,,ii #aagth ,,congress #ast ,session ,s4 #aigf ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,june #h1 #bjba,mr4 ,merkley 7for himself and ,ms4 ,warren7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,a ,,bill ,to establish a program to oversee the global ,,covid-#ai response and prepare for future pandemics1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,nullifying ,opportunities for ,variants to ,infect and ,decimate ,act or the ,,novid ,act4 #b4 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 the ,united ,states has made tremendous progress towards ending the ,,covid-#ai pandemic within its borders1 thanks to an unprecedented and highly successful vaccination campaign spearheaded by the ,biden ,administration2 7#b7 the ,,covid-#ai pandemic continues to rage unchecked across much of the world as global vaccination efforts have struggled to keep pace2 7#c7 if current trends continue1 many middle-income countries may not achieve widespread vaccination until late #bjbb1 and the world's poorest nations will not reach widespread vaccination coverage before #bjbc1 if at all2 7#d7 the situation overseas threatens progress toward ending the ,,covid-#ai pandemic in the ,united ,states1 since unchecked transmission of ,,covid-#ai gives rise to new variants1 many of which show vaccine resistance2 7#e7 the most concerning of these variants has been shown to reduce vaccine efficacy by as much as #bj to #dj percent2 and 7#f7 the ,united ,states should take up the mantle of global leadership in the fight to end the ,,covid-#ai pandemic-- 7,a7 to protect ,united ,states citizens from the emergence of new vaccine-resistant coronavirus variants2 and 7,b7 to prevent the kind of humanitarian catastrophe currently occurring in ,south ,asia1 ,south ,america1 and elsewhere4 #c4 ,pandemic ,preparedness and ,response ,program 7a7 ,establishment ,there is established the ,pandemic ,preparedness and ,response ,program 7referred to in this as the ,program7-- 7#a7 to oversee the ,united ,states government-wide global health response to the ,,covid-#ai pandemic2 and 7#b7 to protect ,americans from the emergence of ,,covid-#ai variants and other pathogens with pandemic potential4 7b7 ,director ,the ,president shall appoint the ,director of the ,program 7referred to in this ,act as the ,director71 who shall be responsible for coordinating among the ,federal departments and agencies listed in subsection 7c77#a7 and coordinating the role of the ,united ,states in the work of international nongovernmental organizations1 development banks1 civil society1 and foreign governments1 with respect to the global health response to the ,,covid-#ai pandemic and the prevention of the emergence of variants or of other pathogens with pandemic potential4 7c7 ,federal departments and agencies ,the ,federal departments and agencies listed in this subsection are-- 7#a7 the ,department of ,state2 7#b7 the ,united ,states ,agency for ,international ,development2 7#c7 the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention2 7#d7 the ,food and ,drug ,administration2 7#e7 the ,biomedical ,advanced ,research and ,development ,authority and the ,health ,resources and ,services ,administration of the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services2 7#f7 the ,department of ,defense2 7#g7 the ,peace ,corps2 7#h7 the ,department of ,labor2 and 7#i7 any other department or agency the ,president determines appropriate4 7d7 ,comprehensive strategy 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #cj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,director shall develop a comprehensive strategy to end the ,,covid-#ai pandemic worldwide and to prevent future pandemics1 which shall include specific achievable goals to accomplish the objectives described in paragraph 7#b7 with respect to the ,,covid-#ai pandemic4 7#b7 ,objectives ,the strategy developed pursuant to paragraph 7#a7 shall address issues relating to-- 7,a7 the shortages of vaccines1 vaccine components1 any raw materials necessary to producing such articles1 and other supplies necessary to carrying out a global vaccination campaign1 to ensure that there is an adequate supply of vaccines and other necessary articles for all countries2 7,b7 the end-to-end delivery and administration of vaccines in low- and middle-income countries to ensure that at least #fj percent of the populations in the #ib low- and middle-income countries identified by the ,,covax initiative are vaccinated as soon as possible and not later than the beginning of the second quarter of #bjbb2 and 7,c7 preventing future pandemics by coordinating and integrating disease surveillance and early-warning systems1 harmonizing early crisis response measures around the world1 and limiting the potential for spillover events before they happen4 7e7 ,authorization of appropriations 7#a7 ,authorization ,there is authorized to be appropriated #cd1jjj1jjj1jjj to carry out the ,program established under this section4 7#b7 ,coordination ,amounts made available to any ,federal department or agency for providing global health assistance or other forms of foreign assistance may be made available to the ,program1 subject to the oversight and coordination of the ,director4 7#c7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7,a7 approximately #be1jjj1jjj1jjj of the amount appropriated pursuant to paragraph 7#a7 should be made available to scale vaccine manufacturing capacity and produce vaccines2 7,b7 approximately #h1ejj1jjj1jjj of such funds should be made available to cover the cost of end-to-end delivery and administration of vaccines in target countries2 and 7,c7 approximately #ejj1jjj1jjj should be made available to establish a global disease surveillance network to protect against future pandemics4 #d4 ,implementation of comprehensive strategy 7a7 ,implementation ,in implementing the strategy developed pursuant to section #c7;d7-- 7#a7 the ,director shall-- 7,a7 ensure the immediate release of the #hj1jjj1jjj doses of vaccine that the ,united ,states has already committed to send abroad2 7,b7 reassess the ,united ,states vaccine stockpile with regard to domestic vaccination objectives and trends to determine whether further vaccines can be sent abroad2 7,c7 coordinate with the ,biomedical ,advanced ,research and ,development ,authority of the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services 7referred to in this section as ,,barda7 to rapidly scale manufacturing capacity in the ,united ,states and in regional manufacturing hubs to whatever degree necessary and wherever necessary1 to produce #h1jjj1jjj1jjj vaccine doses as soon as possible1 in addition to existing manufacturing capacity2 7,d7 consider the potential benefit of regional manufacturing hubs in ,south ,america1 ,africa1 and ,south ,asia for the future of global health1 especially the potential benefit for addressing future pandemics through the global disease surveillance network implemented pursuant to paragraph 7#c72 7,e7 encourage and facilitate technology sharing and the licensing of intellectual property as much as is necessary to ensure an adequate and timely supply of necessary articles2 7,f7 in collaboration with ,,covax1 ensure equitable access to vaccines1 especially vaccines produced through the efforts of ,,barda and the ,program described in subparagraph 7,c7 and paragraph 7#b72 7,g7 work with international partners to provide enough vaccines to lower- and middle-income countries to fully vaccinate at least #fj percent of their respective populations1 with special attention to the #ib lower- and middle-income countries identified by the ,,covax initiative as being the most in need of assistance2 and 7,h7 consider the central and necessary role that community engagement and public awareness will play in ensuring the voluntary uptake of vaccines by at least #fj percent of the populations in target countries2 7#b7 the ,program shall-- 7,a7 work closely with host governments1 international partners1 and other nongovernmental organizations to develop in-country infrastructure1 personnel1 and other assets sufficient to deliver vaccines where they are needed and when they are needed1 and to administer the vaccines to appropriate target populations2 7,b7 build on existing healthcare delivery infrastructure and relationships developed through the ,president's ,emergency ,plan ,for ,,aids ,relief and other pre-existing1 bilateral humanitarian aid programs between the ,united ,states and the target countries1 and through pre-existing multilateral relationships and initiatives in target countries2 7,c7 develop country operational plans targeted primarily at lower- and middle-income countries without the infrastructure to manufacture1 acquire1 or administer vaccines2 7,d7 monitor how many people in such target countries received inoculations1 the infection rate1 and vaccine manufacture status1 including as a result of the activities of the ,program2 and 7,e7 monitor and prepare daily updates regarding the overall progress in non-targeted countries toward vaccinating their populations and ending the ,,covid-#ai pandemic within their borders1 to ensure that the ,director remains aware of overall global progress toward vaccinating the global population and ending the ,,covid-#ai pandemic worldwide2 and 7#c7 following the end or the abatement of the ,,covid-#ai pandemic1 the ,program should shift to protect against future pandemics by coordinating a global disease surveillance network to identify and stop pathogens with pandemic potential before they spread uncontrollably by-- 7,a7 building on existing surveillance and prevention infrastructure and relationships developed through the ,national ,security ,council ,directorate on ,global ,health ,security and ,biodefense and other pre-existing surveillance and prevention programs2 7,b7 working with international partners to establish a coordinated disease surveillance system1 directly linked to decision makers in foreign governments and nongovernmental organizations1 so that certain agreed early-warning metrics would trigger timely and open communication between relevant decision makers around the world2 and 7,c7 in addition to monitoring for early warning signs of potential future pandemics1 considering how to prevent or limit the potential for new spillover events by which new pathogens with pandemic potential are first transmitted to humans4 7b7 ,sense of ,congress ,it is the sense of ,congress that-- 7#a7 the ,united ,states ,government played a crucial role in the unprecedented rapid development of the ,,covid-#ai vaccines1 substantially funding several vaccine candidates and closely collaborating with ,moderna on the ,,nih-,moderna vaccine2 and 7#b7 in the face of a global health emergency1 the ,united ,states ,government has broad authority1 including under the ,defense ,production ,act 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #deja et seq47 and chapter #ah of title #ce1 ,united ,states ,code 7commonly referred to as the ,bayh-,dole ,act71 to ensure adequate supply of vaccines1 necessary components1 and raw materials through technology sharing and direct collaboration with manufacturers around the world4