,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cdif  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,january #ac   
7legislative day1 ,january #aj71        
#bjbb,mr4 ,braun 7for himself and ,mr4  
,kaine7 introduced the following bill2  
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,health1 ,education1     
,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
improve research and development of     
medical countermeasures for novel       
pathogens4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act 
may be cited as the ,promoting ,access  
to ,critical ,countermeasures by        
,ensuring ,specimen ,samples to         
,diagnostics ,act or the ,promoting     
,,access to ,diagnostics ,act4  #b4     
,accessing specimen samples and         
diagnostic tests  7a7 ,improving        
research and development of medical     
countermeasures for novel pathogens     
7#a7 ,sample access ,not later than #a  
year after the date of enactment of this
 ,act1 the ,secretary of ,health and    
,human ,services 7referred to in this   

subsection as the ,secretary7 shall make
 publicly available policies and        
procedures related to public and private
 entities accessing specimens of1 or    
specimens containing1 pathogens or      
suitable surrogates for1 or alternatives
 to1 such pathogens as the ,secretary   
determines appropriate to support public
 health preparedness and response       
activities or biomedical research for   
purposes of the development and         
validation1 as applicable1 of medical   
products to address emerging infectious 
diseases and for use to otherwise       
respond to emerging infectious diseases4
 ,such policies and procedures shall    
take into account1 as appropriate1 any  
applicable existing ,federal resources4 
7#b7 ,guidance ,the ,secretary shall    
issue guidance regarding the procedures 
for carrying out paragraph 7#a71        
including-- 7,a7 the method for         
requesting such samples2  7,b7          
considerations for sample availability  
and use of suitable surrogates or       

alternatives to such pathogens1 as      
appropriate1 including applicable       
safeguard and security measures2 and    
7,c7 information required to be provided
 in order to receive such samples or    
suitable surrogates or alternatives4    
7b7 ,earlier development of diagnostic  
tests ,title ,,iii of the ,public       
,health ,service ,act is amended by     
inserting after section #cai;,a 7#db    
,u4,s4,c4 #bdg;d-#a7 the following3     
#cai;,b4 ,earlier development of        
diagnostic tests ,the ,secretary may    
contract with public and private        
entities1 as appropriate1 to increase   
capacity in the rapid development1      
validation1 manufacture1 and            
dissemination of diagnostic tests1 as   
appropriate1 to ,state1 local1 and      
,tribal health departments and other    
appropriate entities for immediate      
public health response activities to    
address emerging infectious diseases    
that have significant potential to cause
 a public health emergency4  4