[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1246 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1246

To establish and maintain a wildlife global animal information network 
   for surveillance internationally to combat the growing threat of 
emerging diseases that involve wild animals, such as bird flu, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 26, 2007

 Mr. Lieberman (for himself, Mr. Brownback, and Mr. Akaka) introduced 
the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee 
               on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To establish and maintain a wildlife global animal information network 
   for surveillance internationally to combat the growing threat of 
emerging diseases that involve wild animals, such as bird flu, and for 
                            other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Wildlife Global Animal Information 
Network for Surveillance Act'' or ``Wildlife GAINS Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds that--
            (1) the ongoing panzootic of highly pathogenic avian 
        influenza (HPAI) strain H5N1 in Asia and Eurasia is a threat to 
        global human health and the global poultry industry;
            (2) the HPAI virus is capable of causing massive avian die-
        offs, and response can easily involve the culling of tens of 
        millions of domestic poultry or domestic waterfowl, resulting 
        in significant economic losses;
            (3) the fatality rate due to infection in humans may be 30 
        to 50 percent or more;
            (4) it has long been known that wild birds are a reservoir 
        host for avian influenza viruses worldwide;
            (5) the 1918 pandemic, the most lethal of the three 
        pandemics that killed over 40,000,000 people worldwide, was 
        caused by an influenza virus that initially jumped directly 
        from birds to humans and subsequently evolved an ability to 
        transmit from human-to-human;
            (6) this precedent for an avian influenza virus to transmit 
        directly from birds to humans, then spread among humans, 
        significantly raises the concern about the current H5N1 
        influenza strain;
            (7) increased surveillance, including on migratory birds, 
        is critical to controlling avian influenza and preparing for 
        other potential emerging infectious diseases;
            (8) the capacity to proactively detect the threats could 
        result in significantly improved disease prediction and 
        prevention capabilities;
            (9) international wildlife health surveillance does not 
        clearly fall under the jurisdiction of any Federal or 
        international agency;
            (10) there is a continued inability to share real-time data 
        across the human, agricultural, wildlife, and veterinary 
        agencies on zoonotic threats;
            (11) while surveillance at domestic poultry and domestic 
        waterfowl production facilities and farms is an immediate and 
        on-going monitoring need and is being supported through 
        relevant agencies, surveillance in wild bird populations that 
        may have been exposed to the virus is a critical component to 
        determine the spread of the virus, implement control measures, 
        and protect human, livestock, and wildlife health;
            (12) monitoring and surveillance of wild migratory and 
        resident water birds are critically important to identifying 
        all strains of influenza viruses in wild birds as a library of 
        possible genotypes, determining their role in the spread of the 
        virus, and anticipating where outbreaks may occur to enhance 
        preparedness;
            (13) improving surveillance of wildlife health around the 
        world would close significant jurisdictional and scientific 
        gaps in current emerging infectious disease preparedness;
            (14) other emerging diseases beyond bird flu merit similar 
        attention, in terms of the potential threats to global public 
        health as well as agribiosecurity and biodiversity;
            (15) the majority of emerging infectious diseases 
        identified in the past several decades have moved from wildlife 
        to humans, largely due to human incursions into or alterations 
        of wildlife habitats and hunting, consumption, and trade of 
        wildlife species;
            (16) the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) virus moved 
        from chimpanzees to humans via these mechanisms;
            (17) many factors contribute to disease emergence and 
        spread from wildlife to domestic animals and humans, including 
        environmental degradation and the handling, consumption, and 
        trade of wildlife and wildlife-derived products;
            (18) from avian influenza to the severe acute respiratory 
        syndrome (SARS), from bovine tuberculosis to the Ebola virus, 
        and from HIV/AIDS to monkey pox, a long list of zoonotic 
        diseases negatively impacts people's lives and livelihoods and 
        costs the global economy billions of dollars; and
            (19) the Government of the United States lacks a 
        comprehensive program to monitor wildlife health around the 
        world, a program that could proactively inform preparedness not 
        just in the case of a potential H5N1 influenza strain pandemic, 
        but also for a broader array of emerging infectious disease 
        threats that often arise at the interface between wildlife, 
        humans, and their domestic animals.

SEC. 3. PURPOSES.

    The purposes of this Act are to establish and maintain a Wildlife 
Global Animal Information Network for Surveillance--
            (1) to more rapidly and efficiently detect, verify, and 
        report on the presence of infectious diseases, such as highly 
        pathogenic avian influenza, in birds and other wildlife around 
        the world;
            (2) to use information on pathogens found during 
        surveillance of wildlife to better delineate potential threats 
        to domestic animals, humans, as well as wildlife itself;
            (3) to use information on when and where HPAI and other 
        pathogens of concern are identified in wildlife--
                    (A) to better guide preparedness in the United 
                States and around the world; and
                    (B) to carry out a strategic wildlife health 
                surveillance initiative that will provide regions, 
                countries, and specific locations with early warning 
                information that will help target resources toward 
                enhancement of agribiosecurity, surveillance, public 
                health vigilance, and related areas;
            (4) to create an open access database within which 
        information on HPAI and other pathogens of interest identified 
        in wild birds and other wildlife can be shared as close to real 
        time as possible;
            (5) to protect the health and safety of United States 
        citizens and officials traveling or living abroad; and
            (6) to protect the economic interests of the United States 
        and its partners from threats to health, agriculture, and 
        natural resources, including wildlife itself.

SEC. 4. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the United States Agency for International 
        Development, acting through one or more eligible organizations.
            (2) Eligible organization.--The term ``eligible 
        organization'' means an organization chartered in the United 
        States with--
                    (A) extensive global wildlife health experience in 
                tracking disease in wild birds and other wildlife, 
                including free-ranging, captive, and wild bird species;
                    (B) proven ability in identifying avian influenza, 
                Ebola virus, and other pathogens in wild birds or other 
                wildlife;
                    (C) experience managing and implementing similar 
                wildlife surveillance activities; and
                    (D) accredited zoological facilities in the United 
                States.
            (3) HPAI.--The term ``HPAI'' means highly pathogenic avian 
        influenza.
            (4) Wildlife gains.--The term ``Wildlife GAINS'' means the 
        Wildlife Global Animal Information Network for Surveillance 
        established under section 5(a).
            (5) Wildlife gains partners.--The term ``Wildlife GAINS 
        partners'' means the partners of the Wildlife GAINS described 
        in section 5(b).

SEC. 5. WILDLIFE GLOBAL ANIMAL INFORMATION NETWORK FOR SURVEILLANCE.

    (a) Authorization of Assistance.--The Administrator, acting through 
one or more eligible organizations, is authorized to establish and 
maintain a program to implement a Wildlife Global Animal Information 
Network for Surveillance.
    (b) Partners.--In administering the Wildlife GAINS, the 
Administrator shall collaborate with appropriate--
            (1) Federal and State agency partners, including--
                    (A) the Department of Agriculture, acting through--
                            (i) the Agricultural Research Service; and
                            (ii) the Animal and Plant Health Inspection 
                        Service;
                    (B) the Department of Health and Human Services, 
                acting through the Centers for Disease Control and 
                Prevention;
                    (C) the Department of Homeland Security;
                    (D) the Department of Defense;
                    (E) the Department of the Interior, acting 
                through--
                            (i) the United States Geological Survey; 
                        and
                            (ii) the United States Fish and Wildlife 
                        Service; and
                    (F) various State wildlife agencies in the United 
                States;
            (2) multilateral agency partners, including--
                    (A) the Food and Agriculture Organization;
                    (B) the World Health Organization;
                    (C) the Office International des Epizooties, the 
                world animal health organization; and
                    (D) the World Conservation Union;
            (3) conservation organizations with expertise in 
        international and domestic wildlife monitoring and 
        surveillance;
            (4) accredited colleges of veterinary medicine and 
        medicine; and
            (5) other national and international partners, as 
        necessary.
    (c) International Surveillance.--The Administrator shall manage an 
international surveillance program under which Federal Wildlife GAINS 
partners shall, and non-Federal Wildlife GAINS partners are encouraged 
to--
            (1) monitor and test for the presence or arrival of avian 
        influenza and other significant avian pathogens at important 
        bird areas around the world and in marketplaces with intense 
        trade in wild birds;
            (2) monitor and test for the presence or arrival of other 
        significant pathogens in free-ranging wildlife and in places 
        with intense trade in wild animals;
            (3) use trained professionals to collect samples and other 
        data and send samples to appropriate diagnostic centers;
            (4) use the Wildlife GAINS, in partnership with relevant 
        agencies and organizations, for conducting--
                    (A) disease surveillance activities on migratory 
                birds and other wildlife worldwide;
                    (B) domestic and international field investigations 
                on migratory birds and other wildlife;
                    (C) training and capacity-building activities 
                related to the relationships between human health, 
                domestic animal health, and wildlife health; and
                    (D) research on methods and approaches for 
                detection and enhanced surveillance of HPAI and other 
                pathogens in migratory birds and other wildlife; and
            (5) send samples for pathogen identification and testing to 
        certified laboratories that--
                    (A) meet internationally established methods 
                standards;
                    (B) are located at--
                            (i) the Centers for Disease Control and 
                        Prevention;
                            (ii) the Office International des 
                        Epizooties, the world animal health 
                        organization;
                            (iii) the Food and Agriculture 
                        Organization;
                            (iv) National Veterinary Services 
                        Laboratories of the Department of Agriculture;
                            (v) the Agricultural Research Service; or
                            (vi) other relevant specialized 
                        laboratories; and
                    (C) report the findings back to the Administrator 
                and Wildlife GAINS partners.
    (d) Network.--
            (1) Partners.--The Administrator shall require Federal 
        Wildlife GAINS partners, and encourage non-Federal Wildlife 
        GAINS partners, to transmit to the Administrator information 
        related to global distribution and characteristics of 
        significant pathogens.
            (2) Administration.--The Administrator shall--
                    (A) use surveillance reports and other formal and 
                informal sources of information to identify and 
                investigate local disease outbreaks of avian influenza 
                and other infectious diseases involving wildlife, in 
                coordination with Wildlife GAINS partners;
                    (B) develop a long-term baseline of regional data 
                related to HPAI and pathogens in migratory birds and 
                other wildlife for analysis between and across sites to 
                create a system to identify when and where outbreaks 
                might occur and paths of dispersal;
                    (C) provide technical assistance for disease 
                prevention and control programs based on scientific 
                understanding of the relationships between wildlife 
                health, domestic animal health, and human health;
                    (D) provide analytical disease findings regularly 
                to the United States Agency for International 
                Development and other Federal Wildlife GAINS partners 
                to prevent or combat human and animal diseases;
                    (E) conduct other activities as are necessary to 
                support the Wildlife GAINS network and Wildlife GAINS 
                partners; and
                    (F) coordinate Wildlife GAINS surveillance results 
                at the headquarters of the eligible organization.
    (e) Database.--
            (1) In general.--The Administrator shall manage, map, and 
        make available on a database on the Internet all results and 
        information gathered under this Act.
            (2) Requirements.--The database shall--
                    (A) provide geographic data on wildlife populations 
                and the movements of the populations and laboratory 
                test results; and
                    (B) be available for viewing by any Federal agency, 
                foreign country, multilateral institution, 
                organization, or individual.
    (f) Training.--The Administrator shall request accredited colleges 
of veterinary medicine and medicine and other Wildlife GAINS partners 
to train members of the Wildlife GAINS network to--
            (1) monitor important wildlife areas around the world; and
            (2) test for the presence or arrival of avian influenza and 
        other significant pathogens of zoonotic concern or of concern 
        to domestic or wild animals.

SEC. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act 
$10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2008 through 2012.
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