,,ii #aaith ,,congress #b;d ,session ,s4 #ddia ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states ,may #ab1 #bjbf ,mr4 ,sheehy 7for himself and ,mrs4 ,shaheen7 introduced the following bill2 which was read twice and referred to the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations ,a ,,bill ,to enhance diplomatic engagement on international biotechnology and biosecurity matters4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,biodefense ,diplomacy ,enhancement ,act4 #b4 ,enhancement of diplomatic engagement on international biodefense1 biosecurity1 and biotechnology matters 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,state shall advance ,united ,states foreign policy goals to improve cooperation in the field of international biodefense1 biosecurity1 and biotechnology matters with ,united ,states allies and partners1 including by carrying out the activities described in this section4 7b7 ,policy development ,the ,secretary of ,state1 acting through the ,under ,secretary for ,arms ,control and ,international ,security if the ,secretary so delegates1 in coordination with the ,under ,secretary for ,political ,affairs and the ,permanent ,representative of the ,united ,states to the ,north ,atlantic ,treaty ,organization 7,,nato71 shall pursue enhanced biodefense cooperation within ,,nato1 including by-- 7#a7 advocating for the prioritization of policy development within ,,nato relating to biodefense1 including in the areas of biotechnology1 biosurveillance1 and countermeasures in the field of biological threats2 7#b7 identifying and evaluating opportunities to strengthen ,,nato planning1 policies1 and activities relating to biodefense and biotechnology2 7#c7 pursuing potential revisions or amendments to the ,,nato ,chemical1 ,biological1 ,radiological1 and ,nuclear ,defence ,policy to further enhance biodefense efforts in ,,nato2 7#d7 coordinating with ,,nato member states to prioritize and implement measures described in the ,,nato ,chemical1 ,biological1 ,radiological1 and ,nuclear ,defence ,policy2 7#e7 strengthening ,,nato interoperability and allied forces capabilities in resilience1 detection1 attribution1 emergency response1 and recovery in the event of a weaponized biological attack2 7#f7 evaluating opportunities for expanded ,,nato capabilities to research1 develop1 and deploy biotechnology for international security purposes2 and 7#g7 promoting adherence by ,,nato member states to the highest standards of safety and security in biological research4 7c7 ,cooperation with ,united ,states allies and partners ,the ,secretary of ,state1 acting through the ,under ,secretary for ,arms ,control and ,international ,security if the ,secretary so delegates1 in coordination with the ,under ,secretary for ,political ,affairs1 shall pursue international biotechnology1 biosecurity1 and biodefense cooperation with ,united ,states allies and partners1 including-- 7#a7 exploring potential areas of cooperation with countries that are major non-,,nato allies in biotechnology1 biosecurity1 and biodefense matters2 7#b7 coordinating with allied and partner countries1 including ,,nato countries1 on formulation of export control policies in the field of biotechnology1 including items that may be identified as dual-use items that would pose a substantial risk to national security if used for military end-uses1 such as items that could enable the development of bioweapons2 7#c7 promoting adherence by ,united ,states allies and partners to the highest standards of safety and security in biological research2 and 7#d7 collaborating on efforts to enforce the ,biological ,weapons ,convention4 7d7 ,strategies 7#a7 ,,nato biodefense strategy ,the ,secretary of ,state1 acting through the ,under ,secretary for ,arms ,control and ,international ,security if the ,secretary so delegates1 in coordination with the ,under ,secretary for ,political ,affairs1 shall develop a strategy1 to be known as the ,,nato ,biodefense ,strategy1 which shall include-- 7,a7 an assessment of current cooperation between the ,united ,states and ,,nato member states in biotechnology1 biosurveillance1 biological threat countermeasures1 and other biodefense capabilities2 7,b7 an identification of strategic planning and deployment gaps in ,,nato relating to biotechnology and biodefense2 7,c7 recommendations to address gaps identified under subparagraph 7,b71 including through coordination with ,,nato member states1 capability development1 and coordination mechanisms2 and 7,d7 an assessment of current ,department of ,state cooperation with other ,united ,states ,government agencies in biodefense1 biotechnology1 biosecurity1 biosurveillance1 and biological threat countermeasures4 7#b7 ,international biotechnology1 biosecurity1 and biodefense cooperation strategy ,the ,secretary of ,state1 acting through the ,under ,secretary for ,arms ,control and ,international ,security if the ,secretary so delegates1 in coordination with the ,under ,secretary for ,political ,affairs1 shall develop a strategy1 to be known as the ,international ,biotechnology1 ,biosecurity1 and ,biodefense ,cooperation ,strategy1 which shall include-- 7,a7 proposals for commitments or agreements under which the ,united ,states and ,united ,states allies and partners1 including countries that are major non-,,nato allies1 may expand cooperation on international security matters relating to biotechnology1 biosecurity1 and biodefense2 7,b7 an assessment of the feasibility and effectiveness of coordinating export control efforts1 in addition to existing export control regimes such as the ,wassenaar ,arrangement and the ,australia ,group1 related to biotechnology items that may pose national security risks if used for military end-uses2 and 7,c7 an overview of nonproliferation1 anti-terrorism1 demining1 and related 7,,nadr7 programs and funds for the purposes of enhancing capabilities and capacities to address international biosecurity threats and recommendations for the use of ,department of ,state programs and funds1 including ,,nadr programs and funds1 to expand cooperation outlined in subparagraph 7,a7 and increase the effectiveness of export control efforts identified in subparagraph 7,b74 7#c7 ,limitation ,the strategies developed under paragraphs 7#a7 and 7#b7 shall be limited to addressing threats posed by biological agents and toxins as such terms are defined in section #agh of title #ah1 ,united ,states ,code4 7e7 ,report 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #bgj days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,state1 acting through the ,under ,secretary for ,arms ,control and ,international ,security if the ,secretary so delegates1 shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that contains the strategies required by subsection 7d74 7#b7 ,form ,the report required by this subsection shall be submitted in unclassified form but may include a classified annex if submitted separately from the unclassified portion4 7f7 ,congressional briefing ,not later than #ij days after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,under ,secretary for ,arms ,control and ,international ,security shall provide a briefing to the appropriate congressional committees in response to significant developments relating to-- 7#a7 the contents of the report required by subsection 7e72 and 7#b7 other material developments in biotechnology and biosecurity globally that may affect ,united ,states national security interests4 7g7 ,definitions ,in this section-- 7#a7 the term appropriate congressional committees means-- 7,a7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,relations of the ,senate2 and 7,b7 the ,committee on ,foreign ,affairs of the ,house of the ,representatives4 7#b7 the term biodefense means actions to counter biological threats1 reduce risks1 and prepare for1 respond to1 and recover from biological incidents2 7#c7 the term biological threat means entities involved with1 or a situation involving1 a biological hazard that can potentially cause a biological incident2 7#d7 the term ,biological ,weapons ,convention means the ,convention on the ,prohibition of the ,development1 ,production and ,stockpiling of ,bacteriological and ,toxin ,weapons and on their ,destruction1 done at ,washington1 ,london1 and ,moscow ,april #aj1 #aigb1 and entered into force ,march #bf1 #aige2 7#e7 the term biosecurity means policies1 practices1 and controls that reduce the risk of loss1 theft1 misuse1 diversion of1 or intentional unauthorized release of biological materials2 7#f7 the term biosurveillance means the process of gathering1 integrating1 interpreting1 and communicating essential information and indications related to all-hazard threats or disease activity affecting human1 animal1 plant1 and environmental health to achieve early detection and provide early warning and contribute to overall situational awareness of the health aspects of a biological incident to support and enhance decisionmaking at all levels2 7#g7 the term biotechnology means the use of biological processes1 organisms1 or systems for manufacturing1 research1 or medical purposes1 including genetic engineering1 synthetic biology1 and bioinformatics2 and 7#h7 the term countries that are major non-,,nato allies means countries designated pursuant to section #eag of the ,foreign ,assistance ,act of #aifa 7#bb ,u4,s4,c4 #bcbak74