--- kind: "section" citation: "6 U.S.C. § 106" title: "6" title_heading: "Domestic Security" number: "106" heading: "Update of national biodefense implementation plan" release: "119-102" date: "2026-07-12" url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/6/106" units: - "Chapter 1 — Homeland Security Organization" --- # §106. Update of national biodefense implementation plan - (a) **In general—** The [Secretaries](/usc/6/101.md?p=16) of Health and Human Services, Defense, Agriculture, [Homeland](/usc/6/101.md?p=1) Security, and all other [Departments](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) and [agencies](/usc/6/671.md?p=1) with responsibilities for biodefense, such as the Department of State, in consultation with the Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and the [Director](/usc/6/677a.md?p=3) of the Office of Management and Budget, as appropriate, shall jointly, after reviewing the biodefense threat assessment described in [subsection (d)](#d) and any relevant input from external stakeholders, as appropriate, update the National Biodefense Implementation Plan developed under [section 104 of this title](/usc/6/104.md) to clearly document established processes, roles, and responsibilities related to the National Biodefense Strategy. - (b) **Specific updates—** The updated National Biodefense Implementation Plan shall— - (1) describe the roles and responsibilities of the Federal [departments](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) and [agencies](/usc/6/671.md?p=1), including internal and external coordination procedures, in identifying and sharing information between and among Federal [departments](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) and [agencies](/usc/6/671.md?p=1), as described in [section 104(b)(4) of this title](/usc/6/104.md?p=b-4) and consistent with the statutory roles and authorities of such [departments](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) and [agencies](/usc/6/671.md?p=1); - (2) describe roles, responsibilities, and processes for decisionmaking, including decisions regarding use of resources for effective risk management across the enterprise; - (3) describe resource plans for each [department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) and [agency](/usc/6/671.md?p=1) with responsibility for biodefense to support implementation of the strategy within the jurisdiction of such [department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) or [agency](/usc/6/671.md?p=1), including for the Biodefense Coordination Team, as appropriate; - (4) describe guidance and methods for analyzing the data collected from [agencies](/usc/6/671.md?p=1) to include non-Federal resources and capabilities to the extent practicable; and - (5) describe and update, as appropriate, short-, medium-, and long-term goals for executing the National Biodefense Strategy and metrics for meeting each objective of the Strategy. - (c) **Submittal to Congress—** The [Secretary](/usc/6/101.md?p=16) of Health and Human Services, the [Secretary](/usc/6/101.md?p=16) of Defense, the [Secretary](/usc/6/101.md?p=16) of Agriculture, and the [Secretary](/usc/6/101.md?p=16) of [Homeland](/usc/6/101.md?p=1) Security shall, not later than 6 months after the date of the completion of the assessment in [subsection (d)(1)(A)](#d-1-A), submit the updated Implementation Plan to the [appropriate congressional committees](/usc/6/101.md?p=2). - (d) **Updated biodefense threat assessment—** - (1) **In general—** The [Secretaries](/usc/6/101.md?p=16) of Health and Human Services, Defense, Agriculture, and [Homeland](/usc/6/101.md?p=1) Security, shall jointly, and in consultation with the [Director](/usc/6/677a.md?p=3) of National Intelligence, and other [agency](/usc/6/671.md?p=1) heads as appropriate— - (A) conduct an assessment of current and potential biological threats against the [United States](/usc/6/101.md?p=19-A), both naturally occurring and man-made, either accidental or deliberate, including the potential for catastrophic biological threats, such as a pandemic; - (B) not later than 1 year after January 1, 2021, submit the findings of the assessment conducted under [subparagraph (A)](#d-1-A) to the Federal officials described in [subsection (d)(1)](#d-1)and[^1] the [appropriate congressional committees](/usc/6/101.md?p=2) described in [subsection (e)](#e); - (C) not later than 30 days after the date on which the assessment is submitted under [subparagraph (B)](#d-1-B), conduct a briefing for the [appropriate congressional committees](/usc/6/101.md?p=2) on the findings of the assessment; - (D) update the assessment under [subparagraph (A)](#d-1-A) biennially, as appropriate, and provide the findings of such updated assessments to the Federal officials described in [subsection (d)(1)](#d-1) and the [appropriate congressional committees](/usc/6/101.md?p=2); and - (E) conduct briefings for the [appropriate congressional committees](/usc/6/101.md?p=2) as needed any time an assessment under this paragraph is updated. - (2) **Classification and format—** Assessments under [paragraph (1)](#d-1) shall be submitted in an unclassified format and include a classified annex, as appropriate. - (e) **Appropriate congressional committees defined—** In this section, the term “[appropriate congressional committees](/usc/6/101.md?p=2)” means the following: - (1) The Committees on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the Senate. - (2) The Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate. - (3) The Committee on [Homeland](/usc/6/101.md?p=1) Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on [Homeland](/usc/6/101.md?p=1) Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate. - (4) The Committee on Agriculture of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate. - (5) The Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence of the House of Representatives and the Select Committee on Intelligence of the Senate. - (6) The Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate. - (f) **Rule of construction—** Nothing in this section shall be construed to alter, limit, or duplicate the roles, responsibilities, authorities, or current activities, as established in statute or otherwise through existing practice or policy, of each Federal [department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) or [agency](/usc/6/671.md?p=1) with responsibilities for biodefense or otherwise relevant to implementation of the National Biodefense Strategy. ## Footnotes [^1]: So in original. ## Source credit (Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title III, § 364, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3548.) ## Notes ### Editorial Notes ### Codification Section was enacted as part of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, and not as part of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 which comprises this chapter.