,,ii #aafth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #dfch ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,september #bb1 #bjbj,mr4 ,schumer 7for himself1 ,mrs4 ,murray1 ,mr4 ,van ,hollen1 ,ms4 ,baldwin1 ,mr4 ,schatz1 ,mr4 ,blumenthal1 ,mrs4 ,feinstein1 ,mr4 ,casey1 ,mr4 ,merkley1 ,mrs4 ,gillibrand1 ,mrs4 ,shaheen1 ,mr4 ,reed1 ,mr4 ,murphy1 ,mr4 ,brown1 ,mr4 ,peters1 ,mr4 ,markey1 ,ms4 ,warren1 ,mr4 ,menendez1 ,mr4 ,durbin1 ,ms4 ,smith1 ,ms4 ,duckworth1 ,mr4 ,kaine1 ,ms4 ,rosen1 ,ms4 ,hirono1 ,mr4 ,leahy1 ,mr4 ,cardin1 ,mr4 ,whitehouse1 ,ms4 ,cortez ,masto1 ,ms4 ,klobuchar1 ,ms4 ,stabenow1 ,mr4 ,heinrich1 ,mr4 ,wyden1 ,ms4 ,cantwell1 and ,mr4 ,sanders7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions ,a ,,bill ,to preserve and promote integrity in scientific decision making at the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,science and ,transparency ,over ,politics ,act4 #b4 ,investigation of ,political ,interference with ,decisions of ,scientific ,agencies of ,,hhs 7a7 ,appointment of the ,task ,force 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,pandemic ,response ,accountability ,committee established under section #aejaj of the ,coronavirus ,aid1 ,relief1 and ,economic ,security ,act 7,public ,law #aaf-acf71 shall appoint1 not later than #a month after the date of enactment of this ,act1 the ,task ,force of the ,pandemic ,response ,accountability ,committee 7referred to in this section as the ,task ,force71 which shall consist of #e members of the ,pandemic ,response ,accountability ,committee4 7#b7 ,qualifications ,the members of the ,task ,force shall have expertise in conducting independent audits1 evaluations1 and investigations4 7b7 ,investigations and reports ,the ,task ,force shall-- 7#a7 conduct an investigation of political interference with decisions made by scientific agencies of the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services during the time period described in subsection 7f72 and 7#b7 not later than ,january #ca1 #bjba1 and every #f months thereafter1 until the date that is #f months after the end of the time period described in subsection 7f71 submit a report of the findings of such investigation to the ,committees on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions and ,homeland ,security and ,governmental ,affairs of the ,senate and the ,committees on ,energy and ,commerce and ,oversight and ,reform of the ,house of ,representatives4 7c7 ,considerations ,in conducting the investigation under subsection 7b71 the ,task ,force shall consider-- 7#a7 emails and other records of communications1 including-- 7,a7 communications between the ,white ,house1 the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services1 and scientific agencies of the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services2 and 7,b7 communications between political appointees1 career staff1 and contractors within scientific agencies of the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services2 7#b7 initial1 subsequent1 and final drafts of scientific publications or communications1 in order to assess changes made by scientific agencies of the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services as a result of political interference2 and 7#c7 other information1 as the ,task ,force determines appropriate4 7d7 ,obstruction of investigation ,the ,task ,force shall notify1 in writing1 the ,committees on ,health1 ,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions and ,homeland ,security and ,governmental ,affairs of the ,senate2 the ,committees on ,energy and ,commerce and ,oversight and ,reform of the ,house of ,representatives2 and the ,pandemic ,response ,accountability ,committee of any obstruction1 prevention1 or delay of information or communication requested pursuant to the investigation under subsection 7b71 not later than #cj days after the ,task ,force first requested the information or communication4 ,the notification shall include-- 7#a7 a description of the information or communication sought2 7#b7 the date on which such information or communication was first requested2 7#c7 the date of any subsequent effort to obtain the information or communication2 and 7#d7 a summary of any response from the person from which the information or communication was requested1 including any explanation by that person of why the requested information or communication is not being provided4 7e7 ,definition ,for purposes of this section1 the term political interference with decisions made by scientific agencies of the ,health and ,human ,services includes any significant action by the executive branch of the ,federal ,government to-- 7#a7 pressure the ,food and ,drug ,administration to reach a certain outcome related to a drug1 device1 or biological product for the diagnosis1 cure1 mitigation1 treatment1 or prevention of ,,covid-#ai2 7#b7 pressure such agency to make a decision related to a drug1 device1 or biological product for the diagnosis1 cure1 mitigation1 treatment1 or prevention of ,,covid-#ai within a certain timeframe2 7#c7 prevent such agency from taking an action related to a drug1 device1 or biological product for the diagnosis1 cure1 mitigation1 treatment1 or prevention of ,,covid-#ai1 or from taking such action within a particular timeframe2 7#d7 make a decision for the ,food and ,drug ,administration related to a drug1 device1 or biological product for the diagnosis1 cure1 mitigation1 treatment1 or prevention of ,,covid-#ai that the ,food and ,drug ,administration would make itself in the ordinary course2 7#e7 pressure the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention or any other scientific agency of the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services to release1 withhold1 or modify public health guidance1 data1 information1 or publications related to ,,covid-#ai in a manner that is inconsistent with the conclusion reached by the relevant senior career scientists2 7#f7 provide a grant1 cooperative agreement1 award1 or other ,federal support through a scientific agency of the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services for an entity or endeavor related to ,,covid-#ai for reasons other than strengthening the ,nation's ,,covid-#ai response1 including with respect to reducing morbidity and mortality related to ,,covid-#ai2 or 7#g7 otherwise influence decisions by scientific agencies of the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services in a manner that is inconsistent with strengthening the ,nation's ,,covid-#ai response1 including with respect to reducing morbidity and mortality related to ,,covid-#ai4 7f7 ,time period ,the time period described in this subsection is the period beginning on the effective date of the public health emergency declared by the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services under section #cai of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bdg;d7 on ,january #ca1 #bjbj1 with respect to ,,covid-#ai1 and ending on the last day of such public health emergency4 7g7 ,clarification ,nothing in this section shall prevent the ,task ,force from releasing any information before ,january #ca1 #bjba1 or before a full report is complete1 if the ,task ,force determines that the release of such information is in the public interest4 7h7 ,funding ,to carry out this section1 there are authorized to be appropriated #be1jjj1jjj for the period of fiscal years #bjba and #bjbb4