---
kind: "section"
citation: "6 U.S.C. § 195b"
title: "6"
title_heading: "Domestic Security"
number: "195b"
heading: "National Biosurveillance Integration Center"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/6/195b"
units:
  - "Chapter 1 — Homeland Security Organization"
  - "Subchapter III — Science and Technology in Support of Homeland Security"
---

# §195b. National Biosurveillance Integration Center

- (a) **Establishment—** The [Secretary](/usc/6/101.md?p=16), acting through the Assistant [Secretary](/usc/6/101.md?p=16) for the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, shall establish, operate, and maintain a National Biosurveillance Integration [Center](/usc/6/681.md?p=1) (referred to in this section as the “NBIC”), which shall be headed by a Directing Officer, under an office or directorate of the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) that is in existence as of August 3, 2007.
- (b) **Primary mission—** The primary mission of the NBIC is to—
  - (1) enhance the capability of the Federal Government to—
    - (A) rapidly identify, characterize, localize, and track a biological event of national concern by integrating and analyzing data relating to human health, animal, plant, food, and environmental monitoring systems (both national and international); and
    - (B) disseminate alerts and other information to Member [Agencies](/usc/6/671.md?p=1) and, in coordination with (and where possible through) Member [Agencies](/usc/6/671.md?p=1), to [agencies](/usc/6/671.md?p=1) of [State](/usc/6/101.md?p=17), local, and [tribal governments](/usc/6/701.md?p=16), as appropriate, to enhance the ability of such [agencies](/usc/6/671.md?p=1) to respond to a biological event of national concern; and
  - (2) oversee development and operation of the National Biosurveillance Integration System.
- (c) **Requirements—** The NBIC shall detect, as early as possible, a biological event of national concern that presents a risk to the [United States](/usc/6/101.md?p=19-A) or the infrastructure or key [assets](/usc/6/101.md?p=3) of the [United States](/usc/6/101.md?p=19-A), including by—
  - (1) consolidating data from all relevant surveillance systems maintained by Member [Agencies](/usc/6/671.md?p=1) to detect biological events of national concern across human, animal, and plant species;
  - (2) seeking private sources of surveillance, both foreign and domestic, when such sources would enhance coverage of critical surveillance gaps;
  - (3) using an information technology system that uses the best available statistical and other analytical tools to identify and characterize biological events of national concern in as close to real-time as is practicable;
  - (4) providing the infrastructure for such integration, including information technology systems and space, and support for [personnel](/usc/6/101.md?p=15) from Member [Agencies](/usc/6/671.md?p=1) with sufficient expertise to enable analysis and interpretation of data;
  - (5) working with Member [Agencies](/usc/6/671.md?p=1) to create information technology systems that use the minimum amount of patient data necessary and consider patient confidentiality and privacy issues at all stages of development and apprise the Privacy Officer of such efforts; and
  - (6) alerting Member [Agencies](/usc/6/671.md?p=1) and, in coordination with (and where possible through) Member [Agencies](/usc/6/671.md?p=1), public health [agencies](/usc/6/671.md?p=1) of [State](/usc/6/101.md?p=17), local, and [tribal governments](/usc/6/701.md?p=16) regarding any [incident](/usc/6/677a.md?p=6) that could develop into a biological event of national concern.
- (d) **Responsibilities of the Directing Officer of the NBIC—**
  - (1) **In general—** The Directing Officer of the NBIC shall—
    - (A) on an ongoing basis, monitor the availability and appropriateness of surveillance systems used by the NBIC and those systems that could enhance biological situational awareness or the overall performance of the NBIC;
    - (B) on an ongoing basis, review and seek to improve the statistical and other analytical methods used by the NBIC;
    - (C) receive and consider other relevant [homeland](/usc/6/101.md?p=1) security information, as appropriate; and
    - (D) provide technical assistance, as appropriate, to all Federal, regional, [State](/usc/6/101.md?p=17), local, and [tribal government](/usc/6/701.md?p=16) [entities](/usc/6/301c.md?p=2) and private sector [entities](/usc/6/301c.md?p=2) that contribute data relevant to the operation of the NBIC.
  - (2) **Assessments—** The Directing Officer of the NBIC shall—
    - (A) on an ongoing basis, evaluate available data for evidence of a biological event of national concern; and
    - (B) integrate [homeland](/usc/6/101.md?p=1) security information with NBIC data to provide overall situational awareness and determine whether a biological event of national concern has occurred.
  - (3) **Information sharing—**
    - (A) **In general—** The Directing Officer of the NBIC shall—
      - (i) establish a method of real-time communication with the National Operations [Center](/usc/6/681.md?p=1);
      - (ii) in the event that a biological event of national concern is detected, notify the [Secretary](/usc/6/101.md?p=16) and disseminate results of NBIC assessments relating to that biological event of national concern to appropriate Federal response [entities](/usc/6/301c.md?p=2) and, in coordination with relevant Member [Agencies](/usc/6/671.md?p=1), regional, [State](/usc/6/101.md?p=17), local, and tribal governmental response [entities](/usc/6/301c.md?p=2) in a timely manner;
      - (iii) provide any report on NBIC assessments to Member [Agencies](/usc/6/671.md?p=1) and, in coordination with relevant Member [Agencies](/usc/6/671.md?p=1), any affected regional, [State](/usc/6/101.md?p=17), local, or [tribal government](/usc/6/701.md?p=16), and any private sector [entity](/usc/6/301c.md?p=2) considered appropriate that may enhance the mission of such Member [Agencies](/usc/6/671.md?p=1), governments, or [entities](/usc/6/301c.md?p=2) or the ability of the Nation to respond to biological events of national concern; and
      - (iv) share NBIC [incident](/usc/6/677a.md?p=6) or situational awareness reports, and other relevant information, consistent with the information sharing environment established under [section 485 of this title](/usc/6/485.md) and any policies, guidelines, procedures, instructions, or standards established under that section.
    - (B) **Consultation—** The Directing Officer of the NBIC shall implement the activities described in [subparagraph (A)](#d-3-A) consistent with the policies, guidelines, procedures, instructions, or standards established under [section 485 of this title](/usc/6/485.md) and in consultation with the [Director](/usc/6/677a.md?p=3) of National Intelligence, the Under [Secretary](/usc/6/101.md?p=16) for Intelligence and Analysis, and other offices or [agencies](/usc/6/671.md?p=1) of the Federal Government, as appropriate.
- (e) **Responsibilities of the NBIC member agencies—**
  - (1) **1 In general—** Each Member [Agency](/usc/6/671.md?p=1) shall—
    - (A) use its best efforts to integrate biosurveillance information into the NBIC, with the goal of promoting information sharing between Federal, [State](/usc/6/101.md?p=17), local, and [tribal governments](/usc/6/701.md?p=16) to detect biological events of national concern;
    - (B) provide timely information to assist the NBIC in maintaining biological situational awareness for accurate detection and response purposes;
    - (C) enable the NBIC to receive and use biosurveillance information from member [agencies](/usc/6/671.md?p=1) to carry out its requirements under [subsection (c)](#c);
    - (D) connect the biosurveillance data systems of that Member [Agency](/usc/6/671.md?p=1) to the NBIC data system under mutually agreed protocols that are consistent with [subsection (c)(5)](#c-5);
    - (E) participate in the formation of strategy and policy for the operation of the NBIC and its information sharing;
    - (F) provide [personnel](/usc/6/101.md?p=15) to the NBIC under an interagency [personnel](/usc/6/101.md?p=15) agreement and consider the qualifications of such [personnel](/usc/6/101.md?p=15) necessary to provide human, animal, and environmental data analysis and interpretation support to the NBIC; and
    - (G) retain responsibility for the surveillance and intelligence systems of that [department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) or [agency](/usc/6/671.md?p=1), if applicable.
- (f) **Administrative authorities—**
  - (1) **Hiring of experts—** The Directing Officer of the NBIC shall hire individuals with the necessary expertise to develop and operate the NBIC.
  - (2) **Detail of personnel—** Upon the request of the Directing Officer of the NBIC, the head of any Federal [department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) or [agency](/usc/6/671.md?p=1) may detail, on a reimbursable basis, any of the [personnel](/usc/6/101.md?p=15) of that [department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) or [agency](/usc/6/671.md?p=1) to the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) to assist the NBIC in carrying out this section.
- (g) **NBIC interagency working group—** The Directing Officer of the NBIC shall—
  - (1) establish an interagency working group to facilitate interagency cooperation and to advise the Directing Officer of the NBIC regarding recommendations to enhance the biosurveillance capabilities of the [Department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5); and
  - (2) invite Member [Agencies](/usc/6/671.md?p=1) to serve on that working group.
- (h) **Relationship to other departments and agencies—** The authority of the Directing Officer of the NBIC under this section shall not affect any authority or responsibility of any other [department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) or [agency](/usc/6/671.md?p=1) of the Federal Government with respect to biosurveillance activities under any program administered by that [department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) or [agency](/usc/6/671.md?p=1).
- (i) **Authorization of appropriations—** There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are necessary to carry out this section.
- (j) **Definitions—** In this section:
  - (1) The terms “biological agent” and “toxin” have the meanings given those terms in [section 178 of title 18](/usc/18/178.md).
  - (2) The term “biological event of national concern” means—
    - (A) an [act of terrorism](/usc/6/444.md?p=2-A) involving a biological agent or toxin; or
    - (B) a naturally occurring outbreak of an infectious disease that may result in a national epidemic.
  - (3) The term “[homeland](/usc/6/101.md?p=1) security information” has the meaning given that term in [section 482 of this title](/usc/6/482.md).
  - (4) The term “Member [Agency](/usc/6/671.md?p=1)” means any Federal [department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) or [agency](/usc/6/671.md?p=1) that, at the discretion of the head of that [department](/usc/6/101.md?p=5) or [agency](/usc/6/671.md?p=1), has entered a memorandum of understanding regarding participation in the NBIC.
  - (5) The term “Privacy Officer” means the Privacy Officer appointed under [section 142 of this title](/usc/6/142.md).

## Footnotes

[^1]: So in original. No par. (2) has been enacted.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 107–296, title III, § 316, as added Pub. L. 110–53, title XI, § 1101(a), Aug. 3, 2007, 121 Stat. 375; amended Pub. L. 115–387, § 2(f)(2), Dec. 21, 2018, 132 Stat. 5168.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2018—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–387 substituted “Secretary, acting through the Assistant Secretary for the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office, shall” for “Secretary shall”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Deadline for Implementation

Pub. L. 110–53, title XI, § 1101(c), Aug. 3, 2007, 121 Stat. 378, provided that: “The National Biosurveillance Integration Center under section 316 of the Homeland Security Act [of 2002, 6 U.S.C. 195b], as added by subsection (a), shall be fully operational by not later than September 30, 2008.”