[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1915 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1915

 To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to make anthrax vaccines 
 and antimicrobials available to emergency response providers, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             August 3, 2015

  Ms. Ayotte (for herself, Mr. Booker, and Mr. Coons) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
               Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to make anthrax vaccines 
 and antimicrobials available to emergency response providers, 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 ``First Responder Anthrax Preparedness 
Act''.

SEC. 2. PRE-EVENT ANTHRAX VACCINATION PROGRAM FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE 
              PROVIDERS.

    (a) Anthrax Preparedness.--
            (1) In general.--Title V of the Homeland Security Act of 
        2002 (6 U.S.C. 311 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
        following new section:

``SEC. 526. ANTHRAX PREPAREDNESS.

    ``(a) Pre-Event Anthrax Vaccination Program for Emergency Response 
Providers.--For the purpose of domestic preparedness for and collective 
response to terrorism, the Secretary, in coordination with the 
Secretary of Health and Human Services, shall--
            ``(1) establish a program to provide anthrax vaccines from 
        the strategic national stockpile under section 319F-2(a) of the 
        Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d-6b(a)) that will be 
        nearing the end of their labeled dates of use at the time such 
        vaccines are to be administered to emergency response providers 
        who are at high risk of exposure to anthrax and who voluntarily 
        consent to such administration;
            ``(2) establish any necessary logistical and tracking 
        systems to facilitate making the vaccines described in 
        paragraph (1) so available;
            ``(3) distribute disclosures regarding associated benefits 
        and risks to end users; and
            ``(4) conduct outreach to educate emergency response 
        providers about the voluntary program.
    ``(b) Threat Assessment.--The Secretary shall--
            ``(1) support homeland security-focused risk analysis and 
        risk assessments of the threats posed by anthrax from an act of 
        terror;
            ``(2) leverage existing and emerging homeland security 
        intelligence capabilities and structures to enhance prevention, 
        protection, response, and recovery efforts with respect to an 
        anthrax terror attack; and
            ``(3) share information and provide tailored analytical 
        support on threats posed by anthrax to State, local, and tribal 
        authorities, as well as other national biosecurity and 
        biodefense stakeholders.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of contents in section 
        1(b) of such Act is amended by inserting at the end of the 
        items relating to title V the following new item:

``Sec. 526. Anthrax preparedness.''.
    (b) Pilot Program.--
            (1) In general.--In carrying out the pre-event vaccination 
        program authorized under section 526(a) of the Homeland 
        Security Act of 2002, as added by subsection (a), the Secretary 
        of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Secretary of 
        Health and Human Services, shall carry out a pilot program to 
        provide anthrax vaccines to emergency response providers as so 
        authorized. The duration of the pilot program shall be 24 
        months from the date the initial vaccines are administered to 
        participants.
            (2) Preliminary requirements.--Prior to implementing the 
        pilot program under paragraph (1), the Secretary of Homeland 
        Security shall--
                    (A) establish a communication platform for the 
                pilot program;
                    (B) establish education and training modules for 
                the pilot program;
                    (C) conduct economic analysis of the pilot program; 
                and
                    (D) create a logistical platform for the anthrax 
                vaccine request process under the pilot program.
            (3) Location.--In carrying out the pilot program under this 
        subsection, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall select 
        emergency response providers based in not less than 2 States 
        for participation in the pilot program.
            (4) Distribution of information.--The Secretary of Homeland 
        Security shall provide to each emergency response provider who 
        participates in the pilot program under this subsection 
        disclosures and educational materials regarding the associated 
        benefits and risks of any vaccine provided under the pilot 
        program and of exposure to anthrax.
            (5) Report.--
                    (A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the 
                date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter 
                until 1 year after the completion of the pilot program, 
                the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit to the 
                Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on 
                Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and 
                the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 
                Affairs of the Senate a report on the progress and 
                results of the pilot program, including--
                            (i) the percentage of eligible emergency 
                        response providers, as determined by each pilot 
                        location, that volunteer to participate;
                            (ii) the degree to which participants 
                        obtain necessary vaccinations, as appropriate; 
                        and
                            (iii) recommendations to improve initial 
                        and recurrent participation in the pilot 
                        program.
                    (B) Required plan.--The report required under 
                subparagraph (A) shall include a plan under which the 
                Secretary plans to continue the program to provide 
                vaccines to emergency response providers under section 
                526(a) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as added 
                by subsection (a).
            (6) Deadline for implementation.--Not later than 1 year 
        after the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 
        Homeland Security shall begin implementing the pilot program 
        under this subsection.
                                 <all>