakeholders means actors engaged in efforts to advance global health security programs and objectives, including—
national and local governments in partner countries;
other bilateral donors;
international, regional, and local organizations, including private, voluntary, nongovernmental, and civil society organizations;
international, regional, and local financial institutions;
representatives of historically marginalized groups, including women, youth, and indigenous peoples;
the private sector, including medical device, technology, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, logistics, and other relevant companies; and
public and private research and academic institutions.
One health approach— The term One Health approach means the collaborative, multi-sectoral, and transdisciplinary approach toward achieving optimal health outcomes in a manner that recognizes the interconnection between people, animals, plants, and their shared environment.
Relevant federal departments and agencies— The term relevant Federal departments and agencies means any Federal department or agency implementing United States policies and programs relevant to the advancement of United States global health security and diplomacy overseas, which may include—
the Department of State;
the United States Agency for International Development;
the Department of Health and Human Services;
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention;
the National Institutes of Health;
the Department of the Treasury;
the Department of Agriculture;
the Department of Defense;
the Defense Threat Reduction Agency;
the Millennium Challenge Corporation;
the Development Finance Corporation;
the Peace Corps; and
any other department or agency that the President determines to be relevant for these purposes.
Resilience— The term resilience means the ability of people, households, communities, systems, institutions, countries, and regions to reduce, mitigate, withstand, adapt to, and quickly recover from stresses and shocks in a manner that reduces chronic vulnerability and facilitates inclusive growth.
3. Purpose
The purpose of this Act is to accelerate and enhance the United States international response to pandemics, including the COVID–19 pandemic, and to operationalize lessons learned from current and prior emergency responses in a manner that—
advances the global health security and diplomacy objectives of the United States;
improves coordination among the relevant Federal departments and agencies implementing United States foreign assistance for global health security; and
more effectively enables partner countries to strengthen and sustain resilient health systems and supply chains with the resources, capacity, and personnel required to prevent, prepare for, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats before they become pandemics.