,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #bfdj  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,august #e1    
#bjba,ms4 ,baldwin 7for herself1 ,mr4   
,casey1 ,mr4 ,king1 and ,ms4 ,smith7    
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,health1 ,education1      
,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
establish a program for developing      
medical countermeasures for unknown     
viral threats4  #a4 ,short title ,this  
,act may be cited as the ,disease ,x    
,act4  #b4 ,medical countermeasures for 
unknown viral threats  7a7 ,in general  
,the ,secretary of ,health and ,human   
,services 7referred to in this section  
as the ,secretary71 acting through the  
,director of the ,biomedical ,advanced  
,research and ,development ,authority1  
in coordination and consultation with   
the relevant offices and agencies       
participating in the ,public ,health    
,emergency ,medical ,countermeasures    
,enterprise1 shall establish a ,disease 

,x ,medical ,countermeasures program for
 purposes of developing medical         
countermeasures1 including therapeutics1
 diagnostics1 and vaccines1 for unknown 
viral threats4  7b7 ,consultation       
,pursuant to the program established    
under subsection 7a7-- 7#a7 the         
,secretary shall consult with the       
,public ,health ,emergency ,medical     
,countermeasures ,enterprise regarding  
any investment strategies2  7#b7 the    
,department of ,health and ,human       
,services shall be the agency with      
primary responsibility concerning       
medical countermeasures needed to       
protect the diverse public of the       
,united ,states1 including children and 
other at-risk populations2 and  7#c7 the
 ,secretary shall consult with the      
,secretary of ,defense concerning       
medical countermeasures targeted to the 
protection of military personnel4  7c7  
,accessibility and equity ,to protect   
the diverse public of the ,united       
,states1 the ,secretary shall prioritize

 equity and accessibility1 including    
ease of administration and distribution1
 in the development of medical          
countermeasures4  7d7 ,grant program    
7#a7 ,in general ,to carry out the      
program under this section1 the         
,secretary may award grants1 contracts1 
and cooperative agreements to1 and enter
 into other transactions with1 eligible 
entities4  7#b7 ,eligibility ,to be     
eligible to receive a grant1 contract1  
or cooperative agreement under this     
subsection1 or to enter into another    
transaction with the ,secretary under   
this subsection1 an entity shall be     
based in the ,united ,states and shall  
maintain domestic research and          
development and manufacturing           
operations4  7#c7 ,requirement ,not     
fewer than #be percent of the recipients
 of grants under this subsection shall  
be eligible entities with #ejj or fewer 
employees4  7e7 ,authorization of       
appropriations ,to carry out this       
section1 there are authorized to be     

appropriated #ejj1jjj1jjj for each of   
fiscal years #bjbb through #bjbe4