,i  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ddib  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #af1 #bjba ,mr4
 ,swalwell introduced the following     
bill2 which was referred to the         
,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1 and
 in addition to the ,committees on      
,armed ,services1 ,homeland ,security1  
and ,agriculture1 for a period to be    
subsequently determined by the ,speaker1
 in each case for consideration of such 
provisions as fall within the           
jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
,a ,,bill  ,to establish an interagency 
forum for biodefense preparedness1 and  
for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,biosecurity ,information ,optimization 
for ,defense ,act of #bjba4  #b4        
,national biodefense strategy ,section  
#ajhf of the ,national ,defense         
,authorization ,act for ,fiscal year    
#bjag 7,public ,law #aad-cbh2 #acj      
,stat4 #bdbc2 #f ,u4,s4,c4 #ajd71 as    
amended by section #agjd of the         

,national ,defense ,authorization ,act  
for ,fiscal ,year #bjbj 7,public ,law   
#aaf-ib2 #acc ,stat4 #agig2 #f ,u4,s4,c4
 #ajd71 is further amended to read as   
follows3  #ajd4 ,national biodefense    
strategy  7a7 ,interagency ,forum for   
,biodefense ,preparedness ,the          
,president shall establish a            
cabinet-level interagency forum to be   
known as the ,national ,biodefense      
,directorate 7referred to in this       
section as the ,directorate74  7b7      
,duties of ,directorate ,the            
,directorate shall develop--  7#a7 a    
national biodefense strategy and        
associated implementation plan2 and     
7#b7 a national strategy with respect to
 countering the spread of misinformation
 and disinformation relating to         
biodefense and associated implementation
 plans4  7c7 ,membership  7#a7 ,in      
general ,the ,directorate shall be      
composed from governmental positions    
specified in paragraph 7#b74  7#b7      
,governmental positions ,governmental   

positions specified in this paragraph   
are the following3  7,a7 ,the ,secretary
 of ,agriculture4  7,b7 ,the ,secretary 
of ,defense4  7,c7 ,the ,secretary of   
,health and ,human ,services4  7,d7 ,the
 ,secretary of ,homeland ,security4     
7,e7 ,the ,vice ,president4  7,f7 ,other
 officers of the ,united ,states        
,government designated by the           
,president4  7#c7 ,chairperson ,the     
,chairperson of the ,directorate shall  
be the ,vice ,president1 or in the      
absence of the ,vice ,president1 the    
designee of the ,vice ,president4  7d7  
,meeting  7#a7 ,meetings ,the           
,directorate shall meet not less than   
once every six months or at the call of 
the ,chairperson4  7#b7 ,quorum ,a      
simple majority shall constitute a      
quorum4  7e7 ,executive ,secretary and  
staff of ,directorate  7#a7 ,executive  
,secretary ,the ,directorate shall have 
an ,executive ,secretary who shall be-- 
7,a7 appointed by the ,chairperson2 and 
7,b7 be an employee of the ,office of   

the ,vice ,president4  7#b7 ,personnel  
7,a7 ,in general ,subject to the rules  
prescribed by the ,directorate1 the     
,executive ,secretary may appoint and   
fix the pay of personnel as the         
,executive ,secretary considers         
appropriate4  7,b7 ,applicability of    
,civil ,service laws ,personnel         
appointed to the ,directorate pursuant  
to subparagraph 7,a7 shall be subject to
 the provisions of title #e1 ,united    
,states ,code1 governing appointments in
 the competitive service1 and shall be  
paid in accordance with the provisions  
of chapter #ea and subchapter ,,iii of  
chapter #ec of such title relating to   
classification and ,general ,schedule   
pay rates4  7#c7 ,prohibition of        
,compensation of ,federal employees     
,except as provided in paragraph 7#d71  
members of the ,directorate who are     
full-time officers or employees of the  
,united ,states may not receive         
additional pay1 allowances1 or benefits 
by reason of their service on the       

,directorate4  7#d7 ,travel expenses    
,each member of the ,directorate shall  
receive travel expenses1 including per  
diem in lieu of subsistence1 in         
accordance with applicable provisions   
under subchapter ,i of chapter #eg of   
title #e1 ,united ,states ,code4  7#e7  
,staff of ,federal agencies ,the        
,secretary of ,defense1 the ,secretary  
of ,health and ,human ,services1 the    
,secretary of ,homeland ,security1      
,secretary of ,agriculture1 and each    
officer of the ,united ,states appointed
 to the ,directorate pursuant to        
subsection 7c7 shall detail1 on a       
reimbursable basis1 one staff member of 
that department or agency to the        
,directorate to assist it in carrying   
out its duties under this ,act4  7f7    
,administrative support services ,upon  
the request of the ,directorate1 the    
,administrator of ,general ,services    
shall provide to the ,directorate1 on a 
reimbursable basis1 the administrative  
support services necessary for the      

,directorate to carry out its           
responsibilities under this ,act4  7g7  
,strategy and ,implementation plan      
required  7#a7 ,in general ,the         
,directorate shall jointly develop a    
national biodefense strategy to be known
 as the ,national ,biodefense ,strategy 
and associated implementation plan1     
which shall-- 7,a7 include a review and 
assessment of biodefense policies1      
practices1 programs and initiatives2    
7,b7 base such review and assessment on 
methods established by the ,directorate 
for the collection and analysis of data 
provided by ,federal1 ,state1 and local 
agencies2 and  7,c7 review and1 as      
appropriate1 revise the strategy every  
#f months4  7#b7 ,elements ,the strategy
 and associated implementation plan     
required under subsection 7a7 shall     
include each of the following3 7,a7 ,an 
inventory and assessment of all existing
 strategies1 plans1 policies1 laws1 and 
interagency agreements related to       
biodefense1 including prevention1       

deterrence1 preparedness1 detection1    
response1 attribution1 recovery1 and    
mitigation4  7,b7 ,a description of     
biological threats1 including biological
 warfare1 bioterrorism1 naturally       
occurring infectious diseases1 and      
accidental exposures4  7,c7 ,a          
description of the current programs1    
efforts1 or activities of the ,federal  
,government with respect to--  7i7      
preventing the acquisition1             
proliferation1 and use of a biological  
weapon2  7ii7 preventing an accidental  
or naturally occurring biological       
outbreak2 and  7iii7 mitigating the     
effects of a biological epidemic4  7,d7 
,a description of the roles and         
responsibilities of the ,executive      
,agencies1 including internal and       
external coordination procedures1 in    
identifying and sharing information     
related to1 warning of1 and protection  
against1 acts of terrorism using        
biological agents and weapons and       
accidental or naturally occurring       

biological outbreaks4  7,e7 ,an         
articulation of related or required     
interagency capabilities and            
whole-of-,government activities required
 to support the ,national ,biodefense   
,strategy4  7,f7 ,an identification of  
challenges relating to disease outbreak 
prediction and modeling4  7,g7 ,an      
assessment relating to the need for a   
,national ,infectious ,disease          
,forecasting ,center to-- 7i7 advance   
the development and effective           
application of ,federal outbreak models1
 predictions1 and forecasts2 and  7ii7  
support the duties of the ,directorate  
pursuant to subsection 7b74  7,h7       
,recommendations for--  7i7             
strengthening and improving the current 
biodefense capabilities1 authorities1   
and command structures of the ,federal  
,government2  7ii7 improving and        
formalizing interagency coordination and
 support mechanisms with respect to     
providing a robust national biodefense2 
and  7iii7 predicting1 modeling1        

preventing1 mitigating1 and eliminating 
biological threats that may impact the  
national security of the ,united        
,states4  7,i7 ,any other matters the   
,directorate may determine necessary4   
7h7 ,national strategy combating        
biodefense misinformation  7#a7 ,in     
general ,the ,directorate shall-- 7,a7  
jointly develop a national strategy with
 respect to combating public health     
misinformation and disinformation that  
threatens the national security1 and    
associated implementation plan1         
including a review and assessment of    
,federal government communications      
policies1 practices1 programs and       
initiatives2  7,b7 with respect to      
developing such strategy and plan1      
engage stakeholders1 including social   
media companies1 news media             
organizations1 public health            
practitioners1 and members of the       
academic community2 and  7,c7 review    
and1 as appropriate1 revise the strategy
 every #f months4  7#b7 ,elements ,the  

strategy and associated implementation  
plan required under paragraph 7#a7 shall
 include each of the following3 7,a7 ,an
 inventory and assessment of all        
existing strategies1 plans1 policies1   
laws1 and interagency agreements with   
respect to ,federal communications      
relating to biodefense4  7,b7 ,a        
description of the current programs1    
efforts1 or activities of the ,united   
,states ,government with respect to     
countering the spread of misinformation 
and disinformation relating to          
biological threats4  7,c7 ,a description
 of the roles and responsibilities of   
the ,executive ,agencies1 including     
internal and external coordination      
procedures1 with respect to--  7i7      
communicating information relating to   
biodefense2 and  7ii7 countering the    
spread of misinformation and            
disinformation relating to biodefense4  
7,d7 ,an articulation of related or     
required interagency capabilities and   
whole-of-,government activities required

 to support the national strategy for   
countering the spread of misinformation 
and disinformation relating to          
biological threats4  7,e7               
,recommendations with respect to        
predicting1 preventing1 mitigating1 and 
eliminating the spread of misinformation
 and disinformation relating to         
biological threats that may impact the  
national security of the ,united        
,states4  7,f7 ,recommendations for     
improving and formalizing interagency   
coordination and supporting processes   
with respect to providing robust        
,federal communications relating to     
biodefense4  7,g7 ,recommendations for  
public-private partnerships between     
social media companies and ,federal     
agencies to counter the spread of       
misinformation and disinformation       
relating to biological threats on social
 media platforms4  7,h7 ,specific and   
practice-based strategies and guidance  
with respect to ,federal and ,state     
communications relating to biological   

threats4  7,i7 ,any other matters the   
,directorate may determine necessary4   
7i7 ,report  7#a7 ,in general ,not later
 than #ahj days after the date of the   
enactment of this section and annually  
thereafter1 the ,directorate shall      
submit to the ,national ,security       
,council and appropriate congressional  
committees a report including the       
strategy and associated implementation  
plans required by subsections 7f7 and   
7g74  7#b7 ,form ,each report required  
under paragraph 7#a7 shall be submitted 
in unclassified form1 but may include a 
classified annex4  7j7 ,,gao review     
7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #ahj   
days after the date on which the report 
is submitted pursuant to subsection 7i71
 the ,comptroller ,general of the       
,united ,states shall complete a review 
of such report4  7#b7 ,report ,not later
 than #ij days after the date on which  
the ,comptroller ,general completes the 
report required under paragraph 7#a71   
the ,comptroller ,general shall submit  

to the appropriate congressional        
committees a report that includes--     
7,a7 the identification of gaps in such 
strategies and plans2 and  7,b7         
recommendations to address such gaps4   
7k7 ,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7 
,appropriate congressional committees   
,the term 8appropriate congressional    
committees0 means--  7,a7 the           
congressional defense committees2  7,b7 
the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce 
of the ,house of ,representatives and   
the ,committee on ,health1 ,education1  
,labor1 and ,pensions of the ,senate2   
7,c7 the ,committee on ,homeland        
,security of the ,house of              
,representatives and the ,committee on  
,homeland ,security and ,governmental   
,affairs of the ,senate2 and  7,d7 the  
,committee on ,agriculture of the ,house
 of ,representatives and the ,committee 
on ,agriculture1 ,nutrition1 and        
,forestry of the ,senate4  7#b7         
,biodefense ,the term biodefense        
includes actions to counter biological  

threats1 reduce risks1 and prepare for1 
respond to1 and recover from biological 
incidents4  7#c7 ,biological threat ,the
 term biological threat includes        
biological warfare1 bioterrorism1       
naturally occurring infectious diseases1
 and accidental exposures4  7#d7        
,misinformation ,the term misinformation
 means information that is materially   
incorrect in the context of scientific  
information of the time4  7#e7          
,disinformation ,the term disinformation
 means information that is intentionally
 materially incorrect in the context of 
scientific information of the time4  4