[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3269 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3269

To provide for the development of State medical disaster response plans 
  regarding terrorist attacks that use biological or chemical weapons.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 8, 2001

   Ms. Watson of California introduced the following bill; which was 
            referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To provide for the development of State medical disaster response plans 
  regarding terrorist attacks that use biological or chemical weapons.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. STATE MEDICAL DISASTER RESPONSE PLANS REGARDING TERRORIST 
              ATTACKS.

    (a) In General.--
            (1) State plans.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services (in this section referred to as the ``Secretary''), 
        acting through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control 
        and Prevention, shall cooperate with the States toward the goal 
        of ensuring that each State develops a medical disaster 
        response plan regarding terrorist attacks that use biological 
        or chemical weapons.
            (2) Collaboration.--The Secretary shall carry out this 
        section in collaboration with the Assistant to the President 
        for Homeland Security, the Director of the Federal Emergency 
        Management Agency, and the Attorney General.
    (b) Federal Criteria.--The Secretary shall establish criteria that 
provide recommendations to the States for response plans under 
subsection (a). Such criteria shall provide that a response plan of a 
State should, with respect to terrorist attacks described in such 
subsection, include--
            (1) provisions for a comprehensive assessment of the 
        response capabilities of the State, including the capabilities 
        of local governments;
            (2) provisions for the storage and distribution of 
        pharmaceuticals in coordination with the Office of Emergency 
        Preparedness and the Centers for Disease Control and 
        Prevention, which provisions should be designed to meet a 
        standard of providing supplies for every diagnosed victim 
        within 24 hours of diagnosis;
            (3) provisions for training medical personnel; and
            (4) provisions for hospitals and medical personnel to 
        conduct emergency drills.
    (c) Federal Evaluation of Plans; Coordination Through Office of 
Homeland Security.--The Secretary shall request that the States submit 
proposed response plans under subsection (a) to the Assistant to the 
President for Homeland Security. Such Assistant to the President shall 
coordinate--
            (1) the evaluation of the response plans by the Secretary, 
        the Director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and 
        the Attorney General; and
            (2) the provision to the States of recommendations 
        regarding modifications to the response plans.
    (d) Report to Congress; Coordination Through Office of Homeland 
Security.--
            (1) In general.--A report shall be submitted to the 
        Congress that, on the basis of evaluations under subsection (c) 
        and of State actions in response to the evaluations, describes 
        the extent to which the States are prepared to respond to 
        terrorist attacks that use biological or chemical weapons.
            (2) Preparation of report.--The report under paragraph (1) 
        shall be prepared by the Secretary, the Director of the Federal 
        Emergency Management Agency, and the Attorney General, and the 
        Assistant to the President for Homeland Security shall 
        coordinate the preparation of the report.
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