[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1340 Referred in House (RFH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1340


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           September 24, 2019

              Referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 AN ACT


 
To authorize activities to combat the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic 
             Republic of the Congo, 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 ``Ebola Eradication Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress makes the following findings:
            (1) The current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic 
        of the Congo, which began in August 2018 in eastern Congo, is 
        the second largest in history and has resulted in over 1,600 
        cases and 1,000 deaths.
            (2) Despite the use of preventive tools and new 
        therapeutics, insecurity and community resistance to response 
        efforts remain major obstacles to ending the current Ebola 
        outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the 
        outbreak continues to spread.
            (3) Hospitals, health clinics, and Ebola clinics have been 
        repeatedly attacked by armed actors.
            (4) On February 28, 2019, Doctors Without Borders suspended 
        its work in Ebola epicenters after two treatment centers were 
        attacked.
            (5) On April 19, 2019, Dr. Richard Valery Mouzoko Kiboung, 
        an epidemiologist from Cameroon deployed by the World Health 
        Organization to eastern Congo to help stop the outbreak, was 
        killed in an attack on Butembo University Hospital.
            (6) Healthcare workers responding to Ebola have expressed 
        concerns about their ability to continue working on the 
        response given the complex security situation.
            (7) If the outbreak is not brought under control, it risks 
        spreading across the border to neighboring countries and 
        endangering millions of people.
            (8) The Administration released a November 29, 2018, 
        Presidential Memorandum implementing aid restrictions to most 
        countries on Tier III of the 2018 Trafficking In Persons (TIP) 
        report that fully restricted non-humanitarian, non-trade 
        related aid to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
            (9) Paragraphs (4) and (5) of section 110(d) of the 
        Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 
        7107(d)(4) and (5)) authorize the continuation of assistance in 
        Tier III countries if such assistance is determined to be in 
        the national interest of the United States.
            (10) Section 110(d)(5)(B) of the Trafficking Victims 
        Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107(d)(5)(B)) states, ``The 
        President shall exercise the [waiver] authority under paragraph 
        (4) when necessary to avoid significant adverse effects on 
        vulnerable populations, including women and children.''.
            (11) The President has not exercised the waiver authority 
        provided for in section 110(d)(5)(B) of the Trafficking in 
        Victims Protection Act of 2000 in relation to health, 
        education, or community outreach activities essential to the 
        success of the Ebola response in the Democratic Republic of the 
        Congo.
            (12) It is in the national interest of the United States to 
        help control and end the current Ebola outbreak in the 
        Democratic Republic of the Congo before it spreads.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION TO ADDRESS THE EBOLA OUTBREAK IN THE DEMOCRATIC 
              REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO.

    (a) In General.--Notwithstanding section 110 of the Trafficking 
Victims Protection Act of 2000 (22 U.S.C. 7107), and subject to the 
availability of appropriations, the Administrator of the United States 
Agency for International Development shall immediately provide 
assistance, including targeted foreign assistance under chapters 1 and 
10 of part I of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2151 et 
seq.; 22 U.S.C. 2293 et seq.) for global health and activities 
necessary to respond to the threat posed by Ebola, and under chapter 4 
of part II of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2346 et 
seq.), to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and 
Burundi to effectively combat the Ebola outbreak that began in August 
2018, including water and sanitation infrastructure, global health 
activities, public messaging and other critical activities necessary 
for ending the outbreak. Such assistance shall be provided at levels 
commensurate both to address the threat posed by the Ebola outbreak and 
conduct activities necessary for an effective response. Activities to 
expand and improve access to communities heavily affected by the Ebola 
outbreak should be prioritized under this section.
    (b) Report to Congress.--Not later than 30 days after the date of 
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the United States 
Agency for International Development shall submit to the Committee on 
Foreign Relations of the Senate and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of 
the House of Representatives a report--
            (1) describing the actions the Administrator has taken and 
        plans to take under section 3(a) to end the Ebola outbreak in 
        eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo; and
            (2) proposing any additional legal authorities required to 
        improve the response to the Ebola outbreak in eastern 
        Democratic Republic of the Congo.

            Passed the Senate September 23, 2019.

            Attest:

                                                JULIE E. ADAMS,

                                                             Secretary.