H.R. 5710 — Introduced in House

I 113th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 5710 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES November 14, 2014 Mr. Smith of New Jersey (for himself, Ms. Bass, and Mr. Meadows) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs A BILL To authorize the provision of assistance on an emergency basis for countries affected by or at risk of being affected by the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease to effectively address such outbreak at its source, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Ebola Emergency Response Act. 2. Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the current outbreak of the Ebola virus disease in West Africa poses severe health, economic, and security threats to the countries affected by the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease, the United States, and the broader international community; and (2) the whole-of-government response taken by the United States provides unique capabilities that are critical to effectively helping contain the Ebola virus disease in West Africa, yet the United States alone will not succeed in containing the Ebola virus disease. 3. Statements of policy It shall be the policy of the United States to— (1) support a robust international response to the Ebola virus disease in West Africa by undertaking a range of activities to immediately help detect, contain, treat, and deter the further spread of the disease; (2) support the efforts of governments of affected countries and of local, regional, and international nongovernmental organizations and civil society organizations working on the front lines of the response to the Ebola virus disease; and (3) work with appropriate security sector personnel engaged in the response to the Ebola virus disease in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, as well as with civil society, regional organizations, and the United Nations to enhance border security and create a secure operating environment for health workers and other responders and the communities they are serving, including by repurposing, as necessary and appropriate, existing United States security assistance provided to the affected countries to address immediate border security and law enforcement needs. 4. International efforts to control the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease In carrying out the policy under section 3, the President shall— (1) seek to coordinate with the governments of countries of Africa affected by or at risk of being affected by the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease, other donors, the private sector, regional and international financial institutions, local, regional, and international organizations, civil society, and local, regional, and nongovernmental organizations, particularly organizations that possess experience in emergency relief and infection control, to devise and implement a coherent, comprehensive strategy to control the Ebola virus disease and assist affected populations, utilizing all necessary and appropriate assets and capabilities of the United States Government; and (2) direct the United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations to use the voice, vote, and influence of the United States at the United Nations to— (A) ensure that the United Nations Mission in Liberia is fully protecting individuals under its care from exploitation and abuse, including by soldiers serving under its command, and, within its capabilities and in the context of its mandate to help solidify peace and stability while protecting civilians in Liberia, plays an active role in the emergency response, including by providing logistics and engineering support, as well as securing border crossings, state institutions, and treatment facilities, as necessary and appropriate; and (B) ensure that the United Nations Mission for the Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) plays an effective role in aligning donors around a single strategic operating plan to detect, contain, treat, and deter the further spread of Ebola, and that the associated costs for its work are offset by decreases elsewhere in the general budget of the United Nations. 5. Assistance to countries affected by the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease (a) Authorization Notwithstanding any other provision of law, and consistent with the authorities of section 491 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2292), the President is authorized to provide assistance on an emergency basis to countries directly affected by or at imminent risk of being affected by the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease to effectively address such outbreak, by supporting the activities described in subsection (b). (b) Activities supported Activities supported by assistance under subsection (a) are the following: (1) The construction, staffing, and equipping of patient isolation and treatment facilities in sufficient numbers to treat infected persons at the most appropriate locations. (2) The construction and equipping of laboratories in sufficient numbers to ensure accurate testing for the Ebola virus disease and other infectious diseases, as necessary and appropriate, in as rapid a time frame as possible. (3) The provision of vital medical supplies and equipment necessary to contain the outbreak. (4) The recruitment and training of local and international staff on effective disease identification, isolation, contact tracing, and care with respect to the Ebola virus disease, especially the proper use of universal precautions, personal protective equipment, and other infection control measures, to minimize transmission. (5) The recruitment, training, and equipping of safe burial teams, as necessary, to reduce transmission of the Ebola virus disease. (6) The provision of medical evacuations, on a reimbursable basis, for medical and other personnel engaged in the response to the Ebola virus disease who become infected with the disease, as necessary and appropriate. (7) The development of an effective public information campaign to help limit the transmission of the Ebola virus disease, utilizing all appropriate means of communication, including digital, print, broadcast communication, and communications through local health care workers, media, schools, civil society organizations, and faith-based and traditional leaders. (8) The development and deployment of Ebola diagnostics and surveillance tools, as well as vaccines and treatments as they become available and to the extent possible that such vaccines and treatments adhere to strictly enforced informed consent protocols. (9) The provision of emergency food assistance, water and sanitation, shelter, and support for orphans and vulnerable children in communities affected by the Ebola virus disease. (10) The provision of technical assistance to strengthen border control, including enhanced health screening at exit and entry points in the region, to be complemented by appropriate health screening at United States ports of entry. (11) Activities related to sustainable post-outbreak economic recovery and ensuring the stability of countries affected by the Ebola virus disease. (c) Allocation and reimbursement among agencies (1) In general In carrying out this section, the President, acting through the Administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, is authorized to utilize the services and facilities of, or procure commodities from, any agency of the United States Government on a non-reimbursable basis, subject to the written consent of the head of such other agency, and notwithstanding any provision of law relating to limitations on the use of authorities or funding of such other agency. (2) Congressional notification The Administrator shall notify the appropriate committees not later than 15 days after the date on which the authority under paragraph (1) is utilized. Such notification shall include the name of the other agency, the value of such services or facilities utilized, or commodities procured, the affected appropriations accounts, and a justification for the utilization of the authority under paragraph (1). 6. Sense of Congress on international support to avoid economic collapse and assist with post-crisis countries directly affected by the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease It is the sense of Congress that the President should work with other donors, including international financial institutions, to encourage such other donors to help the governments of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone mitigate the risks of economic collapse and related civil unrest by providing appropriate access to emergency grants and financing tools, as necessary and appropriate, to address fiscal issues that are the direct result of the Ebola virus disease crisis, and to assist with post-crisis economic recovery. 7. Report (a) In general Not later than 6 months after the date on which the President determines that the Ebola epidemic in West Africa has been effectively contained, the President shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that assesses the United States coordination and response to the Ebola epidemic, including how the authorities provided pursuant to this Act were utilized and lessons learned that may have applications in response to future epidemics. (b) Appropriate congressional committees In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees means— (1) the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the Committee on Armed Services, and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; and (2) the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, the Committee on Armed Services, and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate. 8. Authorization of appropriations There is authorized to be appropriated to the President to carry out section 491 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 (22 U.S.C. 2292) $1,801,000,000 for fiscal year 2015.