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DHS MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES ACT
Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3263) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to establish in the Department of Homeland Security a medical countermeasures program, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3263
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 ``DHS Medical Countermeasures Act''.
SEC. 2. MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--Subtitle C of title XIX 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. 1932. MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES.
``(a) In General.--The Secretary shall establish a medical countermeasures program to facilitate personnel readiness, and protection for the Department's employees and working animals in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosives attack, naturally occurring disease outbreak, or pandemic, and to support Department mission continuity.
``(b) Oversight.--The Chief Medical Officer of the Department shall provide programmatic oversight of the medical countermeasures program established pursuant to subsection (a), and shall--
``(1) develop Department-wide standards for medical countermeasure storage, security, dispensing, and documentation;
``(2) maintain a stockpile of medical countermeasures, including antibiotics, antivirals, and radiological countermeasures, as appropriate;
``(3) preposition appropriate medical countermeasures in strategic locations nationwide, based on threat and employee density, in accordance with applicable Federal statutes and regulations;
``(4) provide oversight and guidance regarding the dispensing of stockpiled medical countermeasures;
``(5) ensure rapid deployment and dispensing of medical countermeasures in a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosives attack, naturally occurring disease outbreak, or pandemic;
``(6) provide training to Department employees on medical countermeasure dispensing; and
``(7) support dispensing exercises.
``(c) Medical Countermeasures Working Group.--The Chief Medical Officer shall establish a medical countermeasures working group comprised of representatives from appropriate components and offices of the Department to ensure that medical countermeasures standards are maintained and guidance is consistent.
``(d) Medical Countermeasures Management.--Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Chief Medical Officer shall develop and submit to the Secretary an integrated logistics support plan for medical countermeasures, including--
``(1) a methodology for determining the ideal types and quantities of medical countermeasures to stockpile and how frequently such methodology shall be reevaluated;
``(2) a replenishment plan; and
``(3) inventory tracking, reporting, and reconciliation procedures for existing stockpiles and new medical countermeasure purchases.
``(e) Stockpile Elements.--In determining the types and quantities of medical countermeasures to stockpile under subsection (d), the Chief Medical Officer shall utilize, if available--
``(1) Department chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear risk assessments; and
``(2) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on medical countermeasures.
``(f) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate the plan developed in accordance with subsection (d) and brief such Committees regarding implementing the requirements of this section.
``(g) Definition.--In this section, the term `medical countermeasures' means antibiotics, antivirals, radiological countermeasures, and other countermeasures that may be deployed to protect the Department's employees and working animals in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosives attack, naturally occurring disease outbreak, or pandemic.''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents in section 1(b) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by adding after the item relating to section 1931 the following new item:
``Sec. 1932. Medical countermeasures.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Clarke) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Katko) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New York.
General Leave
Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentlewoman from New York?
There was no objection.
Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3263, the DHS Medical Countermeasures Act.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3263 seeks to establish a medical countermeasures program to facilitate the readiness and protection of personnel and working animals in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosives attack; disease outbreak; or pandemic.
H.R. 3263 requires DHS' chief medical officer, or CMO, to provide programmatic oversight of the medical countermeasures program and establish a medical countermeasures working group comprised of relevant DHS components.
Additionally, the bill requires the CMO to utilize DHS chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear risk assessments, and CDC guidance, to determine the types and quantities of medical countermeasures to stockpile.
H.R. 3263, first introduced in the 114th Congress, was developed due to concerns about the possibility of a severe pandemic that could cause illnesses and fatalities and destabilize the operations of DHS. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought these concerns to the forefront.
DHS is responsible for protecting our homeland, but the Department can only do that if it has a safe workforce. Many of the more than 240,000 employees are out on the front lines due to the nature of their responsibilities.
Furthermore, critical supply shortages of personal protective equipment earlier in the pandemic, which affected the Federal Government and State and local governments, also severely impacted DHS operations.
H.R. 3263 is informed by an August 2014 DHS inspector general report. It is also informed by testimony provided during multiple House Homeland Security Committee hearings.
Enactment of this bill will improve DHS' ability to protect the well-
being of DHS personnel so they can fulfill their mission: protecting our homeland.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3263, the DHS Medical Countermeasures Act offered by my colleague and friend, Representative Miller-Meeks.
This bill establishes a critical medical countermeasures program within the Department of Homeland Security to protect the workforce from chemical, biological, radiological, and other public health threats.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us the importance of preparation and risk mitigation in the face of the unknown. At the Department of Homeland Security, where many components have high-risk, public-facing operations, a medical countermeasures program and stockpile are crucial for ensuring mission continuity.
Like the rest of the country, the Department struggled to maintain sufficient supplies throughout the pandemic. That, combined with the reliance on foreign-made personal protective equipment and other medical supplies, highlights the need for this important legislation.
This bill requires the Homeland Security chief medical officer to maintain a medical countermeasures stockpile and develop standards for its storage, security, and maintenance.
Mr. Speaker, I commend Representative Miller-Meeks for her leadership on this timely bill. I urge all Members to join me in supporting H.R. 3263, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers, and I am prepared to close after the gentleman from New York closes.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from Iowa (Mrs. Miller-Meeks).
Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my bill, H.R. 3263, the DHS Medical Countermeasures Act.
The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc all over the world, causing countless deaths, both from COVID and from unexpected causes unrelated to COVID, businesses shuttering, job loss, and our everyday way of life almost coming to a halt. While I am pleased that the United States is heading back to normalcy with three excellent and widely available vaccines, we cannot forget the great struggles that we encountered just last year.
Every day, countless Americans put their lives on the line for others, including the men and women in the Department of Homeland Security. Throughout the pandemic, the agencies and officers at CBP continued to protect our borders; TSA officers secured our transportation system; and representatives from FEMA, who took a lead role in the government's response to the pandemic, still had to deploy when disaster struck in other areas.
My bill, the DHS Medical Countermeasures Act, supports the DHS workforce and Department mission continuity by requiring the Secretary to establish a medical countermeasures program to protect employees and working animals in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosives attack; naturally occurring disease outbreak; or pandemic.
This legislation requires the chief medical officer of the Department to maintain a stockpile of medical countermeasures and to develop Department-wide standards for storage, security, placement, dispensing, supply diversity, and documentation of countermeasures.
This bill requires the establishment of a medical countermeasures working group comprised of representatives from relevant Department components and offices to ensure medical countermeasure standards are maintained and guidance is consistent.
Finally, the bill requires the chief medical officer to develop an integrated logistics support plan for medical countermeasures that includes a methodology for determining types and quantities of countermeasures, inventory tracking, and a replenishment plan for existing stockpiles.
Mr. Speaker, as a doctor, former director of the Iowa Department of Public Health, and military veteran, I can assure you I know full well the necessity of medical countermeasures for treatment, diagnosis, and maintaining the safety of our community.
The Department of Homeland Security has over 240,000 employees tasked with jobs ranging from border and aviation security to emergency response and cybersecurity, with one common goal: keeping America safe. It is imperative that materials and processes are put in place to protect the safety and welfare of employees and to ensure effective pandemic and disaster planning and response for mission continuity.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to join me in supporting this commonsense bill, H.R. 3263.
Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I urge Members to support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. CLARKE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3263 is a measure that this country needs.
I believe all of us in this body can agree that protecting the health and safety of DHS personnel is critical to homeland security, and to that end, we must pass this bill.
Enactment of H.R. 3263 would strengthen medical countermeasure protocols within the Department and help DHS prepare for and respond to homeland threats.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 3263, and I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentlewoman from New York (Ms. Clarke) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3263.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. BISHOP of North Carolina. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion are postponed.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 127
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