HELP Committee Releases Discussion Draft of Bipartisan Legislation Aimed at Pandemic Preparedness
In late January 2022, Senators Patty Murray and Richard Burr (Chair and Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, respectively), released a discussion draft of bipartisan legislation focused on improving the United States’ pandemic preparedness and response. The discussion draft is known as the Prepare for and Respond to Existing Viruses, Emerging New Threats, and Pandemics Act (PREVENT Pandemics Act).
What’s in the Bill?
The discussion draft of the PREVENT Pandemics Act covers myriad topics, including: improving strategy and coordination among public health preparedness agencies; strengthening the supply chain and government stockpiles of medical products (i.e., masks, prescription drugs, vaccines, and tests); requiring a Senate-confirmed CDC director and agency-wide strategic plan for how to handle emergencies; improving our ability to detect and monitor emerging infectious disease (and other threats); and enhancing our ability to develop and review tests, treatments and vaccines.
The bill also focuses on addressing disparities that make public health emergencies harder on certain at-risk populations and improving public health communication. As the health workforce has taken a battering during the COVID-19 pandemic, the bill also aims to revitalize the public and community health workforce. It also focuses on continued access to mental health and substance use disorder services during public health emergency, to help those suffering from trauma, depression, substance abuse disorders, and other conditions.
Finally, the bill establishes an independent task force that will perform a comprehensive review of the COVID-19 pandemic and response.
Policy Briefs
Prior to the release of the discussion draft, Senator Burr released a series of policy briefs that reviewed the government’s response to the COVID-19 response and failures, especially focused on the “missteps and miscommunications made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).”
In his first policy brief, Burr focused on modernizing the CDC. His next policy brief was titled, “Reforming and Strengthening ASPR: Ensuring Specialized Capabilities, Sufficient Capacity, and Specific Authorities to Meet 21st Century Public Health Threat.” The third installment included ideas on how to prepare for future public health threats and the fourth focused on how to implement lessons learned at the Food and Drug Administration from the COVID-19 pandemic. The most recent policy brief, from November 5, 2021, focused on strengthening the safety and security of laboratories.
Senator Statements
Senator Murray said, “The PREVENT Pandemics Act also takes action to address several of the longstanding challenges that have undermined our pandemic response from the start—like strengthening our medical supply chains, improving our public health data systems and workforce, updating the development process for tests, treatments and vaccines, combatting misinformation, and more.”
Senator Burr released a statement, saying, ““While our federal response has been successful in the fastest development and distribution of safe and effective vaccines and treatments against an emerging infectious disease, one of the biggest challenges we face is addressing the systemic and cultural failures of the CDC under two Administrations. The American people have stopped listening to the CDC because of their confusing and conflicting guidance.” He went on to note that the CDC reforms included in the draft discussion “are just the beginning of what is needed.”
What to Expect Going Forward
Senators are continuing to work together on potential additional provisions to include in the final bill, including provisions that would strengthen and support cutting-edge biomedical advanced research, improve laboratory safety and security, establish clear leadership across the United States government in future responses, and ensure continued accountability and oversight of response agencies.