[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 167 (Wednesday, December 21, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S14329-S14333]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. FRIST (for himself, Mr. Biden, and Mr. Lugar):
  S. 2170. A bill to provide for global pathogen surveillance and 
response; read twice.
  Mr. FRIST. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                S. 2170

       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 ``Global Pathogen Surveillance 
     Act of 2005''.

[[Page S14330]]

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE.

       (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) The frequency of the occurrence of biological events 
     that could threaten the national security of the United 
     States has increased and is likely increasing. The threat to 
     the United States from such events includes threats from 
     diseases that infect humans, animals, or plants regardless of 
     if such diseases are introduced naturally, accidentally, or 
     intentionally.
       (2) The United States lacks an effective and real-time 
     system to detect, identify, contain, and respond to global 
     threats and also lacks an effective mechanism to disseminate 
     information to the national response community if such 
     threats arise.
       (3) Bioterrorism poses a grave national security threat to 
     the United States. The insidious nature of a bioterrorist 
     attack, the likelihood that the recognition of such an attack 
     would be delayed, and the underpreparedness of the domestic 
     public health infrastructure to respond to such an attack 
     could result in catastrophic consequences following a 
     biological weapons attack against the United States.
       (4) The ability to recognize that a country or organization 
     is carrying out a covert biological weapons programs is 
     dependent on a number of indications and warnings. A critical 
     component of this recognition is the timely detection of 
     sentinel events such as laboratory accidents and community-
     level outbreaks that could be the earliest indication of an 
     emerging bioterrorist program in a foreign country. Early 
     detection of such events may enable earlier 
     counterproliferation intervention.
       (5) A contagious pathogen engineered as a biological weapon 
     and developed, tested, produced, or released in a foreign 
     country could quickly spread to the United States. 
     Considering the realities of international travel, trade, and 
     migration patterns, a dangerous pathogen appearing naturally, 
     accidentally, or intentionally anywhere in the world can 
     spread to the United States in a matter of days, before any 
     effective quarantine or isolation measures could be 
     implemented.
       (6) To combat bioterrorism effectively and ensure that the 
     United States is fully prepared to prevent, recognize, and 
     contain a biological weapons attack, or emerging infectious 
     disease, measures to strengthen the domestic public health 
     infrastructure and improve domestic event detection, 
     surveillance, and response, while absolutely essential, are 
     not sufficient.
       (7) The United States should enhance cooperation with the 
     World Health Organization, regional international health 
     organizations, and individual countries, including data 
     sharing with appropriate agencies and departments of the 
     United States, to help detect and quickly contain infectious 
     disease outbreaks or a bioterrorism agent before such a 
     disease or agent is spread.
       (8) The World Health Organization has done an impressive 
     job in monitoring infectious disease outbreaks around the 
     world, particularly with the establishment in April 2000 of 
     the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network.
       (9) The capabilities of the World Health Organization 
     depend on the quality of the data and information the 
     Organization receives from the countries that are members of 
     the Organization and is further limited by the narrow list of 
     diseases (such as plague, cholera, and yellow fever) on which 
     such surveillance and monitoring is based and by the 
     consensus process used by the Organization to add new 
     diseases to the list. Developing countries, in particular, 
     often are unable to devote the necessary resources to build 
     and maintain public health infrastructures.
       (10) In particular, developing countries could benefit 
     from--
       (A) better trained public health professionals and 
     epidemiologists to recognize disease patterns;
       (B) appropriate laboratory equipment for diagnosis of 
     pathogens;
       (C) disease reporting systems that--
       (i) are based on disease and syndrome surveillance; and
       (ii) could enable an effective response to a biological 
     event to begin at the earliest possible opportunity;
       (D) a narrowing of the existing technology gap in disease 
     and syndrome surveillance capabilities, based on reported 
     symptoms, and real-time information dissemination to public 
     health officials; and
       (E) appropriate communications equipment and information 
     technology to efficiently transmit information and data 
     within national, international regional, and international 
     health networks, including inexpensive, Internet-based 
     Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and relevant telephone-
     based systems for early recognition and diagnosis of 
     diseases.
       (11) An effective international capability to detect, 
     monitor, and quickly diagnose infectious disease outbreaks 
     will offer dividends not only in the event of biological 
     weapons development, testing, production, and attack, but 
     also in the more likely cases of naturally occurring 
     infectious disease outbreaks that could threaten the United 
     States. Furthermore, a robust surveillance system will serve 
     to deter, prevent, or contain terrorist use of biological 
     weapons, mitigating the intended effects of such malevolent 
     uses.
       (b) Purposes.--The purposes of this Act are as follows:
       (1) To provide the United States with an effective and 
     real-time system to detect biological threats that--
       (A) utilizes classified and unclassified information to 
     detect such threats; and
       (B) may be utilized by the human or the agricultural 
     domestic disease response community.
       (2) To enhance the capability of the international 
     community, through the World Health Organization and 
     individual countries, to detect, identify, and contain 
     infectious disease outbreaks, whether the cause of those 
     outbreaks is intentional human action or natural in origin.
       (3) To enhance the training of public health professionals 
     and epidemiologists from eligible developing countries in 
     advanced Internet-based disease and syndrome surveillance 
     systems, in addition to traditional epidemiology methods, so 
     that such professionals and epidemiologists may better 
     detect, diagnose, and contain infectious disease outbreaks, 
     especially such outbreaks caused by the pathogens that may be 
     likely to be used in a biological weapons attack.
       (4) To provide assistance to developing countries to 
     purchase appropriate communications equipment and information 
     technology to detect, analyze, and report biological threats, 
     including--
       (A) relevant computer equipment, Internet connectivity 
     mechanisms, and telephone-based applications to effectively 
     gather, analyze, and transmit public health information for 
     infectious disease surveillance and diagnosis; and
       (B) appropriate computer equipment and Internet 
     connectivity mechanisms--
       (i) to facilitate the exchange of Geographic Information 
     Systems-based disease and syndrome surveillance information; 
     and
       (ii) to effectively gather, analyze, and transmit public 
     health information for infectious disease surveillance and 
     diagnosis.
       (5) To make available greater numbers of public health 
     professionals who are employed by the Government of the 
     United States to international regional and international 
     health organizations, international regional and 
     international health networks, and United States diplomatic 
     missions, as appropriate.
       (6) To expand the training and outreach activities of 
     United States laboratories located in foreign countries, 
     including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or 
     Department of Defense laboratories, to enhance the public 
     health capabilities of developing countries.
       (7) To provide appropriate technical assistance to existing 
     international regional and international health networks and, 
     as appropriate, seed money for new international regional and 
     international networks.

     SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Eligible developing country.--The term ``eligible 
     developing country'' means any developing country that--
       (A) has agreed to the objective of fully complying with 
     requirements of the World Health Organization on reporting 
     public health information on outbreaks of infectious 
     diseases;
       (B) has not been determined by the Secretary, for purposes 
     of section 40 of the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 
     2780), section 620A of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 
     U.S.C. 2371), or section 6(j) of the Export Administration 
     Act of 1979 (as in effect pursuant to the International 
     Emergency Economic Powers Act; 50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.), to 
     have repeatedly provided support for acts of international 
     terrorism, unless the Secretary exercises a waiver certifying 
     that it is in the national interest of the United States to 
     provide assistance under the provisions of this Act; and
       (C) is a party to the Convention on the Prohibition of the 
     Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological 
     (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on Their Destruction, done 
     at Washington, London, and Moscow April 10, 1972 (26 UST 
     583).
       (2) Eligible national.--The term ``eligible national'' 
     means any citizen or national of an eligible developing 
     country who--
       (A) does not have a criminal background;
       (B) is not on any immigration or other United States watch 
     list; and
       (C) is not affiliated with any foreign terrorist 
     organization.
       (3) International health organization.--The term 
     ``international health organization'' includes the World 
     Health Organization, regional offices of the World Health 
     Organization, and international health organizations, such as 
     the Pan American Health Organization.
       (4) Laboratory.--The term ``laboratory'' means a facility 
     for the biological, microbiological, serological, chemical, 
     immuno-hematological, hematological, biophysical, 
     cytological, pathological, or other medical examination of 
     materials derived from the human body for the purpose of 
     providing information for the diagnosis, prevention, or 
     treatment of any disease or impairment of, or the assessment 
     of the health of, human beings.
       (5) Secretary.--Unless otherwise provided, the term 
     ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of State.
       (6) Disease and syndrome surveillance.--The term ``disease 
     and syndrome surveillance'' means the recording of clinician-
     reported symptoms (patient complaints) and signs (derived 
     from physical examination and laboratory data) combined with 
     simple geographic locators to track the emergence of a 
     disease in a population.

[[Page S14331]]

     SEC. 4. ELIGIBILITY FOR ASSISTANCE.

       (a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (b), 
     assistance may be provided to an eligible developing country 
     under any provision of this Act only if the government of the 
     eligible developing country--
       (1) permits personnel from the World Health Organization 
     and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to 
     investigate outbreaks of infectious diseases within the 
     borders of such country; and
       (2) provides pathogen surveillance data to the appropriate 
     agencies and departments of the United States and to 
     international health organizations.
       (b) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive the prohibition set 
     out in subsection (a) if the Secretary determines that it is 
     in the national interest of the United States to provide such 
     a waiver.

     SEC. 5. RESTRICTION.

       (a)  In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     this Act, no foreign national participating in a program 
     authorized under this Act shall have access, during the 
     course of such participation, to a select agent or toxin 
     described in section 73.4 of title 42, Code of Federal 
     Regulations (or any corresponding similar regulation) or an 
     overlap select agent or toxin described in section 73.5 of 
     such title (or any corresponding similar regulation) that may 
     be used as, or in, a biological weapon, except in a 
     supervised and controlled setting.
       (b) Relationship to Regulations.--The restriction set out 
     in subsection (a) may not be construed to limit the ability 
     of the Secretary of Health and Human Services to prescribe, 
     through regulation, standards for the handling of a select 
     agent or toxin or an overlap select agent or toxin described 
     in such subsection.

     SEC. 6. FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM.

       (a) Establishment.--There is established a fellowship 
     program under which the Secretary, in consultation with the 
     Secretary of Health and Human Services and subject to the 
     availability of appropriations, shall award fellowships to 
     eligible nationals to pursue public health education or 
     training, as follows:
       (1) Master of public health degree.--Graduate courses of 
     study leading to a master of public health degree with a 
     concentration in epidemiology from an institution of higher 
     education in the United States with a Center for Public 
     Health Preparedness, as determined by the Director of the 
     Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
       (2) Advanced public health epidemiology training.--Advanced 
     public health training in epidemiology for public health 
     professionals from eligible developing countries to be 
     carried out at the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention, an appropriate facility of a State, or an 
     appropriate facility of another agency or department of the 
     United States (other than a facility of the Department of 
     Defense or a national laboratory of the Department of Energy) 
     for a period of not less than 6 months or more than 12 
     months.
       (b) Specialization in Bioterrorism.--In addition to the 
     education or training specified in subsection (a), each 
     recipient of a fellowship under this section (in this section 
     referred to as a ``fellow'') may take courses of study at the 
     Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or at an 
     equivalent facility on diagnosis and containment of likely 
     bioterrorism agents.
       (c) Fellowship Agreement.--
       (1) In general.--A fellow shall enter into an agreement 
     with the Secretary under which the fellow agrees--
       (A) to maintain satisfactory academic progress, as 
     determined in accordance with regulations issued by the 
     Secretary and confirmed in regularly scheduled updates to the 
     Secretary from the institution providing the education or 
     training on the progress of the fellow's education or 
     training;
       (B) upon completion of such education or training, to 
     return to the fellow's country of nationality or last 
     habitual residence (so long as it is an eligible developing 
     country) and complete at least 4 years of employment in a 
     public health position in the government or a 
     nongovernmental, not-for-profit entity in that country or, 
     with the approval of the Secretary, complete part or all of 
     this requirement through service with an international health 
     organization without geographic restriction; and
       (C) that, if the fellow is unable to meet the requirements 
     described in subparagraph (A) or (B), the fellow shall 
     reimburse the United States for the value of the assistance 
     provided to the fellow under the fellowship program, together 
     with interest at a rate that--
       (i) is determined in accordance with regulations issued by 
     the Secretary; and
       (ii) is not higher than the rate generally applied in 
     connection with other Federal loans.
       (2) Waivers.--The Secretary may waive the application of 
     subparagraph (B) or (C) of paragraph (1) if the Secretary 
     determines that it is in the national interest of the United 
     States to provide such a waiver.
       (d) Agreement.--The Secretary, in consultation with the 
     Secretary of Health and Human Services, is authorized to 
     enter into an agreement with the government of an eligible 
     developing country under which such government agrees--
       (1) to establish a procedure for the nomination of eligible 
     nationals for fellowships under this section;
       (2) to guarantee that a fellow will be offered a 
     professional public health position within the developing 
     country upon completion of the fellow's studies; and
       (3) to submit to the Secretary a certification stating that 
     a fellow has concluded the minimum period of employment in a 
     public health position required by the fellowship agreement, 
     including an explanation of how the requirement was met.
       (e) Participation of United States Citizens.--On a case-by-
     case basis, the Secretary may provide for the participation 
     of a citizen of the United States in the fellowship program 
     under the provisions of this section if--
       (1) the Secretary determines that it is in the national 
     interest of the United States to provide for such 
     participation; and
       (2) the citizen of the United States agrees to complete, at 
     the conclusion of such participation, at least 5 years of 
     employment in a public health position in an eligible 
     developing country or at an international health 
     organization.
       (f) Use of Existing Programs.--The Secretary, with the 
     concurrence of the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 
     may elect to use existing programs of the Department of 
     Health and Human Services to provide the education and 
     training described in subsection (a) if the requirements of 
     subsections (b), (c), and (d) will be substantially met under 
     such existing programs.

     SEC. 7. IN-COUNTRY TRAINING IN LABORATORY TECHNIQUES AND 
                   DISEASE AND SYNDROME SURVEILLANCE.

       (a) Laboratory Techniques.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary, after consultation with the 
     Secretary of Health and Human Services and in conjunction 
     with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention and the Secretary of Defense, and subject to the 
     availability of appropriations, shall provide assistance for 
     short training courses for eligible nationals who are 
     laboratory technicians or other public health personnel in 
     laboratory techniques relating to the identification, 
     diagnosis, and tracking of pathogens responsible for possible 
     infectious disease outbreaks.
       (2) Location.--The training described in paragraph (1) 
     shall be held outside the United States and may be conducted 
     in facilities of the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention located in foreign countries or in Overseas 
     Medical Research Units of the Department of Defense, as 
     appropriate.
       (3) Coordination with existing programs.--The Secretary 
     shall coordinate the training described in paragraph (1), 
     where appropriate, with existing programs and activities of 
     international health organizations.
       (b) Disease and Syndrome Surveillance.--
       (1) In general.--The Secretary, after consultation with the 
     Secretary of Health and Human Services and in conjunction 
     with the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention and the Secretary of Defense and subject to the 
     availability of appropriations, shall establish and provide 
     assistance for short training courses for eligible nationals 
     who are health care providers or other public health 
     personnel in techniques of disease and syndrome surveillance 
     reporting and rapid analysis of syndrome information using 
     Geographic Information System (GIS) tools.
       (2) Location.--The training described in paragraph (1) 
     shall be conducted via the Internet or in appropriate 
     facilities located in a foreign country, as determined by the 
     Secretary.
       (3) Coordination with existing programs.--The Secretary 
     shall coordinate the training described in paragraph (1), 
     where appropriate, with existing programs and activities of 
     international regional and international health 
     organizations.

     SEC. 8. ASSISTANCE FOR THE PURCHASE AND MAINTENANCE OF PUBLIC 
                   HEALTH LABORATORY EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES.

       (a) Authorization.--The President is authorized to provide, 
     on such terms and conditions as the President may determine, 
     assistance to eligible developing countries to purchase and 
     maintain the public health laboratory equipment and supplies 
     described in subsection (b).
       (b) Equipment and Supplies Covered.--The equipment and 
     supplies described in this subsection are equipment and 
     supplies that are--
       (1) appropriate, to the extent possible, for use in the 
     intended geographic area;
       (2) necessary to collect, analyze, and identify 
     expeditiously a broad array of pathogens, including mutant 
     strains, which may cause disease outbreaks or may be used in 
     a biological weapon;
       (3) compatible with general standards set forth by the 
     World Health Organization and, as appropriate, the Centers 
     for Disease Control and Prevention, to ensure 
     interoperability with international regional and 
     international public health networks; and
       (4) not defense articles, defense services, or training, as 
     such terms are defined in the Arms Export Control Act (22 
     U.S.C. 2751 et seq.).
       (c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
     construed to exempt the exporting of goods and technology 
     from compliance with applicable provisions of the Export 
     Administration Act of 1979 (as in effect pursuant to the 
     International Emergency Economic Powers Act; 50 U.S.C. 1701 
     et seq.).
       (d) Limitation.--Amounts appropriated to carry out this 
     section shall not be made available for the purchase from a 
     foreign country of equipment or supplies that, if made in the 
     United States, would be subject

[[Page S14332]]

     to the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.) or 
     likely be barred or subject to special conditions under the 
     Export Administration Act of 1979 (as in effect pursuant to 
     the International Emergency Economic Powers Act; 50 U.S.C. 
     1701 et seq.).
       (e) Procurement Preference.--In the use of grant funds 
     authorized under subsection (a), preference should be given 
     to the purchase of equipment and supplies of United States 
     manufacture. The use of amounts appropriated to carry out 
     this section shall be subject to section 604 of the Foreign 
     Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2354).
       (f) Country Commitments.--The assistance provided under 
     this section for equipment and supplies may be provided only 
     if the eligible developing country that receives such 
     equipment and supplies agrees to provide the infrastructure, 
     technical personnel, and other resources required to house, 
     maintain, support, secure, and maximize use of such equipment 
     and supplies.

     SEC. 9. ASSISTANCE FOR IMPROVED COMMUNICATION OF PUBLIC 
                   HEALTH INFORMATION.

       (a) Assistance for Purchase of Communication Equipment and 
     Information Technology.--The President is authorized to 
     provide, on such terms and conditions as the President may 
     determine, assistance to eligible developing countries to 
     purchase and maintain the communications equipment and 
     information technology described in subsection (b), and the 
     supporting equipment, necessary to effectively collect, 
     analyze, and transmit public health information.
       (b) Covered Equipment.--The communications equipment and 
     information technology described in this subsection are 
     communications equipment and information technology that--
       (1) are suitable for use under the particular conditions of 
     the area of intended use;
       (2) meet the standards set forth by the World Health 
     Organization and, as appropriate, the Secretary of Health and 
     Human Services, to ensure interoperability with like 
     equipment of other countries and international organizations; 
     and
       (3) are not defense articles, defense services, or 
     training, as those terms are defined in the Arms Export 
     Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et seq.).
       (c) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section shall be 
     construed to exempt the exporting of goods and technology 
     from compliance with applicable provisions of the Export 
     Administration Act of 1979 (as in effect pursuant to the 
     International Emergency Economic Powers Act; 50 U.S.C. 1701 
     et seq.).
       (d) Limitation.--Amounts appropriated to carry out this 
     section shall not be made available for the purchase from a 
     foreign country of communications equipment or information 
     technology that, if made in the United States, would be 
     subject to the Arms Export Control Act (22 U.S.C. 2751 et 
     seq.) or likely be barred or subject to special conditions 
     under the Export Administration Act of 1979 (as in effect 
     pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act; 
     50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.).
       (e) Procurement Preference.--In the use of grant funds 
     under subsection (a), preference should be given to the 
     purchase of communications equipment and information 
     technology of United States manufacture. The use of amounts 
     appropriated to carry out this section shall be subject to 
     section 604 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 
     2354).
       (f) Assistance for Standardization of Reporting.--The 
     President is authorized to provide, on such terms and 
     conditions as the President may determine, technical 
     assistance and grant assistance to international health 
     organizations to facilitate standardization in the reporting 
     of public health information between and among developing 
     countries and international health organizations.
       (g) Country Commitments.--The assistance provided under 
     this section for communications equipment and information 
     technology may be provided only if the eligible developing 
     country that receives such equipment and technology agrees to 
     provide the infrastructure, technical personnel, and other 
     resources required to house, maintain, support, secure, and 
     maximize use of such equipment and technology.

     SEC. 10. ASSIGNMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH PERSONNEL TO UNITED 
                   STATES MISSIONS AND INTERNATIONAL 
                   ORGANIZATIONS.

       (a) In General.--Upon the request of the chief of a 
     diplomatic mission of the United States or of the head of an 
     international regional or international health organization, 
     and with the concurrence of the Secretary and of the employee 
     concerned, the head of an agency or department of the United 
     States may assign to the mission or the organization any 
     officer or employee of the agency or department that occupies 
     a public health position within the agency or department for 
     the purpose of enhancing disease and pathogen surveillance 
     efforts in developing countries.
       (b) Reimbursement.--The costs incurred by an agency or 
     department of the United States by reason of the detail of 
     personnel under subsection (a) may be reimbursed to that 
     agency or department out of the applicable appropriations 
     account of the Department of State if the Secretary 
     determines that the agency or department may otherwise be 
     unable to assign such personnel on a non-reimbursable basis.

     SEC. 11. EXPANSION OF CERTAIN UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT 
                   LABORATORIES ABROAD.

       (a) In General.--Subject to the availability of 
     appropriations, the Director of the Centers for Disease 
     Control and Prevention and the Secretary of Defense shall 
     each--
       (1) increase the number of personnel assigned to 
     laboratories of the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention or the Department of Defense, as appropriate, 
     located in eligible developing countries that conduct 
     research and other activities with respect to infectious 
     diseases; and
       (2) expand the operations of such laboratories, especially 
     with respect to the implementation of on-site training of 
     foreign nationals and activities affecting the region in 
     which the country is located.
       (b) Cooperation and Coordination Between Laboratories.--
     Subsection (a) shall be carried out in such a manner as to 
     foster cooperation and avoid duplication between and among 
     laboratories.
       (c) Relation to Core Missions and Security.--The expansion 
     of the operations of the laboratories of the Centers for 
     Disease Control and Prevention or the Department of Defense 
     located in foreign countries under this section may not--
       (1) detract from the established core missions of the 
     laboratories; or
       (2) compromise the security of those laboratories, as well 
     as their research, equipment, expertise, and materials.

     SEC. 12. ASSISTANCE FOR INTERNATIONAL HEALTH NETWORKS AND 
                   EXPANSION OF FIELD EPIDEMIOLOGY TRAINING 
                   PROGRAMS.

       (a) Authority.--The President is authorized, on such terms 
     and conditions as the President may determine, to provide 
     assistance for the purposes of--
       (1) enhancing the surveillance and reporting capabilities 
     for the World Health Organization and existing international 
     regional and international health networks; and
       (2) developing new international regional and international 
     health networks.
       (b) Expansion of Field Epidemiology Training Programs.--The 
     Secretary of Health and Human Services is authorized to 
     establish new country or regional international Field 
     Epidemiology Training Programs in eligible developing 
     countries.

     SEC. 13. FOREIGN BIOLOGICAL THREAT DETECTION AND WARNING.

       (a) In General.--The President shall establish the Office 
     of Foreign Biological Threat Detection and Warning within 
     either the Department of Defense, the Central Intelligence 
     Agency, or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
     with the technical ability to conduct event detection and 
     rapid threat assessment related to biological threats in 
     foreign countries.
       (b) Purposes.--The purposes of the Office of Foreign 
     Biological Threat Detection and Warning shall be--
       (1) to integrate public health, medical, agricultural, 
     societal, and intelligence indications and warnings to 
     identify in advance the emergence of a transnational 
     biological threat;
       (2) to provide rapid threat assessment capability to the 
     appropriate agencies or departments of the United States that 
     is not dependent on access to--
       (A) a specific biological agent;
       (B) the area in which such agent is present; or
       (C) information related to the means of introduction of 
     such agent; and
       (3) to build the information visibility and decision 
     support activities required for appropriate and timely 
     information distribution and threat response.
       (c) Technology.--The Office of Foreign Biological Threat 
     Detection and Warning shall employ technologies similar to, 
     but no less capable than, those used by the Intelligence 
     Technology Innovation Center (ITIC) within the Directorate of 
     Science and Technology of the Central Intelligence Agency to 
     conduct real-time, prospective, automated threat assessments 
     that employ social disruption factors.
       (d) Event Detection Defined.--In this section, the term 
     ``event detection'' refers to the real-time and rapid 
     recognition of a possible biological event that has appeared 
     in a community and that could have national security 
     implications, regardless of whether the event is caused by 
     natural, accidental, or intentional means and includes 
     scrutiny of such possible biological event by analysts 
     utilizing classified and unclassified information.

     SEC. 14. REPORTS.

       Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this 
     Act, the Secretary, in conjunction with the Secretary of 
     Health and Human Services and the Secretary of Defense, shall 
     submit to Congress a report on the implementation of programs 
     under this Act, including an estimate of the level of funding 
     required to carry out such programs at a sufficient level.

     SEC. 15. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--Subject to subsection 
     (c), there is authorized to be appropriated for fiscal year 
     2006 such sums as may be necessary to carry out this Act.
       (b) Availability of Funds.--The amount appropriated 
     pursuant to subsection (a) is authorized to remain available 
     until expended.
       (c) Limitation on Obligation of Funds.--Not more than 10 
     percent of the amount appropriated pursuant to subsection (a) 
     may be obligated before the date on which a report is 
     submitted, or required to be submitted, whichever first 
     occurs, under section 14.

[[Page S14333]]

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